Freo outgun Magpies

Fremantle   98 defeated Collingwood   85

The Fremantle Dockers are back in the eight with an uninspiring 13-point win over Collingwood in a scrappy affair at the MCG this afternoon.

It’s been a great turnaround by the Dockers, who were staring down the barrel and looked anything but a finals side only a month ago.

Freo skipper Peter Bell again led brilliantly and finished with 28 possessions, while premiership player Josh Carr was equally damaging with 27 possessions and two goals in a sterling performance.

Matthew Pavlich was again sensational up forward with five goals, which proved the difference due to Collingwood’s inability to find a focal point up the other end to go with the strapping star.

Collingwood skipper Nathan Buckley, in his 250th match, was, unsurprisingly, again the Magpies’ best with 24 possessions and two goals, while Paul Licuria uncharacteristically was the Pies’ highest goalkicker with four.

The first-quarter was a scrappy contest which set the tone for the entire match.

Dockers goalsneak Paul Medhurst starred early with two quick goals to give his side some confidence, but the boys in purple failed to capitalise on this good start and build a lead.

Fremantle, being led well by Bell in the middle, held a slender 11-point lead at the first change – and were lifted when Pavlich marked and kicked an absolute monster goal from 55 metres out right on quarter-time.

The second-quarter was more of the same with the two sides going goal-for-goal for the term – which ensured that the visitors would head into the second half with a slight advantage over their Magpie counterparts.

Despite the lead, the Dockers looked remarkably flat and Buckley – who was playing up forward – was having an influence in his 250th match.

Both sides displayed a complete lack of urgency, which may be understandable for Collingwood, but baffling from the Dockers – who were virtually playing for their season.

The third-quarter saw the Magpies fighting hard to get some ascendency in the match, but they were falling up short and were finding it hard to combat Pavlich.

The match was delicately poised when Collingwood, through Licuria, kicked a late goal to have scores level going into the final-quarter.

Fremantle, with their finals aspirations on the line, came out with some fire in their belly in the last term – and kicked three quick goals through Josh Carr, Black and Headland to effectively close out the match.

However, the Magpies conjured up a few late goals through spearhead Chris Tarrant – who had been largely unsighted for much of the day – to get within eight points with five minutes remaining.

But a late goal from Josh Carr snuffed out any chance of an unlikely comeback as the boys from the west got come by 13 points.

Next week the Magpies will face the in-form Kangaroos on Sunday afternoon, while the Dockers return home to take on Richmond on Saturday afternoon.

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