Fremantle Dockers AFLW team run away from Geelong to put themselves in finals contention

Another knee injury was the only sour point for the winners as Fremantle spoiled Geelong’s immediate hopes of securing an AFLW finals berth.

Scott Gullan

@gullanHeraldSun

2 min read

March 9, 2019 - 6:11PM

Kiara Bowers (far right) and her teammates sing the team song after downing the Cats. Pic: Getty Images

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Fremantle’s male counterparts famously put a spanner in Geelong’s premiership hopes at GMHBA Stadium back in 2013.

That shock qualifying final loss threw the Cats flag hopes a curveball that came back to haunt them in the preliminary final.

On the other hand it propelled the Dockers into their first grand final appearance although they came unstuck on the big day against Hawthorn.

KNEEDED: CALLS FOR LOOK INTO WOMEN’S ACL BLOWS

There was a sense of deja vu on Saturday afternoon with Freo’s women’s team delivering similar pain to the Cats.

The scenario coming in for Geelong was a win would guarantee them a top-two finish in Conference B and finals berth despite one game remaining in the season.

Geelong skipper Melissa Hickey tries to get away from Kiara Bowers. Pic: Getty Images

But the home team didn’t have any answers in the second half with the purple army strolling away to an impressive 36-point victory.

“We were up against a great midfield today. In the end, the weight of entries that Fremantle had, they just had too many for us to cope with for a whole game,” Geelong coach Paul Hood said.

The Cats will now have to beat GWS next Friday night in Sydney to seal a finals berth.

Fremantle moved briefly to the top of Conference A but given it's the stacked half of the competition there is still a lot to play out before a finals berth is guaranteed.

While Adelaide are clearly the benchmark in the competition, the Dockers skills and ability to move the ball shone out as they kept the Cats scoreless in the second half.

“The key stat for us at quarter-time was our tackles were up, the pressure was there but we’d had 10 groundballs to their 30, they were getting to the ball first. The girls responded really well and from that part of the game we had control from that point on,” Fremantle coach Trent Cooper said.

Bowers is a tackling machine, finishing the match with 19. Pic: AAP

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME

Kiara Bowers was Fremantle’s marquee signing back in 2016 but knee injuries forced her to miss the first two AFLW seasons.

The Dockers remained patient and it’s paying off with Bowers not only proving to be one of the best players in the competition but her tackling prowess is becoming her signature.

Last week against the Bulldogs she was a clear best-on-ground with 23 disposals, 16 tackles, five marks and a goal.

At half-time Bowers was on track to better that with 13 tackles. She finished with 19 — two short of the AFLW record of 21 held by Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff.

Gemma Houghton booted a couple against the Cats. Pic: AAP

SHARP SHOOTER

As we know goals are a premium in this competition and Fremantle’s Ashley Sharp is building an impressive resume.

A nice snap early in the second term got the Dockers their opening goal of the game and then the goalsneak bobbed up again to break the ice in the third quarter.

Sharp kicked the only major of the quarter, nailing a set shot which took her tally for the season to six goals.

Teammate Gemma Houghton joined in the fun with two goals herself, the highlight being a soccer off the ground in the goalsquare early in the final quarter.