Australian Football

Match Report

Fremantle has ground out a Qualifying Final win over Sydney in typical Fremantle fashion. In their characteristic way, the Dockers set up an early lead over the Swans and then set about dourly defending that lead for much of the last three quarters. They succeeded, just, holding on to win by nine points but the win was arguably as much due if not more - to Sydney's poor kicking for goal. The Swans squandered many opportunities to finish with 7.18.60, nine points adrift of Fremantle's 10.9.69. A straight kick from any two of those 18 misses would have been enough for Sydney to squeak home. 

The Swans held sway in general play in the early minutes but their net reward was a behind to Kurt Tippett. Fremantle finally hit the scoreboard at the five-minute mark when Michael Walters ran onto a David Mundy handpass and kicked a beautiful long goal from outside the 50-metre mark. A couple of minutes later Hayden Ballantyne, returning after a two-month injury layoff, marked inside 50 and converted to give the Dockers an 11-point lead. The yips then hit Sydney as Ben McGlynn, Dean Towers ands McGlynn again all kicked behinds to make it four misses from four set shots for the Swans. Fremantle made the Swans soon after, with a snapped goal to Walters and major after a mark to Munday, giving the Dockers a 20-point lead. Sam Reid racked up yet another behind for Sydney before kicking a major late in the term and it was Fremantle by 13 points at the opening break.

After another behind to the Swans, making them 1.7, Zac Clarke marked in the goal square from a Ballantyne kick from the boundary line and goaled to extend Fremantle's lead to 18. Sydney was dealt a severe blow soon afterwards when Reid pulled a hamstring and had to be subbed out of the match. Brandon Jack then made it 1.8 for the Swans with another miss before a mark and goal from Tippett cut the difference to two goals. Walters chipped in for his third after a costly Swans turnover and the two sides then traded behinds - another three going to Sydney - to see out the first half. At the long break it was Fremantle 6.4 to the Swans a lamentable 2.11. 

Fremantle started the third term the stronger and Hayden Ballantyne's second goal after a Garrick Ibbotson intercept mark extended the Dockers' lead to an even four goals. A long running goal from outside 50 to Jeremy Laidler cut it back to 18 and when Jarrad McVeigh snapped a 'miracle' goal using the outside of the boot from the boundary line near the 50-metre arc, it was a two-goal ball game. Lachie Neale relieved the pressure with a snap from close in after receiving a slick handball from Chris Mayne but when Dean Towers did a similar thing at the other end of the ground, the difference was back to 13 points. Each side added another behind and the margin remained 13 at the final turn. 

Sydney was looking to make the first move of the final quarter but it was Hayden Ballantyne for the Dockers who got things going with a goal inside the first minute. A mark and a lucky 50-metre penalty to Michael Barlow allowed him to goal at the four-minute mark and Fremantle looked home with a 25-point lead. But from that moment, the Swans took control of general play. It took a few minutes to translate that control into a score, but at the nine-minute mark, Tippett received a free kick and kicked a major to cut the margin to 19. After another tense 10 minutes, Tippett marked and goaled again and the Swans were within 13 points once more. And they kept coming, but sadly, kept missing. Isaace Heeney marked and missed at the 22-minute mark and Gary Rohan did the same three minutes later. Heeney then had another chance but his snap just missed. Sydney added one final behind but ran out of time, the final siren sounding with Fremantle nine points ahead. 

Nat Fyfe (32 possessions, four tackles), Aaron Sandilands (43 hitouts, 17 disposals) Mundy (27 touches) and Neale (32 touches, three marks) were all magnificent for the Dockers while Sydney had outstanding players in Josh Kennedy (39 disposals, eight tackles), Dan Hannebery (34 possessions, five tackles) McVeigh (11 tackles, 23 possessions) and Tippett (three goals,six tackles). 

Having earned a week off, the Dockers will be back at Subiaco in two weeks, hosting the winner of the Hawthorn v Adelaide game next Friday night. The winner will advance to the Grand Final. If Sydney are to make it, it will have to do the hard way, beating North Melbourne at Stadium Australia and West Coast at Subiaco.

GOALS
Fremantle: Walters, Ballantyne 3; Mayne, Clarke, Neale, Barlow
Sydney: Tippett 3; Reid, Laidler, McVeigh, Towers

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
Fremantle: Fyfe, Sandilands, Neale, Walters, Mundy, Sheridan
Sydney: Kennedy, McVeigh, Hannebery, Tippett, Towers, Goodes

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Mundy, Sandilands, Walters, Hill, Ballantyne
Sydney: Kennedy, Hannebery, McVeigh, Goodes, Shaw, Grundy, Richards

INJURIES
Fremantle: Luke McPharlin (calf) replaced by Tendai Mzungu before the game
Sydney: Sam Reid (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Clancee Pearce replaced Nick Suban in the fourth quarter.
Sydney: Zak Jones replaced Sam Reid in the second quarter.

UMPIRES: Chamberlain, Margetts, Findlay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Dennis Cometti, Basil Zempilas, Tim Watson, Andrew Welsh