Fremantle Secures Narrow Victory Over Adelaide
Forward Jye Amiss played a pivotal role in Fremantle’s narrow two-point victory over Adelaide, scoring four goals to help the Dockers overcome a late surge from the Crows. The match, held at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, saw Fremantle (2-1) secure a 11.12 (78) to 11.10 (76) win, maintaining their position in third place.
Fremantle started the game with a commanding lead, taking a 34-point advantage in the third term. However, the Crows mounted a fierce comeback, seizing a seven-point lead midway through the final quarter. Despite this, the Dockers managed to hold on thanks to crucial contributions from Shai Bolton and a remarkable dribbled goal from Josh Treacy. In the dying moments, Adelaide’s James Borlase hit the post with a shot that could have secured a win for the home team.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir acknowledged the tension of the final stages of the game, stating, “We probably held on through desperation late. But once we coughed up the lead, I thought we handled that period of the game really well.”
Several players stood out for Fremantle, including midfielders Caleb Serong (32 disposals, six inside 50s), Murphy Reid (26 touches), and Angus Brayshaw (25 touches, one goal, seven inside 50s). In attack, Jye Amiss was joined by Patrick Voss (two goals) and Josh Treacy (two goals), while Judd McVee (22 touches) and Neil Erasmus (21 touches) provided consistent support.
Adelaide’s defense showed resilience, with Wayne Milera (27 possessions) and Josh Worrell (23 touches, seven marks) performing strongly. On-baller James Peatling contributed significantly with 25 touches, nine clearances, and a goal. Captain Jordan Dawson was the only multiple goal-scorer for the Crows, who now sit at three losses from four games.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks expressed frustration after another late-game collapse, noting that his team has been in a similar situation against the Western Bulldogs, Geelong, and now Fremantle, yet still lost each time.
“It was almost deja vu, wasn’t it—three weeks now,” Nicks said. “What we’re pretty clear on is, we can’t allow our opposition to have the game on their terms like we’re allowing in the first half.”
Two Crows players, forward Darcy Fogarty (back) and winger Isaac Cumming (illness), were forced to withdraw from the match, replaced by Finnbar Maley and Chayce Jones. Maley opened the scoring with a checkside goal from the boundary, but Fremantle soon took control of the game.
In the first quarter, Fremantle dominated possession, recording 12 clearances compared to Adelaide’s four, and had nearly 40 more disposals. However, they struggled to convert their dominance into points, kicking 4.3 to 3.3 in the opening quarter.
The Dockers extended their lead to 26 points with three goals, including Amiss’s third, in a five-minute burst. By halftime, Fremantle led by 25 points, with Adelaide having 14 players with five or fewer disposals.
Fremantle increased their lead to 34 points—matching the highest margin of the game—when Amiss scored his fourth goal 10 minutes into the third quarter. However, the Crows staged a dramatic comeback, scoring five consecutive goals without reply to cut the deficit to just four points.
At three-quarter time, Fremantle maintained a narrow lead, 9.9 to 9.5. Adelaide’s Taylor Walker then put the hosts ahead with a set shot, followed shortly by captain Jordan Dawson, who added a snap goal to make it a seven-point lead.
Despite this, the Crows failed to close the gap. Shai Bolton restored Fremantle’s lead, and Josh Treacy delivered a stunning dribbled goal from a tight angle. In the final moments, Ben Keays, Finnbar Maley, and James Borlase all had last-ditch attempts at goal, but none found the mark.
