This was yet another game for Fremantle under lights on a Friday night. With six wins for the season, and six games to go, Fremantle was doing little more than playing for pride, while Adelaide were playing to cement their place in the finals. On the other hand, Fremantle were playing at home, and they did have a point to prove, as they had copped plenty of flak in the WA press over therir soft-soft-soft attitude.
The early parts of the game illustrated some of Fremantle's problems to a 'T'. The first 10 minutes of the quarter were essentially played between the centre and Fremantle's attacking 50. Fremantle seemed to have plenty of the ball, and their back line, when it was occasionally challenged stood firm, but they couldn't convert dominance into a score. What seemed to wake them up to themselves was when Adelaide finally went forward, and scored. Adelaide began to make more movement in their forward line, and somehow that gave Freo the idea too. Suddenly they looked good up front, with both Brown and Maher taking some good grabs, and Callaghan roving the packs well.
A little of the wind was taken out of Fremantle's sails just before quarter time, when Maher took a strong overhead mark, but then landed awkwardly, twisting his knee. Maher was stretchered off, but even then Neesham resisted the urge to move Mann to centre half forward (thankfully!) Mann, as it happens, was doing an excellent job in defense, keeping Rehn from being any sort of force at CHF.
The second quarter saw Adelaide fight their way back into the game. Fremantle were unable to score for most of the quarter, while Adelaide found a good route to goal through Jarman. Now that Greg Williams has retired, Jarman is a good contender for the mantle of The Most Hated Man in Football. Only difference would seem to be that Jarman can actually play the game, unlike the Diesel.
Either way, the most satisfying moment in the game came in the second quarter, when Carroll took a mark in the goal square, and decided to chip it short to Mann. Mann got first hands to the ball, but Jarman, running with the flight of the ball, brought it down and claimed the mark. Jarman was about 10 m back, lining it up on goals when the umpire came in and paid the mark to Mann. Jarman was not happy, and told the umpire so. At length. Without giving the ball to Mann. So the umpire paid a 50 against him. Mann delivered the ball to Clive, and Freo finally goaled for the quarter.
The other important moment in the second quarter was the injury to Toia. Little Lukey had picked up the ball on the defensive fifty and was trying to twist out of trouble so he could kick the ball forward. Unfortunately as he did so, he twisted his knee, and he too had to be stretchered off.
Fremantle went into the second half 10 points up, and for a while the two teams went goal for goal. Adelaide seemed to have the momentum, but Fremantle kept coming up with the answers. During this period, the stretcher came out again, this time to take off Adelaide's Kane Johnson, who has been cleaned up by Jess in the centre square. Finally, Adelaide were able to get two goals in a row (both from Jarman) and hit the front for the first time in the game.
Neesham responded, by moving Carroll off Jarman, and giving the job to Shane. Meanwhile O'Reilly was marking Tony Modra, who didn't look like he was going to contribute much. Perhaps Jarman's turn of speed would have caused O'Reilly problems, particularly given Steve's dodgy hammies, but I would have thought he was worth a try. Anyway, Carroll got moved forward, where he was on the receiving end of a dodgy free kick, from which he goaled. Out of the centre Wills had a point to prove, he went all the way, bouncing twice, three times, shot for goal and ... the umpire called it back for a free kick against Clive for an illegal shepherd. Willsy kick had missed anyway, so it wasn't too bad.
Scores were level at three-quarter time, and the game stayed tight throughout the final quarter. Fletcher was back for Freo and into everything in this quarter. He kicked a couple of goals himself, and basically kept Freo going up forward. At the other end Shane was able to keep Jarman from dominating too seriously, though Jarman did have time to kick his eighth.
Then we came into the final few minutes. Scores are level, and Clive kicks inside the Freo 50. Michael Brown is by himself, but the kick is too long for him. He turns, chases, can't mark, can't gather the bouncing ball, and it goes through for a point. Fremantle one point up, 2 minutes to go. At this stage I am resigned to them losing it. Adelaide move the ball well out of defense, and get it to Jarman on their attacking 50, close to the boundary. He ignores two leads and goes for a long torp. It slews off the side of the boot. Out on the full. And the crowd goes wild. Still plenty of time for Freo to lose it though. For the remainder of the game, the ball is locked up on or near Adelaide's 50. Just before the siren, Smart gets the ball, in just about his first touch for the night. He bombs it long towards goals as the siren sounds and .... Its out on the full! Yes! Fremantle win! Their first victory ever over Adelaide.
This game had pretty much everything, but it also demonstrated Fremantle's flaws. Fremantle had the game by the throat in the first quarter, and should have lead by more that 4 goals at quarter time. Quite frankly, Adelaide were pretty poor all night, but Fremantle couldn't keep up the intensity to really bury them. If Jarman had been playing for Freo, they would have won this game easily, and although Michael Brown did have a good night at fullforward, Fremantle still lack a real spearhead. They still have too much of a tendency to roll over and play dead after they have gotten into a winning position. In the end it was only Fletcher that kept them in it in the second half. But a win is a win is a win, so I can't complain. Fremantle are still a chance to make the finals, but they have to win every remaining game, so its no more than a dream. Maybe next year ...
Final Score : Fremantle 14.14-98 beat Adelaide 15.7-97
timnfromoz
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