Fremantle begins new era with win over Essendon at new home

IT wasn’t the perfect performance, but Fremantle secured the perfect result at its new home with a stirring victory over a Bombers side that was unable to repeat their rousing comeback from last week.

Dyson Heppell leads the losing Bombers off Perth Stadium. Picture: AAP

WE’VE had the Ed Sheeran and Buddy Franklin solo acts, so it was time to see a group at Perth’s new home of entertainment and Fremantle didn’t disappoint.

Nat Fyfe and David Mundy were the front men and played like we know they can as the Dockers disposed of Essendon to christen their new home.

Fremantle did it easier than the final margin suggested.

Fyfe and Mundy on vocals set the tone, but it was the support cast that was significant.

Alex Pearce held Joe Daniher goalless, while at the other end Matt Taberner provided a target with four goals.

Stephen Hill was a welcome addition and he, Connor Blakely and new recruit Nathan Wilson powered the Dockers out of the back half.

Debutant Adam Cerra capped his game with two goals, while Andrew Brayshaw had six inside-50 entries.

Essendon’s Jake Stringer has a scuffle with Freo opponent Bradley Hill. Picture: AAP

It wasn’t a perfect performance from the Dockers, who were hamstrung at times by basic skill errors or misunderstandings.

However, there was no shortage of enthusiasm or willingness to work and they threw so many challenges at the Bombers the visitors eventually ran out of answers.

There was a spread of goal kickers for the home side and you don’t lose many games when you kick 100 points. Fremantle cracked the century just twice last season.

The Dockers went to halftime clinging to an eight-point lead after two quarters of significant momentum shifts.

The start of a new era was so perfect for the Dockers it was if Taberner’s goal after just 16 seconds was a still part of the pre-game build-up, which included Prince’s Purple Rain before bounce-down.

It wasn’t quite raining purple goals early, but Fremantle did get three of the first four to open up a cushion before the Bombers clicked into gear.

Nat Fyfe leaps high to mark. Picture: AAP

The Dockers didn’t always make things easy for themselves, with the second term blighted by some poor turnovers, while Hayden Ballantyne’s courageous mark backing into the bigger Mitch Brown deserved better than his weak snap from the pocket.

First-game Cerra’s goal early in the third term was Fremantle at its best. He was swamped by 17 teammates after slotting the simple set shot, but it was the build-up that would have pleased the coaching box.

Stephen Hill sliced his way through the middle of the ground as only he can and delivered a beautiful pass to Ballantyne despite an opponent bearing down. Ballantyne turned onto his left and hit Cerra with his non-preferred.

Fremantle’s skills weren’t just better but the defensive intensity lifted a notch too.

Fremantle extended its margin at every change, but on a night Essendon had managed to return every punch thrown at them, the Dockers did enough on a night the purple reigned.

FREMANTLE 4.2 8.4 12.8 16.10 (106)

ESSENDON 4.0 7.4 9.2 14.6 (90)

GOALS

Dockers: Taberner 4, Cerra 2, Mundy 2, Langdon 2, Matera, McCarthy, S.Hill, Ballantyne, Walters, Fyfe.

Bombers: Begley 2, Green 2, Stewart 2, Bellchambers 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Hooker, McKenna, Heppell, Smith, Langford.

BEST

Dockers: Fyfe. Mundy, Blakely, Pearce, Walters, Neale, Wilson.

Bombers: Hurley, Heppell, McKenna, Smith, Merrett, Zaharakis.

INJURIES

Dockers: B.Hill (knee)

Bombers: Saad (leg)

UMPIRES

Foot, Margetts, Dalgleish

CROWD

49,021 at Perth Stadium

VOTES
3 N.Fyfe (Freo)

2 D.Mundy (Freo)

1 C.Blakely (Freo)

Originally published as Fremantle begins new era with win over Essendon at new home