Walyalup’s season doesn’t just have a pulse; its quickening thud has nurses around Western Australia on high alert after an important win over Geelong, writes ELIZA REILLY.
After what Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir earlier this week described as “hiccup” to start the season, a return to finals is back on the menu for his team.
Earlier this month, the Dockers were 2-5 and the roast of a state. In the blink of an eye, Walyalup has equalled its win-loss ledger and moved within touching distance of the top eight.
And what a way to do it, a win over the reigning premiers. A 29-point win over Geelong means the Dockers have now defeated the reigning premiers in each of the last three seasons. Giant killers? We know what they say about needing to beat the best to be the best. And Walyalup may just be on that trajectory.
Hawthorn was the sort of wounded prey the Dockers simply had to defeat. You can only beat what’s in front of you. But that match was significant because it provided a blueprint for what we should expect from Walyalup’s forward line.
Against Sydney, Walyalup did what it hasn’t done for 12 years, winning at the SCG. And the midfield led the way, dominating the contest and setting the tone for what unfolded around the ground.
But this was the Dockers’ most complete performance yet.
When the shackles are released, the Walyalup we have come to know is at its best. Arriving at Optus Stadium as underdogs, the Dockers played with freedom and flair.
The stars shone as brightly as ever. But it was the lesser lights that lifted.
Bailey Banfield has been maligned by fans and often one of the first discarded by Walyalup’s coaches at team selection. But last year’s near permanent sub has played every game this season. And one act was symptomatic of both his and the Dockers’ renewed attacking intent.
For lack of a better phrase, it was Richmond-like when Banfield thumped the ball forward with an enclosed fist in the third quarter. Jye Amiss adopted the same mindset and Michael Frederick was able to find Michael Walters out the back with a clear passage to goal. Banfield had a big day on the stats sheet but it was that transition play that Longmuir will play back on the team review.
Walyalup won way more football than Geelong and controlled it. The Dockers finished the game up 382-276 in disposals and 251-142 in uncontested possessions.
The only real fear is that Walyalup wouldn’t be able to capitalise. Champions rarely lie down and the Cats, and their star-studded forward line, found a way to keep the door ajar right until the final quarter.
Tom Hawkins kicked three goals but few could be blamed on Walyalup captain Alex Pearce. Playing in the Indigenous jersey he designed, Pearce finished with nine intercept possessions. For the second time against the Dockers in as many seasons, Jeremy Cameron was also held goalless, kept company by Luke Ryan.
You’d think he’d express some admiration for Amiss down the other end. The prodigal second-year star kicked three goals and provides presence beyond his years as the Dockers marched to their third triple-figure tally in as many weeks.
Andrew Brayshaw was in everything, finishing with a game-high 33 disposals. Caleb Serong outdid all comers with 11 clearances. And Walyalup’s investment in Jaeger O’Meara looks better by the day. After five matches with less than 20 touches, the former Hawk has gone 25+ in his last three.
And that’s a midfield who is still yet waiting to witness the extended peak of Nat Fyfe’s powers. Starting again after two runs as sub, Fyfe was powerful with 17 touches and four clearances before ending the game on the bench.
If this is anything like what Walyalup produce against Naarm next week in a suddenly blockbuster fixture at the MCG, fans will start petitioning for a permanent name change.
