After The Game With Snaps Truly - Rd 9 V Collingwood

Firstly …

Last Saturday night, thanks to the excellent judgement and democracy endorsing determination of the Australian people, I managed to temporarily expunge the hope crushing disappointment of being a Fremantle Dockers supporter.

And while I was stunned by our St Kilda defeat, the collective Eastern States media pile-on and the relentless and humiliating mockery the team has had to endure, forced me to draw a line in the South Beach sand.

I mean, even Clive Palmer’s Arse Trumpet party sent a text that read “You don’t deserve to work hard all week to come home to St Kilda v Fremantle on FNF. Vote 1 Trumpet for Patriots.”

As it happened Clive didn’t have a leg to stand on. Or after Saturday, a single seat to sit on.

Freo might be duds, but they’re OUR DUDS.

And at some point, we fans needed to lick our wounds and confront the naysayers with the reality we still sit at 4-4, just outside the top 8 with more than half a season to play.
And in the offing? A huge Thursday night clash with Collingwood and the prospect of that great footy media cliché REDEMPTION – and who amongst us hadn’t imagined THE RESPONSE?

Longmuir SPITTING FIRE in his pre-match address. Patrick Voss dumping Maynard ON HIS ARSE before the opening bounce. Even though he didn’t play. Treacy taking THREE FIRST QUARTER CLUNKERS, grabbing Darcy Moore’s Alice band and REFUSING to give it back.

SO MANY GOALS as Bolton, Dudley Do Right and Switta run amok. Steele Sidebottom, befuddled by a tough tag, takes off his jumper and RETIRES IN TEARS at half time, never to return.

Freo wins by 85 points and Justin Longmuir in the post-match press conference rips off his polo and BEATS HIS CHEST WITH HIS FISTS, before BITING THE HEAD OFF A LIVE CHICKEN (which all present concede) is probably going too far.

“Any more questions,” he asks wiping the blood from his mouth. “Anyone want some chicken?”

His grin is frankly TERRIFYING.

And that was THE RESPONSE I was expecting on Thursday night.

No-one was going to call us a HOPELESS JOKE.

And we weren’t hopeless. Freo opened brightly with a couple of fine Josh Treacy goals. We showed plenty of endeavour and commitment to getting the footy. What we did with it, was an altogether different story.

Too often the ball movement was slow. Too often it was sloppy. Too often Matt Johnson needed to make a good decision.

AND TOO OFTEN HE DIDN’T.

But he wasn’t alone.

Freo dominated the centre clearances and Brayshaw, Serong and Bolton often won first use. We just didn’t win best use.

Freo also dominated the inside 50’s 62-34. But those numbers only tell a now tediously familiar WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN story.

62 forward thrusts produced just 12 goals. When we banged it in long and high, the Pies easily swept it away. Collingwood kicked 15 goals from their 34 inside 50 entries. They were composed and efficient and they also had Jamie Elliott, who finished with a career equalling six.

The visitors ran out 14-point winners. And let’s be under no illusion, they were nowhere near full strength. The scoreline flattered to deceive. As Freo does.

Truth is, Justin Longmuir failed to embrace my version of THE RESPONSE and rarely did Freo unleash CAPITAL LETTER WORTHY footy.

When I looked across at my daughter in the latter stages of the last quarter as Freo kicked three in a row to give themselves some kind of a chance, I didn’t see hope, I saw resignation.

She knew what was about to happen.

And it did.

Because it does. Again and again.

SACK THE COACH.

OR DON’T.

BUT DO SOMETHING!

Yours (trying not to shout in capitals)

Snaps Truly

* By our multi-talented and amazingly insightful footy scribe, SNAPS TRULY. Snaps has seen and done it all. He may or may not have been a fringe player at Fremantle. Don’t miss Snaps’ report after each Freo Dockers match here on the Shipping News throughout the 2025 season.

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