Australian Football

Match Report

On paper, Essendon's match against Fremantle on Sunday loomed as a straightforward affair. The Bombers would surely win against a side that had lost each of its past two matches by 104 points, thereby claiming a place in the finals. But last-round matches that can make or break sides historically have produced more than their fair of upsets. Indeed only a day before this match, Melbourne had left itself at the mercy of other teams after 'fluffing its lines' against Collingwood. 

As it turned out the Dons did get over the line, but not without many nervous moments, with the Dockers making a lie out of recent form and pushing them all the way. As late as 19 minutes into the final term, Fremantle was still within 10 points and it was not until James Stewart kicked his fourth goal of the match that Essendon ensured its place in its first finals campaign since 2014. 

Early indications in this match were that Fremantle was heading for a thumping of similar magnitude to the previous two weeks, with the Bombers kicking three goals in the proverbial blink of an eye, one each to Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Stewart and Tom Bellchambers. But the Dockers settled from there and were indeed the better side over the last 25 minutes of the term, adding three goals to one to trail by just eight points at the first end-change.

Essendon started the second quarter in a similar vein to the first with two goals to Zach Merrett in the opening three minutes seeing their lead back out to 20 points. But Fremantle bounced back again, with majors to Matt Taberner and Jonathon Griffin again cutting the deficit back to eight. Both teams' defences got on top from there, and only two further goals were scored before half time, one each to Bombers Joe Daniher and Joshua Begley and the home side was relatively comfortably ahead by 20 points at the long break. 

The status quo was preserved for the first 10 minutes of the third term, each side adding 1.1, but consecutive goals to the Dockers in the space of 90 seconds - one each to Brennan Cox and Tommy Sheridan - had the margin back to eight points and the nerves of Essendon fans and players alike jangling. The tide turned midway through the quarter, however, and a burst of five majors in a row to the Dons suddenly saw them jump to a 38-point lead. A late goal to Docker Hayden Ballantyne cut it back to 32 at the final turn, but the Bombers looked to be heading towards a certain finals berth.

However, there was to a classic last-quarter final-round twist in this tale. The Dockers came out all guns blazing in their final term of 2017, and in this space of 12 minutes, goals to Taberner, Harley Bennell, Hayden Crozier and Ballantyne had the visitors back within eight points and Bomber fans quaking in their boots. Essendon steadied briefly with a goal to Heath Hocking, but a great mark and goal to Cox had Fremantle back within 10 points after 18 minutes. Finally, a crumbing goal to Stewart - his fourth, settled the home side's nerves and the Dons played out time, eventually prevailing by 15 points.

Merrett's four goals and 31 possessions went a long way to ensuring the Bombers got home in the end, while Brendon Goddard (15 marks, 32 touches) and Dyson Heppell (30 disposals, five marks) were also excellent. For the Dockers, Griffin (32 hitouts, two goals), Nat Fyfe (24 disposals, six tackles) and David Mundy (10 tackles, 25 touches) played fine games. 

The Bombers will head to the SCG on Saturday week to take on Sydney in a cutthroat final. The Swans will start hot favourites, but the Dons will take confidence from the fact that they finished within a whisker of Sydney at the venue in round 14.

For Fremantle, 2017 was a mixed bag. The Dockers doubled their 2016 win total from four to eight, but their worst saw them thrashed by a three-figure margin on three occasions. Ross Lyon has embarked on a team rebuild, and it might be another year or more before we see Fremantle challenging for finals again.

GOALS
Essendon: Merrett, Stewart 4; Daniher, Hocking 2; McDonald-Tipungwuti, Bellchambers, Begley, Laverde
Fremantle: Griffin, Fyfe, Sheridan, Taberner, Ballantyne, Cox 2; Bennell, Crozier

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Essendon: Merrett, Goddard, Watson, Zaharakis, Heppell, Stewart
Fremantle: Fyfe, Mundy, Neale, Ryan, Griffin

BEST - THE AGE
Essendon: Merrett, Goddard, Watson, Baguely, Kelly, Daniher, Stewart, Bellchambers, Heppell
Fremantle: Fyfe, Mundy, Neale, Sheridan, S Hill, B Hill, Taberner, Cox

INJURIES
Essendon: Hooker (calf, replaced by Hocking)
Fremantle: Nil

UMPIRES: Kamolins, Ryan, Mollison 

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COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Jason Dunstall, Jonathan Brown, Cameron Mooney