Loading

Andrew then swapped locations with Sean Lemmens, who’d been despatched to man Tom Stewart as a defensive ahead. Lemmens quietened Stengle – and Andrew had his moments too – however the injury was executed.

However the very best participant for the Cats was Jeremy Cameron, who once more roamed far and large for his 21 possessions and three targets. Mark Blicavs was immense, too, and he typically stood Suns co-captain Touk Miller at centre bounces and across the floor.

The indefatigable Miller was nonetheless his aspect’s greatest participant – he completed with 36 possessions – however it was an interesting duel, and Blicavs was excellent too, later shifting into the ruck after Rhys Stanley was mysteriously substituted.

The Suns had been additionally dying of self-inflicted wounds. Decimated by accidents in defence, the place they’ve misplaced their greatest ball-users in Lachie Weller and Wil Powell, their turnovers had been frequent, and punished immediately. Even Miller gave one as much as Max Holmes.

Loading

A brighter spot was Izak Rankine, who – if he wasn’t already eye-catching sufficient – had dyed his hair peroxide blond for the event. Rankine is the topic of feverish commerce hypothesis; his two targets confirmed why Suns teammates are pleading with him to remain.

The Suns kicked three fast targets to begin the third quarter, however the ball remained camped down in Geelong’s ahead line for the remainder of the time period, the ultimate inside-50 depend of 72–43 a measure of the Cats’ dominance.

With only one residence and away match towards West Coast to come back, Geelong seems completely balanced. Patrick Dangerfield performed together with his outdated explosive vitality, and whereas Hawkins continues to amaze – he had 4 direct assists – Cameron is their actual trump card.

However as has been identified many occasions now, it’s the expansion of much less heralded gamers and a quicker, extra adventurous recreation plan – one worthy of their immense collective expertise – which have the Cats primed for his or her greatest tilt at a flag in a decade.

Gold Coast Suns 2.2 4.2 7.2 9.5 (59)
Geelong 7.3 11.5 15.9 17.11 (119)
GOALS – Gold Coast Suns: Rankine 2 Day Hollands Davies Anderson Lukosius Witts Flanders. Geelong: Stengle 3 Cameron 3 Miers 2 Holmes 2 Blicavs 2 Parfitt 2 C Guthrie Menegola Hawkins Tuohy.
BEST – Gold Coast Suns: Miller Ellis Anderson Witts Ainsworth Rankine. Geelong: Cameron Blicavs Guthrie Holmes Stengle Dangerfield.
INJURIES – Gold Coast Suns: Day (knee) Rankine (shoulder). Geelong: Stanley substituted by O’Connor.
Umpires: Stephens Howorth Whetton.

VOTES

J Cameron (G) 8
T Miller (GCS) 8
M Blicavs (G) 8
C Guthrie (G) 7
P Dangerfield (G) 7

Wobbly Dockers beat Eagles to safe residence last

Fremantle have secured an AFL residence last after overcoming a nasty case of the goalkicking wobbles to put up a 24-point win over West Coast in a spiteful western derby.

All-in melees and particular person tit-for-tats had been frequent all through Saturday night time’s rain-affected match at Optus Stadium however Fremantle booted 4.11 to 2.3 after half-time to safe the win in entrance of 53,816 followers.

The consequence means Fremantle can’t end decrease than sixth, they usually can nonetheless safe a prized top-four berth in the event that they beat GWS subsequent week and different outcomes fall their approach.

Dockers ruckman Sean Darcy gained the Glendinning-Allan Medal as greatest afield for his 16-disposal, 57 hit-out effort.

Blake Acres (29 disposals, one aim), Will Brodie (28 possessions, seven clearances), and David Mundy (25 disposals, eight clearances) dominated within the midfield courtesy of Darcy’s dominance.

However regardless of snaring the win, doubts nonetheless stay about Fremantle’s potential to thrive within the moist.

The Dockers entered the match having misplaced to Gold Coast, Collingwood and Melbourne in slippery circumstances this yr they usually had been unable to place West Coast to the sword regardless of the Eagles lacking 10 first-choice gamers.

Fremantle’s wayward goalkicking ensured West Coast remained inside hanging distance for a lot of the match. But it surely was the defensive duo of Tom Barrass and Shannon Hurn that really epitomised West Coast’s combating spirit.

Barrass (20 disposals, 12 marks) restricted Rory Lobb to simply 0.1 from seven disposals, whereas Hurn racked up 28 touches and 9 rebound 50s.

Lobb was subbed out late within the match after aggravating his proper shoulder harm within the third quarter.

The match was a prepared contest befitting a derby with an enormous melee breaking out within the opening quarter in what’s going to little question lead to a flurry of fines.

Caleb Serong was goal No.1 early on, with Jack Redden doing his greatest to ruffle the feathers of the Fremantle star. The tactic labored a deal with, with Serong the core offender when Fremantle gave away a 50-metre penalty that led to a aim on the road to Redden.

Redden gave away a 50m penalty of his personal late within the opening time period to reward a aim to Andrew Brayshaw. Jackson Nelson focused Brayshaw at each alternative, with the Brownlow Medal fancy visibly pissed off at occasions.

Loading

An early downpour ensured the primary half was performed in slippery circumstances and the Dockers led by 4 factors on the lengthy break.

Fremantle dominated the third time period however their return of two.8 meant the 17-point margin was nonetheless inside attain for West Coast.

Nevertheless, with Darcy dominating the ruck, the Eagles couldn’t work their approach again into the match regardless of combating proper till the tip.

FREMANTLE 3.4 5.6 7.14 9.17 (71)
WEST COAST 4.0 5.2 6.3 7.5 (47)

GOALS
Fremantle: Frederick 2, Walters 2, Brayshaw, Acres, Schultz, Darcy, Serong.
West Coast: Waterman 2, Dixon, Langdon, Darling, Redden, O’Neill.
BEST
Fremantle: Darcy, Acres, Walters, Brayshaw.
West Coast: Hurn, Barrass, Duggan, O’Neill.
UMPIRES Johanson, Nicholls, Heffernan.
CROWD 53,816 at Optus Stadium

AAP