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Docker shocker another lesson learned

By Mr Dandalooa

Shocking. Devastating. Embarrassing. Pathetic.

These words and others not suitable to publish on this website spring to mind when I describe Fremantle’s humiliating flogging from Adelaide Crows over the weekend.

A ferocious Adelaide team progressed their way up the ladder to destroy an undermanned and inept Dockers team 19.16 (130) to 1.7 (13).

It was the seventh straight win for the Crows and the eighth defeat in a row for the Dockers.

It was Fremantle’s lowest score in their history, beating another ugly final score of 3.7 (25) compiled against the Cats in round in 2004.

The 117-point deficit equalled a 2000 demolishing by West Coast as their worst loss.

By half-time, Fremantle had only managed to put 0.1 (1) on the board.

Only Fitzroy in 1995 managed to trump that mediocre effort when they went scoreless against Essendon in round one 1995. 

But, the Dockers were without many of their big names and many of their big players.

The absence of ruckman Aaron Sandilands was felt early on in the game.

To Adelaide’s credit, the Crows were solid and looked in form, garnering much of the possessions in the game and Fremantle appeared to be outclassed in every aspect of the game.

The 68-point half-time margin confirmed this and despite some poor decisions and kicking in the third-quarter by the Crows, the final term saw another tidal wave of Adelaide goals against a tired and stunned Dockers team.

Yet Dockers coach Mark Harvey does not think or rank the humiliating loss amongst Fremantle’s darkest and has said that the number of players missing through injury were to blame.

He said “we’re a learning team”.

A learning team? One would think that having been in the league for as long as Fremantle have, they would have learned a lot by now.

I guess the biggest lesson learnt has been being gracious in defeat.