Lucky 7
Fremantle ersus Collingwood
6:10pm, 25th June
Domain Stadium, Perth
Josh Coales
Seven is the number of recent success at the Dockers. Whether it’s our first win of the year against Port, in which we won by 7 points, our game against Gold Coast, also won by 7 points or our hero and the future of Freo, Nat Fyfe (who wears seven). Our latest success against Collingwood was also won by the magical 7. The win was never going to be easy and as Ross Lyon said after the game, “AFL games are pretty hard to win you know.”
As we saw two weeks ago against Gold Coast. This one was always going to be a cracker.
Grandad, Dad, Dad’s Pommy mate Will and I started the day as usual, two pints for them and two Cokes for me. Grandad declares us by 37, Dad said us by 24, I said us by 26 and Will said he’d be happy as long as there were no riots and it isn’t a nil-all draw!
We get to Subiaco early and ponder on our dinner decision. We end up choosing (the appropriately named) ‘Pommy Burger’ at a joint in Subi. It was a great burger and was surely an omen of a good night ahead.
The first minute further confirms our hopes of a good night when Walters kicks our first. However, the Dockers are over using it and don’t know how to kick or not slip over. Dad keeps poking me about how we’re on but Grandad reminds him it’s Ballantyne and he’ll almost surely fall over. Sure enough he does and the Pies clear the ball. It’s goal for goal but there’s a difference, the Dockers can’t take a mark in the forward 50. Pavlich, Mayne and all the other forwards go up but only half of the Collingwood defenders go up and the rest await the crumbs and clear it easily. It’s Collingwood by two points at the first break and they’re inaccurate and some chances have gone begging. As is the same for Freo.
The second quarter is much the same except we finally take a mark. Clancee Pearce takes a beautiful chest mark and cooly slots the six pointer. There’s two words that currently sum up the AFL right now. No it is ASADA or WADA it’s simply Nat Fyfe. He is simply the best. Better than all the rest. He takes a beautiful mark but then decides to climb over Jack Hannath and take a screamer. He then cooly slots a goal. But the Pies are still 2 points in front. Grandad keenly notices that Collingwood almost trudge off. No energy as if they’re down. It’s an interesting point.
The third quarter is a tight one and this is shaping out to be a cracking last half. Nat Fyfe or ‘the future’ paddles the footy over Varcoe, bumps Varcoe and gathers whilst fending off a Magpie. He drills Walters. Walters kicks the goal with only seconds left. That’s the second time tonight he’s kicked a goal in the dying moments. The last quarter is set up to be a dog fight.
It’s all square heading into the final quarter. This last quarter will require someone to stand up and be the ‘hero’. The ‘hero’ is Garrick Ibbotson. His defensive pressure for not only the last quarter but the game has been phenomenal. Any aspiring defenders should look up to Ibbotson and McPharlin. The one play that stands out is a kick in early on in last quarter. Ibbotson kicks it 50 meters and Clancee Pearce almost botches it but Tommy Sheridan taps it to Clancee’s advantage and he soccers it to Mayne, he kicks to Walters and Walters fires a handpass to Pav who goes to Hannath to De Boer to Neale who converts. It was beautiful footy and the crowd goes bananas.
In the end it’s us by 7. Let’s hope we can beat the Lions by a bit more than 7 points next week. Maybe 77 points or 7 goals. The ‘Hot Coales Award’ for BOG (thanks Mr Vickery) goes to number 7, ‘The Future’, Nat Fyfe.
Fremantle 3.2 7.4 9.6 12.8 (80)
Collingwood 3.4 7.6 9.6 11.7 (73)
Goals
Fremantle: Walters 4, Fyfe 2, Hill 2, Ballantyne, Barlow, C Pearce, Neale
Collingwood: Elliott 2, Fasolo 2, Broomhead, Pendlebury, Adams, de Goey, Crisp, Blair, Seedsman
Votes
Ibbotson (Fre)1, Neale (Fre) 2, Fyfe (Fre) 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.
- More Posts
Loved the article mate.
Josh good work on the numerological angle and your insights. Pommy Burger you say. I gotta check that joint out. keep them coming.