Round 5 – Fremantle v Carlton: Transitioning Without a Parachute

When Ross Lyon signed a long term contract extension prior to this season, he acknowledged there would be an inevitable period of transition for a Fremantle side that has not won less than 14 games in any season he has coached them. You’d be pretty certain ‘transition’ wasn’t intended at the time to be code for a form plummet with no discernible bottom.

After four rounds under Brendan Bolton, Carlton had shown they could maintain a decent zone. They’d been able to keep possession and field position for reasonable periods in every game. What they hadn’t been able to do was convert any of this easily onto the scoreboard. And they’d turned the ball over sufficiently that opponents had outscored them on the rebound. Which, in theory, should have made them sitting ducks for the patented Freo strangle.

What transpired, in perfect conditions, was in perfect accord with weekend’s Anzac themes. Both sides turned Domain Stadium into a quagmire.  Vast effort was expended in going nowhere. What the two sides lacked in composure and execution, they tried to compensate for with sheer grunt. Defensive abilities far outweighed offensive skills. There was no doubting the commitment, but all it produced was a football equivalent of the Somme. They were lucky to be two goals each at ¼ time.

As Carlton continued to bomb the ball forward, only to see Fremantle blaze it back with an equal lack of purpose, it became apparent we were actually watching a contest between two bottom sides. Forget the relative achievements of last season, this was a battle between a team seeking to learn how to, and another that had forgotten how to.

And so they dug in. Four goals each at ½ time, six apiece at ¾ time. Most scoring seemed to come from horrible turnovers or bizarre mistakes. Players blazed wildly with team mates in better positions. Daisy Thomas kicked his game-high third goal from the boundary with a kick that actually landed on the goal line, while the Dockers appeared to be defending the point line. When Jonathon Griffin launched from outside 50, it was going through until Matt Taberner, on his own, decided to mark it rather than watch it, and spilled it.

With Fremantle blood in the water, Liam Jones proved a most unlikely shark. Unsighted, as usual, for three quarters, he had missed an easy set shot early in the final term.  Minutes later he marked over Johnson in almost the same spot. Carrying the growing burden of his entire career, he steered it through. Taberner redeemed himself to give Freo back the lead. Then Murphy snapped truly after a superb Wright defensive smother. Bryce Gibbs looked to have settled the issue with a long set shot, only to have Freo clear the next centre bounce for Griffin to volley a reply.

Four points down with time running out, Lachie Neal tried to switch direction from the back pocket. Sam Kerridge lunged desperately at Neal. Jones was standing in no-man’s land 20 metres out as Neal hit him lace out. Jones was almost knocked over from the shock. Collecting himself, he sealed the deal.

Carlton had almost as many bodies wearing the Gatorade shower as were in the surrounding victory circle. It was the first Carlton win for 9 of the 22. Ugly or not, any win will do at present. Hard work eventually needs some reward if belief is to sustain.

This also applies to the current Fremantle predicament. They had previously lost two games where they’d scored a hundred points. They had a serious crack at shutting this one down, applying 100 tackles. At the moment, nothing they try is working. Sitting 0-5, they now face the Crows, Giants and Hawks. With Fyfe and Johnson on the operating table, and Sandilands weeks away, 0-8 is suddenly looking pretty short odds. Having ground down so many opponents, they look worn down themselves.

What Ross Lyon does from here will be fascinating. Injuries are, of course, part of the story. But too much of his top end talent is the wrong side of 30. Hill, Mayne, Suban, Ibbotson and Pearce have all played well over a hundred games without really becoming the players they often promised to be. Ballantyne looks beaten up. Barlow leg weary. Only Son Son Walters still seems to have his spark.

Lyon might just be wondering where bottom will prove to be in the short term.

 

FREMANTLE    2.5   4.8   6.12   9.14   (68)                 

CARLTON         2.5   4.9   6.10  10.12  (72)          

GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 2, Crozier 2, Sutcliffe, Fyfe, Taberner, Griffin, Mayne

Carlton: Thomas 3, Jones 2, Wright, Lamb, C. Curnow, Murphy, Gibbs

BEST
Fremantle: Neale, Barlow, Hill, Walters, Johnson, Weller

Carlton: Cripps, Kerridge, Murphy, Simpson, E Curnow, Wright