Concussed, bleeding and slightly hungover from a big night out at the Northam trots, Hayden Ballantyne kicked what is conservatively being described as the greatest goal kicked in a game of Australian Rules Football to pull Fremantle out of the proverbial crap hole and put them up by a solitary point in the dying seconds to beat the Tigers and send yet another Riewoldt home in tears.
It was a magnificent end to a game that covered the full spectrum of football skills from sensational goals off the boundary line to one metre handballs that missed their target. Fremantle started the game looking like a team who were in for a long, humiliating night as the Tigers seemed to be able to kick goals at will while the Dockers didn’t even seem able to kick.
Luckily Fremantle kicked into gear in the second quarter, pegged back the difference and settled in to a tough contest for the night. When the last quarter came around, Fremantle edged ahead and the crowd prepared for a handy but comfortable win. Unfortunately the Richmond players had a bit more fight than in previous years though and took back the lead with some very tidy kicking for goals.
Fremantle looked done. Time was running out. People were looking to the exits. Then The Mayor of Mandurah donned his ceremonial robes, popped up out of a pack of players ran onto the footy and drilled the goal. The crowd went spastic and Fremantle held on to take the 4 points.
