Fremantle’s disappointing season is all however over after a ruthless Collingwood delivered a 46-point knockout blow on the MCG on Saturday.
Less than 12 months after ending their September marketing campaign, the red-hot premiership favourites buried the undermanned Dockers with an avalanche of targets within the second time period, claiming victory 18.5 (113) to 10.7 (67).
It was a day of carnage for the guests, who misplaced star ruck Sean Darcy (ankle) and defender Brandon Walker (knee) to harm as their file slipped to a possible season-ending 7-10 with six video games to play.
The Daicos brothers collected a mixed 67 touches, with Brownlow favorite Nick (36 disposals, one objective) and winger Josh (31, one) simply the tip of the iceberg for the stylish Pies.
As he did within the semi-final, milestone man Jordan De Goey was field workplace with 26 touches whereas Jamie Elliott kicked a game-high 4 targets and WA Pie Ash Johnson had three.
Dockers stars Andrew Brayshaw and Jaeger O’Meara each notched up 30 touches, whereas ahead Josh Treacy kicked three majors.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir made no secret of his facet’s intent to silence the hostile, 61 157-strong Magpies crowd with a very good begin.
Collingwood turned the dial up early, kicking the primary three majors earlier than Jye Amiss opened the Dockers’ account with a controversial objective, which Pies defender Oleg Markov emphatically argued was touched.
Ash Johnson instantly responded on the different finish, but Fremantle refused to yield as O’Meara and Bailey Banfield decreased the deficit to a single digit late within the quarter.
Without first-choice ruck Darcy Cameron, Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson dominated the hit-outs (15-8) early because the Dockers owned the clearances 16-6 within the opening time period, resulting in 16-10 inside 50s.
In the absence of their most prolific midfielder for the season, Caleb Serong, his partner-in-crime Brayshaw stood as much as notch up 5 of these together with his 12 disposals in a monster quarter.
The Dockers’ worrying pattern of opening quarter losses continued, trailing the Pies by 5 factors on the first break to make their file a woeful 15-2 for the yr.
It all unravelled for the guests in a horror second quarter, because the ladder-leaders proved their premiership favouritism justified by piling on 10 targets to 2, with eight of these unanswered.
Shell-shocked Fremantle had no reply for the rampaging Pies, who put the defensive unit beneath the pump with 19 inside 50s to 4 and made them pay with accuracy, kicking 10.1 for the time period.
The Dockers managed simply 47 disposals for the quarter, whereas harmful duo Nick Daicos and Taylor Adams mixed for 22.
For a short second Fremantle wrestled again momentum, kicking the primary two targets after the principle break earlier than back-to-back majors for Elliot halted their run.
A critical knee harm to Brandon Walker stopped play because the defender was stretchered from the bottom in agony. Shortly after, Darcy emerged from the rooms on crutches, his day completed with an ankle concern.
The Dockers outscored the Pies three targets to 2 within the remaining time period however it was all too little, too late.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
