Australian Football

Match Report

Greater Western Sydney's push for a place in the top four continued apace at Subiaco on Saturday night, with the Giants defeating Fremantle by 18 points to secure their first ever victory at the venue and improve their 2016 record to 5-2. While the Giants look a genuine top-four prospect, the Dockers are now languishing at the bottom of the ladder, with a 0-7 record, an amazing situation given that they were last year's minor premiers and had a 7-0 record at the same time last year. Notwithstanding those facts, the Dockers effort of Saturday night was an improvement on their other performances this year, and they matched the Giants in all quarters of the match except the second. 

Chris Mayne got Fremantle off to a good start at the two-minute mark with a mark and accurate kick but the Giants then took control over the next 15 minutes with four goals in a row, two of those to Stephen Coniglio, to jump to 19-point lead as they threatened to blow the game open. But the Dockers settled nicely after that to kick four of the next five majors to square the game up, with each each side on 5.1 at the first break. 

A high tackle on Nick Suban saw him receive a free and kick a goal to give the Dockers a perfect start to the second quarter, but the next 25 minutes saw GWS make what would prove to be the decisive break of the match. The Giants piled one five goals in a row, once each too Lobb, Greene, Johnson, Cameron and Steele to open up a 26-point lead before Mayne's second major cut the margin back to 20 at the long break.

Fremantle also scored the first goal of the third quarter, after a mark to Matt Taberner, to cut the margin to 13 points, but the Giants then had another run of goals, three in a row kicked by Kelly, Patton and Steele to extend the lead to a game-high 30 points after 11 minutes. The Dockers settled and fought back after that but inaccuracy cost them, as they added 1.3 to 0.1 over the remaining 18 minutes in the term to close the gap to 22 at the last change.

The first half of the final term was a dour struggle, neither side scoring a goal as the Dockers added two behinds and the Giants then kicking three. Then a brace of goals to Mayne and Danyle Pearce in a two-minute period saw the Dockers close the gap to just 11 points with plenty of time remaining. Fremantle could not find the big sticks agains however, and a late goal to Tom Scully sealed a hard-fought 18-point win for GWS.

Cogniglio, with 32 possessions and six tackles, was a standout for the winners, while Danyle Pearce (26 disposals, six marks) played a fine game for the home side.

Next up for GWS is a home game against Gold Coast on Saturday, while Fremantle, staring down the barrel of an eighth loss in a row, will travel to Launceston to take on Hawthorn on the same day.

GOALS
Fremantle: Mayne 3; Ballantyne 2; Walters, Crozier, Pavlich, Suban, Taberner, D Pearce
GWS: Coniglio, Johnson, Patton, Steele 2; Palmer, Lobb, Cameron, Greene, Kelly, Scully

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Hill, Neale, Mundy, Ballantyne, Mayne, Walters
GWS: Coniglio, Shaw, Ward, Mumford, Shield, Johnson

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
GWS: Nil

UMPIRES: Brown, Meredith, Findlay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Adam Papalia