Fremantle Dockers’ attritional defeat to Richmond impacts finals chances, casts spotlight on key players

In the process of keeping his club’s season alive, he delivered a significant blow to Fremantle’s chances of back-to-back finals campaigns.

The punctuation mark came with seconds left when Bolton climbed over a pack on the goal line to take the mark that enabled him to milk the clock, kick a goal and ice the game with the Tigers 15 points to the good.

Fremantle weren’t disgraced. But they didn’t deserve to win this. Richmond had gotten control of the game at the midway point of the first term, won the contest until the midway point of the third term, lost their way for about a quarter but then reasserted themselves when Fremantle got close enough to seriously threaten.

If Fremantle miss finals they will wonder for a long time about home losses to North Melbourne in round two and the Tigers in this one.

They didn’t handle Richmond’s trench warfare well through the middle section of the game.

The Tigers may be more beatable now than they were at their peak, but they still don’t beat themselves. They embraced the chaos at a wet Optus Stadium and they managed the slippery ball much better than the Dockers for the bulk of the game.

Fremantle had their chances in the opening term – they just weren’t high percentage chances. Jye Amiss, Josh Treacy and Matt Johnson all missed from out around the fifty metre range. Given the same opportunity at the other end, Jayden Short made two long shots count to give the Tigers great impetus.

The other thing that gave Richmond great first quarter impetus was their edge in the contest. They ran harder to create out-numbers, they won the first quarter contested possession count by 11. And while the Dockers had good numbers at centre square stoppage to get first looks at inside fifties, they couldn’t hold the ball in. Richmond won around the ground stoppages handsomely and cashed in with quick and decisive inside fifty entries.

It added up to a three-goal lead to the visitors at quarter time and a toehold in the game.

Liam Baker was a first term star and won a number of 50-50 balls at ground level, wriggling out of tackles. Short’s aggressive finish put the score on the board.

The Dockers dug in for a fight in the second term. But with the rain hitting mid-term, this was now effectively a game played on Richmond’s home turf despite the venue being Optus Stadium – ground level, trench warfare.

Get the outnumber, get the ball forward, making it pretty is a luxury you can’t afford.

The Dockers did reasonably well to hang in the game. They got three second quarter goals thanks to the clever Amiss who kicked two. Sam Sturt who was playing an important game in the context of his stuttering career slotted a difficult set shot from deep in the pocket and also delivered the ball deep and to the goalside of Amiss for one of his two goals.

The Dockers were getting forward fifty entries but the Tigers were still winning stoppages and contested possession. And they also had the best player on the ground in the first half.

Dogged Tim Taranto went to the main break with 23 disposals and two goals including an ingenious soccer from the square that created something from nothing in the second term.

They had a very good ruckman in Toby Nankervis who was winning his ruck battle with Luke Jackson 27-18 in hit outs. Nankervis plonked his big body under the ball and made Jackson work around him. Don’t put Sean Darcy on the trade table just yet, folks.

Jackson got to work in the third term and to his credit showed why he was signed on a seven-year deal. His work at centre square stoppages helped the Dockers get on top in that area and led to a late quarter rally which saw them kick four of the last five goals of the term.

But they had to. Jack Riewoldt had booted two goals for the term, Short had added a bomb from outside of the fifty metre arc and Nankervis had had another crucial stoppage win – getting Jackson out of the way at a forward pocket throw in – for an unlikely ruckman’s goal.

At one stage Richmond led by 36 points and the game looked all but gone.

Fremantle’s late surge at least closed the gap to 19.

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They were aided by a greater level of collective grunt and they got on even terms with the Tigers at the contest. Matt Johnson, Caleb Serong, Nathan Fyfe and Andrew Brayshaw all got busy in support of an improving Jackson. They also got some individual acts of brilliance to keep them in it on the scoreboard.

There was a brilliant mark and goal from Josh Treacy. There was a brilliant snap from the pocket from Fyfe. And there were several clever moments from Michael Walters before he drew a free kick from Nathan Broad before he kicked the goal that got the Dockers back within striking distance.

Amiss kicked a fourth goal in the last but the Tigers defenders held firm and held their feet at critical moments.