St Kilda v Fremantle: Saints add to Freo's growing woes

And so Fremantle created the sort of record any team would want to avoid, equalling the greatest fall from grace of any top-four team in history.

Footscray had lost the first 10 games of 1939 after making the finals the previous year. Now, 77 years later, it was the Dockers' turn.

Unlike other losses this wretched season, this one actually looked likely for a considerable period to be the ice-breaker. Yet the result ultimately was the same. A loss. By five-goals-plus. And another long trip home.

St Kilda had already stolen a march in this game after just 10 minutes, by which time they'd  booted four goals. Jack Newnes kicked the first. David Armitage had the second after Freo defender Garrick Ibbotson got himself in an awful tangle playing on near goal and was nailed holding the ball.

Tim Membrey posted the third from another free kick, and Paddy McCartin the fourth after a brilliant one-handed mark in between two defenders.

But the flying start was no more than the Saints deserved. They'd looked the hungrier side from the start, and a very lopsided tackle count of 14-3 after a tick over 12 minutes proved it.

Freo couldn't win a hard ball, and turned it over when they did. Their attack looked cumbersome with Matthew Pavlich struggling against Sam Fisher, and even ball magnet Lachie Neale couldn't get warm early, still with just one possession late in the first term.

It took a suicidal attempt to centre the ball in front of his defensive goal from St Kilda's Jarryn Geary for Freo to finally get on the board. But what's that old saying about never giving a sucker an even break? Because to say the game turned from that moment would be an understatement.

Two more goals to Lachie Weller and Michael Walters before quarter-time had reduced the gap to only 16 points, Freo coach Ross Lyon still unhappy enough to give his side a fearful bake at the huddle. But that seemed to pay dividends, too.

It was the Dockers who dominated the early going in the second term. In fact, by about three minutes into the quarter, they'd had the last 11 inside 50 entries. And if it took some time for that to be felt on the scoreboard, it was certainly evident on the stats sheet. Freo posted only nine tackles in the first quarter. They'd racked up that many 10 minutes into the second.

And gradually, the goals came. To Pavlich. Another to Weller. Two in a row to Ed Langdon. By which time, half-time, it was just one point the difference.

Now it was Freo dominating the hardness indicators. The Dockers won 11 clearances to three in the second term. Neale went from virtually statless to leading the possession count at the long break. Stephen Hill and Michael Walters caused plenty of grief for the Saints with telling possessions in a game riddled with mistakes as fundamental as kicking into an opponent.

By the time Matt Taberner had his second goal midway through the third term, Fremantle had kicked 10 of the past 12 goals, led by 18 points, and looked destined not only to break the ice, but do so comfortably.

And so to the final twist. Like the Dockers' revival, St Kilda's belated stirring started inconspicuously enough, McCartin toeing one over the goal line. At three-quarter time, you would still have had your money on Freo.

But the last quarter began as had the first. St Kilda began to win the clearances again. Those dominant early, resumed their control. It was Jack Steven and  Armitage out of the middle. In attack, McCartin seemed everywhere, marking, contesting everything and teammates queuing up for the spills his physicality created.

Tim Membrey made the gap just a goal. Another karate kick effort, this time from Riewoldt, levelled the scores. The other Weller, Maverick, put St Kilda back in front. Seb Ross, another big part of the final-term surge, hit Membrey on the chest, Josh Bruce ran into an open goal and the gig was nearly up.

The death knell for the Dockers came when Taberner, who'd played well, marked just 15 metres out. Freo were still a slim chance, but in his eagerness to get the ball back in the middle for the re-start, Taberner hurried his kick and hit the post.

It was the sort of moment symptomatic of the Dockers' year. And all the encouragement the relieved Saints needed to continue with what was by now a scoring spree.

An eight-goal final term, more than they'd managed in the first three put together. A fourth win for the season. And in their defeated opponent, a good example to a side on the up that if you don't take advantage of your premiership window, looking through the glass that has been slammed shut can be a depressing business.

VOTES

(Rohan Connolly)

David Armitage (StK) ........8

Jack Steven (StK)..............8

Lachie Neale (Frem) .........7

Nick Riewoldt (StK)............7

Seb Ross (StK)..................6