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Harvey's Wallbangers
Harvey's Wallbangers
Mark Stevens | May 21, 2008 12:00am
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YOU could call it the horrendous hat-trick.
Fremantle claimed an unwanted slice of history on Sunday when it blew an 18-point three-quarter time lead against the Western Bulldogs.
The Dockers became the first team since Essendon in 1980 to lose three successive games after leading at the last change.
Yes, you read it right. The last time it happened, Barry Davis was coaching at Windy Hill and Kevin Sheedy was still at Richmond, as a skills coach in his first year off the field.
The Bombers' sad run started in Round 13, when they lost to the Tigers by 10 points after leading by five at the last break.
In Round 14, they squandered a 20-point lead against the Saints at Waverley to lose by five.
At Victoria Park a week later, a 15-point buffer turned into a four-point heart-breaker against the Pies.
It had not happened again until Mark Harvey's Dockers came along.
The gap is understandable given that, through league history, 85 per cent of teams leading at the last change have saluted.
Despite the unpredictable nature of the modern game, if you're behind, you generally stay there.
But Fremantle is bucking the theory. On Sunday, the 18-point lead became a three-point loss.
Against Melbourne at the MCG, they led by 32 points at three-quarter time and lost by six.
In Round 6, they gave up a 25-point lead at the last break against Geelong to lose by one. If it loses after being in front at the last change against the Blues this weekend, Fremantle will be only the second side to do it four times in a row.
St Kilda holds the record, managing the feat in Rounds 8-11, 1940.
For so long, Fremantle has been the "big tease". On Sunday, we witnessed the "big freeze".
From the 13-minute mark of the final term, when Matthew Pavlich drilled a goal to put the Dockers' lead back at 18 points, Freo did not have one forward-50 entry.
In that time, the Dogs had 11. If Brad Johnson had not been off target the Dockers would have lost by three goals, not three points.
Unbelievably, Fremantle had one stat forward of the centre in the final 12 minutes. It came with six minutes to go when Pavlich managed a dribbling kick off the ground.
We're talking not one single effective stat within 90m of goal.
Fremantle spent a lot of time going sideways, trapped across half-back.
It was as if no one down the ground was brave enough to present for fear of making the mistake that slammed the lid shut on the club's season.
The Dogs had the luxury of a settled group of players in the middle-age bracket.
Three years ago, they would have stumbled and made shaky decisions. In the final 10 minutes, they barely made a blunder.
That is what sets the good sides apart. It is why Richmond is still struggling to play out games in tight finishes. The Tigers are two to three years behind the Dogs.
The Tigers should have beaten the Dogs and St Kilda. If the siren had blown 20 minutes into the final term, they would have won both.
On a "What If Ladder" compiled by Champion Data, under the parameter of stopping the clock 20 minutes into the final term of every game, the Tigers would be in the top eight with a 4-4 record.
The Dogs, the new masters of the tight finish after storming home against Adelaide, Richmond and Fremantle, would have a 5-3 record and be fifth.
If Harvey had been able to smash the big red button 20 minutes into the last term each week, his side would have a respectable 3-5 record.
Pavlich remains convinced the Dockers' problem is not above the shoulders. You have to be choking.
Harvey's Wallbangers
Mark Stevens | May 21, 2008 12:00am
Have your say!Add your comments or read what others are saying
* Email article
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YOU could call it the horrendous hat-trick.
Fremantle claimed an unwanted slice of history on Sunday when it blew an 18-point three-quarter time lead against the Western Bulldogs.
The Dockers became the first team since Essendon in 1980 to lose three successive games after leading at the last change.
Yes, you read it right. The last time it happened, Barry Davis was coaching at Windy Hill and Kevin Sheedy was still at Richmond, as a skills coach in his first year off the field.
The Bombers' sad run started in Round 13, when they lost to the Tigers by 10 points after leading by five at the last break.
In Round 14, they squandered a 20-point lead against the Saints at Waverley to lose by five.
At Victoria Park a week later, a 15-point buffer turned into a four-point heart-breaker against the Pies.
It had not happened again until Mark Harvey's Dockers came along.
The gap is understandable given that, through league history, 85 per cent of teams leading at the last change have saluted.
Despite the unpredictable nature of the modern game, if you're behind, you generally stay there.
But Fremantle is bucking the theory. On Sunday, the 18-point lead became a three-point loss.
Against Melbourne at the MCG, they led by 32 points at three-quarter time and lost by six.
In Round 6, they gave up a 25-point lead at the last break against Geelong to lose by one. If it loses after being in front at the last change against the Blues this weekend, Fremantle will be only the second side to do it four times in a row.
St Kilda holds the record, managing the feat in Rounds 8-11, 1940.
For so long, Fremantle has been the "big tease". On Sunday, we witnessed the "big freeze".
From the 13-minute mark of the final term, when Matthew Pavlich drilled a goal to put the Dockers' lead back at 18 points, Freo did not have one forward-50 entry.
In that time, the Dogs had 11. If Brad Johnson had not been off target the Dockers would have lost by three goals, not three points.
Unbelievably, Fremantle had one stat forward of the centre in the final 12 minutes. It came with six minutes to go when Pavlich managed a dribbling kick off the ground.
We're talking not one single effective stat within 90m of goal.
Fremantle spent a lot of time going sideways, trapped across half-back.
It was as if no one down the ground was brave enough to present for fear of making the mistake that slammed the lid shut on the club's season.
The Dogs had the luxury of a settled group of players in the middle-age bracket.
Three years ago, they would have stumbled and made shaky decisions. In the final 10 minutes, they barely made a blunder.
That is what sets the good sides apart. It is why Richmond is still struggling to play out games in tight finishes. The Tigers are two to three years behind the Dogs.
The Tigers should have beaten the Dogs and St Kilda. If the siren had blown 20 minutes into the final term, they would have won both.
On a "What If Ladder" compiled by Champion Data, under the parameter of stopping the clock 20 minutes into the final term of every game, the Tigers would be in the top eight with a 4-4 record.
The Dogs, the new masters of the tight finish after storming home against Adelaide, Richmond and Fremantle, would have a 5-3 record and be fifth.
If Harvey had been able to smash the big red button 20 minutes into the last term each week, his side would have a respectable 3-5 record.
Pavlich remains convinced the Dockers' problem is not above the shoulders. You have to be choking.
.