Danielle Laidley: How Justin Longmuir flipped the magnets to keep Fremantle Dockers’ winning streak rolling

The most important six minutes from Fremantle’s win over St Kilda on Sunday might just have been from the three-quarter-time siren to the start of the last term. After blowing the Dockers off Marvel Stadium earlier in the year, Ross Lyon went back to the well after scouting the Fremantle v Essendon game a week earlier: Close down Fremantle’s time and space around clearance and contest by bringing three forwards up to congest the area. At quarter-time, Fremantle were in front by two points, but all the statistics were bright red for the Dockers. Contested ball 26-32, clearances 6-14. St Kilda had six shots on goal, kicking 1.5 — goals interstate in the first quarter are gold — it was a missed opportunity. The key statistics above were reinforced by Jordan Clark, Bailey Banfield, Luke Ryan and Oscar McDonald, all defenders, had 28 touches between them, while Luke Jackson, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and Neil Erasmus had only 15 and thee clearances between them. The gap in these key statistics kept widening and by three-quarter-time, alarm bells were ringing. Contested ball 81-104, clearances 16-39, scores from clearance 0.4-4.6. Even though it looked like, a replica of round eight, this was a different Fremantle side. Unlike earlier in the year the game was blown open, Fremantle hung in on Sunday through an improved transition game, plus the effort was far greater. At three-quarter-time there was no going into their shells and accepting the course of the game. Brayshaw took control of the playing group. Now, I can only guess what the message was, it could have been a number of things. Perhaps reinforcing how far they have come as a team and the desire to push through when the game is not on their terms. Using the next 30 minutes to continue the maturity growing within the team and not wasting this opportunity. This action showed great leadership he then followed up with seven critical touches. The next pivotal moment came from the coach. He moved the magnets around, implored his players to bring maximum effort in the last 30 minutes. Sean Darcy starts in the ruck. The time to stand up is now. Brayshaw and Serong are in the centre bounce, along with Nathan O’Driscoll, who had played on the wing all game. Jackson starts deep forward in the square, something we hadn’t seen for a number of weeks. St Kilda kick the first goal to further test the Dockers mettle, Jordan Clark takes an intercept mark, there’s a chain of possession, O’Driscoll wins a crucial contested ball, Heath Chapman kicks in 50 where Jackson leads and marks strongly. He finds Darcy pushing forward to mark and goal. A secondary stoppage after the centre bounce, O’Driscoll hunts the ball in the contest, handballs to Serong who hits Jackson on the lead for a goal. Darcy starts taking the ball out of the ruck or hitting outside the contested bubble, Fremantle are getting territory and repeat entries. Erasmus marks and delivers ball truly to Josh Treacy for a mark and goal. Ross Lyon now changes strategy, playing six forwards in front of the ball, Serong gets to work having four clearances in the last quarter, one of those leading to the Isaiah Dudley goal. Then there was the Treacy spoil on the last line late, Serong’s organisation at the last centre bounce and Jackson’s mark and goal to seal the game. Fourth quarter statistics: Contested ball 27-21, clearances 15-7. The growth is happening, but pardon the pun, the Dockers can’t afford to slip up at the SCG. Thy are 10 wins now, but it’s going to take possibly 15 wins to make the September action.