Match

North Melbourne vs Fremantle

Commentary / 23 Mar 2024

Pre Game

00:00
Fremantle was the only side not to concede a score from opposition forward 50 chains in Round 1.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:50
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Paul Curtis)
01:58
North Melbourne kicks the first goal of the match from the opening centre bounce clearance. The Kangaroos won the centre bounce clearances by eight against their more fancied GWS opponents last week and scored 19 points from this source, ranked fifth.
02:25
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Josh Treacy)
03:29
The Dockers answer with a centre bounce clearance goal of their own. Fremantle scored 25 points from centre bounce clearances last week, ranked No.1 in the AFL.
11:19
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Paul Curtis)
11:31
The Kangaroos lead the inside 50 count by five and have enjoyed 74 per cent time in forward half to begin the match.
13:56
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jaidyn Stephenson)
14:19
The Kangaroos get some reward for territory through Jayden Stephenson. North Melbourne have recorded the last nine inside 50s of the match.
16:20
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Matt Taberner)
18:25
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Cameron Zurhaar)
18:34
In addition to dominating territory, North Melbourne has controlled the ball, amassing 18 more uncontested possessions and 26 more disposals than Fremantle to date. Second gamer Colby McKercher has started well with six disposals at 100 per cent efficiency.
20:48
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Nick Larkey)
21:09
The Kangaroos have generated 10 intercepts, resulting in 3.1.19. Five of these intercepts have been in their defensive half, resulting in two goals.
27:24
North Melbourne has 20 inside 50s this quarter. Last year, the Kangaroos only registered 20 or more inside 50s in a quarter only twice.
27:25
Dockers Interchange - Jordan Clark off due to the blood rule.
28:43
Kangaroos Interchange - Callum Coleman-Jones off due to the blood rule.
30:09
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Walters)
30:13
The ruck matchup between Tristan Xerri and Luke Jackson has been an intriguing one early. Xerri has five disposals, four contested possessions and three clearances as he often looks to grab the ball out of the ruck. Jackson has seven disposals and six hitouts-to-advantage as he looks to give his midfielders first use.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:35
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Paul Curtis)
04:15
The Kangaroos have the first four clearances of the quarter, three to Luke Davies-Uniacke, and have kicked 2.0.12 from these stoppage chains.
08:00
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Cameron Zurhaar)
08:18
North Melbourne leads contested possession by 10 for the quarter. Tristan Xerri and Luke Davies-Uniacke are doing most of the damage, combining well at stoppage and winning seven contested possessions between them this term.
10:11
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Frederick)
11:48
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Tom Powell)
13:29
Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tom Powell, Tristan Xerri and Charlie Lazzaro have 18 of North Melbourne's 19 clearances for the match. The Kangaroos have outscored the Dockers 4.1.25 to 2.0.12 from this score source, including three goals this quarter.
17:16
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Zane Duursma)
18:16
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Nick Larkey)
18:50
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Jeremy Sharp)
20:34
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Sam Switkowski)
22:00
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
23:00
After losing the contested possession count by 32 last week against the Giants, North Melbourne has responded today, leading the count by 19 against the Dockers.
24:20
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Jye Amiss)
25:23
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Luke Jackson)
25:54
Despite trailing the insde 50 count by 13, when Fremantle is able to get the ball inside 50 they are scoring. Nine of its 16 entries have resulted in a score, a strike rate of 56 per cent.
29:43
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Caleb Serong)
30:07
The Kangaroos lead the inside 50 differential by 13 at half time, their best first half differential in this area since Round 22, 2022.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
04:12
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Caleb Serong)
09:02
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Matt Taberner)
09:13
Fremantle scores the first goal of the second half, chaining the ball from defensive 50. Despite both sides each kicking two goals from defensive 50 chains, both the Dockers and Kangaroos have struggled to move the football from defensive 50, generating an inside 50 form 15 and 16 per cent respectively from this area of the ground. The AFL average last season was 20 per cent.
10:53
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Matt Taberner)
13:14
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Luke Jackson)
14:25
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
15:31
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Jye Amiss)
16:37
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Andrew Brayshaw)
16:48
Fremantle continue to generate scores once they are able to get the ball inside 50. This quarter they have kicked 4.2.26 from nine entries, a scoring rate of 67 per cent. For the match, they have 16 scores from 27 entries, a scoring rate of 59 per cent.
17:51
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Michael Frederick)
19:02
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Michael Frederick)
19:24
The Dockers have well and truly turned the momentum back in their direction. This quarter, they lead contested possession by seven, inside 50s by seven and uncontested possession by 23. They have generated nine scores from 12 inside 50s. They have also generated five scores from seven clearances.
20:27
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Rushed)
22:06
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Jye Amiss)
24:19
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Bailey Banfield)
25:46
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Nat Fyfe)
26:34
Since the 19-minute mark of the second quarter, Fremantle have outscored North Melbourne 9.8.62 to 0.1.1. They have totalled 14 more inside 50s and scored from 77 per cent of these entries, 14 more contested possessions and have showed a balanced scoring profile, kicking 5.5.35 from intercept and 4.3.27 from stoppage.
29:04
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (George Wardlaw)
30:50
After a great battle in the first half with Tristan Xerri, Luke Jackson asserted his dominance in the third quarter with seven disposals at 100 per cent efficiency, six contested possessions, five clearances and a goal.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:18
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
02:36
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Michael Walters)
04:21
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Eddie Ford)
08:03
North Melbourne have five of the first six inside 50s of the final quarter, but have failed to kick a major, instead kicking 0.3.3.
08:11
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
09:08
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Jye Amiss)
09:43
Fremantle have won 17 forward half intercepts, resulting in 5.4.34. North Melbourne have also won 17 forward half intercepts, but have scored just 1.3.9 from these intercepts.
11:45
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Zane Duursma)
13:48
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Tom Powell)
14:08
Tom Powell has had an excellent game for the Kangaroos today with 25 disposals at 84 per cent efficiency, seven clearances, eight contested possessions and two goals. He is one disposal away from equalling the career-high 26 disposals that he amassed last week.
15:32
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Paul Curtis)
16:06
Dockers Interchange - Jaeger O'Meara off due to the blood rule.
20:59
Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw have been magnificent, particularly in the second half for the Dockers. After a Fremantle record 46 disposals last week, Serong has backed it up with 30 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 10 score involvements, six tackles and six tackles, while Brayshaw has 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions and a goal.
21:00
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Bailey Banfield)
24:55
SCORE GOAL - Dockers (Jeremy Sharp)
25:53
Fremantle kicks over 100 points for only the second time in its last 15 games.
26:16
SCORE BEHIND - Dockers (Jaeger O'Meara)
29:24
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Bailey Scott)
30:20
After trailing the contested possession count by 19 at half time, the Dockers have won this area by 27 in the second half. Luke Jackson and Caleb Serong, the two clear standouts for best on ground honours both have 15 contested possessions apiece.
30:53
From the 19-minute mark of the second quarter, it was a dominant display from the Dockers, who kicked 12.10.82 to 3.6.24. The Dockers kicked 6.7.43 to 2.2.14 from forward half chains and also kicked 3.2.20 from centre bounce as they controlled territory.