Optus Stadium now a Freo fortress as Eagles rue missed opportunities
Welcome to the Western Watercooler, where we round up the talking points from the weekend’s matches and the highlights, disappointments and silver linings that WA football fans can hold onto as the season progresses.
The Dockers are putting together one of the great seasons.
Lead the league, tame your opponents and play an intoxicating brand of football that captures the attention of everyone in the competition.
Their last win, which was goalless in the first half, was almost unbelievable as they scored 100 points in the second half to edge out their nearest rivals, second-placed Sydney.
The biggest threat to Fremantle’s title challenge right now is injuries.
West Coast gave the Bulldogs a big scare and led in the final term, but lacked polish in key moments.
The 16-point defeat made it 12 consecutive defeats at Marvel Stadium.
Fremantle Dockers
What went right? Second half.
Fremantle’s ability to cash in when they gain momentum could unsettle opposing sides.
They were pushed back by a wild and frantic Swans in the first half and applied the pressure, which was generally saved for the final.
But the Dockers kept their composure and when they had the opportunity they not only seized it but also broke Sydney.
Fremantle scored seven unanswered goals in the final period within 15 minutes to end the rivalry in a match that would end at the death.
Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw helped change the game in the competition.
Josh Treacy imposed himself, Alex Pearce did his best to thwart Sydney’s attacks and Shai Bolton and Murphy Reid did just as much damage forward and on the ball.
What went wrong? Scoring a goal in the first half.
Fremantle were held goalless in the first half for the third time in their history.
They created many chances but could not score any of the 11 goals.
This was quite similar to their encounter with Geelong at Optus Stadium; In this encounter, they struck from behind nine in a row in another frustrating display.
But just like their Round 15 clash with the Cats, the Dockers’ maturity in not losing their heads paid off.
Silver lining? The Dockers have turned Optus Stadium into a fortress; Arguably the most frightening field for opposing teams to play on.
They have been excellent in their nine home games this season, with an average margin of victory of almost six goals.
There has never been this much investment in the purple army; Fremantle’s last seven home games have all recorded more than 50,000 fans.
And with a three-and-a-half-game buffer and percentage against the third-place Hawks, that means the top two are virtually tied, and with it two home finals.
A qualifying final and preliminary final are on offer in Perth.
West Coast Eagles
What went right? The pressure of the West Coast.
The Eagles increased the excitement and ensured that they were in the contest as a lively chance of winning until the end of the game.
After a four-goal second quarter, they maintained their first-half lead and their goal-scoring efficiency was remarkable.
West Coast scored 14 goals in the first two terms, 19 of which were inside the 50s.
What went wrong? Failure to take advantage of opportunities.
If not for some recent missed opportunities, West Coast could have come away with an upset win.
Jobe Shanahan made his mark in the goal square as Jake Waterman, Jack Williams and Tom Cole headed towards the goal for obtainable attempts.
At the other end the Bulldogs kicked four unanswered majors to seal the result.
The upside is that the Eagles are creating scoring opportunities, the downside is that capitalizing on them is a work in progress.
Silver lining? Funny goals from talented stars.
Both Harley Reid and Willem Duursma scored noteworthy goals and highlighted the reasons why their names were selected first in their respective draft years.
Willem Duursma burst from the center stop to create space using his blistering pace before drilling a beautiful long-range major from outside 50 yards that left the commentators in awe.
Similarly, Reid took a stunning strike from a very tight angle in the final quarter, collected the ball and raced towards the boundary before somehow finding the big sticks.
Paddy Sweeney is a Nine News Perth sports presenter and journalist.
