‘Can't help but feel frustrated': Collingwood lament back-to-back single-digit defeats
Collingwood will go to work on their inside-50 efficiency after wasting a career-best day from Nick Daicos to suffer a one-point defeat to an inspired Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday.
A late Josh Treacy mark deep in defence secured the Dockers a thrilling and crucial win that handed Craig McRae's Magpies back-to-back single-digit defeats despite having 23 more inside 50s and winning the contest possession tally by 20.
Fremantle kicked the last four goals of the game, including ex-Bomber Patrick Voss' personal-best sixth, to steal a road victory after trailing ladder-leading Collingwood by 22 points early in the final quarter. The Pies also laid an extraordinary 35 tackles inside 50 to the Dockers' nine.
'You talk about all the numbers – inside 50s and contested possession, and all this stuff – [but] it just didn't feel like we connected that well this week again,' McRae said.
'But it's one of those hard games where you dominate so much of the territory, you're winning it back, and you go into such density, so it makes it really hard to score. But I can't help but feel frustrated in that game because you feel like you've done so much right, and then you don't get the nourishment of a win.
'There are many layers to it. Our connection inside 50 wasn't at the level it has been, but also, we thought we did enough right to get the job done today.'
Former Docker Lachie Schultz had the last opportunity for Collingwood with barely 10 seconds left, but his desperation snap landed in Treacy's lap in front of 62,198 fans.
Jamie Elliott, who has a reputation for late-game goalkicking heroics, also missed a set shot inside the last three minutes that levelled the scores before a Shai Bolton behind – after Jack Crisp conceded a high-contact free kick – gave Fremantle the lead for good inside the last two minutes.
The Dockers are now only percentage outside the top four after starting the season with five losses in the first nine rounds.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


West Australian
7 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers defender Brennan Cox is flying blind after never playing on West Coast's young key forwards
Fremantle defender Brennan Cox's derby preparations have gone down an unconventional path with the experienced backman having to thoroughly research all of West Coast's key forwards due to the changes at the Eagles this season. The Eagles have named Jobe Shanahan and Archer Reid as their main key forwards to take on the Dockers, which is vastly different to what Cox has usually experienced in derbies when Oscar Allen, Jake Waterman, Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy were the club's obvious focal points. Shanahan is making his derby debut in his fifth AFL game while Reid has come back into the team for the first time since round 13 and will be playing his 12th match. Cox usually has detailed knowledge of his opponent which has been built up through repeated clashes. He said Saturday would pose a totally different type of challenge. 'I haven't played on any of their tall forwards so I'll watch a bit of vision and see what their little tricks are and what they like to do. It'll be interesting,' he said. 'You obviously do learn a bit (during games). Whoever you play on you always keep a little memory of how they went about it, what they didn't like and what they tried to do. It'll be new but it'll be exciting. I'm looking forward to it.' Cox has already had to make plenty of adjustments this season after moving to full-back when captain Alex Pearce's leg injury forced him out of the team. The South Australian has been influential as an intercept marker during his career, but assistant coach Jade Rawlings asked Cox to switch his focus to locking down on the opposition's most damaging key forward. 'It can be a bit nerve-racking playing closer to goal but I enjoy the challenge of coming up on the best forwards in the game and playing deeper. You hope there's heaps of pressure on the ball and they don't get too many looks,' Cox said. 'I'm happy with how I've played. It's been a bit different to other years where we've had Pearcey playing and i was on the second key forward. With him going down and since Twig (Rawlings) came in, he's trusted me with those key roles. 'I wasn't playing with a whole lot of body but since he's come in I've tried to play with more body and make it a really hard day for the forward. Now that I've adjusted to that I'm trying to find the balance between running, jumping and spoiling.'


