Jye Amiss has kicked five goals and Caleb Serong played a starring role as Fremantle snared just the second minor premiership in the club’s history with a 24-point win over Adelaide in Perth.
Scores were level early in the final quarter of Friday night’s blockbuster following Crows forward Riley Thilthorpe’s second goal of the night.
But buoyed by a thundering 55,010-strong crowd, Fremantle did what it has done all season — blowing its rival off the park with a devastating burst.
Michael Frederick started the run when he nailed a tough set shot after being tackled high.
Jye Amiss (centre) kicked 5.1 in the win while Josh Treacy (right) took six contested marks. (Getty Images: Paul Kane)
Although Josh Treacy, Luke Jackson and Andrew Brayshaw missed their shots after that, Amiss bobbed up for his fifth goal of the night by snapping from the goalsquare.
And when Isaiah Dudley dodged and weaved his way through three Crows players before unleashing a successful snap, the margin was 22 points and it was game over.
Dockers ruckman Mason Cox rubbed it in by roughing up an opponent and then pointing to the scoreboard after kicking a goal in the dying minutes of the 16.16 (112) to 13.10 (88) win.
The triumph boosted Fremantle’s record to 19-3, securing the club a second minor premiership to go with their 2013 efforts.
It also meant Fremantle will end the home-and-away season with a perfect 12-0 record at Perth Stadium.
Adelaide (14-8) now faces a huge battle to snare a top-four berth, with the loss even leaving them vulnerable to slipping into the dreaded wildcard spots from seventh to 10th.
Amiss finished with 5.1 in a powerful display, Josh Treacy was huge with six contested marks but a wayward 1.4, Dudley kicked three goals, while Serong was influential with 29 disposals, 12 clearances, 536m gained and two goals.
Crows playmaker Izak Rankine racked up a monster 14 disposals in the opening term on the way to 39 possessions, 10 clearances, 717m gained and one goal.
Adelaide star Izak Rankine finished the match with a game-high 39 disposals. (Getty Images: Daniel Carson)
Adelaide had an interesting lead-in to the match, with players forced to evacuate their hotel just hours before bounce down due to a fire alarm going off in their hotel.
Amiss missed an early set shot sitter from 15m out as Adelaide skipped out to a two-goal lead.
But Amiss soon made amends, nailing three other set shots for the term — from 50m, 40m and 35m — to give Fremantle a 13-point edge by quarter time.
Fremantle led by just five points at half-time, and the third quarter was a rollercoaster ride featuring four lead changes and five occasions when the scores were even.
Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce suffered a huge scare when his heavily-strapped left knee hyper-extend during a collision, leaving him hobbled for the next couple of minutes.
The action was fierce and fast, but it was Fremantle who produced more of the memorable moments.
Treacy hurt himself while completing a team-lifting tackle on Max Michalanney.
The Fremantle powerhouse dusted himself off after a few deep breaths and kicked a goal moments later.
Serong nailed a goal from just inside the centre square following a dazzling series of handballs from the Dockers.
And when Brayshaw dribbled one through with the outside of his right boot, Fremantle turned for home with a seven-point edge.
The Dockers kicked five goals to three in a powerful final term to wrap up top spot on the ladder with one round to spare.
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Follow the live blog below for a recap of all of Friday night’s action as it happened.
Fremantle vs Adelaide — final scoreboard
That’s where we’ll leave things this evening!
Thank you for spending your Friday evening with us once again.
What a win for Fremantle. What a season the Dockers are having.
Please join us tomorrow as we bring you all the live action beginning with Richmond’s clash against St Kilda at the MCG from 12:35pm.
See you then!
The final numbers from Fremantle’s 24-point win
Here’s a look at how the final stats panned out from tonight’s clash:
- Disposals: Fremantle 353-320
- Inside 50s: Fremantle 60-46
- Hit-Outs: Fremantle 54-39
- Clearances: Fremantle 44-38
- Center Clearances: Fremantle 17-12
- Contested Possessions: Adelaide 135-134
- Marks: Tied 75-75
- Marks Inside 50: Fremantle 13-6
- Tackles: Fremantle 72-58
- Tackles Inside 50: Fremantle 12-8
- One Percenters: Fremantle 53-51
FT: Fremantle 16.16 (112) defeats Adelaide 13.10 (88)
The minor premiership is officially Fremantle’s!
What a game, what a win, what a team.
The Dockers kick 5.6 to 3.1 in the final quarter to run out 24-point winners.
It is the second time in club history that Fremantle has won the minor premiership, and with its season record now sitting at 19-3, it is the first time Freo has won 19 games in a season.
They also stay perfect at Perth Stadium, and will be extremely tough to beat here in September as well.
The Dockers end the match winning the inside 50 count 60-46 and the clearances 44-38 and in the end the margin is probably accurate.
Izak Rankine ends the match as the leading ball-winner on the ground with 39 touches and also stacked up 13 score involvements, 10 clearances and five inside 50s. He was simply outstanding all night long.
Fremantle’s efforts were led by Caleb Serong (29 disposals, 12 clearances), Jye Amiss (5.1), Shai Bolton (27 disposals, 15 inside 50s) and Luke Jackson (20 disposals, 33 hitouts, 10 score involvements).
Can anyone stop these guys?
Bolton hammers home long-range bomb
If it wasn’t game over before, it is now!
Shai Bolton unleashes from just outside 50m out to put the Dockers up by 23 points with two minutes left.
The premiership favourites have withstood another tough test here.
