The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 7 – Fremantle v Hawthorn: An emotional rollercoaster

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 Hawthorn
2.40pm, Sunday May 13
Subiaco Oval, Perth
by LES EVERETT

 

IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR FREMANTLE FOOTBALL. Before play started, a period of silence was observed in memory of Con Regan, who died while holidaying in Canada on the Thursday before the game. Regan played 261 games for East Fremantle and was part of WA’s famous 1961 carnival-winning team. It’s hard to find words to explain what he meant to the Fremantle Football Club. When he was Team Manager, his credo was that if something had to be done, he’d do it. In recent years, he’d been a club Vice-patron and had remained fully involved. He was strong, active and vital – he was 73 years old but his death rocked the club. He had, as a relative said in a death notice, seemed invincible.

 

Hawthorn began the game the better – it wasn’t hard because Fremantle were terrible. By winning the ball out of the centre, the Hawks highlighted Fremantle’s perceived pace problem.

 

It was interesting to contrast the slick ball handling of Sam Mitchell, Shane Crawford and Luke Hodge with the fumbling efforts of their opponents. The Hawks were better at converting their scoring opportunities early in the game as well – two early shots by the Dockers sailed out on the full while Trent Croad slotted two lovely set shots from tight angles.

 

Goals were hard to come by and when Hawthorn sneaked out to a 27-point lead 10 minutes into the second quarter, the situation had crisis meeting written all over it for Fremantle.

 

But a goal to Adam Campbell seemed to right the good ship Freo. The Dockers adjusted to what was confronting them while continuing to play as they wanted to. Fremantle is a running team. They look cumbersome when they can’t get hands on the ball at stoppages and can’t find targets. Which team wouldn’t? By half-time, scores were level and the home team was the warm favourite, according to the odds displayed on the scoreboard.

 

Fremantle’s grip on the game tightened in the early stages of the third quarter. Chris Tarrant provided a roaming target – sometimes up towards the wings, other  times very close to goal – and the midfielders, especially Paul Hasleby, were beginning to exert some influence. But the Hawks were far from done with. They continued to run and a late surge put them within a goal at the last break. Early in the last quarter, they were more than a goal in front.

 

Hawthorn repeated the successful tactic of playing under-sized key defender Campbell Brown on their opponent’s best forward and he added Matthew Pavlich to his list of conquests. It must be said, however, that Brown got plenty of help. When Fremantle learn to take advantage of the fact that Pavlich travels with an entourage of defenders, they’ll be very dangerous. If there are three players on Pav, two Dockers must be free somewhere.

 

Fittingly, Brown and Pavlich each did something spectacular in the last quarter. Brown took off on a long run that set up a goal and Pavlich snapped a beauty to seal the issue. It was his first goal for two weeks.

 

I’d been sent to the game with strict instructions to shout with the power of two. Another of Fremantle’s treasures, my neighbour Professor George Seddon, died on the Wednesday before the game, probably just minutes after we’d shared a laugh about our dogs. His Dockers scarf and beanie held pride of place among his many treasures.

 

What a week. What a game it is that we love.

Fremantle 1.1 6.6 10.10 14.12 (96)
Hawthorn 3.5 6.6 9.10 11.14 (80)

GOALS
Fremantle: Campbell 4; Headland, Tarrant, Walker 2; Hasleby, J. Carr, Crowley, Pavlich.
Hawthorn: Boyle 3; McGlynn, Croad 2; Lewis, Ladson, Franklin, Murphy.

BEST
Fremantle: Tarrant, Walker, Campbell, Hasleby, Hayden, Black.
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Bateman, Hodge, Crawford, Brown, Boyle.

DEBUT
Moss (Hawthorn).

UMPIRES
Kennedy, Hendrie, McInerney.

OUR VOTES
Tarrant (F) 3, Mitchell (H) 2, Bateman (H) 1.
Walker (F) 3, Campbell (F) 2, Hodge (H) 1.

BROWNLOW
Walker (F) 3, Campbell (F) 2, Hodge (H) 1.

CROWD
36,481.  

 

For more Round by Round reports of the 2007 season click HERE

 

Printed copies of The Footy Almanac 2007 can be purchased here.

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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