| * |
West Coast easily disposed of
another rival when St Kilda failed by 39 points in a top notch contest on Friday night at
Docklands in front of more than 40,000 fans.
Len Johnson observed in The Age: In its past
four outings, West Coast has played the other four teams in the top five coming into round
18 for three wins and one loss. The Eagles sneaked home against Sydney, reversing last
year's grand final result, went down to Collingwood at the MCG and now have had resounding
wins over Adelaide and St Kilda in successive weeks.
Andrew Wu noted for Sportal: Played in a
finals-like atmosphere, the Eagles set up a 23-point break in the second term but had it
whittled down to one deep into time on in the third quarter before a four-goal burst
either side of three-quarter time. The Eagles drew away in the final term with seven goals
to three, but it was testament to the Saints' tenacity that they were in the game for
three enthralling quarters.
But the match was soured at the 28-minute mark of the final term when St Kilda defender Matt
Maguire suffered a broken left leg when he took the weight of opponent Tyson
Stenglein's body, as the Eagle rolled into his path.
Until the final term, it was a terrific contest. The first quarter was red-hot – but
ultimately West Coast's ability to overrun St Kilda was the critical factor in the win.
Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins and last year's runner-up Daniel
Kerr produced scintillating performances – over 60 touches between them. Nick
Riewoldt worked tirelessly for the Saints kicking four of his team's five
second-half goals, while Jason Gram was again one of his side's best. |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 1 |
| St Kilda v West Coast |
Friday (n), August 4, 2006
Docklands, 7.40pm AEST, Roof: closed, crowd: 40,177
Conditions: Fair to good, slippery in patches
Weather: 12C, fine, cold |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| STK |
1.2-8 |
3.4-22 |
5.10-40 |
8.11-59 |
| WCE |
2.5-17 (9) |
4.9-33 (11) |
7.11-53 (13) |
14.14-98 (39) |
Goals: West
Coast: Chris Judd 3, Daniel Kerr 2, Ashley Sampi 2, Steven Armstrong, Chad Fletcher,
Ashley Hansen, Quinten Lynch, Brent Staker, Tyson Stenglein, David Wirrpanda. St Kilda:
Nick Riewoldt 4, Aaron Fiora, Fraser Gehrig, Jason Gram, Leigh Montagna.
Best: West Coast: Daniel Kerr, Ben Cousins, Chris Judd, Beau Waters, Tyson
Stenglein, Rowan Jones, Adam Selwood. St Kilda: Jason Gram, Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal
Santo, Sam Fisher, Leigh Fisher, Robert Harvey.
Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Brett Allen, Shaun Ryan. |
Bottom-placed Carlton upset
Melbourne and rocked the Demon's top four chances with a narrow seven-point win at
Docklands on Saturday afternoon. It was a well-deserved victory by the Blues who were in
charge from the start. They outscored the Demons in the first term and never surrendered
the lead, although Melbourne fought back to within two points several times in the third
and fourth quarters.
Matt Burgan noted for Sportal: The loss for
Melbourne was crucial as its chances of finishing in the top two becomes a tough ask while
remaining in third spot will also be under threat. But right from the start, the match had
a feeling of deja vu for the Demons. Even before the game started Melbourne went into the
match without key players Aaron Davey and Byron Pickett
while Travis Johnstone was a late withdrawal due to leg soreness.
Melbourne was unable to keep its feet early-on, played with little energy and did not
capitalise on first option opportunities. But the day belonged to Carlton whose key
forwards were telling in the result. The Brendan Fevola and Nathan
Carroll duel was a fascinating contest. Early on, Carroll ran off him, notched up
a number of touches and looked set to have the edge. But 'Fev' fought back brilliantly,
finishing with four majors. Brad Fisher (three goals) and Jarrad
Waite (two) were also critical in Carlton's structure and overall result.
