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The Dogs didn\u2019t kick a goal in the second half until the 23rd minute of the final term, by which point the hosts had got themselves out to a game-high lead of 38 points. <\/p>\n
\u201cRemember at the soccer World Cup, did you watch the final between Spain and Argentina? Well, the Bulldogs are trying to win a nil-all draw here,\u201d three-time Brisbane premiership player Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy at half time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re trying to get to a penalty shootout, and it\u2019s working for them. They\u2019ve just grinded away through the stoppages, and they\u2019ve hit the scoreboard late.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their final score of 41 is their lowest in over three years, last matched when they kicked the same score in a 51-point loss against St Kilda in Round 2, 2023.<\/p>\n
Star key forward Josh Treacy was enormous for Justin Longmuir\u2019s side with three goals from 13 disposals and eight marks, while Oscar McDonald (22 disposals, 12 marks, eight intercepts) played one of the best games of his AFL career down back.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the win, Jordan Clark said he was happy to get the four points in the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard at times. It tests you because it\u2019s a little bit frustrating \u2013 the crowd wants goals, everyone wants goals in football,\u201d he said of the Dogs\u2019 defensive mindset.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talked about it throughout the week (about the game being turned into a scrap).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did expect that they\u2019d get a lot of numbers back and make it really hard to score \u2013 a lot of it for us was sticking the course, being mentally strong and physically playing that brand of football.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew if we kept putting the pressure on … eventually we\u2019d score and we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fremantle goalkickers: Treacy 3, Serong, Jackson 2, Johnson, Voss, Dudley, Bolton<\/p>\n
Western Bulldogs goalkickers: Hynes 2, West, Lobb, Sanders<\/p>\n
THE 3-2-1… (with Catherine Healey at Optus Stadium)<\/p>\n
3. DEFENSIVE DOGS TURN BLOCKBUSTER INTO SCRAP<\/p>\n
Freo coach Justin Longmuir was wary pre-game, stating he would \u201cexpect the unexpected\u201d from the Dogs on Friday night.<\/p>\n
And what he got was a defensive masterclass from rival Luke Beveridge.<\/p>\n
The Dogs flooded back at every opportunity, turning the Friday night blockbuster into a scrap Freo didn\u2019t want to be in.<\/p>\n
Despite dominating the opening term with a 15-6 inside 50 count, Freo had just a one point lead to show for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey turned it into a stoppage game \u2026 basically twice as many stoppages as you would normally get in a quarter of footy thus far this season,\u201d AFL great Jason Dunstall said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s made it a real slog.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking away the type of game that Freo want to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s exactly what Beveridge had predicted pre-game, calling for his side to \u201cthrow the kitchen sink at them\u201d with pressure and defence.<\/p>\n
By half time, scores were locked at 29-all \u2013 just 29 points for a Fremantle side averaging 106 points a game in 2026.<\/p>\n
The Dogs started players on the centre square edge who then immediately headed into defence.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
But while the Dogs were denying the Dockers in attack, it was coming at the cost of their own. The Dogs had just 13 inside 50s to the main break \u2013 the third lowest ever in a half.<\/p>\n
\u201cFremantle, they are not comfortable with the way the game is,\u201d Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cFremantle have taken 60 uncontested marks \u2013 they only average 78 for a whole game for the whole season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not their manner, it\u2019s not their game style.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuke Beveridge would be very happy and very comfortable with this current style.\u201d<\/p>\n
At repeated centre bounce stoppages, the Dogs sent a man to the edge of the square in an effort to flood back as quick as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis gives you an indication of how willing they are or how much they want to push back,\u201d Garry Lyon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore the ball was even thrown up, (Hynes) pushed really hard defensively so this gives you an idea of their want to outnumber in their defensive half.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the match turned in a horror moment in the third term.<\/p>\n
With the Dogs trailing by just one point, ex-Docker Rory Lobb marked all alone inside 50 around 40m out on the angle.<\/p>\n
And just as four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis called for Lobb to \u201cgo back and settle himself\u201d, he opted to take the quick chip kick inboard \u2013 but missed Ed Richards 35m out directly in front.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs look dejected after the loss to the Dockers.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
A subsequent fumble opened the door for the Dockers defenders, and they went coast to coast to find Josh Treacy with sticky hands \u2013 and he nailed the goal to open up a seven-point lead,<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s as close as the Dogs would get.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey fluffed their lines the Dogs,\u201d Dunstall said in commentary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a poor kick for Richards\u2026 in the end they get punished.<\/p>\n
\u201cA two-goal turnaround.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will be painful for the Bulldogs! What might have been at one end is for the Dockers down the other,\u201d Hudson added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the damage when you don\u2019t make the most of your opportunities,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n
The match eventually becoming a what-could-have-been for the Dogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Dogs came with a really good plan \u2013 they executed for three quarters really well. It\u2019s only been broken down basically in the final quarter,\u201d Dunstall said.<\/p>\n
