Dockers come over the top of western derby rivals in spirited second half.
A scintillating six-goal third quarter by the Fremantle Dockers has catapulted them to a 28-point win as they downed the West Coast Eagles at Patersons Stadium.
The Dockers showcased better run across the field for much of 37th western derby, especially in the third term when their fast men helped propel them from a nine-point deficit at the long break to a 24-point lead at three-quarter time.
Compounding the loss 16.12.108 to 11.14.80 for the Eagles was the addition of two players to their casulty ward, with small forward Mark LaCras possibly out for an extended time with an arm injury, while Eric McKenzie picked up a hamstring strain.
West Coast raced out to an early 21-point lead but an easy goal to Chris Mayne right on quarter time kept the home side in touch, down by just 11 at the break.
A goal after an uncontested mark by Ryan Crowley gave the Dockers the lead for the first time as the momentum swung between both sides.
The game was still anybody’s at half-time with West Coast leading by just nine.
However, the Dockers turned on the fireworks in the third term with a major to Danyle Pearce sparking a dominant 20 minutes as the men in purple blew the game open.
West Coasts’ Jamie Cripps scored his second in the last quarter with a clever kick off the outside of his right foot in the front pocket to cut the lead to 18 points with plenty of time remaining.
Fremantle answered back when Chris Mayne was gifted his second goal for the game.
Hayden Ballantyne, who had been quiet up until the fourth quarter, kicked his first to give the Dockers their biggest lead of the game, silencing the vocal Eagles’ fans.
But in a worrying sign for Dockers coach Ross Lyon, Ballantyne left the field with 10 minutes left with a lower leg injury and was subbed out.
West Coast began to win the clearances more in the last term,13-4 at one point, as a result the ball continued to travel into their forward 50.
Another accurate shot by Josh Hill cut the Dockers’ lead to 16 as the Eagles continued to make a late run despite a lack of clear passages to goal in the last term.
However, Kepler Bradley’s second goal for the game with just over two minutes capped off an excellent win for the Dockers with Nick Suban rubbing salt into the Eagles’ wounds.
Matt Priddis was outstanding on a losing side in collecting 28 disposals, while Michael Barlow and David Mundy got through plenty of work for the Dockers with 27 disposals each with Barlow adding 1.1.
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