The highly efficient Heath Scotland produced another fine performance -
he won the ball 28 times – to continue his outstanding season. Andrew Walker
was terrific on Russell Robertson. The young Blue won 22 disposals, while
he restricted Robertson to just 10 touches. Robertson failed to kick a goal for the day.
Matthew Bate was clearly Melbourne's best after gaining 28 touches.
Incredibly, he has yet to win a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination this season. James
McDonald also notched up 30 disposals while David Neitz and Jeff
White were the only multiple goalkickers for the Demons with two goals each.
Although Melbourne opened proceedings via Bate, early on there was still something not
quite right about the Demons. Players were slipping and sliding at crucial times –
Ward, Neitz and Robertson all succumbing to the Docklands' surface. If not for some
inaccurate kicking in the second quarter, Carlton could have been five goals in front at
half-time, rather than the 15 points that still looked like little more than a minor
hurdle for the Demons. When Neitz kicked his second goal last in the third term it looked
like curtains for the Blues, who have led against half a dozen side this year only to drop
away in the last quarter.
White took the game by the scruff of the neck in the opening minute of the last term to
pull in a spectacular mark and kick the first of his two goals. Each time the Demons came
within a kick of taking the lead Carlton responded through Fevola then Waite. The game
hung in the balance until the 25-minute mark, when Kade Simpson slammed
through the match-winning goal. Just one more major resulted, off the boot of White on the
siren to cut the margin to seven points, as Melbourne would rue another "missed
opportunity". |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 2 |
| Carlton v Melbourne |
Saturday, August 5, 2006
Docklands, 2.10pm AEST, Roof: open, crowd: 24,113
Conditions: Good, slippery in patches
Weather: 15C, sunny |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| CAR |
4.1-25 (14) |
7.5-47 (15) |
9.7-61 (9) |
12.8-80 (7) |
| MEL |
1.5-11 |
4.8-32 |
7.10-52 |
10.13-73 |
Goals: Carlton:
Brendan Fevola 4, Brad Fisher 3, Jarrad Waite 2, Matthew Lappin, Ryan Houlihan, Kade
Simpson. Melbourne: David Neitz 2, Jeff White 2, Matthew Bate, Mark Jamar, Nathan
Jones, James McDonald, Matthew Whelan, Jared Rivers.
Best: Carlton: Brendan Fevola, Brad Fisher, Jarrad Waite, Andrew Walker, Matthew
Lappin, Ryan Houlihan, Heath Scotland. Melbourne: Matthew Bate, James McDonald,
Matthew Whelan, Nathan Carroll.
Umpires: - Jason Quigley, Mathew Nicholls, Stuart Wenn. |
The Western Bulldogs gave Chris
Grant the best possible tribute in his record-breaking 330th AFL game for the
club by all but securing their first finals berth in six years when they defeated Richmond
by 22 points on Saturday afternoon at the MCG. The win was a fitting result as Grant
surpassed the 329-match record of Doug Hawkins.
Paul Gough observed for Sportal: While the
Tigers improved greatly on the previous week's 103-point mauling at the hands of St Kilda,
any chance they had of causing an upset disappeared through dreadful kicking at goal. In
the opening term the Tigers' enjoyed 14 entries into their F50 compared to the Bulldogs'
12 and had only one less scoring shot yet trailed at quarter-time by a massive 26 points.
Rohan Connolly in his match summary for The Age
noted: Richmond kept plugging away to earn some hard-won chances only to butcher the ball
in at times comical fashion, particularly when it came to shooting at goal. It just kept
happening, mostly notable in the second quarter, when Richmond's pressure went up another
notch, but not, unfortunately, its decision-making; inability to hit targets and turnovers
by even the likes of skipper Kane Johnson pounced on by the slicker
Bulldogs.
Lindsay Gilbee was probably the pick of the Dogs and was a constant
source of attack, sweeping up the crumbs then distributing them with cutting precision. Nathan
Eagleton was another whose touches really hurt the Tigers. So did those of
veteran Rohan Smith, while Matthew Boyd and Daniel
Cross' industry were the perfect foils.
