Australian Football

Match Report

Fremantle has come from behind to record a resounding 37-point win over Essendon to enhance its chances of bouncing back to finals footy after unexpectedly tumbling down the ladder in 2016. The Dockers were behind by 27 points midway through the second quarter and still two points in arrears when the final term began before they blew the Bombers away with six final-quarter goals to nil. 

Essendon made the early running and after a behind to Aaron Francis, Dyson Heppell put the Bombers seven points ahead. Matt Taberner had the Dockers back within a point after eight minutes, but Joe Daniher, putting last week's kicking woes behind him, had Essendon back out to a seven-point lead with his first goal a minute later. Lachie Neale cut the margin back to three points with his first goal midway through the term but two in a row from the Bombers via Cale Hooker and Zach Merrett has them ahead by 13 points at quarter time. 

Shane Kersten kicked the first goal of the second quarter to bring the Dockers within three points after six minutes, but Essendon took control over the next 15 minutes and goals to Daniher, Hooker and Martin Gleeson saw the Bombers out to a 27-point lead just before time on. Fremantle dominated the time-on period, though, and majors to Hayden Crozier and Taberner had the Dockers back within 13 points at the half. 

Nat Fyfe had Fremantle back within seven points when he kicked the first goal of the second half a minute into the third term but Michael Hurley's first major and Daniher's third had the Dons back out to a 19-point lead and threatening to run away with the game five minutes later. But the Dockers dug in and kicked the next three goals on the trot while the Bombers missed three in a row at the other end and the margin was back to just two points after 18 minutes. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti took Essendon's lead back out to eight but Taberner's second had Fremantle back within a point soon after. Each side added one further major and the Dons held a slender two-point lead at the final change. 

The match looked set for a grandstand finish when the final quarter began but after Fremantle kicked the first two goals via Cam McCarthy and Taberner to grab an 11-point lead, the Bombers wilted dramatically and a behind to Josh Green proved to be their only score of the quarter. The Dockers went on their merry way after that and, after misses from Brad Hill and Neale, they finished the match off with consecutive goals to McCarthy, Fyfe, Harley Balic and Brady Grey to win in a canter and move to within percentage of the top eight. 

GOALS

Fremantle: Taberner 4; Kersten, McCarthy, Fyfe, Grey 2; Neale, Crozier, Hill, Mundy, Balic
Essendon: Daniher 3; Hooker 2; Heppell, Merrett, Gleeson, Hurley, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Green

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Neale, Fyfe, Taberner, Hill, Walters, Kersten
Essendon: Hurley, Heppell, Daniher, Merrett, Goddard, Hooker

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Essendon: Nil

UMPIRES: Schmitt, Williamson, Pannell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Matthew Pavlich, Ben Dixon