The Fremantle Dockers are back in finals contention, while there’s plenty of soul-searching to do for the Cats.
Those are the outcomes of Saturday afternoon’s contest at Optus Stadium, with Justin Longmuir’s side running out 29-point winners after dominating the final term.
Much of the early scrutiny on Longmuir and the Dockers has subsided and Fremantle will only be a win and percentage out of the top eight come the close of Round 10.
Sharp-shooter Amiss nails it and the Dockers are in Position A.
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 20, 2023
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After an even first half, the Dockers always kept their noses in front and were aided by a three-goal to none final quarter in front of a raucous home crowd.
Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong produced their best game as a midfield duo this year, putting the Cats to shame in being the two best players on the ground come the final siren.
Brayshaw has exploded back to form in recent weeks and continued that trend with 34 touches, 10 tackles and a goal, while Serong continued an ultra-consistent season with 28 disposals (15 contested) and 11 clearances.
FT.@freodockers pull away to a 29 point win over @GeelongCats. Andrew Brayshaw takes out the 3 votes from our expert @PaulHasleby.
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) May 20, 2023
⚓️16.10 106
🐱11.11 77
Heading into the clash, the Dockers had won two on the trot but desperately needed a scalp to re-announce themselves as a finals hopeful.
An injury-battered Geelong presented that.
Meanwhile, the Cats in 2023 have registered wins over Hawthorn, West Coast, Sydney, Essendon and Adelaide.
Every one of those sides could find themselves out of the eight come the conclusion of Round 10, meaning the competition might need to take notice of exactly where Geelong is after claiming last year’s premiership.
Chris Scott’s side was out-tackled despite having nearly 100 less disposals while also losing contested possessions and clearances.
For Geelong to win inside 50s 51-45 is a credit to Scott’s system and the Cats’ outside game, but the troops simply weren’t there at Optus Stadium.
Tom Hawkins booted three goals, while Jack Henry looked flashy on his return from a foot injury for two majors. Jeremy Cameron could only manage four behinds.
Henry with a terrific grab!
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) May 20, 2023
He converts and the Cats are closing in on Freo.
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But there were few Cats midfielders willing to go with the likes of Brayshaw and Serong, who have been influential in restoring some credibility to Fremantle’s season.
A clash against Melbourne looms for the victors this week, a contest they won against the odds last year again at the MCG.
Meanwhile, the Cats will lick their wounds and hope to knock off GWS back at GMHBA Stadium.
FULL SCORE
Fremantle: 3.2, 8.4, 13.6, 16.10. (106)
Geelong: 3.4, 6.7, 11.8, 11.11. (77)
GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 3, Amiss 3, Frederick 2, Treacy, Switkowski, Serong, Darcy, Brayshaw, Banfield, Aish
Geelong: Hawkins 3, Stengle 2, Smith 2, Henry 2, Blicavs, Bruhn
BEST
Fremantle: Brayshaw, Serong, Darcy, Banfield, Schultz
Geelong: Hawkins, Stewart, Smith, Parfitt, Blicavs
INJURIES
Fremantle: N/A
Geelong: N/A
CROWD TBC @ Optus Stadium