Richmond had plenty of good performers, too. The Bowden brothers ended with more than 60
disposals between them, Patrick wasteful near goal, but Joel
a terrific competitor on Brad Johnson. First-gamer Cameron Howat
was another revelation in a year in which the Tigers have had several, his 22 possessions
and left-foot snapped goal in the third quarter was a highlight, and Andrew Raines
firmed a little more in Rising Star betting with another accomplished display in defence.
Richmond will walk away knowing its longer-term future looks pretty bright. But the Tigers
must be getting pretty sick of the "what ifs". |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 3 |
| Richmond v Western
Bulldogs |
Saturday, August 5, 2006
MCG 2.10pm AEST, crowd: 36,339
Conditions: Good
Weather: 15C, sunny |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| RCH |
0.6-6 |
4.10-34 |
6.14-50 |
10.18-78 |
| WB |
5.2-32 (26) |
9.4-58 (24) |
13.9-87 (37) |
15.10-100 (22) |
Goals: West.B'dogs:
Brad Johnson 3, Rohan Smith 2, Adam Cooney 2, Chris Grant 2, Travis Baird 2, Cameron
Faulkner, Lindsay Gilbee, Matthew Robbins, Nathan Eagleton. Richmond: Richardson 2,
Schulz 2, Tambling 2, Howat, Stafford, Krakouer, Pettifer.
Best: West.B'dogs: Daniel Cross, Lindsay Gilbee, Chris Grant, Scott West, Matthew
Boyd, Jordan McMahon, Rohan Smith. Richmond: Joel Bowden, Kane Johnson, Cameron
Howat, Andrew Raines, Matthew Richardson, Shane Tuck.
Umpires: Hayden Kennedy, Dean Meredith, Ray Chamberlain.
Report:
Kayne Pettifer (Rch) reported on match day by umpire Ray Chamberlain for
abusive language at the end of the third quarter (after the siren). The MRP cited Pettifer
with a first offence of abusive language toward umpire Chamberlain. Pettifer with an early
plea can accept a fine of $900. The player accepted guilt and the $900 fine imposed by the
MRP. |
Sydney made it three consecutive
wins after they easily accounted for Essendon on a cold Saturday night at the SCG before a
modest 25,465 spectators. The Swans moved a step closer to defending their premiership in
September.
After a sluggish start, the Swans gradually shook off the Bombers with a seven-goal third
term and enabled Sydney to add to their percentage with a 43-point victory. The Swans head
a block of five clubs on equal status of 11+7 in fourth place – Sydney, Saints, Pies,
Dogs and Freo – two games clear of 9th-placed Geelong.
Sportal ranked power forward Barry Hall with
six goals as best for Sydney, while small men Luke Ablett and Adam
Schneider revelled in the slippery conditions. For the Bombers, midfielder Jobe
Watson worked tirelessly, Mark Bolton did a great job on Adam
Goodes and Scott Lucas booted four goals, but their side had few
other winners.
David Sygall for The Age observed: After a
scrappy first few exchanges, the opening quarter turned into an entertaining tussle, with
Essendon getting the upper hand, kicking the first four scoring shots. Unfortunately for
the Dons, two of those struck the post and when Heath Grundy snared Darren
Jolly's clearance and goaled, the difference was just three points. While Hall
consolidated with his first near quarter-time, Sydney's nine-point lead signalled a tough
contest lay ahead.
Wayward kicking – 2.8 for the second quarter – meant Sydney were not translating
their advantage to the scoreboard but Schneider's goal just before the half-time siren
ensured a healthier lead of 23 points. Unlike the second term, goals were free-flowing
after the main break with 11 in total, but none more important than Michael
O'Loughlin 400th career goal 18-minutes into the third quarter.
