Inaccurate Dockers kicking themselves after Hawks loss

Well on top for most of the quarter, the Dockers could only manage 4.6 to lead by ten points at the last change, and leave the door open for the Hawks.

The hosts didn’t need another invitation as they wrested momentum with a five-goals-to-one last quarter to secure an important win and keep their finals hopes alive.

Entering the clash on a three-game winning streak, and with three of their next four at home, a win would have given the Dockers poll position for a top two spot and a home final.

But they’ll rue failing to put Hawthorn away when they had them on the ropes.

Hawthorn’s decision to move skipper James Sicily from defence to up forward in the second half proved the major difference after he booted three goals.

“We competed really well and I just thought it was a game which came down to who took their chances better, and they took theirs better in the end,” Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said.

“It was the difference, particularly in the second half. The last quarter they got us around the ball but it wasn’t like it was an avalanche of field position.

“They just finished their work off and he (Sicily) was a big part of that. He won some critical contests and kicked his goals.

We played the game the way we wanted to in the third quarter but started it with four points.”

The Dockers now turn their attention to a home assignment against Melbourne next Sunday.

Such is the tightness of the competition, Fremantle began the round in third spot but could slip as far as seventh by the end of the weekend depending on other results.

“We’re not really worried about the ladder, we can’t be. We just need to get our footy to a level where we can compete every week, and move on to Melbourne,” Longmuir said.

“(Today) we just needed to put on a bit more of a gap when we had the ascendancy in the game.

“But to Hawthorn’s credit they played a really good brand, competed hard and I thought they got us on the outside, especially at stoppage.

“Their forward were able to win their contests against our backs. We weren’t able to do that as much our end and that was probably the difference in the game.”

Originally published as Inaccurate Dockers kicking themselves after Hawks loss