By Marc McGowan
Collingwood will go to work on their inside-50 efficiency after wasting a career-best day from Nick Daicos to suffer a one-point defeat to an inspired Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday.
A late Josh Treacy mark deep in defence secured the Dockers a thrilling and crucial win that handed Craig McRae’s Magpies back-to-back single-digit defeats despite having 23 more inside 50s and winning the contest possession tally by 20.
That winning feeling: Fremantle’s Josh Treacy.Credit: AFL Photos
Fremantle kicked the last four goals of the game, including ex-Bomber Patrick Voss’ personal-best sixth, to steal a road victory after trailing ladder-leading Collingwood by 22 points early in the final quarter. The Pies also laid an extraordinary 35 tackles inside 50 to the Dockers’ nine.
“You talk about all the numbers – inside 50s and contested possession, and all this stuff – [but] it just didn’t feel like we connected that well this week again,” McRae said.
“But it’s one of those hard games where you dominate so much of the territory, you’re winning it back, and you go into such density, so it makes it really hard to score. But I can’t help but feel frustrated in that game because you feel like you’ve done so much right, and then you don’t get the nourishment of a win.
“There are many layers to it. Our connection inside 50 wasn’t at the level it has been, but also, we thought we did enough right to get the job done today.”
Former Docker Lachie Schultz had the last opportunity for Collingwood with barely 10 seconds left, but his desperation snap landed in Treacy’s lap in front of 62,198 fans.
Jamie Elliott, who has a reputation for late-game goalkicking heroics, also missed a set shot inside the last three minutes that levelled the scores before a Shai Bolton behind – after Jack Crisp conceded a high-contact free kick – gave Fremantle the lead for good inside the last two minutes.
The Dockers are now only percentage outside the top four after starting the season with five losses in the first nine rounds.
The big mark late in the game by Fremantle’s Josh Treacy.Credit: Channel Seven
The Pies stormed home in similar circumstances a week earlier against Gold Coast before falling short by six points. They are only two points clear of reigning premiers Brisbane Lions, who they host at the MCG in two weeks’ time.
Brownlow Medal favourite Daicos shrugged off soreness to amass a career-most 43 disposals and eight clearances in a return to defence that could deliver him maximum votes.
The 22-year-old superstar helped fill the void down back, along with his brother Josh, in the absence of Dan Houston, Jeremy Howe and Billy Frampton.
“I had a conversation with [Daicos] on Thursday or Friday about playing back, and he hadn’t played back since his first year,” McRae said.
“[We spoke] about how much of a different player he is now compared to when he was a first-year player – his capability, skill, and all the things to it. I was excited for it.
“We went into the game with a [plan for a] bit of Josh and Nick split [between the midfield and defence], and we ended up probably having a bit more Nick back than Josh, but we put him around the ball late and what’s he had, career-best possessions? It was a nice thing to have, knowing we could throw those two magnets around a bit.”
However, Daicos will have stiff competition for best-on-ground honours from emerging Fremantle key forward Voss, who had never kicked more than three goals in a game, but had already beaten that by early in the second term.
All of those were on Darcy Moore before McRae switched Brayden Maynard onto him.
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said Voss was “outstanding”, revealing he had set him for the Moore job after a similar role against Hawthorn captain James Sicily the previous week.
“I thought he was able to clearly have a big impact on the game,” Longmuir said.
“I can’t really talk about his time at Essendon. Sometimes, there’s a squeeze on for list spots, so I’m not sure what happened there … but as soon as he came to the club, he worked his backside off.
“A lot gets talked about with ‘Vossy’ [about] his energy and carry-on after goals, but there’s not a player on our list who’s worked harder on his game ... this type of performance is reward for effort, on the effort he’s put into his game across, I’d imagine, many years.
Darcy Cameron was excellent in the ruck and aerially against Fremantle pair Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson, with help from Mason Cox, but Jackson’s strong mark and goal deep in the final term was a pivotal moment.
Caleb Serong was the Dockers’ leading ball-winner with 37, to go with match-highs of nine clearances and 16 contested possessions.
Tim Membrey, whose wife Emily gave birth to their third child this week, and Tom Mitchell (managed) are set to return for Collingwood’s clash next Sunday against Richmond.
But Fremantle midfielder Matt Johnson suffered a potentially serious left ankle injury in the final term.
“He felt a crack, so he’s on crutches, [which is] not a good sign, but we don’t want to go too early with it,” Longmuir said. “It’s not looking great for him.”