Fremantle gave their top-four hopes a strong start in Justin Longmuir’s 100th game as coach, beating Richmond by 51 points on a wet and windy Saturday night at Optus Stadium.
The Dockers narrowly beat the stubborn Tigers in the first half and then put themselves six goals ahead on the scoreboard in the third period, winning 16.9 (105) to 7.12 (54).
Fremantle welcomed back key defender Brennan Cox and experienced forward Michael Walters, was without back Sean Darcy due to concussion and defender Josh Draper due to injury, and celebrated a career-best five goals from in-form forward Josh Treacy.
On a night when Jye Amiss Optus ended their goal drought at Optus Stadium, the Dockers took the four points without any major drama and continue to prepare for a season full of possibilities.
The last time the two teams met, the Tigers beat Amiss, prompting Longmuir to contact the AFL about the rude attention his young forward was receiving.
Veteran Tigers defender Nathan Broad even predicted this week that Amiss would receive even more attention, but it never reached a boiling point.
Amiss finished with 1.3, but it didn’t matter anyway as Treacy set up the win with a blitz from the forward line, surpassing his previous career high of four goals against the Tigers in round nine.
Richmond’s Shai Bolton fought bravely and kept his team in the game with four goals of his own.
But the Tigers, only two of whom played in all 15 games this season, did what they have done all season.
They put up a fight they could never win against the one-two-three punches of Andy Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Hayden Young, whose throws inside the 50-metre line were a welcome distraction in a game with an abundance of ugly turnovers.
Brayshaw was the best player with 35 possessions, six clearances and five inside 50-yard passes. Serong had seven clearances and seven inside 50-yard passes on 27 possessions.
Conditions were difficult for the players in the first quarter after a downpour tore Richmond’s banner to shreds and covered large parts of the ground with water.
Richmond striker Jacob Koschitzke fired a shot wide as several players kicked the ball out of bounds.
The Tigers made an explosive start, scoring the first two goals of the game, but the Dockers held firm and maintained control of the game.
Nat Fyfe was responsible for three of her 13 clearances in the first round, while Hayden Young had the Sherrin in his hand ten times and made sure the balls count.
Fremantle’s in-form striker Treacy kicked three goals from set pieces and also put on his blue collar with some brave defensive runs along the attack line.
Treacy could have scored four goals in the half but conceded another with a clever handball that would have put Sam Sturt in a better position but he could not convert.
The Dockers’ 15-point lead after the first quarter was built on 19 to 11 inside the 50 – they had nine of the last 11 points in the quarter.
The Tigers again controlled the tempo at the start of the second quarter and kept up the contest with the Dockers throughout the period, but all their hard work ended in five goals behind until Bolton capitalised on an easy try in the final minute.
Neither team was able to make a mark on the scoreboard until Young picked up a loose ball at the top of the pitch in the 15th minute.
The Dockers continued their recent trend of rotating midfielders with half-forwards – and it paid off.
Young’s 25th-minute shot was a picture of precision and was capped off by an equally good shot from Treacy to give the Dockers their sixth goal of the game against a Richmond backline that was well-positioned defensively, with Nick Vlastuin the plus point.
Brayshaw gave the Dockers a four-goal lead just before half-time, but had to thank Fyfe for a tough fightback.
Brayshaw’s goal capped a dominant second half in which he had 13 possessions (four of them in play), 206 metres of yardage gained and three goal involvements.
The Dockers lost ruckman Darcy to concussion early in the second half, leaving Luke Jackson to take over the number one role against influential Tiger Toby Nankervis.
Nankervis played a game for the ages with 26 possessions and 36 hitouts, but Jackson’s influence also grew in the second half.
He finished the game with 21 possessions and nine tackles.
Darcy’s departure allowed the Dockers to release their replacement, the experienced Michael Walters, who scored two goals in the third period on his return, which was celebrated by his teammates.
Two goals from Bolton early in the third period, capped by a great strike from Sam Switkoswski from a set piece, kept the Tigers in the game before the goals opened and the Dockers stormed away.
Like Bolton, Treacy was as good at scoring as Scottie Scheffler, converting his fifth goal on a Switkowski shot nine minutes into the third quarter.
And Treacy continued to cause chaos on the pitch, as Tyler Sonsie discovered in a tough battle on the centre line.
Amiss ended a run of goalless games at Optus Stadium when he slotted home a precise 50m shot late in the third quarter. He last scored six points at home to Adelaide in round three and will be relieved to have that unwanted burden off his shoulders.
The appearance of defender Josh Draper, who stayed on the ground despite a heavy collision in the first half, in a tracksuit on the perimeter line next to Darcy, was the Dockers’ only concern on their way to victory.
SCOREBOARD
FREMANTLE 4.3, 7.5, 13.6, 16.9 (105)
RICHMOND 2.0, 3.5, 5.8, 7.12 (54)Goals – FREMANTLE: J Treacy 5 M Frederick 2 H Young 2 M Walters 2 J Amiss A Brayshaw H Chapman J O’Meara S Switkowski. RICHMOND: S Bolton 4 R Mansell T Nankervis T Taranto.
Best – FREMANTLE: J Treacy, A Brayshaw, L Jackson, H Young, C Serong, J Clark. RICHMOND: T Nankervis, S Bolton, J Hopper, D Rioli, T Taranto, J Short.
Injuries – FREMANTLE: S Darcy (concussion). J Draper (groin).
Referees: J. Power, J. Dalgleish, J. Howorth, J. Fry.
Attendance: 42,690 at Optus Stadium.