After The Game With Snaps Truly - Rd 14 2025 V North Melbourne

Frankly, it was discombobulating.

We were sitting in our usual seats at Optus Stadium, but something was very different.

Blue and white digital kangaroos bounced menacingly across the grandstand screens. Unfamiliar voices were celebrating unfamiliar players as if I should cheer them on.

And pockets of the crowd were doing a strange hopping dance.

Truth is, I felt like a stranger in my own land. It was a land under occupation by another football club.

And like members of an invading army, the first ones to arrive were vengeful and stupid. Behind us a couple of drunken Arden Street windbags said hello by hurling abuse at Freo players and invited those of us who objected to their bad language to come and see them next Tuesday.

A steward was called. He spent 15 minutes trying to reason with them before burly blokes in black suits and wires dangling from their ears, escorted them out to the street.

This wasn’t normal for a Fremantle game. We are normally surrounded by the kind and likeminded. Suddenly we were on the set of Wake in Fright, but at the footy. And on a wet night.

As you might sense, I had been a bit anxious ahead of this one.

What if The Cardboard Tarzan Jack Darling, marked his return to WA by kicking five goals, including the matchwinner on the siren?

What if former Docker and thoroughly likeable Griffin Logue chose tonight to tear Josh Treacy’s head from his body?

What if the brave Shinboners decided that tonight they would stop losing the close ones and win this one?

After all, they were playing Freo.

Within minutes, the visitors – or do I have to say, the home team – had a couple of goals on the board. Luke Davies-Uniacke got the first and Zac Fisher followed.

Pat Voss, who would prove to be Freo’s most effective forward on the night, kicked the Docker’s first, but North went further ahead through Sheezel.

It was only when Shai Bolton danced delicately around a mob of kangaroo defenders to kick a superb goal that I began to settle down.

Reassured to have recognised something familiar and brilliant and ours.

Josh Treacy had the chance to give Freo the lead at quarter time, but he missed. He would miss all night. And while his goalkicking form has deserted him, his marking at both ends of the ground was superb and would prove to be a match saver later on.

North were just in front, but statistically and indeed they would hold this advantage for the entire match – they were in charge everywhere that mattered – they won clearances, they won stoppages and their forwards laid huge tackles to create unrelenting pressure on the Freo backline.

And yet it was the Dockers who effectively won the match with a stunning four goals in five minutes late in the second term. When the rain was falling and the ball was at its greasiest.

It was incredible.

First it was Jackson.

Then Amiss and Voss and Murphy combined in a three-man weave training drill to kick another, before Wagner provided the run for Voss to pick up at the spill and kick his second.

I do like watching Corey Wagner play. He can tag a dangerous opponent and he can also run free to advantage. Moments later he banged through one of his own from just inside 50.

When Voss the Prancing Pony scored again, Freo was suddenly 21 points clear on a very rainy, soggy Saturday night.

It had seemingly come from nowhere. And sadly, would not be seen again.

In the second half, goals were hard to find and after a slog, it was Sam Switkowski, the recipient of a 50-metre penalty who kicked Freo’s first.

Not to be shaken off yet, Luke Parker gave the Kangaroos some hope and as I had feared, so too did The Cardboard Tarzan who kicked a long goal right on the siren.

The Kangaroos were playing better footy than Freo, but turning for home, could they close the 22-point margin?

They kicked the first of the last.

The second of the last.

The third of the last.

The fourth of the last.

But they did not kick the last of the last.

We did.

So there.

Thank you, Luke Jackson.

But with only moments left, the Kangaroos went forward again. And here was Josh Treacy – doing his best Leo Barry – running into a pack of Kangaroo forwards and grabbing a brilliant match saving mark.

That he then put the next kick out on the full, was a reminder of what a dour struggle this had been.

The siren sounded. Freo, the winners by six points and safely in the eight ahead of a Thursday night match against Essendon.

As we walked towards the exits, sodden but grateful for the four points, a huddle of us agreed, it’s always good to win a tight one away from home.

Your Truly,

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.

~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

~ WHILE YOU’RE HERE –