The turning point of Fremantle’s 41-point win against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium didn’t happen on the field, but in the rooms at half time as the engine room had an honest conversation about what needed to change after being ‘comprehensively beaten’ in the contest, according to ruck Sean Darcy,
The half time stats made some sobering reading, losing the centre clearances 10-2 as well as being -6 in the hitouts, -35 in disposals and -7 for inside 50s.
DON'T MISS IT: We take on Sydney in a huge Saturday night clash next - get your tickets here!
The only thing working in Fremantle’s favour was that they were scoring more efficiently from their inside 50s compared to the Saints and only eight points down.
“We were pretty disappointed in the contest in that first half, I thought the mids and me especially were beaten pretty comprehensively,” Darcy told Channel 7.
“Our bodywork in the second half improved and that pressure method was a lot better.”
Andrew Brayshaw, who was again one of Fremantle’s best with 36 disposals, 10 tackles and a goal, said Fremantle weren’t aggressive enough in the opening half.
“We came in and we were pretty much getting dominated at the centre bounce,” Brayshaw said.
“To be only eight points in it, we knew that we’d held on and our footy would come through in the second half, which it did.
“Us midfielders at the half, we were really focused on being aggressive with our body work because around the stoppages, we were getting pumped.
“It was a big win for the club, we were challenged in that first half but we knew four quarters of our footy would get it done and that last quarter we started to pile them on, which was really satisfying.”
The win guarantees Fremantle remain in the top four after 17 rounds with a 12-4 record, currently sitting third but potentially sliding to fourth if Brisbane beat Essendon on Sunday.
Brayshaw admitted that he didn’t see Fremantle reaching these heights in the pre-season.
“To be honest, (this season has) surprised me a little bit,” Brayshaw said.
“I knew we were having a really strong pre-season. In the off-season we were stuck in WA, so we actually did a lot more sessions together than we thought we would.
“I think the group surprised me definitely. Our wins away have been really strong, and in the past we’ve struggled away. I’m really proud of the group’s efforts so far.
“But we’ve got a long way to go and it’s getting to the pointy end of the season. It's exciting.”
Fremantle’s next game is a Saturday night blockbuster against the currently sixth placed Sydney Swans at Optus Stadium. Click here to get your tickets now.
