Fremantle remained in the finals picture with a hard-fought win over Hawthorn at Optus Stadium. They won that day by 12.5 (77) to 9.10 (64) in front of a passionate home crowd of 49,460 supporters. Displaying a war of craft and will, the game eventually settled with Fremantle by 13 points. Sam Switkowski had a remarkable rehabilitation from his hamstring tear. His drive fueled his performance, earning him three inevitable goals that proved to be all three needed for his side’s win.
The energy in the room was uplifting as we got to witness both teams’ creativity and talent coming alive on the field. Michael Frederick and Shai Bolton assisted to run the Dockers out to an early jump with some smart snaps. Their hard work gave the unit a five-point lead at the opening change. Hawthorn’s dominance at ground level proved significant, as they outperformed Fremantle in attack during the second term, netting five goals to Fremantle’s three.
Fremantle’s performance was bolstered by Jordan Clark’s impressive 31 disposals, which helped set the pace for the team throughout the match. Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy clashed violently in the ruck. Collectively, they provided an astounding 57 hitouts, providing immense help to their fellow midfielders. Jackson’s follow-up at the centre bounce Jackson had 31 hitouts that led to a score while Darcy added another 26, proving their utter domination.
Hawthorn’s Lloyd Meek had his say in the ruck, too, registering 46 hitouts and 11 disposals. Even with this great individual success, the team continued to have a hard time turning their opportunities into goals. Jack Ginnivan faced significant crowd hostility throughout the match but managed to secure 27 disposals and one goal for Hawthorn. His outstanding play illuminated his remarkable resolve and the Warriors’ grueling struggle.
For Serong, he played a huge role in Fremantle’s win, influencing all areas of the game. Connor Macdonald’s opportunistic goal from a soccer kick energized Hawthorn and demonstrated the team’s fighting spirit, while Finn Maginness made an impressive mark in attack that underscored Hawthorn’s effort to stay competitive.
As the match wore on, Fremantle’s character to shift and sort of fight off that pressure became even more clear to me. They kept cool heads and ran great plays that would earn them a win against all expectations. While both teams came out firing in the final quarter, Fremantle’s buffer built prior was too much for Hawthorn to overcome.
