Dockers outclass spirited Demons

Fremantle   101 defeated Melbourne   76

Fremantle has kept alive their finals chances and virtually ended Melbourne’s with a hard-fought 25-point win over a spirited Demons at Subiaco Oval this afternoon.

Played in wet conditions, the two sides were as close and two sides can be for three quarters before the Dockers found something extra in the final term to hand the Dees their fifth loss in a row.

Clint Bizzel, who was originally omitted from the side, was a late inclusion for Paul Wheatley who has the flu – which would have been a shame for Demons’ fans who were applauding coach Neale Daniher for finally sticking to his guns and dropping a senior player.

Melbourne, who were openly playing for their season, were gallant at the proclaimed “house of pain” for three quarters, but couldn’t hold the determined Dockers when it mattered and are now staring down the barrel for season 2005 – barely a month after being touted as genuine premiership contenders.

The dynamic midfield trio of Heath Black (31 possessions), Paul Hasleby (29 possessions and two goals) and Peter Bell (27 possessions) were sensational for the home side, and led brilliantly throughout the afternoon.

Up forward, Luke McPharlin was again prominent with four goals, while Matthew Pavlich and Des Headland were also damaging with three apiece.

For the sorry Demons, who also had to contend with a nasty 29-13 free kick count against them, Brad Green and Travis Johnstone tried valiantly in the engine room, while the electric Aaron Davey was the side’s highest goal-kicker with three.

The Demons led by three points at quarter-time following a hard-fought opening stanza in which both sides tussled desperately for some ascendency.

The Dockers, however, was often finding themselves breaking down at half-forward thanks to continually bombing it in to the forward line, only to find Jared Rivers – who was playing loose across half-back – mopping up on more than one occasion.

The tight struggle continued into the second-quarter, as the two sides went goal for goal for much of the term and – at the half-time siren – the visitors had increased their quarter-time buffer of a two-point lead to a three-point lead.

The incredible stalemate continued into the second half as the two maligned clubs fought tooth in nail in the wet conditions for their seasons.

Nothing separated the sides, and it reflected on the scoreboard – the scores were level at the 31 minute mark of the third-quarter before Fremantle kicked an important goal on the siren.

Black, who had been superb in the midfield, kicked long to the hotspot and found Paul Medhurst, who marked and handballed to Hasleby who kicked a goal – a goal which gave the home side a huge psychological advantage heading in to the final stanza.

The last term was going to come down to who had the petrol in the tank, and it was the Dockers who struck a crucial blow when they scored the all-important first goal of the quarter through Byron Schammer to extend the lead to two goals early in the quarter.

The Dockers then looked like having it in the bag when Schammer booted it long into the forward line and found Pavlich, who took a good contested mark in the goal square, and goaled to open up a three-goal lead – a lead which looked match-winning on a day like this.

Melbourne looked gone when, a few minutes later, Adam Yze was pinged for holding the ball by Des Headland only 20 metres out and kicked truly to have the fat lady well and truly off her seat.

The damage was done and the Dockers took their foot off the pedal and closed out the match to finish 25-point winners.

Next week, the Dockers travel east to the Dome to tackle Collingwood on Sunday while the Demons meet St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

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