Ross Lyon’s quick fix probably needed to be a bit quicker but Fremantle looked to have bounced back from their recent coma and found some life in their gameplan. They still lost, and they still had a quarter where the flow of opposition goals seemed a challenge to stop. Gunning for a spot on top the ladder, the Crows threw their best at Fremantle and got themselves out to a six goal lead just before half time. But this week, Fremantle were prepared to fire a few shots back, chipping away and taking the lead in the last quarter. Unfortunately they’d burnt themselves out again and fell away dramatically in the last half of the final term, getting done by 29 points.
A great man once wrote 'If you want my love then you have got it and if you need my love then you have got it. I will not hide it. I will not throw your love away.' Cheap Trick may never have heard of Fremantle, nor a hair brush, but they were sentiments that the port club would have been glad to hear sentimented their way after a very long week.
There is a very good reason why the Derby is a game played at such intensity, mostly because of what happens to the losers, and while Ross Lyon may have not appreciated it before hand, he learnt a few lessons in the brutal aftermath of the loss.
He and his team were slammed from pillar to, well not post, they didn't tend to get anywhere near them, but everyone was shouting abuse at them; from the old reliable baggers like Robert Walls to blokes no one had ever heard of on obscure late night cable tv shows. Even Jack Sheedy, who's never had a bad word to say about any team from Fremantle that didn't start with a South, the most one eyed Fremantle bloke going around had pop at them (incidentally, the bloke who took the other eye later found himself blind and with no nose in an unfortunate off the ball incident. To answer your other question - terrible).
Despite the barrage, Ross Lyon put on a brave face. He reckoned he had a cunning plan to turn things around very quickly and that was just enough hope to get a few of the old faithful to put on their purplish coloured clothing and head off to Subiaco ....Read More