Trailing by seven goals, the Bombers managed to slice this away before three late Sydney
goals brought a solid 11th win for the home side. |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 4 |
| Sydney v Essendon |
Saturday (n), August 5,
2006
SCG, 7.10pm AEST, crowd: 25,465
Conditions: Good, in light of recent rains
Weather: 14C, cool; intermittent rain from half-time |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| SYD |
4.1-25 (9) |
6.9-45 (23) |
13.10-88 (41) |
17.14-116 (43) |
| ESS |
2.4-16 |
3.4-22 |
7.5-47 |
11.7-73 |
Goals: Sydney:
Barry Hall 6.2, Heath Grundy 2, Michael O'Loughlin 2, Ryan O'Keefe 2, Nick Malceski, Adam
Schneider, Luke Ablett, Jarrad McVeigh, Jude Bolton Essendon: Scott Lucas 4, Angus
Monfries 2, Mark Bolton, Andrew Lovett, Jason Johnson, Andrew Lovett-Murray, Andrew Walsh.
Best: Sydney: Luke Ablett, Barry Hall, Adam Schneider, Ryan O'Keefe, Darren Jolly,
Brett Kirk, Craig Bolton. Essendon: Scott Lucas, Jobe Watson, Mark Bolton, Andrew
Lovett-Murray.
Umpires: Michael Vozzo, Justin Schmitt, Scott Jeffery.
Report:
Brett Kirk (Syd) reported on match day by umpire Michael Vozzo
for engaging in rough conduct against Ricky Dyson (Ess) during the first
quarter. The MRP assessment was that Kirk made contact to Dyson's shoulder and neck area
but the nature of the contact was not a reportable action. |
| Adelaide and Collingwood fought
out a compelling, low-scoring struggle before a near-capacity crowd at Football Park on
Saturday night. The top of the table Crows earned a four-point victory over a valiant
Magpie outfit. Ashley Porter reviewed
the match for The Age: Collingwood enjoyed one of its best
starts for the season, kicking a goal within 34 seconds, and another four minutes later,
while Adelaide struggled to move into its 50-metre zone. And when Ken McGregor goaled
after taking a strong mark in a pack, the Pies quickly answered from Chris Egan.
Significantly, Collingwood was a clear winner in the midfield, especially through Dale
Thomas, who was accidentally knocked out late in the game.
The break came when Tyson Edwards kicked
two goals within two minutes, and the Crows shut the game down. It was reminiscent of
their round-one clash when Collingwood was surging forward, and Adelaide introduced tempo
football to the competition. Again the Magpies were backward of centre and trying to plug
the gaps, and the Crows started to dictate play and began winning the clearances.
Both defences had to work incredibly hard and rating highly
were Ben Rutten for Adelaide and Dane Swan and James
Clement for Collingwood. Josh Fraser was outstanding in the
ruck, while Sam Iles, making his AFL debut, was most impressive, picking
up 10 disposals in the first half.
The game developed into a rebound from the half-back lines
at incredible pace, and under the pressure came numerous mistakes from both sides. Neither
found it easy to hit forward targets, and Anthony Rocca, who was being
run ragged by Nathan Bassett, was conspicuously quiet. After Edwards
kicked his second, and Adelaide's third goal at the 12-minute mark of the first term, the
Crows finished the first half with eight behinds, five of them rushed. During this lean
period Collingwood added 2.2 to lead by a point at half-time.
Given Adelaide's dismal performance the previous week
against West Coast, and the midweek turmoil at Collingwood and its precarious place in the
eight, the teams were facing one of their most challenging halves of football for some
time.
But little changed. As Adelaide continued to flounder up
forward, and rely on its defenders to get the side out of trouble, Collingwood battled
well. The capacity crowd summed up the frustration when Ryan Lonie goaled
at the 14-minute mark of the third quarter and the fans gave a Bronx cheer. It was the
first goal of the match since Heath Shaw goaled for Collingwood at the
fifth minute mark of the second quarter, and in between Adelaide had scored 0.6 to take
its tally to 3.12 to Collingwood's 5.6.
