It was so hard to tell if ‘Ballaz’ had contacted the footy in the contentious second quarter goal, even he had no idea if he’d touched it. Whether it was a goal or not didn’t influence the outcome of the game, nor Ballantyne’s standing as one of the best players on the ground. Doubts had lingered over his availability in the week leading up to the clash with Port, but the pocket-rocket showed fans he was cherry ripe by kicking the first goal of the game and finishing with four.
Freo white-hot
While the team was in fine form on Saturday night, the Fremantle fans were also at the top of their game. Patersons Stadium was transformed into a sea of white for the club’s member recognition game. Hayden Ballantyne definitely enjoyed the atmosphere, including a Mexican wave that was so loud, it made it hard to for players to hear each other out on the field. “Fantastic fans,” ‘Ballaz’ said after the game.
Youngsters in form
That Fremantle could be so clinical with a midfield that included three second-year players speaks volumes of the work the club’s development academy, headed by Simon Lloyd, does. Cam Sutcliffe, Lachie Neale and Tom Sheridan were all major players in the big win, and all three are piling the pressure on the selectors to keep picking them ahead of finals.
Early sub call
For the second week running, Freo’s sub Tom Sheridan was called into action earlier than Ross Lyon would have planned. The Victorian replaced Aaron Sandilands in the first quarter of the round 21 game against Melbourne and proceeded to gather a career-high 23 touches. Sheridan hit the scoreboard against Port on Saturday night, booting two goals, although he can thank Chris Mayne’s unselfishness for one of them.
Hinkley praise
A common theme in opposition coach post-game media conferences this season has been the praise directed at Fremantle’s pressure. Port coach Ken Hinkley concurred with the general consensus, saying his side had been “taught a lesson” by the best pressure side in the AFL. “We got beaten tonight by a genuine top four side”, he said after the game. Power midfielder Robbie Gray was also impressed with the side he’d just played against. “We hope to be like that one day,” he said.
