Fremantle Dockers' Aaron Sandilands comes off the ground during the round 21 AFL match against the Melbourne Demons at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Picture: Getty Images Source: PerthNow
FREMANTLE was untroubled in posting a thumping win over Melbourne to seal a top-four finish for next month’s finals series but face an anxious wait to giant ruck star Aaron Sandilands with a bout of concussion.
And in the dying stages of Fremantle's 15th win of the season ace small forward goal-shark Hayden Ballantyne suffered a nasty shoulder injury.
Ballantyne booted four goals and appeared to dislocate his right shoulder as he crashed to the MCG turf with less than three minutes to play.
Scans and medical assessments early this week are expected to determine the extent of any damage to Ballantyne's problem ahead of a big clash with finals bound Port Adelaide next Saturday, St Kilda in Round 23 and then next month's finals series.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Hayden Ballantyne of the Dockers is helped off the ground by trainers during the round 21 AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and the Fremantle Dockers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 18, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Source: PerthNow
The Dockers stayed on track for a first up finals showdown with Geelong or Sydney with a 95-point point win over the strife-torn Demons by 95 points, 20.13 (133) to 5.8 (38).
The rising Dockers smashed the Demons with a barnstorming finish and six unanswered goals and a host of classy goal-kicking options among their forwards and winning midfield.
Dynamic on-baller David Mundy was best-afield with his 34-disposal outing and was joined in a possessions feeding frenzy by damaging left-footers Danyle Pearce and Stephen Hill as well as regular ball-magnet Michael Barlow and new excitement machine Lachie Neale.
Sandilands took no further part in the rout from 10 minutes into a blistering start from the Dockers.
He was substituted out of the action early into the second term after a full concussion evaluation. It was later revealed that the giant ruckman has a suspected fractured cheekbone and will have scans today. Fremantle have conceded they will be conservative with both Sandilands and Ballantyne as they head towards finals.
The injury to Sandilands is another cruel blow as he was working back into form and fitness after missing the first four months of the season recovering from hamstring surgery. He was forced out of Sunday's one-side outing after a whack in the face just 10 minutes into the game.
He copped an elbow into his face above the left eye and forehead when Demons big man Jake Spencer crashed a pack set for a marking battle in front of the Dockers goal.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Michael Walters of the Dockers marks during the round 21 AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and the Fremantle Dockers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 18, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Source: PerthNow
The Dockers were never seriously troubled, but the injuries to Ballantyne and Sandilands were major setbacks.
Fremantle’s important victory was engineered with unusually limited involvement from star follower Nathan Fyfe who was closely tagged by gritty Demons defensive on-baller Jordie McKenzie.
Champion power forward Matthew Pavlich continued his imposing comeback from three months out of action following achilles surgery with four goals from 18 possessions and eight marks and the big veteran had stronger impact on the clash the longer the game went and his side established supremacy.
With Sandilands ruled out, exciting and rapidly emerging big man Zac Clarke turned in a polished performance leading the Dockers on-ball brigade.
The Dockers could have smashed the struggling Demons even worse with better goal-front finishing in the opening term with 21 forward 50m entries but misses from Pavlich, Chris Mayne and Fyfe saved the home side from a potentially match-ending bigger first break lead.
Fremantle hammered the beleaguered Demons from the opening minutes with Sandilands starting well and slamming a goal at the three-minute mark of the first term as the Dockers nailed four majors as the home side entered their forward 50m arc just once before time-on.
Melbourne’s most productive spurt was a far more spirited opening to the second term with greater tackling intensity and heavy bod collisions into the prime Dockers play-makers and the Demons finally managed their first goal through Dean Kent on the run.
But it sparked the Dockers into action and the visitors rammed on five goals in just six minutes to race out to a 50-point margin 10 minutes before the long interval.
The Demons kicked again with another spurt of aggression and intrusive ball-use from midfield to small on three unanswered goals to round out the second term and bridge the gap back to 31 points at half-time.
An insight into the Demons future was in evidence with exciting first-year on-ballers Troy Davis and Jack Viney as well as developing 200cm forward Jack Fitzpatrick booting goals in the brief spell of supremacy approaching the long break.
Viney, just 19 and in his first season, was clearly the embattled Demons best player, along with his young captain Jack Trengove and nuggety defender Dean Terlich.
Details
FREMANTLE: 4.5 9.6 14.11 20.13 (133)
MELBOURNE: 0.2 4.5 5.7 5.8 (38)
Best
FREMANTLE: Mundy, Pearce, Barlow, Ballantyne, Clarke, Hill, Neale,
MELBOURNE: Viney, Trengove, Terlich, Grimes, Garland, Dunn,
Goals
FREMANTLE: Ballantyne 4, Pavlich 4, Hill 2, Mayne 2, Fyfe 1, Walters 1, Clarke 1, Silvagni 1, Sandilands 1, Sheridan 1, Spurr 1, Pearce 1.
MELBOURNE: Howe 1, Kent 1, Davis 1, Viney 1, Fitzpatrick 1,
Injuries
FREMANTLE: Aaron Sandilands (cut eye, concussion), Hayden Ballantyne (shoulder), Lee Spurr (cut eye),
MELBOURNE: Sam Blease (ankle), James Strauss (shoulder),
Played at the MCG, in Melbourne.
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