Fremantle Dockers recover from slow start to down GWS Giants in Canberra, keep top-four hopes alive

Over to you, Carlton and St Kilda.

Fremantle have held up their end of the top-four bargain, recovering from a horror start to overcome Greater Western Sydney by 20 points in Canberra.

The 13.11 (89) to 10.9 (69) result means the Dockers can still snatch fourth spot and the all-important double chance if the Blues or Saints can cause an upset against Collingwood and Sydney respectively on Sunday.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, with GWS up by as much as 31 points with a little over six minutes left in the opening half.

Fittingly it was three-goal hero Michael Walters, in his 200th game, and Fremantle’s most influential player Caleb Serong (32 disposals and 11 clearances) who kicked the last two of the match to seal the deal.

It was remarkably the first time Fremantle had won an interstate match in the final home-and-away round in 16 attempts.

We saw the best and worst of Freo in the second quarter with their hopes of finishing in the four on life support midway through before stunning purple patch before half-time as midfield duo Serong, Will Brodie and ruckman Sean Darcy got to work.

The Dockers came out after the break full of confidence and took 11 minutes to tie the scores through an unlikely source, key back Alex Pearce who made the most of a 50m penalty to kick his first goal in more than seven years.

GWS were hanging on with Swan Districts product Sam Taylor in particularly gallant, winning some important one-on-one contests and intercepting well down back, while their efficiency going forward also kept them in it.

Taylor rivalled Serong for best-afield honours in a losing cause, with a staggering 12 intercept possessions against a makeshift Freo forward-line.

But it felt like it was just a matter of time before the dam wall broke, such was their midfield dominance and lop-sided inside-50 count.

Freo had only been in front for two minutes across the first three quarters before veteran David Mundy’s on-the-siren effort, from a free-kick given to Sam Switkowski that he was unable to take after a nasty landing, gave them a one-point lead at the final change.

On-baller Jacob Hopper got the home side back ahead with a two-goal burst against the run of play before a brilliant finish on the run from rebounding half-back Jordan Clark.

Like Serong, bargain recruit Brodie and Mundy had a big say in the engine room with 30 possessions apiece and Andrew Brayshaw had a huge second half, with his work rate and ability to hit the scoreboard particularly impressive on his way to two goals from 25 touches.

Rebounders Jordan Clark and Hayden Young did some damage from the backline, while key backs Brennan Cox and Luke Ryan had an aerial impact.

Former Docker Jesse Hogan, who ended up with three majors against his old teammate Pearce, gave GWS the perfect start, nailing a set shot within 90 seconds and following it up with a crumbing efforts a few minutes later.

Freo looked a little bit rattled early and had some uncharacteristic fumbles, with poor decision making and turnovers also proving costly.

A clutch goal from Nathan O’Driscoll, converting a long-range free-kick, was about the only early highlight for the Dockers until milestone man Walters cut the deficit back to 13 points at quarter-time with a classy finish and Midland-inspired ‘M’ celebration.

The orange floodgates started to open in the second term with Canberra local Tom Green and Jake Riccardi goaling in quick succession before a stunning effort from the boundary by Tim Taranto which will take some beating for goal of the round.

Taranto’s was a result of Blake Acres giving away a silly off-the-ball free-kick when Brayshaw was about to drive the ball inside their attacking half for the first time of the quarter.

The margin blew out to 31 before the emergency glass was broken and returning skipper Nat Fyfe was injected into the midfield, with ruckman Sean Darcy joining him.

After conceding the first 10 inside 50s and four goals of the second term, the Dockers began to lock the ball inside attack and reaped the benefits to remarkably trail by just 11 at the main break with Walters and O’Driscoll adding their second majors.

O’Driscoll’s was an absolute beauty on the run from the pocket to add to his growing collection of impressive goals.

Life with Fyfe

The Fremantle captain was a welcome addition, coming in for just his sixth game of the season after recovering from a minor hamstring injury.

Coach Justin Longmuir confirmed pre-match that Fyfe would play predominantly in attack because of the lack of key forwards available.

Fyfe, who had fellow West Aussie and All-Australian back-six fancy Taylor as an opponent, took his first mark inside 50 at the 11-minute mark of the opening term but couldn’t get the distance on his set shot from about 45m out.

The dual Brownlow medallist was then injected into the midfield midway through the second term, with the Dockers trailing by 31, out of desperation to turn things around.

Fyfe resumed forward duties in the second half and gave Fremantle the lead for the first time in the match 13 minutes in with a minor score.

He then landed awkwardly on his hip after a marking contest late in the third quarter, taking a while to get up before going straight to the boundary.

He came back on but only had nine disposals, three tackles and one behind for the game.

Griff’s groin grief

Important swingman Griffin Logue was a late out after not passing a fitness test due to a groin/adductor injury.

It means the Dockers were without all five of their key forwards with leading goal-kicker Rory Lobb (shoulder), Matt Taberner (calf) and Josh Treacy (illness) all sidelined and prized draftee Jye Amiss only returning on managed minutes in the WAFL last week after kidney surgery.

Bailey Banfield, Fremantle’s fifth-highest goal-kicker for the season heading into the match with 18, was the inclusion with Darcy Tucker becoming medical substitute.

“We gave Griff every opportunity to come up,” Longmuir said pre-game.

“He obviously travelled over with us and we were hopeful he was going to play but he’s been a bit sore in that adductor all week and he hasn’t come up.”

Doig medallist Darcy started in attack with Lloyd Meek getting first crack in the ruck against Kieren Briggs.

Things were getting pretty ugly in the centre before Darcy made his move midway through the second term to help arrest the momentum back in Freo’s favour.

Darcy had 21 hit-outs and two clearances by half-time after just one disposal and no forward impact in the first term.

Both Darcy and Meek ended up playing important roles in the win.