Finally, Adelaide goaled when Trent Hentschel
played on from a mark and handballed to Brent Reilly. It was not only a
rare goal, but one of the few times Adelaide played on and looked aggressive in the
forward line. Within a minute, Jason Porplyzia received a free kick and
goaled, and the Crows led by five points five minutes before three-quarter-time. The
tussle was far from over.
Adelaide skipper Mark Ricciuto has had
better nights, and coach Neil Craig had him sitting on the bench for the
opening 12 minutes of the third term, and when he resumed on the ball his impact was
minimal. Hentschel kicked a goal for Adelaide 38 seconds into the last quarter, and with
yet another two rushed behinds the Crows went to a 14-point lead – remarkably the
biggest of the match.
Collingwood refused to give in, and with terrific goals
from Alan Didak, one of Collingwood's best, and Tarkyn Lockyer,
just a kick separated these two gladiators. Collingwood's Chris Tarrant
had the chance to pinch victory with a minute remaining when he received a dubious free
kick, but his 55-metre punt failed to make the distance by centimetres, and Adelaide clung
on under stress. |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 5 |
| Adelaide v Collingwood |
Saturday (n), August 5,
2006
Football Park, 7.40pm AEST, crowd: 45,658
Conditions: Good, some dew
Weather: 13C, cool, clear |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| ADE |
3.4-22 (3) |
3.8-26 |
5.13-43 (6) |
7.16-58 (4) |
| COL |
3.1-19 |
4.3-27 (1) |
5.7-37 |
7.12-54 |
Goals: Adelaide:
Trent Hentschel 2, Tyson Edwards 2, Ken McGregor, Brent Reilly, Jason Porplyzia, Collingwood:
Alan Didak 2, Tarkyn Lockyer 2, Ryan Lonie, Chris Egan, Heath Shaw.
Best: Adelaide: Tyson Edwards, Nigel Bassett, Simon Goodwin, Graham Johncock, Ben
Rutten, Michael Doughty. Collingwood: Dane Swan, James Clement, Paul Licuria, Simon
Prestigiacomo, Ben Johnson, Josh Fraser.
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Derek Woodcock, Darren Goldspink.
Reports:
l Mark Ricciuto (Ade) was cited with a Level Two striking offence against
James Clement (Col) during the first quarter. Ricciuto was offered a
one-match suspension with an early plea. The player accepted guilt and the one -match
suspension.
l The MRP applied first offence citings and fines for wrestling during
the first quarter – Brodie Holland (Col) for wrestling Graham
Johncock (Ade); Tarkyn Lockyer (Col) for wrestling Graham
Johncock (Ade); Graham Johncock (Ade) for wrestling Tarkyn
Lockyer (Col). All players admitted guilt and each were fined $900.
l Alan Didak (Col) reported on match day by umpire Darren
Goldspink for tripping Michael Doughty (Ade) during the second
quarter. The MRP cited Didak with a Level One tripping offence The MRP offered a reprimand
and points towards his record with an early plea. Collingwood sought adjudication of the
Tribunal. Didak unsuccessfully argued his charge was an accident. The Tribunal agreed with
the MRP assessment that it was a negligent act. Didak received a reprimand and 82.5
penalty points added to his record. |
Geelong kept its slim hopes for
the finals alive when it won a 17-point victory on Sunday afternoon over an injury-hit and
worn-out Brisbane outfit – it was Geelong's first win at the Gabba since 1993.
Andrew Stafford observed in The Age: Enigmatic
Geelong forward Steve Johnson – under orders to produce or else
– showed he was "on" from the opening minutes when he curled through a
beautiful boundary-line snap for the first of four majors, a game high matches only by the
Lions' Daniel Bradshaw. Typically, Johnson's four goals all featured a
degree of difficulty that left observers scratching their heads when he missed from dead
in front in the second quarter.
But Johnson had more allies than Bradshaw. Paul Chapman worked tirelessly
for the Cats and his two goals were complemented by 27 damaging possessions, with Jimmy
Bartel, Darren Milburn, Corey Enright and Josh
Hunt all prominent contributors.
Sportal reported: It took the Cats until the last quarter to
break the game open, after they kicked the first two goals of the term to take the game
out of Brisbane's reach.
The first two quarters saw a goal-for-goal shootout, with the Cats threatening to run away
but the Lions consistently pegging them back. In the third quarter, the game quickened up
and it was Brisbane who hit the lead for the first time before a couple of late goals
wrested back the ascendancy.
Luke Power found the ball 29 times for Brisbane, Simon Black
gathered 22 possessions, while Bradshaw booted four to be the Lions' best forward and
reach 51 goals for the season. |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 6 |
| Brisbane v Geelong |
Sunday, August 6, 2006
BCG, 1.10pm AEST, crowd: 28,055
Conditions: Good and firm
Weather: 22C, warm, sunny periods |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| BRI |
4.0-24 |
8.1-49 |
11.5-71 |
13.9-87 |
| GEE |
4.5-29 (5) |
9.11-65 (16) |
12.17-89 (18) |
14.20-104 (17) |
Goals: Geelong:
Steve Johnson 4, Peter Riccardi 3, Paul Chapman 2, Steven King, Josh Hunt, Cameron Ling,
Joel Corey, Henry Playfair. Brisbane: Daniel Bradshaw 4, Daniel Merrett 2, Clark
Keating, Scott Harding, Luke Power, Justin Sherman, Joel Patfull, Cheynee Stiller, Rhan
Hooper.
Best: Geelong: Jimmy Bartel, Paul Chapman, Steve Johnson, David Johnson, Josh Hunt,
Matthew Egan. Brisbane: Simon Black, Josh Drummond, Luke Power, Cheynee Stiller,
Daniel Bradshaw.
Umpires: Chris Donlon, Stefan Grun, Shane McInerney.
Report:
Jimmy Bartel (Gee) was cited with a Level Three offence for engaging in rough
conduct against Troy Selwood (Bri) during the first quarter. The MRP
offered a two-match suspension with an early plea. Geelong sought adjudication of the
Tribunal. Bartel pleaded guilty to the charge at the Tribunal however his defence argued
successfully his conduct was negligent rather than reckless. Bartel was suspended for one
match. |
With both the Kangaroos and Port
Adelaide accepting their forgettable seasons and looking ahead to 2007, so did the fans
who stayed away on Sunday when the two played at Docklands to a mere 14,815, the
fifth-lowest attendance of the 314 matches played at the venue. While the contest failed
to reach any great heights, the result was in doubt until the final minutes.
Sportal noted: The Kangaroos led at every change and although
Port fought back in the final term, the Arden Street brigade did enough throughout the
match to hang on.
Saverio Rocca was terrific – he opened the match with his 738th
career goal and when he added his second to open the second half, he became the 12th
VFL-AFL goalkicker of all-time, eclipsing Carlton legend Stephen Kernahan.
Rocca's thumping kicks and the odd 'torp' gave something to the masses. He finished with
four goals and teamed beautifully with fellow big man Nathan Thompson,
who booted three majors.
The vastly underrated Brady Rawlings quelled the influence of in-form
Power ball-winner Shaun Burgoyne. For Port, Brendon Lade
starred again with 28 hit outs, 20 touches and 11 marks, while Damon White
kicked four goals.
The lead chopped and changed in the opening term, until the Kangas took a three-point
advantage into the first change and by half-time the margin had increased to 10 points. It
looked as if the Roos would run away with the match early in the second half when they
bounced out to a 25-point buffer, but at three-quarter time the margin was reduced to just
12 points.
When Rocca jagged his fourth early in the final term, the Roos led by 26 points, but the
Power made a late surge and got to within seven points only for a Michael Firrito
goal to steer the hosts to victory. |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 7 |
| Kangaroos v Port Adelaide |
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Docklands, 2.10pm AEST, Roof: closed; crowd: 14,815
Conditions: Fair to good
Weather: 15C, cloudy, drizzle possible |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| KAN |
2.5-17 (3) |
4.9-33 (10) |
8.10-58 (12) |
12.12-84 (19) |
| PA |
2.2-14 |
3.5-23 |
6.10-46 |
9.11-65 |
Goals: Kangaroos:
Saverio Rocca 4, Nathan Thompson 3, Michael Firrito, Shannon Grant, Leigh Harding, Adam
Simpson, Shannon Watt.
Port: Damon White 4, Domenic Cassisi, Kane Cornes, Stuart Dew, Brett Ebert, Josh
Mahoney.
Best: Kangaroos: Saverio Rocca, Brady Rawlings, Daniel Harris, Daniel Pratt, Nathan
Thompson, Jess Sinclair. Port: Brendon Lade, Damon White, Kane Cornes, Nathan
Lonie, Danyle Pearce.
Umpires: - Matthew Head, Chris Kamolins, Martin Ellis. |
Fremantle further entrenched
itself in the top eight with a workmanlike 53-point win over Hawthorn in warm and
threatening conditions on Sunday afternoon at Subiaco Oval. The Swans head a block of five
clubs on equal status of 11+7 in fourth place – Sydney, Saints, Pies, Dogs and Freo
– two games clear of 9th-placed Geelong.
It was Fremantle's first win over the Hawks since 2002-R18 – ending Hawthorn's
four-game winning streak. The Dockers enjoyed their fifth successive win – the equal
of the team record from 2003 (R6-10) and 2005 (R15-19).
Justin Chadwick observed for Sportal: Peter
Bell (29 disposals), Heath Black (23), Roger Hayden (22)
and David Mundy (21) were influential in the win, as was big man Aaron
Sandilands who finished 22 hit-outs and as many possessions. Jeff Farmer crumbed
everything up forward and was a constant nuisance to finish with four goals, while Justin
Longmuir – who returned after three weeks on the sidelines – provided
an excellent target in attack and thoroughly deserved his four-goal return with Matthew
Pavlich also chipping in with 2.4.
Mark Williams was best for the Hawks with four goals opposed to Luke
McPharlin. The 23-year-old led and kicked well all day, but lacked genuine
support up forward. Sam Mitchell ran hard all afternoon and finished with
29 touches in a courageous performance, while Campbell Brown, Shane
Crawford, Brent Guerra and Thomas Murphy also
won plenty of ball. |
| 2006
— ROUND 18 — GAME 8 |
| Fremantle v Hawthorn |
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Subiaco, 4.40pm AEST, crowd: 35,017
Conditions: Good – lights on in Q3
Weather: 22C, warm, overcast, threatening |
| |
1/4
time |
1/2
time |
3/4
time |
Final |
| FRE |
6.4-40 (32) |
8.11-59 (26) |
11.14-80 (32) |
14.20-104 (53) |
| HAW |
1.2-8 |
5.3-33 |
7.6-48 |
7.9-51 |
Goals: Fremantle:
Jeff Farmer 4, Justin Longmuir 4, Matthew Pavlich 2, Byron Schammer, Troy Cook, Ryan
Murphy, Brett Peake. Hawthorn: Mark Williams 4, Ben Dixon 2, Lance Franklin.
Best: Fremantle: Peter Bell, David Mundy, Heath Black, Jeff Farmer, Pavlich, Roger
Hayden, Justin Longmuir. Hawthorn: Sam Mitchell, Shane Crawford, Campbell Brown,
Brent Guerra, Mark Williams.
Umpires: Dean Margetts, Scott McLaren, Kieron Nicholls. |
|
|
