‘Absolute demolition’ stuns Demons as Dockers run riot
Fremantle have produced a demolition job as they ran riot and recorded their highest ever score while handing their rivals an ugly low.
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Fremantle have recorded one of the biggest wins in their club’s history, demolishing Melbourne 22.9 (141) to 7.5 (47) in the red centre that is Alice Springs.
The Dockers’ forwards had an absolute day out at TIO Traeger Park, with Jye Amiss leading the charge with his four goals, while teammates Michael Walters, Luke Jackson and Josh Treacy kicked three goals each in the 92-point win.
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The win now shoots the Dockers into sixth on the ladder, with a percentage boost of well over 10 per cent a welcome side effect.
Jordan Clark starred for Fremantle with 35 disposals, 15 marks and a goal, while Luke Ryan continued his run for a second All-Australian jacket, registering a mammoth 18 marks and 28 disposals.
The heavy handed loss for the Dees drops them outside of the eight and is the biggest score they’ve given up since 2016.
The 3-2-1 ...
3. DOCKERS ‘DEMOLITION’ IN ALICE SPRINGS DEBUT
After conceding the game’s first two goals, Fremantle devastated Melbourne in its first-ever home-and-away match at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs on Sunday.
Justin Longmuir’s Dockers quickly got on top of the Demons in the first quarter, repeatedly damaging Simon Goodwin’s side in turnover transition.
“It was (an) absolute demolition by Fremantle,” Jordan Lewis told Fox Footy at half-time.
“It was their ability to come forward in numbers and be around the contest, cause the spillage and then, on the back of that, be able to penetrate and punish them on turnover.
“And then, going forward, they had multiple options.”
The Dockers put up 50 points from 12 front-half Melbourne turnovers — in the first half alone.
“That’s one, their pressure, but certainly two, Melbourne not taking care of the ball as much as they should,” Lewis added.
Three-time Richmond premiership forward Jack Riewoldt added: “The Dockers’ ground-ball game is an area of heightened points for them, and they have really smacked Melbourne there and the ability to mark it forward.”
Josh Treacy kicked three goals in the first half, while Jye Amiss added two of his own. Amiss finished the game with four, while Treacy snagged three for the afternoon.
Fox Footy’s Nick Dal Santo acknowledged the significance of Fremantle triumph, examining Sean Darcy’s battle with Melbourne superstar skipper Max Gawn.
“We came here today thinking it was going to be a statement game by one of these teams — well, clearly it’s been the Freo Dockers,” he told the broadcast at three-quarter-time.
“After that first five to 10 minutes owned by the Dees, it’s been everything Dockers since then.
“It started in the middle. We spoke about this coming into the game. Sean Darcy, what I’ve loved about his game today is he’s got really physical with (Gawn).
“He’s worn him down, and it started at the first bounce. (Luke) Jackson forward, Darcy in the ruck, but this has been going on all game in the ruck contest, but around the ground (too).
“It hasn’t been a one-man effort; it’s been everyone trying to chip away at Max.”
Darcy finished with 14 disposals, four clearances, four tackles, 21 hit-outs — 10 to advantage — and a goal. Gawn managed just eight taps to advantage.
“Today, aside from the first minutes, it felt like the commitment across the board was at a really high level,” Caleb Serong told Fox Footy post-game.
Melbourne has played nine home-and-away games at Alice Springs’ TIO Traeger Park since 2013, but the Dockers looked like the side most acquainted with the venue on Sunday.
Melbourne was categorically crushed by Fremantle on Sunday in a worrying showing by Simon Goodwin’s second-rate side.
Despite booting the first two goals of the game, the Demons conceded the next six to a determined Dockers outfit that was ominous and threatening in transition.
Fremantle kicked 13 combined goals in the second and third quarters to Melbourne’s three, expanding its insurmountable lead and giving the Dees nowhere to go with ball in hand.
“I don’t think Melbourne has been caught kicking the ball backwards and handballing the ball backwards (like this),” Riewoldt told Fox Footy’s half-time coverage.
“The players come under pressure and then all of a sudden thought: ‘I’m just going to give it to someone else’ to put under pressure.
“There’s no pressure at all,” Riewoldt observed of Melbourne’s defensive actions in the third quarter.
Fox Footy analyst David King added: “Melbourne haven’t been allowed to play well; they haven’t been allowed to function.
“For every mistake Melbourne have made, Fremantle have put it on the scoreboard.”
The Dees’ final losing margin was a staggering 89 points — their biggest defeat since a Round 23, 2016 Geelong shellacking.
“Not one goal (scored) from stoppage, Melbourne,” Lewis noted after the final siren.
“Not one goal throughout the whole match. The way that the Dockers set up was fantastic.”
After the final siren, King expressed his concern about the hefty defeat.
“They’ve put this club, the Melbourne Football Club, into a flat spin,” King said post-game.
“I think it’s too simplistic to say ‘oh, it’s just a mulligan, move past it, move on’. You have to assess this one, you have to deep-dive into this one.
“I think they’re stuck in between two modes; last year’s and this year’s — and that’s a bad position to be in, in Round 12.”
Melbourne fell to ninth position after Sunday’s loss, and it could fall as low as 10th, pending Gold Coast’s result.
Adding injury to insult, Melbourne wingman Lachie Hunter injured his calf halfway through the Demons’ “horrible” Sunday afternoon defeat.
Disappointingly, Hunter, who’d only just returned to AFL level last week for the first time this season, succumbed to a calf issue.
He was substituted out of the game early in the second half, with concerns remaining over his longer-term fitness.
At Thursday’s selection, Simon Goodwin recalled tall forward Daniel Turner in place of the injured Jacob van Rooyen, with crucial intercepting defender Jake Lever (knee) potentially sidelined for an additional three or four games. He was sorely missed on Sunday.
Harrison Petty, who was substituted out of last Sunday’s win over St Kilda with an ankle ailment, passed a fitness test to play against the Dockers, but he managed a game-low two disposals for the afternoon.
The Demons conceded a devastating scoreline of 22.9 (141) without Lever.
Originally published as ‘Absolute demolition’ stuns Demons as Dockers run riot
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