2011 Premiership Rehearsal Goes Badly

Gallant though their season was, 2010 is over for Fremantle as they ended the season in something akin to a low budget sequel to Weekend at Bernie's. Their one legged ruckman was leaning so far to the right, Tony Abbot offered him a spot in the Shadow Cabinet, their injury prone full forward injured himself in the opening minute and the young, vibrant bodies that had thrilled everyone a week earlier looked like they wanted nothing more than an Epsom salts bath and a gramophone to play their Harry Secombe records. Geelong took a very early lead, kicking 8 goals to 1 in the opening quarter and the game was all but done. Freo lifted their game after the shaky start but the best they could do was to break even, before Geelong broke them in the last quarter, winning by 69 points and making Fremantle's chances for the premiership this year very slim (you never know - they could all die in a bus accident before the results are lodged).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
8.1
10.7
14.13
20.15
135
1.1
4.2
7.6
10.6
66

 

 

 
Fremantle
 
  M.Pavlich 4
  M.Walters 3
  N.Fyfe 1
  C.Mayne 1
  P.Duffield 1
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
Geelong
 
  S.Johnson 3
  M.Stokes 3
  J.Podsiadly 3
  D.Wojcinski 2
  J.Bartell 1
  T.Varcoe 1
  B.Ottens 1
  J.Selwood 1
  S.Byrnes 1
  C.Mooney 1
  T.Hawkins 1
  P.Chapman 1
  C.Ling  

 

Michael Walters 3
Michael Johnson 2
Roger Hayden 1

 

 

The last time Fremantle headed to the east coast to play in a final, Heath Black had them driving around the streets of Sydney looking for the Adelaide Oval. Things didn’t go well from that point. Flash forward four years and FREO Speedwagon was once again full to capacity and this time headed for Melbourne. Heath Black doesn’t have a license nowadays so when the team loaded up in the speedwagon, they headed straight for the MCG with no detours.

Most of them hadn’t seen the MCG for a long time, some never at all so it was quite the early success but, once again, things didn’t go well from that point. ...more