Fremantle vs West Coast

2023 - 4 - 2

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Fox Sports"

Freo blitz 'gutsy' Eagles as 'injury carnage' rocks Western Derby: 3-2-1 (Fox Sports)

Freo blitz 'gutsy' Eagles as 'injury carnage' rocks Western Derby: 3-2-1.

Nearly broke his wrist!” Russell said as vision played of the wall punch. First Luke Shuey limped off – after a best on ground first quarter. Shuey, is he out of the game? The ball needs to be in quickly. Coach Adam Simpson was described as “like a proud father” on the bench as he continued to try and rally his troops, despite having no fit players to call on in the third quarter. First, West Coast’s best on ground Luke Shuey limped from the field with another soft tissue injury. The skipper was so frustrated, he lashed out and punched the dug out wall as he was subbed out with a hamstring injury. And it took just a few minutes for Jackson to cash in as he kicked his first goal for Fremantle with a brilliant snap. And the injury woes didn’t stop there for West Coast with Alex Witherden bravely putting his body on the line, as he was crunched in a big marking contest. McGovern was a huge blow as he grabbed high at his left hamstring as he was assisted from the field. The skipper’s frustration was clear when he punched the wall in the dugout as he was subbed out of the match. “First goal as a docker for Luke Jackson and what a masterstroke from the coach!

Demolition Derby: Dockers, injuries too much for decimated Eagles (AFL)

The margin did not reflect the high drama at Optus Stadium, as the Eagles showed great resilience to hold on with one fit player on the bench after injuries to ...

It was a quarter that concerned Justin Longmuir and would have served as a warning that things can go wrong quickly if the team stops competing at the source. The Dockers went away from what was working in the third quarter and were punished by a West Coast team that lifted its rating around the ball. Contested ball was back on level terms in the final quarter (35-35) and the only backflips happening were from Michael Frederick, who marked the last goal of the game with an aerobic celebration. He started as a ground-level midfielder at the first centre bounce, moved forward for the second, and then contested the third as a ruckman. The club will be desperate to regain star midfielder Elliot Yeo, with key defender Harry Edwards a likely replacement for McGovern. Ryan had his knee strapped and was asked to play on for a while before being pulled out of the game. A number of potential marks went to ground on Sunday, but his increased involvement with time in the midfield was a big step forward. Fremantle has put a focus on starting games fast and physical but failed to deliver in the opening two rounds. Cripps was in hospital post-match with a broken ankle, while Witherden will need to be assessed after a heavy collision with Jaeger O'Meara that could result in him entering concussion protocols. Luke Shuey was on fire early but succumbed to a hamstring injury, while McGovern's setback appeared a bad one. West Coast has endured more injury trauma than any club in the past two seasons, and so it could be again in 2023. Jackson had three different roles for the first three centre bounces on Sunday, setting the tone for his first Derby as a Docker.

Freo blitz 'gutsy' Eagles amid 'injury carnage' (NEWS.com.au)

Fremantle may have claimed a massive 41-point Western Derby win but it was West Coast who finished the talking point after a day of absolute injury carnage.

Coach Adam Simpson was described as “like a proud father” on the bench as he continued to try and rally his troops, despite having no fit players to call on in the third quarter. With no fit players left on the bench as the likes of senior players Shuey, McGovern and Cripps were ruled out, the Eagles stood tall in the third quarter. First Luke Shuey limped off – after a best on ground first quarter. The Eagles had no rotations for at least five minutes in the third term and were limited to just one for patches of the final term before the decision was made to keep Ryan benched. The skipper was so frustrated, he lashed out and punched the dug out wall as he was subbed out with a hamstring injury. The Eagles were left with no fit players on the bench after the likes of Luke Shuey, Jeremy McGovern, Jamie Cripps and Alex Witherden were all ruled out with injury.

Fremantle v West Coast - Talking Points - The Mongrel Punt (The Mongrel Punt)

The Western Derby was hot for a while, until the Dockers dropped the hammer on the Eagles. HB looks at the talking points from this one.

He looked a step slow in most contests in this one, but I reckon he will be much better for the run. Meanwhile, West Coast host the Demons, in what will be a massive test. In short, he did a hell of a lot of everything and did it via hard work. But given how depleted the Eagles were, he went back on and did as much harm as he did good with his gammy leg. It may have taken them a while to get going, but once they got up and running, they ran right over the top of the hapless West Coast big man. nothing for the remainder of the game. But the Eagles simply refused to lay down at all, and at points in the last quarter, looked as though they may have been able to cause a bit of a boilover. Jack Darling threatened to tear the game open in the first quarter, only to go completely missing in the second quarter. This was a live kill and it took until the last quarter for them to bring their prey down. Hell, he even outmarked Tom Barrass in a genuine one-on-one contest – using his head to split Barrass’ chin open in the process. Between him and Jye Amiss, Freo have two players that know when to get on the move. They had the ascendancy in the ruck, with Nic Naitanui now looking as though he will not be available until the second half of the season (I smell a retirement, personally…).

Western derby 56: Fremantle Dockers notch first win of the season ... (The West Australian)

Fremantle have won western derby 56 to get their 2023 account up and running as West Coast suffered a series of horror injuries.

The Dockers have taken full advantage as West Coast run out of legs. It means they have their first win of the season leaving Geelong as the only winless team. Fremantle have won one of the most unique western derby contests in history... It was a brutal day as four West Coast Eagles went down with injuries while the Dockers kicked the final six goals of the contest to claim victory. Western derby 56: Fremantle Dockers notch first win of the season as West Coast count injury toll Fremantle have got themselves into the winner’s circle for 2023 after overrunning an injury-depleted West Coast line-up in western derby 56.

Injury carnage for West Coast as Dockers win derby (WAtoday)

West Coast were left without a fit player on their bench after five key stars were injured during Sunday's 41-point AFL western derby loss to Fremantle.

West Coast edged Fremantle 5.2 (32) to 5.1 (31) in the highest-scoring opening quarter in derby history. Allen turned momentum back West Coast’s way with three goals in the space of six minutes, with the onslaught including a spectacular diving mark over the top of Brennan Cox. For West Coast, Oscar Allen booted three goals in the opening term but was unable to add to the tally after that, while Jack Darling also finished with three goals. The Eagles defied the carnage to close the gap to two points early in the final quarter, but the Dockers slammed through the final six goals of the match to secure the 16.12 (108) to 9.13 (67) victory in front of 56,090 fans. The Dockers six-goal blitz to finish the match ensured the final margin ballooned out, but West Coast can be proud of their efforts to stay in the contest for as long as they did. It meant that for the final five minutes of the third quarter, West Coast had nobody on the bench.