Australian Football

Match Report

Fremantle has retained a place in the to four - just - after it scraped home against Carlton at Subiaco on Friday night, courtesy of a from Lachie Neale after an errant clearing kick from Blue Cameron Wood in the last minute of the game. The five-point win keeps the Dockers a game clear of Port Adelaide, which went down to Collingwood in a nail-biter on Sunday.

Friday night's match started in a fashion that Docker coach Ross Lyon would not have been happy with at all, with goals flowing freely throughout the first term. The Dockers led 5.1 to 4.2, nine goals for the term considered an avalanche in Lyon's coaching manual. The second quarter saw a more familiar lock-down style of play, with just one goal for the term being registered, by Fremantle's David Mundy at the 13-minute mark, and the Dockers took an 11-point lead into the long break.

To the surprise of most it was Carlton which came out firing in the third quarter, with goals to Nick Graham and Levi Casboult giving the Blues a two-point lead at the five-minute mark. After a couple of behinds to Fremantle, Jarrad Waite and Sam Rowe added further goals for the Blues to give them a 15-point lead and an upset looked to be on the cards. But late goals to Ryan Crowley and Michael Barlow brought the margin bad to just four points at the final change of ends.

The first goal of the final term went Carlton's way to Marc Murphy, giving the Blues a 10-point lead but Hayden Ballantyne responded at the nine-minute mark to bring the Dockers within a kick. Kade Simpson then goaled to restore a 10-point buffer for Carlton but Ballantyne kicked his third at the 16-minute mark to make the difference just three points. A goal to Barlow six minutes later gave the Dockers the lead but Jarrad Waite marked and goaled at the 25-minute mark to put Carlton back ahead by two points.

Fremantle attacked heavily in the dying minutes. After a behind to Garrick Ibbotson brought the Dockers to within a point, the Blues defended doggedly and looked like holding on until Cameron Wood, under pressure in his defensive goal square, hacked a kick out of the air which unfortunately landed in the arms of Neale only 20 metres out, directly in front. Neale converted and the Dockers sneaked home by five-points to keep their finals double-chance prospects well and truly alive.

Nat Fyfe (26 disposals, two goals) was magnificent for the Dockers, as were Michael Barlow (10 marks, 24 possessions) and Aaron Sandilands (46 hitouts, 16 disposals), while the Blues were well served by Simpson (11 marks, 23 possessions) and veteran Chris Judd (22 touches and a goal).

An important match looms next for the Dockers: Geelong at Kardinia Park. A win would see Fremantle take third spot from the Cats, while a loss could see it tumble out of the top four. Carlton, 13th on the ladder with a 6-12 record, will host ninth-placed Gold Coast at Docklands on Saturday. 

GOALS
Fremantle: Ballantyne 3; Fyfe, Barlow 2; Spurr, Mundy, Crowley, Hill, Neale
Carlton: Waite 3; Murphy 2; Judd, Simpson, Ellard, Graham, Casboult, Rowe

BEST - SPORTAL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Fyfe, Barlow, Mundy, Sandilands, Clarke
Carlton: Judd, Murphy, Yarran, Thomas, Waite

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Fyfe, Barlow, Mundy, Sandilands, Clarke
Carlton: Simpson, Yarran, Judd, Ellard, Thomas, Murphy, Waite

COACHES' COMMENTS
Ross Lyon (Frem): I'm relieved. It's great to get four points. In the end we adjusted our game plan and got into the contest. I thought we dominated the last quarter. The ability for the players to hear the message and adapt was really strong.
Mick Malthouse (Carl): I take good and bad out of that performance. They were a better side and made fewer mistakes. If you split small wins and losses, then it might be luck but when you lose consistently [by small margins], then it's deeper.

INJURIES
Fremantle: Pavlich (concussion), Mzungu (thigh)
Carlton: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Matt de Boer replaced Matthew Pavlich during the second quarter
Carlton: Brock McLean replaced Blaine Johnson during the final quarter

UMPIRES: Fisher, Dalgleish, Stevic

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Dennis Cometti, Basil Zempilas, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson