THE Dockers have set up a Quarter Final NAB Cup clash with Adelaide after their commanding victory over an inexperienced Eagles outfit at Subiaco Oval on Sunday night.
The starless Eagles were no match for a near full strength Dockers who controlled the match right from the start and ran out to a 39 point lead at half time. A third quarter injury to Paul Hasleby seemed to halt Fremantle’s run and a fairly even second half saw them cruise to a 44 point victory.
After Mundy opened the Dockers account with a supergoal, Fremantle dominated first quarter proceedings with good tackling and forward pressure to bolt out to a 19 point lead before David Wirrpanda soccered through the Eagles first. Des Headland looked on fire early with 7 first quarter touches ripping apart the Eagles midfield, while young Rhys Palmer was exciting with bursts through the middle. When Adam Campbell goaled from a free kick late in the first quarter, Fremantle took a 24 point lead into quarter time.
West Coast managed the first goal of the second quarter through a free kick to Chad Jones, after a spearing pass from Chad Fletcher gave Jones’ opponent no chance of a legitemate spoil. Freo hit back when Josh Carr’s good vision spotted Mundy who kicked his second and Headland spotting Pavlich goal-side of his opponent allowed him to run onto the ball and into an open goal. When a chain of handballs across the half forward line found Headland in supergoal territory he made no mistake and bombed a 9 pointer, which helped the Dockers to a comfortable 39 point lead at the main break.
A fairly low scoring 3rd quarter saw some poor kicking from both sides and when Mark Johnson, playing his first game for the Dockers after crossing from Essendon, goaled from a holding the ball decision, Fremantle were out to a 47 point lead. With Hasleby stretchered off West Coast had seven shots at goal in a row but squandered their opportunities and only managed a supergoal, through Wirrpanda, five behinds and one out of bound on the full. They had pulled the margin back to 33 points.
When Seaby goaled early in the last, West Coast had a sniff, but any hope was then lost when Michael Johnson, Jeff Farmer and Matthew Pavlich all goaled in a 4 goal to 3 last quarter. Fremantle’s 44 point win was soured by the Hasleby injury.
West Coast struggled with a host of key players missing including Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Michael Braun, Tyson Stenglein, Andrew Embley and Adam Hunter. They will take on Collingwood in Albany next Saturday in a NAB Cup Challenge match.
Fremantle – 1.3.4 – 2.7.5 – 2.8.8 – 2.12.14 (104)
West Coast – 0.1.1 – 0.4.2 – 1.4.8 – 1.7.9 (60)
Goals
West Coast: Nine-point goals: Wirrpanda. Six-point goals: Seaby 2 LeCras 2, Wirrpanda, C. Jones, Hansen 1
Fremantle: Nine-point goals: Mundy, Headland 1. Six-point goals: Hasleby 2, Farmer 2, Pavlich 2, Campbell, Mundy, Solomon, Michael Johnson, Mark Johnson, Palmer 1
Best
West Coast: B. Jones, Staker, S.Selwood, Wirrpanda, McNamara, Nicoski, Seaby
Fremantle: Headland, J.Carr, Farmer, Mundy, Solomon, Hasleby, M.Carr, McPharlin
Injuries
West Coast: Priddis (calf)
Fremantle: Hasleby (knee)
Umpires: Margetts, Chamberlain, McInerney
Crowd:32,502 at Subiaco Oval
