AFL round 10: Lachlan McKirdy examines Fremantle’s win over GWS Giants

Shai Bolton took another step in his evolution into a matchwinning midfielder as Fremantle’s engine room left their GWS counterparts and coach Adam Kingsley with big issues to address.

The Giants have been left to rue another disappointing midfield performance after Walyalup (Fremantle) and a red-hot Shai Bolton spoiled their homecoming in a messy 34-point win for the visitors at Engie Stadium.

During the week, Giants coach Adam Kingsley called out his side’s midfield performance against Geelong despite coming away from GMHBA Stadium with yet another win. He claimed his players “lowered their colours” in a clear sign that he wanted some form of reaction.

But if he was expecting a response, he would have been left bitterly disappointed as the Dockers’ midfield superstars gained the upper hand early and never let go in a wet and slippery affair.

Even though Sean Darcy was unavailable for the clash, Luke Jackson was clearly the dominant ruckman on the ground and dominated his match-ups against both Kieren Briggs and Jake Riccardi.

Where Tom Green and Finn Callaghan ran amok against the Cats, their influence was completely blanketed by a phenomenal defensive display from Justin Longmuir’s side, who got back in the winner’s circle and gave themselves a morale-boosting victory.

The free-flowing Giants from six days ago had completely disappeared with the ball locked into the contest and the handbrake firmly applied.

Instead of the determination to attack the corridor that Kingsley’s side showed against the Cats, they were forced into an unfamiliar kick-mark game around their backline.

Fremantle was dominant, particularly in midfield, against the Giants.

Lachie Ash and Lachie Whitfield both saw plenty of the ball throughout the match, combining for 54 disposals between them, but uncharacteristic errors invited even more unnecessary pressure.

Simple handballs and kicks missed the mark, with the Dockers all too happy to make them pay, capitalising on points from turnovers and sinking the boot in throughout the second half.

In the end, the Dockers kicked eight second-half goals, piling the misery on for the Giants, who now sit 5-5 for the year and are struggling to find any consistency once again.

Shai Bolton was one of the matchwinners for Fremantle.

The mental battle was won early in the game after a tactical move unleashed Caleb Serong’s best form. The Giants’ initial decision to send tagger Toby Bedford to Andrew Brayshaw freed up Serong to hunt the ball from Jackson’s excellent ruck work and set the tempo for his side’s work around the contest.

Even when Bedford was switched to Serong, the damage had been done, and it was too little, too late.

Bolton also produced his best game yet in his new colours, finding acres of space throughout the midfield and constantly getting forward to impact the scoreboard. He was only matched by teammate Michael Frederick, who celebrated his birthday in style with a bag of three goals that could have easily been more.

Too many Giants players were passengers on Saturday afternoon in a game where it was clear their opposition just wanted it more. Inside 50 entries were sprayed in hope, and they did nothing to help get Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan into the game.

Patrick Voss was the perfect example of the determination that Walyalup showed; the former Giants’ Academy product was happy to throw his weight around to remind GWS what they could have had at their disposal. Instead, he was left to feign an apologetic goal celebration when the smirk on his face told the real story.

Adam Kingsley has big issues to deal with after his side’s latest loss.

Some late consolation goals softened the scoreboard blow, but it was clear to everyone at Engie Stadium that the margin flattered the hosts. They were clearly second best throughout the match and always looked to be a foot behind their opponents.

If the Giants want to be a premiership contender in 2025, then this standard of performance has to be removed from their game. While they got a massive boost from their win in Geelong, they’ve now lost four of their past five matches and are nowhere near their top-four form from last season.

Kingsley wasn’t scared to give his midfield group a clip during the week after a win. Don’t be surprised if he gives them a blast after a match where they couldn’t unlock the corridor and were completely bossed out of the game.

Originally published as AFL round 10: Lachlan McKirdy examines Fremantle’s win over GWS Giants