AFL: Fremantle get to put their flag aspirations to the test against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in a massive Saturday blockbuster.
The Dockers are flying with a club record 10 wins in a row and welcome back their captain, Alex Pearce, to take on a Lions outfit under siege after a record Giants hammering.
The back-to-back premiers have lost two in a row, but will hope to send a statement that they are not dead yet and defend their Gabba fortress.
Fremantle are aiming for their first win at the Gabba since 2016 and cement themselves as the flag favourites.
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HALF TIME FRE 7.7 (49) BRI 3.10 (28)
A 21-point margin at halftime as the Lions fluffed their chances to close the gap.
“It’s contest to contest it’s not sexy but we keep rocking up and going at it,” Jordan Clark says.
The Lions have a plus 5 in inside 50s thanks to that late surge but they are sorely lacking a full forward.
The Dockers are just more dangerous when they get it in with their speed of transition.
However Fremantle couldn’t hit a tagert at the end as a bizarre period of play unfolded with both teams turning it over.
Shai Bolton has looked the best for the Dockers with his ability to carve up throught the middle while Jordan Clark has been soloid in defence
Both teams are playing kick to kick
The Lions keep turning the ball over inside 50.
But the Dockers keep turning it over at half back.
Eventually, a high floater is marked by Wilmot who then centres to Hugh McCluggage but he misses the set shot left.
The Lions have had seven inside 50s int he last 10 minutes for four behinds.
Amiss stems the Lions charge
Brisbane have owned the last 10 minutes but Shai Bolton wins a 50/50 in the middle and streams through to weight a perfect kick to Jye Amiss.
He converts to get the margin out to 25 points.
Cox is getting his knee assessed on the boundary.
Cox is down
Brennan Cox does really well to trap the low ball inside 50 but has come up sore.
He’s jogging off but looks slightly proppy. Not exactly sure what he did in the contest to hurt himself.
Can that get the Lions going?
The one area the Lions are doing well is the cetnre clearance which they win and eventually get it out to Zac Bailey who’s on the run straightens up inside 50 and finishes a nice goal.
They win the next and Charlie Cameron snaps from contest to make it two in a row with a really nice finish.
Country Road is blaring and can the Lions lift? The margin is back to 19.
Three in a row for Fremantle
Bruce Reville is run down trying to get out of D50.
Switta with the set shot from 45m sends it through and the Lions are ‘rattled.’
Amiss gets his first
Luke Jackson with a hack kick from contest but it floats over the back to Jye Amiss who converts from the pocket with a low snap.
The Lions are flat their fans are flat, and the Dockers without having to do all that much are just running though them at will.
‘Alarm bells’ for Brisbane
Adam Simpson asks what the Lions can do to find a spark.
They’ve commited 24 turnovers and Simpson says the Lions are getting bullied as Josh Treacy lays a massive fend off on Hugh McCluggage, but it’s high.
Johnson gets another for the Dockers
Once again Fremantle go end to end in the space of 30 seconds and force a forward 50 stoppage.
The Lions just look flat, and Johnson sharks the pack and snaps on goal to get the lead out to 19 points.
Lions a player down
Disaster for the Lions with Keidean Coleman out of this game with a hamstring.
Brisbane get the first clearance and Lohmann has a snap but misses to make it three behinds so far.
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