The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 3 – Fremantle v West Coast
The first printed edition of The Footy Almanac came out in 2007, before we had a website. In the absence of a real 2020 season, we will be publishing the 2007 pieces for the first time ever on www.footyalmanac.com.au. Follow the season!
Fremantle versus West Coast
5.40pm, Saturday, April 14
Subiaco Oval, Perth
By LES EVERETT
BOTH TEAMS WENT INTO the 25th meeting between West Coast and Fremantle with a defensive mindset. Fremantle’s preoccupation was to limit the output of star West Coast midfielders Chris Judd and Daniel Kerr; the Eagles were out to stop star Dockers forwards Matthew Pavlich and Chris Tarrant. One of the results of the coaching tactics was a clogged-up midfield and a crowded Fremantle forward line.
West Coast took early control in a tight and bruising encounter through their ability to create loose players between the half-back and centre lines. While the Eagles were able to come out of defence with some surety, the Dockers always seemed to be under pressure and often forced wide. By quarter-time, West Coast led by 17 points and while they were outscored in the next two quarters, they went to the last break 13 points up.
Fremantle’s best period came in the last minutes of the third quarter when a wonderful goal by David Mundy, who had carried the ball from deep in defence, and a good after-the-siren set shot from Tarrant provided real hope leading in to the last quarter.
The Eagles finally did what they’d threatened to do all day and put the game beyond reach through relentless attack let down only by inaccuracy. It’s worth pointing out that after half-time West Coast scored 10.16 (76) to Fremantle’s 10.2 (62). The Dockers kicked eight consecutive goals in the second half. That’s good kicking, but the point is that the margin could have been greater.
All the big tactical moves worked well. Darren Glass was superb against Pavlich, Tarrant was given no room to move, Matthew Carr limited the effectiveness of Kerr and Ryan Crowley did well on Judd. Indeed Judd had a strange night. He set off on a couple of his trademark runs and fluffed his kicks. In the last quarter, he ran on to the ground after a break, turned to the bench and called: “Where am I going?”
If Fremantle’s loss to their bitter rival wasn’t enough, their depleted playing stocks were reduced. Andrew Browne, who missed all of 2006 with a chronic hamstring problem, pinged a hammy in the first quarter and took no further part in the game, while Des Headland and Josh Carr were reported. (Both escaped penalty).
Meanwhile, if you think an undefeated start to the season shows that West Coast is over its off-field woes, think again. I’ve watched well over 100 games from my spot behind the opposition bench at Subiaco Oval and have never seen anything like what I witnessed on this night. After some very mild heckling in the first quarter, Adam Hunter, standing in front of the bench while off for a rest, turned and made an obscene grabbing-the-genitals gesture at the crowd. In the same quarter, Daniel Chick responded with a finger sign (not with his amputated digit), while at three-quarter time runner Daniel Metropolis invited a heckling fan on to the ground.
Michael Braun dropped the f-word in accepting the Ross Glendinning Medal and in the days after the game we heard about what had so enraged Headland. The us-against-them mentality might galvanise the Eagles and lead to even more success but, on the other hand, perhaps something might give.
Fremantle learned more about its list and paid a heavy price for their lack of clarity at the selection table. The match committee included ruckman Justin Longmuir and showed they were not totally confident by also picking Daniel Gilmore. Sadly, the richly talented Longmuir is not fit; his knee is buggered. And while his effort in the derby was brave, he really doesn’t have the confidence to compete properly.
For Dean Solomon, the pace of his first high-intensity game at Subiaco exposed him; he gave away free kicks, panicked in possession, and his tackles didn’t stick.
Fremantle stumbled out of this game one loss away from crisis point. West Coast sauntered yet further away from community respect.
Fremantle 1.2 4.4 8.4 11.4 (70)
West Coast 4.1 6.6 9.11 14.17 (101)
GOALS
West Coast: Armstrong 3; Lynch, Embley 2; Judd, Kerr, Seaby, R. Jones, Rosa, Hansen, Wirrpanda.
Fremantle: Pavlich, J Carr 2; Tarrant, Hasleby, Crowley, Sandilands, Cook, M. Carr, Mundy.
BEST
West Coast: Armstrong, Glass, Braun, Staker, Stenglein, Kerr.
Fremantle: Hasleby, Mundy, Grover, Crowley, Walker, Cook.
MILESTONE : Pavlich (Fremantle) 250 goals.
UMPIRES: Kennedy,M. Nicholls, Wenn.
CROWD 42,051
OUR VOTES: Armstrong (WC) 3, Hasleby (F) 2, Glass (WC) 1.
BROWNLOW: Kerr* (WC) 3, Judd (WC) 2, Braun (WC) 1.
For more Round by Round reports of the 2007 season click HERE
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About Les Everett
A Footy Almanac veteran, Les Everett is the author of Gravel Rash: 100 Years of Goldfields Football and Fremantle Dockers: An Illustrated History. He is the footyalmanac.com WAFL correspondent and uses the money he makes from that role to pay for his expensive websites australianrules.com.au and talkingfrankie.com and fund the extravagant Vin Maskell at scoreboardpressure.com
NOW PAVLICH WORKS FOR NINE IN PERTH AND FOR FOX FOOTY
Interesting insight re the Eagles, Les.
The dynamic within the group would have been really complex at that time.
Fine piece Les. Nostradamus on many fronts. Chick and Hunter followed (led?) Cousins down the rabbit hole. The richly talented Justin Longmuir’s knee was buggered – but not his footy brain. David Mundy kicked a wonderful goal. Ever thus. Toss up between him and Pav for Freo’s finest servant?
Family scandal time. The Avenging Eagle has a purple brother (led astray by the wife witch is the family excuse). He always said Mundy would be as good as Hird. Wonderful player but never quite reached the very top echelon. Did he overstate it or was Mundy another midfielder sacrificed on the Somme of General Lyon’s battle plan?