Fremantle’s already-hot season is about to get better, with superstar skipper and dual Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe to play his first game of 2022 when his club hosts Hawthorn.
The Dockers (9-3, 134%) will welcome back Fyfe for his first AFL match since Round 19 last year, despite the fact he dislocated his finger in the opening moments of his WAFL return last weekend.
It’ll be a tough task for the Hawks (4-8, 87.6%), who’ve won just one of their past seven matches but played some of their best footy this season against top-eight sides like Carlton, Geelong, Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood.
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MATCH REPORT
There were no late changes for either side, with Darcy Tucker (Fremantle) and Josh Morris (Hawthorn) named the medical subs.
Freo wasted no time in hitting the scoreboard, finding Rory Lobb inside 50 in the opening play of the game as the big man went back and slotted the set shot.
The Hawks had barely touched the ball in the opening minutes, with the Dockers looking ominous early.
“This defensive setup of Freo is a whole new ball game,” Demons great Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy.
Fyfe, despite suggesting he would spend more time up forward in his return game, interestingly started the game exclusively in the midfield. The Dockers skipper moved forward later in the term.
The Hawks flipped the script after a strong five-minute burst in the middle of the opening term, booting three goals in a row including a brilliant finish from Daniel Howe outside 50 tucked up on the boundary line.
“They’re three outstanding conversions that we’d expect from players at this level. but we don’t see it that often. They’ve got themselves in the contest and now it’s over to Freo,” Lyon said.
A brilliant chase down tackle from Dylan Moore saw Hawthorn kick its fourth-goal straight of the first quarter to regain the lead as it was clear Sam Mitchell’s side had come to play.
“They’ve been perfect on their set shots,” Fox Footy commentator Adam Papalia noted.
Hawthorn took a three-point lead into quarter-time, 5.0 (3o) to 4.3 (27).
The Hawks’ pressure was brilliant in the first quarter including six of their 16 tackles laid coming inside 50.
“That just looks like a ream that says, ‘we’re going, we’ll go at the bloke with the footy doesn’t matter whether I’m forward or back.’” Lyon said.
Fremantle responded — and just like in the first term — booted the first major of the second quarter in the opening play as Brandon Walker slotted his first goal at AFL level.
However Hawthorn instantly hit back at the other quarter with Moore’s second goal to make it an efficient 6.1 in front of the big sticks for the visitors.
“Brings a tear to a forward’s eye,” Lyon facetiously said of Hawthorn’s accurate goalkicking.
The ball was living in Hawthorn’s forward half early in the second quarter at 76 per cent to Fremantle’s 24 per cent.
Lyon noted that James Sicily, who did as he pleased in the opening half with nine disposals and five marks, “wasn’t paying any attention” to Griffin Logue in their matchup.
It prompted Justin Longmuir to move Fyfe deep forward to play on Sicily.
The Dockers picked up their play later in the second term but weren’t able to hit the scoreboard, while they were even at times forced to uncharacteristically play through the corridor.
The Hawks led by 10 points at half-time, 8.4 (52) to 6.6 (42).
This match got underway at 4:10pm AEST from Optus Stadium.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 4pm AEST.
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