The praise for Fremantle’s full team effort against Geelong has rolled in following an impressive three point-win at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.
The win locks Freo in the top four with a 6-1 record, currently sitting second ahead of Sunday’s clash with fellow top four teams Sydney and Brisbane.
Even after wins against Adelaide, West Coast, GWS, Essendon and Carlton, commentators have been calling for Fremantle to deliver against a genuine premiership contender, which according to Nathan Buckley, happened on Saturday.
“If you want to announce yourself, go down to Geelong’s home ground and beat Geelong,” Buckley said on Fox Footy.
“That’s the perfect way to announce yourself as a contender in this competition.”
St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt agreed, highlighting that Fremantle had also won against adversity.
“They did it without their main ruckman and their main key forward as well. When we saw the ins and outs coming into the game, no Sean Darcy and no Matt Taberner, we thought that would take away from what we hoped would be a great spectacle,” Riewoldt said.
“It’s a classic example of not who you play with, but how you play. They’re playing a brand that we know will stack up in big games and that’s what they needed to frank the performances they done this year.”
Speaking on afl.com.au, Kane Cornes said Fremantle’s had delivered the most impressive performance so far this season.
“This is the win of the year, hardly anyone goes to Geelong and wins especially with the players they had out, Nat Fyfe, Darcy and Taberner – three of their most important five players. Then you can add Hayden Young and Heath Chapman,” Cornes said.
“To do that and keep a Geelong side to 66 points, a side that’s got Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron in it, was unbelievable.
“Their team defence is very Melbourne like. They have one of the best back sixes in the game but it’s their full ground defence, they are ferocious and they are so well organised.
“I reckon they’ve done a lot of study on what Melbourne has done as they were impenetrable at times.”
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