Fremantle have earned themselves the chance for a weekend off, securing fourth spot from a plucky Port Adelaide and setting up a thrilling opening final against Swans in a (reasonably) metropolitan stadium. A tight contest saw the two Port teams go goal for goal in the opening half, with just a point separating them at half time but Fremantle produced a stunning third quarter to shut the gate on any hope the Power had of avoiding playing against the dregs of the finals sides. Port threw down the gauntlet to Fremantle at the start of the second half, kicking a couple of goals clear but the Dockers turned on some magic, kicking the next 9 goals and sending shockwaves around the country that Fremantle are coming for that shiny, shiny premiership cup. Hayden Ballantyne landed 4 goals in the second half, with Michael Walters playing second fiddle with a tidy three. Michael Barlow doesn’t appear to need a left thumb and Matthew Pavlich is shortening for the Norm Smith Medal (as Fyfe will probably punch someone in the semi - a particularly painful place to be punched. ).
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It’s a case of last port standing this weekend, with Fremantle and Port Adelaide fighting it out for the much coveted fourth spot double chance/week off...and the love of their supporters. While Fremantle only need the four points to move into fourth spot and most of your football scholars would suggest that they will walk it in, there’s an outside chance that second spot could open up so the Dockers have decide to load up and go for broke. Broke being the operative word, with Michael Barlow coming back from a broken finger which was expected to take a bit longer to heal when 4th spot looked to have been sewn up. Another handy inclusion is former All Australian defender Matthew Pavlich, who has made the switch to centre half forward in recent years. He’s back from a dose of the It’s Just Brisbane Flu and is expected to kick half a dozen goals. Matt deBoer and Garrick Ibbotson have been kind enough to step aside for the two, which is bad luck for them but great news for their indoor soccer team.
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