Fremantle roll, rock, and stun Saints with a critical victory.
Fremantle scored a significant victory in their quest for a maiden finals participation under Lisa Webb.
Fremantle scored a critical victory in its pursuit for its first finals spot under Lisa Webb, defeating St Kilda by 11 points at RSEA Park.
Freo kicked seven straight behinds in the very defensive game, and free space was limited in the 3.7 (25) to 2.2 (14) victory, with the Saints scoring only one point in the second half.
In a rare display of free-flowing football, Ash Brazill launched a charge out of defence in the last minute of the game, giving Gabby Biedenweg-Webster more than enough time to fumble a goal through to secure the win.
The game started slowly, with both teams defending pretty effectively. St Kilda appeared to be the more threatening team early on, especially when it exploited the broad expanses of RSEA Park to transition to the open side of the stadium, but it was unable to do so effectively.
Nat Exon’s beautiful sidestep and dagger kick opened the scoring, the only goal in the first quarter.
Brazill conceded 10cm to Jesse Wardlaw, but the experienced Freo Docker defender kept things close until the Saints star got a free kick late in the second, giving her club the smallest of leads at halftime.
Wardlaw was sent into the ruck midway through the third quarter, despite the Saints possessing both Emmelie Fielder and Simone Nalder in their 21-man squad, in an attempt to spark anything through the center of the field.
00:21 6 days
Freo go end-to-end to defeat the Saints!
Gabby Biedenweg-Webster scores the last goal to earn the victory!
Fremantle commanded territory in the third period but unable to score. Young Freo tall Ariana Hetherington had three chances to score in the third quarter, but she missed all of them to the right as the visitors edged ahead point by point.
Mim Strom dominated the stoppages, with the competition’s in-form ruck maintaining a continuous presence all over the ground and recording a handful of hard intercept marks.
Jess Low, a Fremantle lockdown defender, made a critical run-down stop on Grace Kelly as she surged towards goal in the fourth quarter, while Sarah Verrier smothered an Ella Friend snap.
Dana East was forced to leave the game before the final siren due to a concussion.
Kik-oh-ak! Tunisha’s standout performance sans Áine
Tunisha Kikoak, a first-year tall player, scored the game’s goal in the second quarter after returning from a shoulder injury. The 180cm Tasmanian avoided Grace Kelly’s outstretched hands before kicking true from 50m. She responded with her second minutes later. Kikoak now has a fantastic opportunity over the next three months to solidify her place in the top 21.
The ascent of Serene Watson
The 22-year-old St Kilda defender was a top 20 draft pick in 2019 and has finally found her groove in her sixth season of sport. Watson had a powerful presence behind the football, reading the ball effectively in defence and maintaining stable hands overhead. She is already averaging 15 touches and three marks this season (up from 10 and 1.6 in 2023), and she led the Saints with 23 touches, eight marks, and 493 metres gained.
Fremantle’s next match is against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Tuesday night, followed by a return flight the next day. St Kilda will meet Adelaide at Norwood Oval on Friday night, its most difficult task yet.
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