Star ruckman Luke Jackson produced yet another match-winning display as Fremantle overcame a 28-point deficit to beat Geelong by nine points and extend their club-record winning run to 13 games. The Cats led by 30 points midway through the second quarter of Thursday night's blockbuster in Perth as Fremantle's stars faltered badly in front of goal.
But the Dockers eventually found their groove, kicking 10 goals without a miss to go from 3.11 to 13.11 and take a 19-point lead into three-quarter time. Geelong closed the gap to nine points with five minutes remaining when Jack Henry kicked truly, but Fremantle held their nerve in a thrilling finish to seal the 14.15 (99) to 14.6 (90) win.
Jackson's Monster Performance
Jackson finished with 28 disposals, 26 hitouts, six clearances and three goals in a dominant display. "Home crowd, packed stadium, playing against such a good opposition in Geelong and to get a nine-point win over them, there's just nothing better," he told Channel 7.
Andrew Brayshaw tallied 16 disposals in the third quarter alone on the way to 35 for the match, Jye Amiss kicked 3.4, and 150-game milestone man Alex Pearce took seven intercept marks.
Geelong's Effort Falls Short
For Geelong, who were missing Bailey Smith and Tom Stewart, Max Holmes was busy with 27 disposals and 597 metres gained, while Jack Martin kicked three first-quarter goals but none thereafter. Fremantle's club-record 13th straight win means the Dockers (13-1) stay a game clear on top of the ladder, while Geelong (9-6) could slip out of the top four by the end of the round.
First Half Struggles
Martin kicked three goals in the opening quarter and Oliver Wiltshire chipped in with two as Geelong took a 10-point lead into the first break. The highlight of the term was a huge don't-argue from Fremantle spearhead Patrick Voss on Oisin Mullin on the wing. Fellow forward Josh Treacy was off-target with 0.2 to go with another set shot that didn't register a score.
Fremantle's kicking woes reached fever pitch in the second quarter as Geelong's lead blew out to 28 points. Sam Switkowski, Shai Bolton, Hayden Young, Amiss, Murphy Reid and Voss all missed gettable chances, with another snap from Amiss missing everything by 15 metres. Even a mark of the year contender from Bolton, who flew over Voss and Jake Kolodjashnij in spectacular fashion, couldn't stop the rot as Geelong kept making Fremantle pay for their misses.
Dockers Fight Back
Fremantle's run of seven consecutive behinds was finally ended when Voss picked up the ball from one metre out to slot his second. The moment sparked a three-goal run from the Dockers, with Treacy's 55-metre bomb and Jackson's set shot closing the margin to nine points by half-time.
Fremantle snatched the lead early in the third quarter, and although Geelong briefly responded, the Dockers finished with a flurry to take a 19-point lead into the final change. The Cats pushed hard for victory in the last quarter with the first two goals of the term, but a successful snap from Amiss with nine minutes remaining gave Fremantle enough breathing space.
