Match

Fremantle vs North Melbourne

Commentary / 24 Mar 2019

Pre Game

00:00
Last season, North Melbourne scored 46 goals directly from its free kicks, the best of any side in the AFL.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
03:30
After Darcy Tucker won the opening clearance for the Dockers, North Melbourne has produced the next four.
05:21
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Luke Ryan)
05:22
Luke Ryan lands the opening goal for Fremantle this season, following on from just two goals from his 20 games in 2018.
09:25
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
09:30
In the early going, the Dockers are kicking the ball with a far better efficiency than North Melbourne, 69 per cent to 47.
13:52
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Luke Davies-Uniacke)
15:03
The Kangaroos have won eight of the last nine clearances, including four to Ben Cunnington.
15:49
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Todd Goldstein)
17:00
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
18:14
Leading disposal winner on the ground is North Melbourne debutant Bailey Scott with seven. Furthermore, his disposal efficiency is a perfect 100 per cent.
19:30
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
20:44
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Darcy Tucker)
23:12
Kangaroos Interchange - Ed Vickers-Willis and is possibly out for the game.
25:32
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Nat Fyfe)
25:46
Luke Ryan has already gained 251 metres for Fremantle. Next most on the ground is his teammate, recruit Reece Conca, who has contributed 169 metres gained.
26:56
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Bradley Hill)
29:11
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Andrew Brayshaw)
30:13
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Darcy Tucker)
32:06
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
32:07
Of the seven goals both teams combined for in the first quarter, six were sourced from an opposition turnover.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:30
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
01:26
Docker Sean Darcy's ten hitouts better North Melbourne's Todd Goldstein's eight, but the Kangaroos big man has the superior hitout-to-advantage rate, 50 per cent versus Darcy's 20.
04:46
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Hayden Ballantyne)
07:23
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
07:24
The Dockers have opened the second term with the first ten inside 50s, eventually getting a goal for this dominance via Cam McCarthy.
08:28
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (David Mundy)
11:10
The leading clearance winner on the ground is Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe, with six of his team's tally of 14.
13:09
North Melbourne has targeted Ben Brown eight times inside forward 50, but the big man is yet to take a mark.
13:24
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
16:16
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Bailey Scott)
18:22
Dockers Interchange - Reece Conca off due to an injury.
18:35
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Sean Darcy)
19:58
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
21:47
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Kayne Turner)
21:48
North Melbourne is kicking the ball with 60 per cent efficiency inside its forward 50. This compares favourably to just 36 per cent kicking efficiency for Fremantle in the same zone.
24:24
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Michael Walters)
24:52
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Nat Fyfe)
25:57
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Hayden Ballantyne)
27:52
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
29:11
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
30:28
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Travis Colyer)
32:18
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
32:19
Since 2016, the Dockers have lost the inside 50 count by five per game against the Kangaroos, the second-worst differential recorded by any side. They have turned this around so far today, where at half time Fremantle leads the inside 50 count 42 to 24.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:21
Perhaps a reflection of the pressure North Melbourne's defence has been under, Jamie McMillan leads all players with 21 disposals, including ten rebound 50s.
03:16
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Ethan Hughes)
04:26
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Rory Lobb)
04:27
After 64 goals in 74 games for the Giants, Dockers recruit Rory Lobb now has his first major in Fremantle colours.
05:29
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Bailey Banfield)
07:47
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
10:04
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rory Lobb)
11:39
The leader tackler on the ground is Fremantle's Darcy Tucker with seven, already exceeding his 2018 average of 3.2 per game over 17 matches.
13:52
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
15:06
Of the 20 free kicks that Fremantle has conceded, six each have been for holding the man, and high contact.
18:30
The Dockers have produced nine of the last 11 clearances, and lead this measure 26 to 21 overall.
18:48
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Darcy Tucker)
20:38
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
21:55
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Sean Darcy)
23:08
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Matt Taberner)
23:09
Following his match-high third contested mark, the Dockers' Matt Taberner kicks his first goal of the 2019 season.
24:24
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Cam McCarthy)
26:52
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
28:19
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
28:20
Entering the final quarter, Fremantle forward Cam McCarthy's goal tally sits on an equal career-best five majors. The only previous time he kicked five goals was in Round 4, 2015, representing the Giants against Gold Coast.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:28
Three of the Dockers' five third-quarter goals were kicked from a distance beyond 50 metres. In contrast, North Melbourne is yet to kick a goal from beyond the arcs.
00:51
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Lachie Schultz)
02:57
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
04:47
The intercept mark count heavily favours Fremantle, 18 to seven, lead by Luke Ryan with four. Of the Kangaroos tally of seven, Jasper Pittard is responsible for four of them.
05:44
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
07:29
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
10:31
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
10:39
The Dockers lead the contested possession count 142 to 127, headlined by Nat Fyfe with 17.
11:58
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Lachie Schultz)
14:28
Kangaroos Interchange - Mason Wood off due to an injury.
14:43
Six of 19 Fremantle goals have been sourced from centre bounces.
15:23
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
15:24
Michael Walters kicks his third goal, a tally he reached twice in 18 games last season.
19:16
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Bailey Scott)
20:35
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
21:08
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
22:49
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Rory Lobb)
23:04
While North Melbourne leads the spoil count 42 to 33, this is perhaps due to the pressure it has been under from 68 inside 50 entries by Fremantle. In comparison, the Kangaroos inside 50 count sits at just 41.
28:03
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
29:50
A very strong team effort by Fremantle to open its 2019 campaign. Led by five goals from Cam McCarthy, and 32 disposals at 78 per cent efficiency from captain Nat Fyfe, the Dockers will end Round 1 in second place on the AFL ladder.
30:39
The siren has sounded to end Q4.