The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Eagles back $20-million man Reid to handle the hype
The numbers are eye-watering, but West Coast coach Andrew McQualter is confident Harley Reid won't feel a burden upon becoming the highest-paid player in the AFL. Reid's contract status has hit the headlines again this week after his manager Nick Gieschen flew to Perth to have further talks with the Eagles. They have tabled a number of different-length deals to Reid, whose current contract runs out at the end of 2026. One is reportedly worth in the vicinity of $24 million over 11 years, with Victorian clubs also willing to offer long-term deals in excess of $2 million a season. Reid is already one of the most talked about players in the league, but can the 20-year-old Victorian handle being the highest paid? When the $20 million-plus figure was put to McQualter, the first-year coach was quick to compare it to how much he himself was paid during his final season as a player in 2012. "My 45,000 on the Gold Coast," McQualter quipped with a laugh. When asked about the burden of Reid becoming the highest-paid player in the league, McQualter said the pressure came from being the best, rather than the money being earned. "For me, I'll take the contract out of it, because I think it's irrelevant," McQualter said. "It's when you're one of the best players in the competition - there's a burden that comes with it, and that's for anyone. "That's what comes with being a great player in our competition, and it's the skill of being able to cope with that. "We train that from a mental perspective. It's challenging, but the best players embrace it, and they go about their business, which I'm sure Harley will be one of those." Reid will be the centre of attention yet again when he lines up in Saturday's western derby against Fremantle. The star midfielder has hit top form in recent weeks, and his performance in the round six derby last year will still be front of mind for Fremantle fans. Reid tallied 19 disposals, seven clearances and three goals to lead the Eagles to an upset 37-point win, and Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said he's well aware of the "threat". "He's a good player. He's one of the most exciting, promising young players in the comp," Longmuir said. Given it's a Fremantle home game, Reid is set to cop plenty of boos. Reid has a tendency to get caught up in battles with rival players or the crowd, but he showed a great deal of restraint and maturity during last week's 49-point loss to Richmond. "I think he certainly embraces it," McQualter said of the booing. "It's a lot for a young man to have that attention, but he seems to cope with it pretty well, and he's getting better. "Last week, when he got thrown into a security guard, he just went and gave a fist bump to the security guard and moved on, which was pleasing to see." The numbers are eye-watering, but West Coast coach Andrew McQualter is confident Harley Reid won't feel a burden upon becoming the highest-paid player in the AFL. Reid's contract status has hit the headlines again this week after his manager Nick Gieschen flew to Perth to have further talks with the Eagles. They have tabled a number of different-length deals to Reid, whose current contract runs out at the end of 2026. One is reportedly worth in the vicinity of $24 million over 11 years, with Victorian clubs also willing to offer long-term deals in excess of $2 million a season. Reid is already one of the most talked about players in the league, but can the 20-year-old Victorian handle being the highest paid? When the $20 million-plus figure was put to McQualter, the first-year coach was quick to compare it to how much he himself was paid during his final season as a player in 2012. "My 45,000 on the Gold Coast," McQualter quipped with a laugh. When asked about the burden of Reid becoming the highest-paid player in the league, McQualter said the pressure came from being the best, rather than the money being earned. "For me, I'll take the contract out of it, because I think it's irrelevant," McQualter said. "It's when you're one of the best players in the competition - there's a burden that comes with it, and that's for anyone. "That's what comes with being a great player in our competition, and it's the skill of being able to cope with that. "We train that from a mental perspective. It's challenging, but the best players embrace it, and they go about their business, which I'm sure Harley will be one of those." Reid will be the centre of attention yet again when he lines up in Saturday's western derby against Fremantle. The star midfielder has hit top form in recent weeks, and his performance in the round six derby last year will still be front of mind for Fremantle fans. Reid tallied 19 disposals, seven clearances and three goals to lead the Eagles to an upset 37-point win, and Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said he's well aware of the "threat". "He's a good player. He's one of the most exciting, promising young players in the comp," Longmuir said. Given it's a Fremantle home game, Reid is set to cop plenty of boos. Reid has a tendency to get caught up in battles