RECAP: Fremantle Dockers earn finals berth in cut-throat win against Western Bulldogs
Fremantle will return to finals football for only the second time in a decade after holding off the Bulldogs in Melbourne.
A win also locked the Dockers into a home final in the first week of September with a fifth or sixth-placed finish.
Adding to the high stakes was the prospect of a loss leading to the end of Nat Fyfe’s career, with arguably the greatest-ever Docker set to bow out at season’s end.
Stay across all the action here.
Fyfe injected!
Nat Fyfe is into the game after a Pectoral injury to Wagner.
The veteran warmed up to Fyfey chants and is into the fray.
What’s that?
Anyone guess the message from Voss here?
THREE-QUARTER TIME: Western Bulldogs 52, Fremantle 84
Voss gave Fremantle the little circuit breaker the needed on the verge of the last change.
The Dogs missed a set shot that could have given them three goals in a row and the Dockers made them pay.
The home side arrested momentum for large parts of that quarter but when the Dockers move with speed they can’t match them.
The stats are all but locked across the board, the Dogs winning clearances but doing little with them.
Ryan and Clark have had plenty of the ball while Bolton is the chief creator as the Dockers have one quarter left to earn a September berth.
A win will hand them a home final and sixth spot.
Docker time!
Fremantle have seen the Dogs’ goal and raised them two of their own.
Frederick nailed an easy one on the run before a clever gather and finish from Erasmus makes the home sides’ defence look silly.
The travelling fans have the FREO chant up and about!
WB 39, FRE 76
Much needed
Freijah puts through the Dogs’ first major since the first quarter and they needed that big time.
Busslinger has been subbed out as the home side try to turn the tide in the ground-ball battle.
WB 39, FRE 64
Dogs pulling trigger
Arty Jones is warming up as the Bulldogs’ sub.
He will add plenty of speed for the home side who are battling around the ground.
WB 33, FRE 64
Good sign
The Dockers have only lost once this season after leading at halftime.
Can they maintain the strong record?
They’ve started with a goal to Treacy!
WB 32, FRE 64
HALFTIME: Western Bulldogs 32, Fremantle 58
The Dockers showed their mature stripes in that quarter, finding a gear the Dogs couldn’t match for a 42-point swing.
Serong got the better of Libatore after being beaten in the first term while Bolton clearly heard the critism last week and has answered.
He has two majors and double-digit disposals.
Bontempelli sounded a few late warnings but the pressure from the Dockers held his efforts at bay.
Fremantle running at 79 per cent disposal efficiency.
On the ropes
The Dogs are begging for the bell as Fremantle boot a sixth in a row.
Voss has the latest but the Dockers’ pressure has been ferocious.
They are still down in the clearance battle but Western Bulldogs are not being allowed room to utilise the clearance and escape the area.
The Dockers’ ball movement has also been elite and fast in great signs.
WB 32, FRE 52
Reid speed!
There should be no doubts as to who the Rising Star is!
Reid crumbs a pack at the back of the centre square, bursts away and shares the ball with Switkowski.
But the small forward gets the handball back and burns the defender all the way through the square before nailing the goal from just inside 50.
WB 32, FRE 39
