‘Escort him into to bus': Fans enraged by Fremantle star's brash celebration

News.com.au

4 days ago

Alex Pearce kicked a stunning last-minute goal as fast-finishing Fremantle mustered another nail-biting comeback, the Dockers surviving a huge scare from brave Port Adelaide to score a six-point win that might just be the difference in their chase for a top-four finish.
After failing to kick a goal in a listless first quarter, the Power trailed by 25 points, but summoned a barnstorming eight-goal second-quarter fightback.
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Ken Hinkley's men held an eight-point lead going into a tense final term
With just nine minutes remaining, Patrick Voss appeared to be robbed of a clear mark that was adjudged touched, but he shook off his disappointment seconds later to give his side back the lead with his third goal, the Dockers forward shushing and waving to dismayed Port fans.
You can watch the incident in the video at the top of the page
With two minutes left on the clock, retiring great Travis Boak found Connor Rozee on a short lead into a pocket.
The cramping Power skipper put Port up by a point, but more high drama was to come.
A rushed behind tied the game up, but Pearce sailed in from the side to take a clutch mark inside the last minute, the Fremantle skipper kicking truly from 30m out to snatch a victory that moved the Dockers to a 15-6 record.
After the match, Caleb Serong gave Voss a swipe over his shushing celebration with the match still in the balance.
'I don't know about the wave, only a point up and still a few minutes left, he can put that one away I think,' Serong told Fox Footy.
Meanwhile Pearce joked that Voss could be a target for Port fans after his brash celebration.
'Hopefully we can just escort him into the bus and hotel without the Port fans getting into him,' Pearce said.
'He's good for footy, he's a bloke that you love playing with. He brings so much passion and energy and he's good for the game.
'He's probably a bit like (Hayden) Ballantyne to be honest ... most people that don't go for Freo want to punch him, but we all want to kiss him.'
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir admitted to mixed emotions after skipper Alex Pearce kicked a last-minute goal against Port Adelaide to propel the Dockers to another stunning comeback win that edged his side closer to a top-four finish.
Longmuir's men conceded eight goals in the second quarter and trailed the Power by eight points at three-quarter time at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, but went on to beat the Power at the venue for the first time to improve to a 15-6 record.
The result made it 11 wins from 12 matches, with Fremantle coming from behind at three-quarter time in five of those games to secure victory.
'We're making a habit of doing that,' Longmuir said.
'It's mixed emotions because I'm really proud of the way we fought it out, really proud of the way we adapted to the way the game was played and what the game needed.
'But we probably had our worst 15 or 20 minutes of footy we've played for a long time in that second quarter, to concede eight goals in a quarter.
'And it was just the way we were conceding them, and the speed at which they got on top and started kicking goals, it was unacceptable clearly.
'But we just stuck at it.
'We've found it hard to beat Port here, obviously, it's our first time beating them here, so to come out on top … we made it hard on ourselves that second quarter, but in the end, all we had to do was win, and we got it done.'
Pearce played his first game in a month when he led his side out against Port, and just his second match since Round 12 as he struggled to overcome a hotspot in a shin.
Longmuir paid tribute to his captain's work rate and revealed his run from fullback to pull off a pivotal mark 30m out from goal was no spur-of-the-moment roll of the dice move by Pearce.
'It wasn't really a gamble, that's a set play for us where one of our talk backs goes forward,' the coach said.
'We like to do it a bit more in general play, rather than setting up at centre bounce like that, you try and get a mismatch, and he had a mismatch.
'It's still an incredible mark, I'm really proud of him for that moment, but that moment is a sign of how hard he's worked in rehab to be able to still have that run in his legs to get forward and launch at a ball like that.
'Credit to the way he's handled the last six weeks, and it was a nice moment, one that was well-needed.'
BOLTON BLITZ
Shai Bolton gave the visitors the start they needed when he sharked a forward 50 stoppage and snapped brilliantly, and the former Richmond premiership star soon added another when Luke Jackson forced an errant handball from Jackson Mead.
Playing predominantly as a giant midfielder, Jackson was instrumental in a dominant first quarter.
The towering big man led all comers at the first break with 11 possessions, two inside 50 and two score assists.
The Dockers smashed the Power at the stoppages, winning clearances 13-4, with Caleb Serong and Jaeger O'Meara each with three.
Coming off 98 and 88-point thumpings, the situation looked dire for the home side that didn't record a goal in the first quarter for the second time this season to trail by 25 points at the first break.
BUTTERS BLAST
They say unusual things can happen during a full moon, which might help explain a second quarter to remember at Adelaide Oval.
After being borderline uncompetitive at times in the first quarter, Hinkley's men roared to life, recording their highest-scoring quarter for the season with 8.1 to lead by two points at halftime.
Zak Butters was the catalyst with 11 touches, four clearances, and three inside 50s for the term.
After struggling so mightily in front of goal, the Power blasted through three goals in three minutes, with two coming from the boot of Mitch Georgiades.
Georgiades also provided a stunning highlight when he rose high above a pack on the wing to pull down a magnificent mark of the year contender.
Jack Lukosius gave the crowd a brilliant goal of the year contender when he knocked the ball behind him, evaded Heath Chapman, sent Bailey Banfield the wrong way, then turned and slotted a breathtaking goal off the side of his right boot.
Perhaps the most unusual occurrence in a quarter of high entertainment was a goal to Aliir Aliir.
In his 112th game for Port Adelaide, the star defender had never kicked a goal, but he was mobbed by jubilant teammates after he guided his set shot through after being awarded a 50m penalty.
MAGNIFICENT MURPHY
Fremantle's finals chances were on dangerous ground when the Power booted the first two goals of the third quarter, including a beauty by Joe Berry from a tight angle.
The Dockers managed to put the brakes on Port's scoring, but could only muster two goals themselves, both coming off the boot of Murphy Reid.
His first was a neat set shot from a tight angle, but his second was right from the top shelf.
Gathering a loose ball tight deep in a pocket on the wrong side for a right-footer, the young star turned for goal precious little space to work with bounced through a stunning major.