The floodgates opened in the final quarter as the Dockers delivered another win at home.<\/p>\n
2. THE RECRUIT \u2018HOLDING FREO\u2019S BACKLINE TOGETHER\u2019<\/p>\n
We know the Dockers have a history of getting the best out of their recruits \u2013 and Oscar McDonald is no different.<\/p>\n
The three-club journeyman, who celebrated his 100th game last week 11 years after his AFL debut, was unstoppable against the Dogs on Friday night after being given another chance in the absence of injured defender Brennan Cox.<\/p>\n
His third quarter alone \u2013 of nine disposals, five intercepts and 195m gained, was the second highest rated of his career.<\/p>\n
And it saw him ranked the number one player on the ground at the final change.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so used to the big names for Freo standing up \u2013 and the two highest rated players for them are him and Karl Worner at half back,\u201d AFL great Jason Dunstall said at three quarter time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are just rebounding everything coming their way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man nicknamed \u201cthe Porterhouse\u201d dominated his match up with Bulldog Rory Lobb, and proved unstoppable as the last line in defence.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is holding this backline together,\u201d Will Schofield praised.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a game he\u2019s playing,\u201d Anthony Hudson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s two of him,\u201d Dunstall joked.<\/p>\n
And McDonald\u2019s brilliance in defence left commentators questioning how Freo could drop him should Brennan Cox be fit to return.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t drop him when he\u2019s playing a game like this!\u201d Hudson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d Jordan Lewis added.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake yourself indispensable when your chance comes,\u201d Gerard Whateley said.<\/p>\n
Freo coach Justin Longmuir has repeatedly said form once you\u2019re in the side counts \u2013 as evidenced by Mason Cox holding his spot ahead of Sean Darcy.<\/p>\n
But with McDonald, he\u2019s been unlucky in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen someone comes in, plays their role and purely loses their spot in the team for the captain or Brennan \u2013 which is what it\u2019s been this year \u2013 I feel like as a match committee we\u2019ve rewarded Oscar\u2019s performances,\u201d he said last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time Oscar\u2019s come in, he\u2019s done a role for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teammate Jordan Clark praised McDonald\u2019s ability to transition seemlessly into the side.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a credit to our environment I\u201d think,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a professional.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s well loved by our team \u2013 it\u2019s a frustrating position that he\u2019s in. He\u2019s sort of that backup for Brennan Cox and Alex Pearce \u2013 but the one thing that he does, he keeps finding ways to get better even when not at AFL level.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time\u2019s he\u2019s come in, he\u2019s played his best game.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s making his case to stay in the side.\u201d<\/p>\n
1. DOCKERS\u2019 FAVOURITE SON SHINES IN MILESTONE MATCH<\/p>\n
Justin Longmuir refused to call star Josh Treacy his favourite\u2026 but it was clear the star forward is right up there.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s in the top 40,\u2019 Longmuir smiled chatting to Fox Footy pre-game when asked on Treacy in his 100th AFL game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just love his journey. When he came in, he probably had to learn a few things, probably got some games early through injury and our lack of talls up forward, but then he went through a bit of a plateau and needed to learn a few things around professionalism.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not a bad character or anything like that but you don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know when you come into the system sometimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s turned himself into one of the most professional players in our club, probably the AFL.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can see the results of him working his backside off at his game.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably just training habits, what he did away from the club. He\u2019s a big boy, probably carrying a few too many kilos early. We\u2019re talking two or three. But he\u2019s just turned himself into such a great professional.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got such a great presence about him\u2026 it draws others along.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s up there with one of my favourites.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it was Treacy who when the Dockers were struggling to find a target forward, that stood tall.<\/p>\n
He had two big grabs in the second term when Freo had to put their territory dominance on the board.<\/p>\n
And he\u2019s the player who got out the back after a horror Dogs turnover with Freo\u2019s lead at just one to go back and deliver.<\/p>\n
Remarkably, he\u2019s one of SIX Dockers to have nailed 20 or more goals this season in a devastating display of power.<\/p>\n
And he added three more to his tally to draw level with teammate Jye Amiss on 48 goals \u2013 and third in the Coleman Medal count.<\/p>\n
It was Treacy who remained patient on Friday night despite the first half frustrations of dominating territory but not putting it on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are clogging up the forward 50 really well,\u201d he told Fox Footy at half time,<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we keep being patient, we\u2019ll eventually crack \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s exactly what the Dockers did in the final term.<\/p>\n
Impressively, that\u2019s now four straight games for Treacy against the Dogs where he\u2019s kicked three or more goals.<\/p>\n
And in the past six games against the Dogs, he\u2019s racked up 17 goals.<\/p>\n