Dockers sink Brisbane with late blitz
Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich lifted when it mattered most to help his side overcome a plucky Brisbane outfit.
PT1M31S 620 349FREMANTLE 3.0 5.2 6.5 13.6 (84) BRISBANE LIONS 3.2 5.2 6.2 7.6 (48)Goals: Fremantle: M Walters 4, M Pavlich 3, D Pearce 2, H Ballantyne, L Neale, M Barlow, Z Clarke. Brisbane Lions: M Leuenberger 2, D McStay, J Green, L Taylor, M Robinson, R Bewick.Best: Fremantle: N Fyfe, D Mundy, M Walters, G Ibbotson, L Spurr, C Mayne. Brisbane Lions: D Beams, D Zorko, J Redden, D Rich, M Robinson, M Leuenberger.Umpires: Jeff Dalgleish, Luke Farmer, Jordan Bannister.Official Crowd: 32,970 at Domain Stadium.
Fremantle have not been at the top of their game for more than a month, but they continue to find a way to win.
Fremantle's four-goal hero Michael Walters runs for the ball after Dayne Zorko of the Lions tackled Michael Barlow of the Dockers. Photo: Getty Images
And against bottom side Brisbane at Domain Stadium on Sunday four goals in eight minutes to start the final term saw the Dockers safely over the line by 36 points.
The score were level at half-time and the Lions trailed by just three points at the final change. But they managed only two goals after half-time to the Dockers' eight.
Brisbane had not kicked more than six goals against a Ross Lyon-coached Dockers side in four games since the start of the 2012 season. And despite having five on the board at half-time, they only managed their seventh with less than 10 minutes to go in the game.
Players and coaches from Fremantle and Brisbane stand in silence around the centre circle as a mark of respect to former Crows coach Phil Walsh. Photo: Getty Images
By then, Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich, kept without a goal for three previous games, had two for the quarter (three for the game) and the game was out of the Lions' reach.
Michael Walters' fourth major (for the second week in a row) came 20 minutes into the final term and blew the margin out to 25 points. But Brisbane became the latest side to expose weaknesses in the Fremantle armour.
Despite having won just twice in the previous 12 games and not since round seven, they ran with the best side in the competition until three-quarter-time.
It was an important game for the Dockers, who play Hawthorn in Tasmania next week, where two consecutive losses may have seen them drop amazingly to third. But again, they found a way to win.
The Dockers have not been at their dominant best for five consecutive outings now, losing to Richmond and claiming narrow wins over Adelaide, Gold Coast and Collingwood in that time.
And all five games were played in wet and/or slippery conditions.
When the rain fell, often heavy, in the first half against Brisbane on Sunday, again the Dockers looked anything but a premiership team.
The ground and ball were dry by the start of the third term.
The Lions have learned from those recent rounds and played a tight, high-pressure game.
Before Sunday, both sides had averaged just 58 tackles this season, but had each reached that mark by half-time.
It could have been the weather, but there was a clear purpose about the Lions, especially Mitch Robinson. The Brisbane hothead was given the tough challenge of quelling the influence of Nat Fyfe, the best player in the AFL this season. And in the first half, he didn't do a bad job.
He kept the Dockers champ to just 12 touches in the first half, while himself picking up nine.
Robinson had one extra clearance than Fyfe at the main break (4-3) and had laid five tackles – sure a couple of them were crude.
A couple of his tackles also gave the Dockers shots on goals at the start of the second term, but Fremantle couldn't make the most of their chances.
Hayden Ballantyne and Fyfe both sprayed their chances at goal, the latter failing to score anything.
It was a 14 minutes into the second term before the first goal of the quarter came, a snap off the boot of Danyle Pearce.
In the second term, the Dockers had 17 journeys into attack for a return of just 2.2. Brisbane went forward just four times and kicked 2.0 – again a goal coming to the Lions right on the siren.
