“Moment of the Grand Final” as Pearce ruled out with achilles injury

Fremantle captain Alex Pearce has gone down with a right achilles injury in the third term.

In a one-on-one contest on the wing against Logan Morris, the 31-year-old pulled up before any contact and went down burying his face into the newly laid MCG turf.

It was self-evident that the gun defender knew this could spell the end of his day as he limped off and went straight to the back row of the Dockers bench.

Sam Edmund told the SEN Footy call that it spelled the end of the day for Pearce.

“Ice being applied to the right achilles so it’s not a knee (injury),” Edmund said.

“I gave the Freo captain the Julius Caesar; the thumbs up or thumbs down. He shook his head, this is definitely a thumbs down. The boots off, the socks off, just heartbreak for the skipper.”

Dermott Brereton believes this could be a turning point for the game.

“This is shattering and it could be the moment of the Grand Final. He has been wonderful on Logan Morris,” Brereton said on AFL Nation.

While Gerard Whateley surmised the situation in real time claiming, “if he holds the cup, he’ll hobble to the rostrum to do it.”

Charlie Cameron went down with an ankle complaint but played on and slotted a goal minutes later to put his Lions back in front.

With Logan Morris slotting the last two goals of the game including a huge one-on-one mark to put the Lions back in front late in the game, one has to wonder what a fully fit Alex Pearce may have been able to do to stop the young gun.

Alas, it will go down in history as one of the great Grand Finals, and Pearce's injury as one of the great misfortunes for Fremantle as they continue to search for their first ever premiership.