Rankine snaps home a consolation goal
Izak Rankine snaps one home from 30m out directly in front to trim the margin to 17 points, but it’s probably too little, too late.
Rankine has 37 touches and a ridiculous 13 score involvements.
Cox gets in the face of the Crows after nailing goal
This is Mason Cox heritage folks!
He drills a set shot from directly in front after winning a free kick inside 50 and in typical Cox style he goes straight for Mark Keane, the man on the mark after kicking the goal.
The Crows stream in from all parts to have a piece of the big American, who is absolutely LOVING it!
The Dockers back out to a 22-point lead with five minutes left. Surely that is game over now.
Fogarty keeps the Crows in with a sniff!
Darcy Fogarty nails a crucial set shot to trim the margin to 16 points. Still plenty of time left here!
Finally a centre bounce clearance for the Crows and it was a good kick inside 50 from Hugo Hall-Kahan that found Fogarty on a short lead.
7:54 left on the clock.
Dudley snaps through a remarkable goal!
ISAIAH DUDLEY TAKE A BOW!
The Dockers stream inside 50 again from the center clearance and Shai Bolton sends a long one inside 50.
Dudley fakes out a trio of Crows defenders and snaps over his left shoulder for his third of the night.
Amiss has his fifth goal and this might be game over
Jye Amiss rams home his fifth goal of the evening from the goalsquare and Freo leads by 16 points.
It’s a long ball inside 50 and Pat Voss crumbs the big marking contest at the feet of Mason Cox.
Voss charges through the contest like a bull and forces the ball out to Amiss who snaps it through.
Just 9:14 left on the clock now, it’s going to be hard for Adelaide from here.
Brayshaw misses as we go into final 10 minutes
Mark Keane thinks he’s got a free kick for high contact, but the whistle doesn’t come and his rushed kick out of defence lands in the hands of Andy Brayshaw.
Brayshaw sets sail for home on a set shot right on the 50m arc, but hits it to the left.
Dockers by 10 points as we head into the final 10 minutes.
Jackson denied by some desperate defence
Luke Jackson looks certain to goal from inside the square but fumbles as he tries to kick it!
He then tries to soccer it home, but the Crows defenders in the vicinity are able to get their hands on it.
Dockers by nine points with 11 minutes left. The next goal is suddenly huge.
Frederick threads the needle to put Freo in front
Michael Frederick wins a free kick and then drills a clutch set shot from a very acute angle!
A sloppy tackle from Mark Keane on Frederick to give away the free kick for high contact.
It was a shocking handball from Rory Laird to Keane that led to the free kick. Poor from the veteran Crows defender.
Treacy’s inaccurate night continues
Josh Treacy now 1.4 for the night as he misses a set shot from 50m out on a slight angle.
Treacy has taken five contested marks, but he’s let himself down with his kicking tonight.
Thilthorpe outmuscles Pearce to level scores
Riley Thilthorpe has been activated in this second half!
Cal Ah Chee sends a real mongrel ball inside 50 where Thilthorpe is one on one with Freo skipper Alex Pearce, and he monsters Pearce to take the mark.
It’s a pressure set shot this, but Thilthorpe has a little smile to himself as well as a deep breath and calmly slots it.
Rankine with a big miss to start final term
All Izak Rankine’s masterpiece of a performance has been missing is a goal, and he misses a glorious chance to change that.
Rankine receives a free kick from a forward 50 stoppage but misses the set shot from 30m out on a slight angle.
That’s one he’d back himself to kick eight times out of 10.
Adelaide leads the free kick count 10-3 in the second half. Do with that stat what you will.
Play underway in the final quarter
Who’s going to stand up here in the final stanza?
This game has delivered in spades tonight. I can’t wait to see what the final term has in store for us.
3QT: Fremantle 11.10 (76) leads Adelaide 10.9 (69)
Any chance we can get a seven-game series of this in the finals NBA style?
These two teams went hell for leather earlier in the season in the thriller and all the signs are that this one is going down to the wire as well.
An absolutely sensational third quarter sees Freo edge it after kicking 4.5 to Adelaide’s 4.3 to extend its half-time lead to seven points.
Izak Rankine has put up stupid numbers so far. He’s up to 30 touches, by far a game-high, and has also racked up 10 score involvements, eight clearances and five inside 50s.
Caleb Serong is giving him a run for his money though. The Freo ball magnet is up to 21 touches and has eight clearances and six inside 50s.
Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson has fought on admirably after that second-quarter knock to the ribs, leading all players with nine clearances.
The Dockers lead the inside 50 count 44-34, but the Crows look like scoring almost every time they go forward.
Alex Pearce briefly came off the ground to have his left knee checked out, but he’s been cleared to return.
Brayshaw dribbles Fremantle back in front
Dockers with another goal out of centre bounce!
My goodness, what is this quarter?!
Pat Voss with some good hands at ground level once again and Andy Brayshaw gets on the end of it and dribbles it home on the outside of the boot.
That’s a terrific finish in heavy traffic.
Freo leading the quarter 4.4 to 4.3. This has been champagne footy.
Serong unleashes loooooong bomb!
Anthony Hudson breaks out the “Serong, SO RIGHT!” call and it’s well deserved after this ripper .
Caleb Serong is on the run from inside the centre square and he sees the open goalsquare and goes for home and it bounces through.
What a player he is. He’s now got 20 touches, eight clearances and two goals for the night.
Scores level for the FIFTH time this quarter.
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