It would surely not be possible to kick a goal from a full-back kick-out any faster than what Fremantle did against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium in round 1. Eddie McGuire would have barely had time to register the Magpies’ behind in his Football Record before Freo went coast-to-coast. It started with a Michael Johnson kick-out that bounced perfectly to Cam Sutcliffe’s advantage. The young defender gathered the ball just outside the 50m arc, ran forward and sent a booming kick into the attacking 50m. Hayden Ballantyne marked and wheeled around onto his right to stab the footy through the goals. It only took Freo 13 seconds to kick one of the most clinical goals you’ll ever see.
4. Highlight ‘Hilly’
It’s never a surprise to see Stephen Hill make the highlight reel in an AFL game. The sublimely talented midfielder put all his evasive skills on show for all to see against Essendon at Patersons Stadium. After receiving the football from Danyle Pearce in Freo forward pocket, Hill created space when there appeared to be none on offer. He applied the afterburners to dance around two Bombers and snap truly.
3. ‘Ballas’ miracle
Bruce McAveney described it as a ‘miracle’ shot, but this Etihad Stadium ripper didn’t need any divine intervention. It was just Hayden Ballantyne being Hayden Ballantyne and pulling out another team-lifter that was accompanied by the now customary celebration every time he kicks a great goal. ‘Ballas’ gathered the footy in the forward pocket and, with his back to the goals, somehow kicked it over his head and through the big sticks
2. That’s teamwork
“That is awesome, have you seen a better team goal than that?” asked commentator Dwayne Russell. While Michael Barlow’sfantastic snap from the boundary was the icing on this brilliant six-pointer, the credit belongs to his inspirational captain, Matthew Pavlich. Freo kicked the football into an open forward 50, leaving Pavlich one out with West Coast defender Eric Mackenzie. ‘Pav’ gathered, but he was tackled immediately and could only grubber the ball forward. Both players went to ground and got up to contest a second time. Mackenzie then felt the power of ‘Pav’ as he was bumped to ground. Freo’s skipper went again, knocking the ball forward as Darren Glass tackled him. Pavlich had the nous to then block Glass from getting to the footy as Barlow did the rest.
1. The pocket-rocket delivers, again
Featuring for the third time in the top five Freo goals of the first half of the season is, you guessed it, Hayden Ballantyne. This one was for an absolute corker at Patersons Stadium in Matthew Pavlich’s 300th game. After Freo had won the ball on the half-back line, Zac Clarke kicked it forward into space, where ‘Ballas’ gathered. He quickly realised the only man standing between him and an open forward 50 was tall Geelong defender Jared Rivers, who doesn’t quite possess the same speed. Ballantyne proceeded to turn Rivers inside out and then shoot a low kick towards the big sticks. The ball bounced through, narrowly missing the left goalpost at the Subiaco end of the ground. The only thing matching the brilliance of the goal itself or commentator Brian ‘BT’ Taylor’s excitement was Ballantyne’s exuberant celebration after he’d kicked it.