with rival players or the crowd, but he showed a great deal of restraint and maturity during last week's 49-point loss to Richmond. "I think he certainly embraces it," McQualter said of the booing. "It's a lot for a young man to have that attention, but he seems to cope with it pretty well, and he's getting better. "Last week, when he got thrown into a security guard, he just went and gave a fist bump to the security guard and moved on, which was pleasing to see." The numbers are eye-watering, but West Coast coach Andrew McQualter is confident Harley Reid won't feel a burden upon becoming the highest-paid player in the AFL. Reid's contract status has hit the headlines again this week after his manager Nick Gieschen flew to Perth to have further talks with the Eagles. They have tabled a number of different-length deals to Reid, whose current contract runs out at the end of 2026. One is reportedly worth in the vicinity of $24 million over 11 years, with Victorian clubs also willing to offer long-term deals in excess of $2 million a season. Reid is already one of the most talked about players in the league, but can the 20-year-old Victorian handle being the highest paid? When the $20 million-plus figure was put to McQualter, the first-year coach was quick to compare it to how much he himself was paid during his final season as a player in 2012. "My 45,000 on the Gold Coast," McQualter quipped with a laugh. When asked about the burden of Reid becoming the highest-paid player in the league, McQualter said the pressure came from being the best, rather than the money being earned. "For me, I'll take the contract out of it, because I think it's irrelevant," McQualter said. "It's when you're one of the best players in the competition - there's a burden that comes with it, and that's for anyone. "That's what comes with being a great player in our competition, and it's the skill of being able to cope with that. "We train that from a mental perspective. It's challenging, but the best players embrace it, and they go about their business, which I'm sure Harley will be one of those." Reid will be the centre of attention yet again when he lines up in Saturday's western derby against Fremantle. The star midfielder has hit top form in recent weeks, and his performance in the round six derby last year will still be front of mind for Fremantle fans. Reid tallied 19 disposals, seven clearances and three goals to lead the Eagles to an upset 37-point win, and Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said he's well aware of the "threat". "He's a good player. He's one of the most exciting, promising young players in the comp," Longmuir said. Given it's a Fremantle home game, Reid is set to cop plenty of boos. Reid has a tendency to get caught up in battles with rival players or the crowd, but he showed a great deal of restraint and maturity during last week's 49-point loss to Richmond. "I think he certainly embraces it," McQualter said of the booing. "It's a lot for a young man to have that attention, but he seems to cope with it pretty well, and he's getting better. "Last week, when he got thrown into a security guard, he just went and gave a fist bump to the security guard and moved on, which was pleasing to see."


West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
Ange Stannett to lead Fremantle Dockers for first time as captain in match simulation with West Coast Eagles
Ange Stannett is set to lead Fremantle for the first time as captain, more than a year after she was appointed skipper. Stannett was voted in by her peers ahead of the 2024 season, despite having sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that ruled her out for the entire campaign last year. More than 12 months later, Stannett will physically skipper her side against West Coast in a western derby match simulation at Cockburn on Saturday ahead of the upcoming AFLW season. Fremantle's head of AFLW Claire Heffernan said the club was excited for Stannett's return, as a leader and as a player. 'Since being elected as captain, Ange has been a fully committed and passionate leader off the field while continuing her rehab from her ACL injury,' Heffernan told The West Australian. 'We are so proud of her hard work and determination through this process to now be able to lead the team on the field and can't wait to see her perform. 'It's also an exciting opportunity for the whole group to display the growth from an excellent pre-season and to attack the upcoming season with gusto.' Fremantle superstar Kiara Bowers is also a chance to return to the field after missing the 2024 season due to pregnancy, while recruit Bella Smith (broken hand) and Aine Tighe (ACL) are still recovering from injuries. West Coast star Ella Roberts and newly elected co-captain Bella Lewis are unlikely to feature, as the club treads caution with minor injury concerns. Eagles veteran Dana Hooker, who also missed last season due to pregnancy, is set to face the Dockers after playing a handful of games in the WAFLW. West Coast will start their season at Sullivan Logistics Stadium against Gold Coast on August 14, while Fremantle will travel to Alberton Oval to face Port Adelaide on August 17.