NO FUN IN FREO by Whispering Jack

5 hours ago5 hr

Melbourne’s early surge of optimism came crashing back to reality in its clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. Just six days after unveiling its fun-filled, attack-minded style against the Saints, the Demons were met by a Dockers outfit determined to shut it down with a blend of speed, pressure, and physicality.

As it had in the opening-round against Geelong, Fremantle exploded out of the blocks with relentless early pressure and rapid ball movement in a dominant opening stanza in which it piled on goal after goal to seize control of the contest.

Those within the Melbourne camp who are more measured in their expectations understand that the attacking transformation being implemented by Steven King will not come without challenges.

A six day turnaround, a long trip across the Nullarbor, and hot conditions in Perth presented a less-than-ideal scenario for a developing side. When key defender Daniel Turner - who had begun impressively - was forced from the game early with a hand injury, the task became even more difficult. Suddenly undermanned in the height department down back, the Demons were left to contend with a potent Fremantle forward line featuring Josh Treacy, Patrick Voss, and a rotating Luke Jackson and the runners around them.

The Dockers capitalised fully. With Max Gawn resting on the bench, they slammed on three quick goals, while Andrew Brayshaw was prolific, finding the ball at will, and Shai Bolton’s electric running cut the game open. By quarter time, Fremantle had surged to a commanding 40-point lead.

To Melbourne’s credit, it prevented the margin from blowing out even further, eventually going down by 48 points. However, unlike the cohesive team performance seen against the Saints, this effort was more fragmented. A spirited second-quarter burst of four unanswered goals in the opening 25 minutes briefly reduced the margin to 20 points. Yet this surge was driven more by individual effort than collective cohesion. After Kozzy Pickett’s clever crumbing goal at the 25-minute mark, some costly turnovers crept back into Melbourne’s game, allowing Fremantle to regain momentum with two late goals before half time.

Any hope of a revival was extinguished in a devastating third term. Fremantle broke the game wide open with seven goals, as their runners and small forwards took complete control, stretching the lead to 67 points by the final change. With the intensity gone from the contest, Melbourne scored the first three goals of the last quarter as the game petered out. While they could claim two quarters on the scoreboard, it offered little consolation in the broader context of the match.

Max Gawn once again led from the front, producing a superb performance with 23 disposals, 11 marks, and 28 hit-outs. The pressure of the game and the early loss of Turner often forced him down back and he ended the game as the holder of the record for the most intercept marks in a single game by a ruck - eight - a record he previously shared with two others. Gawn’s leadership was evident throughout, even as frustration occasionally surfaced.

Jack Steele provided Gawn with strong leadership support and ha team-high 31 disposals and nine clearances, while experienced campaigners Christian Salem (26 disposals, eight rebounds) and Ed Langdon (22 disposals, two goals) contributed solidly.

However, Melbourne needed more from the emerging group that was so influential the previous week: the collective lift never materialised with the one exception being Koltyn Tholstrup, who was tasked with nullifying Caleb Serong and he performed admirably, limiting the impact of one of the competition’s most dangerous midfielders for a second time.

The Demons now turn their attention to Round Three and a meeting with Carlton, who have won the past four encounters between the sides by an aggregate of just 15 points. Breaking that streak would provide a timely boost - and perhaps restore some of the fun and excitement that flickered just one week ago.

MELBOURNE 1.1.7 5.4.34 6.6.42 10.10.70

FREMANTLE 7.7.49 9.11.65 16.13.109 17.16.118

GOALS

MELBOURNE Fritsch Langdon Sharp 2 Chandler Mihocek K Pickett Sparrow

FREMANTLE Treacy 4 Dudley 3 Bolton Reid 2 Brayshaw Jackson Johnson Serong Switkowski Voss

BEST

MELBOURNE Steele Gawn Salem Tholstrup Langdon Rivers

FREMANTLE Bolton Treacy Brayshaw Dudley Pearce Ryan

LATE CHANGES

MELBOURNE Nil

FREMANTLE Brandon Walker (soreness) replaced in the selected side by Luke Ryan

INJURIES