Alex Pearce is back. Luke Ryan is too risk-averse. MARK DUFFIELD rates the Dockers in his round nine report card.
Fremantle had their best win of the 2023 AFL season in round nine, dominating an under-sized Sydney after quarter time at the SCG to keep themselves in touch with the top eight approaching the halfway point of the AFL season.
Here is the Dockers round nine report card.
Distinctions
Sean Darcy: Monster game from the Fremantle ruckman who looked like the big kid in the school yard after quarter time. He won 44 hit outs and nine clearances, gained more than 300 metres for his team and was a nightmare for Tom Hickey, who was playing his first game of the season. Darcy won 14 of 18 disposals in contests and sent the ball inside attacking fifty eight times.
Luke Jackson: The absence of the McCartin brothers from the Sydney backline left them vulnerable and an early injury to Callum Mills made the Swans defence even shorter. Jackson made the most of it and kicked three goals. As the Swans realised his smaller opponent Robbie Fox needed extra help, it opened up leading lanes for other Dockers. Had 17 disposals, 10 contested possessions and three clearances to go with the goals.
Lachie Schultz: The word you associate with him is intent. He kicked four goals and they were just reward because of the way he attacks the ball and any opponent with the ball. Often creates chances for teammates. He had 14 disposals, seven contested possessions and laid six tackles to keep the Swans defenders under the pump as they tried to clear the ball.
Alex Pearce: Strong game on Lance Franklin, who was held to just four touches, no score and had to go a long way up the field to get the ball. Pearce has settled his season well in recent weeks after a tardy start and is now leading and playing well. The one time Buddy did him in the contest he undid the work by playing on into a tackle.
Passes
The Dockers clearance crew: It’s an area they have struggled in for much of the season but they had big wins off the back of Darcy’s ruck dominance, winning centre clearance 20-9 and the overall stoppage battle 49-36. Spread the workload evenly with Caleb Serong winning eight, Andrew Brayshaw seven and Jaeger O’Meara five. Youngster Neil Erasmus weighed in with four in three quarters and substitute Nathan Fyfe’s last term included a critical first possession handball from stoppage which led to a goal. Big result.
Josh Treacy: Needed a solid performance and he delivered it. Took a first half screamer that will contend for mark of the week, kicked two goals and offered a leading and marking target all game. His energy and Jye Amiss’s one-on-one smarts offer a lot of future potential for the Dockers. Will be fascinating to see what they can offer this year given that Amiss is 19 and Treacy still only 20.
Hayden Young: The Fremantle defence were generally good and Young was exceptional. His nine possession third quarter helped the Dockers blow their lead out to five goals at one point. It was his precise inside 50 kick to Treacy, after an equally nice Fyfe kick had found him, that set up the goal that broke Sydney’s momentum after they had narrowed the gap to less than two goals either side of three quarter time. Young finished with 23 disposals, six tackles and four inside fifties.
Fails
First quarter ball use: The Dockers had put their kicking feet in gear before their eyes and brains in a thoughtless first term when they conceded a two goal lead despite having sixteen inside 50s to seven. They repeatedly bombed the ball inside attacking 50 to Sydney’s numbers and the Swans used them to intercept, mop up and rebound. The match turned after quarter time when Darcy dominated the ruck and Fremantle’s ball carriers lowered their eyes and looked for good lead ups and one on ones.
Risk averse Ryan: He was very good in most areas of his game but Luke Ryan has become completely risk averse with the ball. Often had good short options ahead which would have helped the Dockers get the ball quickly to the wide part of the ground but looks and then hesitates repeatedly before being forced to go long to contests. Is a good kick and there is more to be had from his possessions.
This week’s focus
The upset against Sydney has put Fremantle within one win of the top eight. And they need to cause another upset against Geelong this week at Optus Stadium to feel like they are somewhere near to even terms after the shock loss to North Melbourne in round two.
The Darcy-Jackson ruck duo looms as a trump card against the Cats, who lack front line ruckmen, but the departure of Griffin Logue might bite the Dockers this week. He was the perfect match-up athletically for Jeremy Cameron with Alex Pearce taking Tom Hawkins. It’s a big challenge but the game suddenly looks winnable.
