Freo unleash five-goal burst to sink Hawks in thriller
Justin Chadwick |
Fremantle have flexed their AFL premiership credentials after overcoming a six-goal Jack Gunston masterclass and a late deficit to post a pulsating 15-point win in Perth.
Gunston kicked five first-half goals as Hawthorn opened up a 22-point lead late in the third quarter of Thursday night’s thriller at Optus Stadium.
The Hawks still led by 17 points with a little over seven minutes remaining as they headed for what looked like a gutsy road win.
But in what is set to send a shudder through the rest of the competition, Fremantle slammed home five goals in quick succession to steal the 12.16 (88) to 11.7 (73) win in front of 54,140 fans.
Josh Treacy kick-started the run with a checkside goal under pressure.
Michael Frederick added two himself – one of which was set up by an inspirational Luke Jackson smother on the wing.
Jye Amiss nailed a snap after Treacy bustled his way through to fire off a handball, and when Hayden Young held his nerve after receiving a free kick, it was game over.
Fremantle’s eighth victory on the trot is their biggest winning streak since they won an equal club-record nine in a row back in 2015.
The Dockers (8-1) will have the chance to match that mark when they face struggling Essendon at the MCG next week.
Hawthorn slipped to a 6-2-1 record, and are set to be without Tom Barrass for the near future after the star backman injured his left hamstring in the second term.
Gunston was unstoppable in the first half on the way to 6.2, while Nick Watson kicked three first-half goals but was quiet after that under the close attention of Brennan Cox.
Caleb Serong was prominent for Fremantle with 28 disposals and eight clearances, while Frederick and Amiss kicked three goals apiece.
Hawthorn big men Lloyd Meek (21 hitouts) and Ned Reeves (18 hitouts) kept Luke Jackson (22 possessions, 22 hitouts, seven clearances) honest until the star Docker exploded in the final quarter.
Gunston took a whopping four marks inside 50m in the opening term for a return of 2.2 opposed to Luke Ryan.
It would have been 3.1, but the ARC correctly picked up that one of Gunston’s ‘goals’ had actually grazed the post.
Fremantle won the clearance battle 10-5 to take a two-point lead into quarter-time, but Watson and Gunston tore the Dockers to shreds in the second term.
Gunston, this time opposed to Brennan Cox, kicked three goals for the quarter while Watson added two as Hawthorn entered the halftime break with a 15-point lead.
It marked the first time in Gunston’s 291-game career he had kicked five goals in the first half, and his seven marks inside 50m across the first two quarters represented a major worry for the Dockers.
Watson was also a big handful, with Dockers defenders tripping over themselves at times in their attempt to keep up with the change in direction of “The Wizard”.
Hawthorn had the game on their terms for most of the third quarter, but their inability to cash in cost them dearly as Fremantle launched an inspirational comeback.
AAP