Australian Football

Match Report

A powerful opening term has proved the difference between Fremantle and Geelong in the encounter between two potential top four sides at Subiaco Oval on Saturday afternoon. The Dockers, who had a shock win over the Cats in their semi-final encounter at Kardinia Park last year, came out firing in the first term, with goals to Matthew Pavlich, Tendai Mzungu and Nathan Fyfe allowing them to race to a 17-point lead in the first six minutes of the match.

The Dockers added to more for the quarter, including a second to Pavlich (his 600th goal in his 300th match), while keeping Geelong goalless to take a 30-point lead into quarter time. Tom Hawkins finally got the Cats on the board with his first major at the one-minute mark of the second term but the Dockers matched Geelong on the scoreboard for the quarter, kicking 2.8 to the Cats' 3.2 and the difference was still five goals at the long break. In fact the remainder of the match was very much an even affair, each side kicking six goals in the second half and the Dockers emerged comfortable 32-point winners when the final siren sounded.

Skipper Pavlich made a significant contribution in his milestone match with three telling first-half goals but best on ground was David Mundy, who had 34 disposals and took four marks. Nat Fyfe (26 possessions, seven marks and a goal) and Stephen Hill (29 touches and three tackles) were also fine contributors. For Geelong, captain Joel Selwood (35 disposals and eight marks) played his usual great game and George Horlin-Smith (30 possessions and a goal) and James Kelly (30 touches, three tackles) also did well for the losers.

The win, Fremantle's fifth from nine matches, leaves the Dockers in sixth place going into their bye, while Geelong slip to fourth place with a 6-2 record. The Cats will host North Melbourne at Kardinia on Friday night. They will do so without Stevie Johnson who received a one-match suspension for his head contact with Docker Ryan Crowley in Saturday's game.

GOALS
Fremantle: Pavlich, Ballantyne 3; Mzungu 2; Fyfe, Duffield, Barlow, Sheridan, Pearce
Geelong: Hawkins 3; Varcoe 2; Horlin-Smith, Bartel, Murdoch, Motlop

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Mundy, Hill, Barlow, Mzungu, Crowley, Fyfe
Geelong: Selwood, Horlin-Smith, Kelly, Guthrie, Mackie, Enright

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
Fremantle: Mundy, Hill, Fyfe, Crowley, Barlow, Johnson
Geelong: Selwood, Horlin-Smith, Duncan, Guthrie, Kelly, Bartel, Motlop

COACHES' COMMENTS
Ross Lyon (Frem): The primary objective coming here was the four points but the added bonus was that the club champion was playing his 300th game. We always talk about occasions, trying to honour them with effort commensurate with the esteem you hold either the person or the day, so the fact that we were able to tick both boxes, and in the manner that we did it - we played very good football tonight - we all feel good about ourselves and very pleased for Matthew who's dedicated his football career to Fremantle. These are special nights in football and that's why everyone loves football.

Chris Scott (Geel): The obvious thing was the start. The game was pretty even except for the start. When you're four or five goals down early in the game it makes it hard to play the game the way you intended. You need to adjust to a few things and we didn't play our preferred style of footy. One thing that was consistent through the night was that they just beat us in the contest. Footy's pretty simple sometimes.

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Matt de Boer replaced Alex Silvagni during the third quarter.
Geelong: Jackson Sheringham replaced Dawson Simpson during the third quarter.

UMPIRES: Donlon, Dalgleish, Chamberlain

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling