Hawthorn completes stunning upset over Fremantle in Perth qualifying final to secure home prelim
Hawthorn will host an MCG preliminary final after an upset 32-point win over minor premier Fremantle in Perth.
asserted
Hawthorn → complete → Perth
The Hawks were methodical and ruthless in their ambush of the minor premiers, who were rendered toothless as Hawthorn completed a 10.12 (72) to 5.10 (40) win.
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Hawthorn → render → win
Fremantle, clearly the dominant side throughout the home and away season, froze under the bright lights as many key players had poor games in the face of manic Hawthorn pressure.
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players → freeze → pressure
The Hawks will now enjoy a week off before hosting a preliminary final at the MCG, while the Dockers will face either Geelong or Carlton in Perth in a bid to avoid a shock straight sets exit.
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Dockers → enjoy → exit
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That's where we'll leave it
That's all we have for you tonight.
It was a fierce final of footy, but when it came down to the team with the answers, it was the same one every time - and it wasn't the minor premiers.
It's not over, but Fremantle's season is on the brink.
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season → follow → brink
In four quarters of football they have thrown away their hard-earned advantage, and the road to the grand final no longer goes through the west.
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road → throw → west
Hawthorn will have to be close to favourites now, with a hugely significant win, a week off, and a wait to find out their opponents in a prelim final.
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Hawthorn → have → final
We will be back tomorrow night when we will find out who Fremantle's next opponent will be, as Geelong and Carlton meet at the MCG in the first Elimination Final.
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Geelong → find → Final
Join us again then, but for now this is Andrew McGarry, on behalf of Dean Bilton, thanking you for reading along with us, and wishing you a very good night.
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this → join → night
Key Event
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell says James Sicily and Jai Newcombe had the "important moments" in win over Dockers
Sam Mitchell has spoken to Channel Seven after the game and he was naturally happy with his team's response whenever challenged and some incredible efforts from key players.
"They (Fremantle) tried to get through the corridor a lot and we just were able to force enough errors.
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we → say → errors
And when you force the errors, it gives you opportunity," the Hawthorn coach said.
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coach → force → opportunity
"You know that they're (Freo) a second half team.
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they → know → ?
You know that they're going to be driven.
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they → know → ?
And so every time they got a goal, we managed to get the next one.
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we → get → one
And that's so important when you play interstate and when you play here against, you know, the purple crowd was pretty significant.
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you → play → crowd
And I thought the boys handled it really well."
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boys → think → it
The Hawks coach was delighted with the brilliant game from Hawthorn skipper James Sicily and co-captain Jai Newcombe.
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coach → delight → Sicily
So we spend a fair bit of time together.
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we → spend → time
And I thought him and Jai (Newcombe) as the two captains, they just stood up and they just in big moments ...
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they → think → moments
"Statistically, I don't know how good they were, but I just thought they had real important moments of the game where they produced what matters.
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what → know → game
"And that's what wins, not necessarily what hits a score sheet or a stat sheet.
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what → win → sheet
Coach Justin Longmuir says Dockers inefficiency and Hawks pressure made the difference
A subdued but calm Justin Longmuir has faced reporters after a bad loss for the Dockers.
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Longmuir → say → Dockers
He pointed to the Hawks' pressure, and the turnovers that killed Freo.
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that → point → Freo
"We had 20 back half turnovers in the first half - normally we keep sides to that in a game," he said.
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he → have → game
"That's where the damage was done."
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damage → do → ?
On the attacking side, he was frustrated with the flood of inside 50s (57 to Hawthorn's 51) that only resulted in five goals for the game.
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that → frustrate → game
"It's not us," he said.
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he → say → ?
The questions turned into the pressure on the Dockers not to go out in straight sets after such a huge season.
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questions → turn → season
"We've got to lean into each other as a group, and find our best footy for next week," he said.
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he → get → week
"We're not dead and buried."
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We → bury → ?
Match report: Wizard dazzles as Hawks stun Dockers in Perth boilover
The Hawks kicked six goals to one in a dominant first half in Thursday night's clash to set up the 10.12 (72) to 5.10 (40) win and secure a home preliminary final.
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Hawks → dazzle → final
Fremantle, who had been a perfect 12-0 at Perth Stadium this season, will now confront either Carlton or Geelong in a cut-throat semi-final in Perth next week.
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who → confront → Perth
The Dockers were a dominant force during the home-and-away season, stringing together a 14-game winning streak at one stage on the way to a league-best 19-4 record.
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Dockers → string → record
But the minor premiers looked overawed in the finals cauldron on Thursday night in front of 59,446 fans — Fremantle's largest ever home crowd.
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premiers → look → fans
Fremantle's first-half return of 1.4 (10) was their lowest such score in a final, even worse than the 1.6 (12) they kicked across the opening two quarters of their 2013 grand final loss to the Hawks.
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they → kick → Hawks
The Dockers will now have to win their semi-final and then an away preliminary final in order to make their first grand final since 2013.
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Dockers → have → 2013
Sicily, Tom Barrass and Josh Battle were rocks in defence, keeping Jye Amiss, Josh Treacy and Patrick Voss to two goals and 19 disposals between the three of them.
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Barrass → keep → them
Treacy's first kick of the game — a set-shot goal — only arrived with five minutes remaining in the match.
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kick → set → match
Hawks veteran Jack Gunston kicked two clutch goals in the first-half onslaught, while Dylan Moore chipped in with two majors.
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Moore → kick → majors
Watson was a human highlights reel at times on the way to two goals from 19 disposals.
"The belief in the group's outstanding," Watson told Fox Sports after the match.
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Watson → tell → match
…and 67 more, not listed.
