This game was only broadcast on pay TV over here in Melbourne, so I had to go on a search for a viewing spot. I started out in the Crown Casino, where they have some really, really huge TV screens. These are mostly set up for the people who want to bet on the horse races though, so the viewing there is not exactly comfortable. I left at half time, and found a little sports bar in King St that was pretty quiet, and they had a smaller TV that was showing the game, but I was able to sit and watch much more comfortably.

The game was pretty even all the way through. Fremantle managed to kick away a little bit in the first quarter, but West Coast gradually clawed that back. For most of the second half there was less than goal in it, with the lead seesawing back and forth.

The last few minutes saw Freo a couple of points down. Parker had the ball on the wing, and bombed it long into the forward line. Pavlich contested, and the ball spilled over the back to Peter Bell who kicked the goal on the run. Freo in front. There was still time to panic though, as the next goal went to Judd on the run from about 50. West Coast in front. Then with a bout a minute to go, Hasleby marked on his own and inside attacking 50. He went back and slotted the goal. That was it as far as scoring was concerned, and so Freo ran out winners by five points.

As the little bit above shows, I was very pleased to see the "leadeship team" standing up when the game was there to be won. They didn't do anything amazing, but they did do what was needed, when it was needed. The real stars of the game were Josh Carr, who finished with three goals, Polak, and Michael Johnson. Polak was particularly a revelation to me, as I don't think I've seen him play a good game before. He was thrown into the ruck after Sandilands was forced off. It looked like he was injured in a tackle, but it turns out his jaw was broken. I guess its possible that the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and he broke his jaw on the ground, but I don't think I will ever know the truth.

Like last week, the main talking point from this game, at least in the Melbourne media, came after the game had finished. The Ross Glendinning Medal is awarded to the best on ground in a WA Derby by, surprisingly enough, Ross Glendinning. For this game it was awarded to Chris Judd, from the Eagles, and both Judd and Glendinning were booed loud and long by the Freo crowd. Personally, I have some sympathy with the booing of Glendinning/the decision, given that the appearance was that Glendinning, as an ex-Eagles captain was favouring West Coast by giving the medal to a player from his old club, rather than the best on the ground. I have been told that that wasn't actually the case, and that a panel of journalists decides the winner and they basically out-voted Glendinning in who it went to. I would not have booed Judd when he made his acceptance speech though. It wasn't his choice, and he did play a pretty good game.

Final Score : Fremantle 12.16-88 beat West Coast 12.11-83

© 2006 timnfromoz timnfromoz@hotmail.com

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