An arm-wrestle affair saw Geelong defeat Fremantle by 11 points at Optus Stadium on Saturday evening.
Despite winning the inside 50 count 50-49, Fremantle were unable to put a winning score on the board, with defender Jordan Clark noting that Geelong made the most of their opportunities in front of goal.
“The third quarter we were on top, I think we had plus 11 inside 50s but weren’t able to make that impact on the scoreboard,” Clark said on the Final Siren Podcast.
“We probably needed to be a bit further in front than we were.
“Going into the fourth, we felt like we lost some critical contests all over the ground, and our execution with the ball in hand under pressure wasn’t up to scratch.
"We weren’t able to execute when it counted - I think it’s as simple as that.”
Geelong came out firing, kicking the first four goals of the game in the first 10 minutes before superstar Caleb Serong broke Fremantle's goal drought. Clark himself put Fremantle’s second on the board with a monster kick from 50, reducing the margin to 13 points at the first break.
Fremantle then managed to grind out a hard-fought, contested game and slowed Geelong’s scoring, with the home side hitting the lead for the first time in the third quarter, highlighted by Hayden Young’s burst from the centre square to drill a major on the run.
Multiple smothers at half-back and a goal-line diving smother from Jeremy Sharp demonstrated the playing group’s willingness to be in the fight.
“The last two games haven’t ended the way we wanted them to end, but as Clarky touched on, we will take some really good lessons and positives out of this game as we did last game,” Brennan Cox said.
Going into the last quarter with a four-point lead, the Cats reversed Fremantle’s hard work from the previous quarter, eventually running away with the victory.
“This is sport; you know you win and lose,” Clark emphasised.
“You’re not going to win every game, and you want to find yourself in these positions, fighting for the top eight, rather than not.
"We’ve got an exciting opportunity in front of us, and it’s all about coming together. You win and lose together in sport.”
Despite the loss, Freo posted their highest-ever attendance for a home game against Geelong and broke the club’s all-time member record, with Cox making special mention of the Purple Army.
“The support we feel out there every game is second to none,” Cox said.
“We really do feel the love when they get around us, so thanks to the supporters, and hopefully, we can go on to play finals.”
Fremantle will now play GWS at Engie Stadium next Saturday, with a win crucial to keeping their top-eight hopes alive.
