Round 10 – Fremantle v Richmond: Anchors a-weigh

Anchors a-weigh
Fremantle Dockers versus Richmond Tigers
6:10pm, Friday 5 June
Domain Stadium, Perth
Josh Coales

I’ve always had a close interest in Freo-Richmond games. Whether it’s
my first game at Subi Oval in 2007 against the Tigers or the ANZAC game
against the Tiges in 2013 when Ballantyne roved Jon Griffin’s ruck work to
snap a goal and give us the lead. Boy how things have changed. Iboo’s
debut was my first game at Subi having an upbringing in NSW and ACT he
always has a good one against the Tigers whether it’s diving on the
ball to stop a goal in that game in 2013 with seconds left. How things
have changed since 07. We were ‘flag favourites’ and yet again I felt
the all too familiar feeling of ‘maybe next year’ as comes in the
fine-print of our membership contracts. This is our year. Boy would 10
and zip have a good feel. As Ross would say, ‘we have to write our own
story’ and this is an important chapter of 2015. We need to perform on
the bright lights of Friday nights when all eyes are on us.

The night started as usual, grandad, Dad, my mate and I went to the pub for our
usual beer for them and coke for us before the game. We talk up our
chances and Grandad declares us winners by 84. I say us by 34 but have
my doubts as last week’s game against the Crows took a bit out of them.

We start slowly. Johnson is down early in his 200th. Not a good
sign. It’s roles reversed as the Tigers come out and leave us shell
shocked. It’s almost comical footy from Freo. When Pav drops an easy
mark you know it’s not going to be our night. The first half ends.
Thank Goodness. Tigers are up by 7 goals. Grandad figured out the
problem early in the first quarter, anchors. Birds fly, Tigers prey
and anchors sink. The anchor we took off our jumper 5 years ago came
back to haunt us. They handed out anchors at the start of the game.
Grandad had an army knife on him and cut the anchor. That didn’t help.
We’d need some what of a miracle to win this one. The Tigers were
everywhere. The Tigers’ theme song says, ‘like the tigers of old,’ but
I think it was the Dockers of by gone years where we’d show glimpses
of great footy but then choke.

As it was in the second half. We found our groove. Everyone around us
was getting fired up. Logistically, we weren’t going to win as the
Tigers were playing (as Bruce McAvaney would say) ‘delicious’ footy.
We were outmarked, outplayed and that clown Dean ‘the maggot’ Margets
better not umpire another Dockers game this year. To put it simply, we
were outplayed in every aspect. Good thing we haven’t bought flights
to Melbourne in early October because playing like that we won’t be
near Hawthorn,Sydney or (according to West Coast supporters at Subi
train station) we won’t be near west coast. Johnson has done a hammy
and Ross says he’ll be out for 3 weeks. Hopefully Alex Pearce comes
in. Cam Sutcliffe should be dropped. I love him but he was
undisciplined and didn’t want the footy. Spurr and Mzungu will be able
to come back. Why Mzungu was ever dropped after his injury is unknown.
Gold Coast next week, 10-1 going into the bye would be awesome. We are
still top of the ladder. Come on Freo. Do it for the long suffering
supporters. Our marathon is only reaching the half way point.

Fremantle:  3.1 5.2 8.5 10.10 (70)
Richmond:  8.1 12.3 13.4 15.7 (97)

Goals: Fremantle: Walters 3; Crozier 2;
Ballantyne,Barlow,Fyfe,Sandilands,Taberner.
Richmond: Vickery 3; Griffiths,Riewoldt,Deledio 2;
Martin,Edwards,B.Ellis,C.Ellis, Grigg, Morris.

Best- Fremantle: Neale,Walters,Fyfe,Sandilands,Barlow,Hill
Richmond: Martin, B Ellis,Rance,Cotchin,Edwards

Votes
Neale (Fre) 1, B.Ellis (Rich) 2, Martin (Rich) 3

About Josh Coales

Josh Coales is a 20 year old studying a Bachelor of Media and Communications, majoring in Sports Journalism. Josh is a proud West Australian and Fremantle Dockers diehard.

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