Something Seriously Amiss: Fremantle Exposed For Lack Of Effort
Something serious amiss: Fremantle Exposed For Lack Of Effort Against GWS
Footy legends have issued harsh criticism of Fremantle after an independent assessment revealed there to be something amiss at its AFL headquarters.
Fremantle has come under scrutiny following their devastating loss against GWS. Their actions and vision were revealed during this crucial encounter.
The Dockers were exposed by their 70-point loss against the Giants in western Sydney, suggesting they are pretenders for one of eight playoff spots.
While their victory at Kardinia Park over Geelong may have been their best since Adam Kingsley took charge, their performance against Geelong may have been their finest ever, dominating every area of play against an opposing Dockers side that sought an upset victory in Australia’s capital city.
Since 2021, this is the first time the Giants have won consecutive games since 2021 and their win marks an unmatched three-game win streak since then.
Since round one, home victories are scarcely celebrated.
Fremantle were taken advantage of by Sydney FC who gave up once it became obvious they wouldn’t win; to Justin Longmuir’s great displeasure as this defeat marked his most devastating yet since taking charge.
At times, the Dockers failed to apply professional-level defensive pressure.
Kane Cornes highlighted some disheartening statistics from Sunday’s game against the Giants: 10 clearances were recorded against them while 24 contest possessions and 13 tackles occurred compared with just 13 by their opponent Dockers.
Cornes noted on The Sunday Footy Show: “Something serious has gone awry at Fremantle”.
“I don’t understand why our season has taken such an unexpectedly difficult path, as these figures are striking across the board for an inconsequential side like us that doesn’t compete to reach the top eight.”
Fremantle was horrendously dismal today; something must be wrong somewhere at Fremantle because that loss has to rank among their worst losses this season.”
This segment highlighted multiple instances when Dockers players failed to chase or contest effectively for defence or contests or fell short against opposing teams.
One video displayed Stephen Coniglio picking up and holding onto a ball for several seconds without anyone from Fremantle trying to tackle him, thus showing an example of Stephen’s incredible athleticism and grace on the pitch.
Another video showcased a brilliant kick-in from the boundary that found space inside of the 50m arc where three Giants players had space between them for easy uncontested marking. This then led to an attempt at a goal from four quarters later.
Matthew Lloyd of Essendon described the vision as being devastating and degrading to Australian society.
Jake Riccardi kicked two of his five goals during the opening term in place of Jesse Hogan who left late due to calf soreness, setting an early tone and sparking off an emphatic victory for the Giants in a decisive win against their foes from Sydney Thunder, setting the Giants ahead by four goals at half time.
Fremantle lamented Sean Darcy’s absence greatly missed, which resulted in their dominating clearance performance from start to finish. Keiren Briggs overpowered Luke Jackson at the ruck, leaving Fremantle feeling devastated in their absence.
Jackson provided solid service all around, while Josh Kelly, Tom Green and Stephen Coniglio excelled in midfield play Toby Greene extended the margin further by scoring three majors himself at halftime.
Before the main break, Giants captain Brett Gidley registered his 300th goal for Giants colours – and from then it was smooth sailing for their striker.
GWS scored eight goals to two in the second half, which at times looked like an intense training drill as they moved the ball easily from halfback and hit targets without much resistance from their rivals.
As it turned into party time late on, Kelly made his comeback from an injured hamstring with three goals to cap a terrific game and Callum Brown further cemented his famed status at the club with another two majors of his own.
Lachie Whitfield made the only negative contribution for the Giants when he delivered an aggressive tackle against Jordan Clark of Fremantle that may result in suspension; although Clark appeared dazed after this encounter – perhaps helping their cause by continuing the game and remaining an active participant!
