Australian Football

Match Report

With a place in the finals sewn up and a place in the top four still up for grabs, the expectation of the Giants in their home match against 16th-placed Fremantle was that they would bounce back from a heartbreaking loss against West Coast with a win of 10 goals or more. GWS accordingly delivered on that expectation, drawing away from the Dockers - who were within 20 points at the half - to win by 92 points and keep the chances of a finals double chance alive. 

In just his ninth AFL match in his debut season, 27-year-old Shane Yarran got the Dockers off to a good start with a snapped goal within the first two minutes of the match. GWS responded with majors to Ryan Griffen and Jeremy Cameron, but a mark and beautiful long goal from Yarran had the Dockers within a point. The Giants kicked clear again with a goal to Toby Greene but Yarran kicked his third for the quarter at the 16-minute mark, and when Michael Apeness kicked his first four minutes later, Fremantle was ahead by seven posts. GWS took control in time on, though, and goals to Steve Johnson and Jacob Hopper had the Dockers seven points clear at quarter time. 

The first half of the second quarter saw Fremantle hold firm, with a goal from Giant Jonathon Patton answered by Lachie Neale and the Dockers were well in touch, trailing by just seven points at the 16-minute mark. GWS began to take control after that, though, and majors to Patton and Cameron, while holding Fremantle scoreless, saw the Giants go into the long break with a 20-point buffer. 

After the long break, a stalemate ensued for the first seven minutes of the third quarter, neither side managing so much as a behind in that period. But when the drought broke, it broke very much the way of the home side, the Giants adding 3.2 before the Dockers managed a score the goals going to Patton. Johnson and Cameron. When Fremantle finally did score, it was only a behind to Zac Clarke and a fourth goal to Patton before the three-quarter time siren saw GWS turn for home leading by 46 points. 

When play resumed in the final term, it was "peddle to the metal" for the Giants, as they bombarded the goals to kick six majors in the first 17 minutes, with Patton getting his fifth and sixth goals, and Lachie Whitfield, Johnson, Greene and Rory Lobb each kicking one. The margin was out to 83 points by the time Michael Walters kicked the Dockers' only behind of the final quarter, matching the solitary point they'd kicked in the third. GWS then closed out the game with three further behinds and a goal to Tom Scully, finishing 92 points to the good. 

Ryan Griffen was back to something close to his best for the victors, with 30 disposals and 10 tackles, while Lachie Neale put in a tireless four-quarter effort for Fremantle, collecting 40 touches and laying 12 tackles. 

The Giants will take on eighth-placed North Melbourne, knowing that a win could see them sneak into the top four, depending on other results. Fremantle will close out a very poor season with a home match against the Western Bulldogs in what will be Matthew Pavlich's last AFL match. 

GOALS
GWS: Patton 6; Cameron, Johnson 3; Greene 2; Hopper, Whitfield, Griffen, Lobb, Scully
Fremantle: Yarran 3; Neale, Apeness

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
GWS: Griffen, Patton, Haynes, Whitfield, Williams, Tomlinson
Fremantle: Neale, Weller, Hill

INJURIES
GWS: Nil
Fremantle: Taberner (leg)

UMPIRES: O'Gorman, Fleer, Jeffery

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COMMENTATORS: Adam Papalia, Dermott Brereton, Alastair Lynch, Barry Hall