Dockers put Roos to the sword

Fremantle joined Geelong at the top of the AFL table with a record 61-point victory
over North Melbourne at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.
The Dockers lost Michael Barlow to a hamstring strain before the bounce but his
absence was barely felt as the home side cruised to the 21.13 (139) to 11.12 (78)
win, blowing the contest apart with a club-record 10.4 third quarter.
It was Fremantle's biggest ever win over North Melbourne, bettering the 53-point
victory achieved in 2008.
However, Fremantle defender Chris Tarrant could come under some scrutiny for his
role in a third-quarter melee after his late bump flattened Roos midfielder Andrew
Swallow.
Dockers utility Kepler Bradley continued his rich run of form with four goals, while
David Mundy, Hayden Ballantyne (two goals), Nick Suban, Antoni Grover, Tarrant, Nat
Fyfe (three goals) and Ryan Crowley were also excellent.
Matthew Pavlich had a quiet afternoon yet still finished with four goals and Dockers
tagger Jay van Berlo played his best game for the club, restricting Brent Harvey,
who injured his elbow in the third term, to just 10 possessions.
Lindsay Thomas booted 5.5 for the Roos but the visitors lacked any real
match-winners and simply couldn't match Fremantle's intensity for all four quarters.
Fremantle were a class above North Melbourne in the opening term, with their
ferocious tackling and quick ball movement earning them a 28-point lead by the first
break.
Bradley was prominent with two goals as the Dockers' on-ball brigade took control.
North Melbourne's tall forwards had little impact in the opening half but goalsneak
Thomas ensured the Roos stayed in the contest with three first-half goals as the
Dockers took a 29-point lead into the long break.
The Roos were simply embarrassed in the third quarter, reduced to a role of damage
control as the Dockers ran absolutely rampant.
The lead ballooned to 78 points late in the third term after the Dockers slammed
through nine unanswered goals during a blistering 22-minute period, sending the
36,175 fans on hand into raptures.
The Dockers' eighth win of the season lifts them equal on points with the
ladder-leading Cats and a game clear of Collingwood and St Kilda ahead of next
Saturday's away clash with Adelaide.
North Melbourne, who suffered a 70-point defeat to the Bulldogs last week, tackle
Brisbane at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.



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