Fremantle’s already hot season is about to get better, with superstar skipper and double Brownlow medalist Nat Fyfe playing his first game of 2022 when his club hosts Hawthorn.
The Dockers (9-3, 134%) welcome Fyfe back for his first AFL game since Round 19 last year, despite dislocating his finger during the opening moments of his WAFL return last weekend.
It will be an uphill task for the Hawks (4-8, 87.6%), who have won just one of their last seven games but played some of their best football this season against top eight teams such as Carlton, Geelong , Brisbane , Melbourne and Collingwood.
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MATCH REPORT
There were no late changes for either side, with Darcy Tucker (Fremantle) and Josh Morris (Hawthorn) serving as the medical subs.
Freo wasted no time hitting the scoreboard and found Rory Lobb within 50 in the game’s opening play as the big man went back and the set shot slipped.
The Hawks had barely touched the ball in the opening minutes, and the Dockers looked ominous early on.
“This defensive setup from Freo is a whole new ball game,” Demons great Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy.
Fyfe, despite suggesting that he spend more time forward in his return leg, interestingly started the game solely in midfield. The skipper of the Dockers came forward later in the period.
The Hawks flipped the script after a strong five-minute burst in the middle of the opening term, scoring three goals in a row, including a brilliant finish from Daniel Howe tucked outside 50 on the boundary line.
“These are three excellent conversions that we would expect from players at this level. but we don’t see it that often. They’ve got themselves in the game and now it’s over to Freo,” Lyon said.
A brilliant chase from Dylan Moore saw Hawthorn score the fourth goal of the first quarter to retake the lead as it was clear that Sam Mitchell’s side was playing.
“They were perfect on their set shots,” noted Fox Footy commentator Adam Papalia.
Hawthorn took a three point lead in quarter time, 5.0 (3o) to 4.3 (27).
The pressure from the Hawks was great in the first quarter, including six of their 16 tackles coming in within 50.
“That looks like a belt saying, ‘we’re going, we’re going to the guy with the footy, it doesn’t matter if I’m forward or backward.'” Lyon said.
Fremantle reacted – and just like in the first term – the first major of the second quarter kicked off in the opening game when Brandon Walker scored his first AFL-level goal.
But Hawthorn hit back right away in the other quarter with Moore’s second goal to make it an efficient 6.1 for the visitors’ big sticks.
“Brings a tear to an attacker’s eye,” Lyon said jokingly of Hawthorn’s accurate goal kick.
The ball was in Hawthorn’s front half early in the second quarter with 76 percent against Fremantle’s 24 percent.
Lyon noted that James Sicily, who did what he wanted in the first half with nine disposals and five points, “didn’t pay any attention” to Griffin Logue in their game.
It prompted Justin Longmuir to push Fyfe deep forward to play in Sicily.
The Dockers picked up their game later in the second term, but failed to hit the scoreboard, even being forced to play unusually down the hallway at times.
The Hawks led by 10 points at halftime, 8.4 (52) to 6.6 (42).
Fremantle came out with more intensity early in the second half, scoring the first two goals through Michael Walters to retake the lead, the last through an atypical gait play.
“There’s a template for saying, ‘Hey, that goes down the middle, it’s not a barren area.’ If you can get it through them and open up, you’re going to score. This has been very, very rare for the Dockers all afternoon,” Lyon said.
“They’re going coast to coast for the first time in a long time…here we go for Hawthorn, here’s the challenge. This is a very good football side, we think they will compete. The third quarters have been their strongest point throughout the year and the challenge is now back at the feet of the Hawks.”
Blake Acres scored another goal for the Dockers in what had been a massive third quarter for the star winger, with 11 disposals, three within the 1950s and three clearances over 14 minutes.
Bailey Banfield scored another goal to continue Freo’s advance, but these brave Hawks weren’t going anywhere when Chad Wingard reacted on the other side.
Fyfe got busy late in the third quarter, with his long range set shot missing the post before living up to his next shot at the field when the host’s fans burst out.
Fremantle took a 14-point lead in the three-quarter time, 12.9 (81) to 10.7 (67).
This match kicked off at 4:10 PM AEST from Optus Stadium.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 4pm AEST.
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