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Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luke Jackson stars as Dockers dominate baby Bombers
Luke Jackson produced yet another rucking masterclass and Josh Treacy broke his run of ducks to lift Fremantle to a 41-point win over injury-hit Essendon at Optus Stadium. Jackson tallied 21 disposals to go with 48 hitouts, 10 clearances and three goals in the 16.8 (104) to 9.9 (63) win in front of 37,570 fans on Thursday night. Treacy, who entered the match on the back of a three-game goalless run, finished with three majors to go with crashing pack after pack. Fremantle's fifth win on the trot improved their record to 9-5 ahead of next week's home clash with St Kilda. Essendon (6-8) face a major battle to turn around their fortunes, with their fourth consecutive loss leaving them well adrift of the top eight. Jackson dominated his contest against Essendon debutant Vigo Visentini, who battled hard for 15 disposals and 17 hitouts but was outclassed by Fremantle's star big man. It continued a rich vein of form for Jackson, who has thrived in the lead ruck role this season, especially in the games when Sean Darcy isn't playing. "He's a special player. We love having him. He's not going anywhere," star Fremantle midfielder Caleb Serong told Fox Footy. "He's locked in with us. I think what him and Sean are going to build over the next couple of months is really exciting. "I can't wait to be a part of it. As a midfielder, I'm licking my lips." Serong also had a big night with 35 possessions, seven clearances and two goals. Dockers veteran Nat Fyfe, who spent the previous two matches as the sub, was given a start but tallied just three first-half disposals on the way to a total of 11 for the game before being subbed out early in the final quarter. Jye Caldwell (32 disposals, eight clearances) and Darcy Parish (31 disposals, six clearances) racked up big numbers for Essendon, while Nate Caddy showed flashes of brilliance - including a spectacular grab in the second quarter - on the way to 15 disposals and a goal. The RISE from Nate Caddy 🤯#AFLFreoDons — AFL (@AFL) June 19, 2025 Fremantle's four-goal burst to start the second quarter broke the game open after a tight opening term, and it also led to plenty of spice. Former Bomber Patrick Voss was clearly fired up, and at one point he was left to fight off three Essendon players - Andrew McGrath, Jayden Laverde and Angus Clarke. After Voss was involved in another skirmish, this time with Nic Martin, Fyfe came in to try to cool down his teammate. Shai Bolton was also keen to get into the face of Essendon players, but Essendon fed off the higher emotion to cut a 29-point deficit back to 16 by half-time. Essendon subbed out Xavier Duursma at half time with hamstring tightness, opening the door for sub Archie Perkins to impress. There were two critical moments in the third quarter that shaped the contest. First, Perkins took his eyes off the ball and fumbled what should have been an uncontested mark for him inside 50m while running with the flight of the ball. A few minutes later, Fremantle's Nathan O'Driscoll put his body on the line to make a key spoil while running with the flight of the ball himself. O'Driscoll's bravery led to a Serong goal, sparking a run of three straight majors for Fremantle as the lead blew out to 37 points by the final change. Visentini was Essendon's 11th debutant of the year, and the Bombers fielded seven first-year players against the Dockers.
Daily Telegraph
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
AFL Optus Stadium's huge test for Fremantle vs Essendon after State of Origin slugfest
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Perth's $1.6 billion Optus Stadium was under intense pressure as it backed up for an AFL game on Thursday night less than 24 hours after a brutal State of Origin contest on the ground. After a tight battle early on, the Dockers pulled away for a comfortable 16.8 (104) to 9.9 (63) win that moves them to sixth place early in round 15. The surface at the stadium, which was officially opened in 2018, has come in for criticism in recent years, leading to extensive renovations at the start of 2025. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Back in 2023, footage emerged of stadium staff relaying grass on sections around the ground, while the following year the slippery surface was criticised by former West Coast coach Adam Simpson and ex-Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt following a Fremantle clash with the Suns. It is facing its sternest test since then after hosting three AFL games over the last six days, along with Wednesday's typically physical Origin clash held in driving rain. Watch the ground transformation in the video player above The Dockers were hosting Essendon at Optus Stadium. (Photo by) Less than 24 hours after a State of Origin match at the ground. (Photo by) The Dockers beat North Melbourne at the venue on June 14, a day before the Blues took care of West Coast, while Fremantle is hosting Essendon on Thursday night. Thirty ground staff worked on the pitch since the rugby league game finished and Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna was extremely confident it would 'look like it's a new ground' by the time the AFL fixture had its opening bounce. 'When the (State of Origin) game finishes tonight, there'll be obvious signs that it's been played on, but by the time we get to tomorrow evening, it'll look like it's a new ground,' McKenna told 'I think we'll come out of this game into tomorrow and it won't be very noticeable, so I think we'll see a really strong result and we're really confident that it will play really well right through the season.' Optus Stadium set up for rugby league on Wednesday night. (Photo by) And during the AFL game on Thursday. Photo: Fox Sports State of Origin matches in the NRL are renowned as among the most bruising in Australian sport, with the players often causing significant damage to playing surfaces. Regular NRL grounds including Sydney's Accor Stadium and Allianz Stadium often come in for criticism for its turf quality. The surface was a hot topic prior to the Dockers' home game as they chased a fifth straight win. 'How nervous are the AFL going to be tonight given just how much wear and tear it's had lately?' Fox Footy's Jon Ralph was asked pre-match. 'No doubt. The Optus Stadium boss, Mike McKenna, says the ground will look brand spanking new, but Fremantle certainly has concerns,' Ralph reported. 'So the NRL State of Origin was played last night in drenching rain. 'The Dockers and Essendon get the official report from the AFL a couple of hours beforehand, but as (Fremantle) footy boss Joe Brierty says, it's clearly too late to make any changes at that stage. 'The third AFL game in six days, the Optus Stadium turf did undergo a renovation over summer, the drainage is so much better. 'Essendon will liaise with their players about the long stops in boots. The players don't love wearing them, they do pull up really sore. 'The 30 workers who worked around the clock to try to get this in good nick, and it certainly looks OK, it just depends how it plays.' West Coast and Carlton played on the ground last Sunday. (Photo by) The ground had major issues back in 2023. Photo: X Sarah Jones added: 'We'll have a close eye on that. It might be a headline waiting to happen.' Reporting from ground level, Kath Loughnan said the ground looked 'pretty good' and the ground staff had done a 'pretty good job' before the game commenced. It also helped that solid rain in Perth this week had eased by Thursday night, but fans watching on weren't impressed by what they were seeing. An X account called Gazzalinga tweeted: 'I'm sorry, the Optus Stadium looks horrible right now. The ground was labelled too slippery when the Dockers played Gold Coast last season. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images) 'I know they said people have worked tirelessly to get it ready for the game but who in their right mind would actively play on that ground in current condition? Surely someone is going to be pulling up.' Daniel Hikisz quipped: 'Seen enough, the surface isn't up to AFL standard. Call off the game now, we take the 4 points and move on.' With the Perth Bears set to join the NRL competition in 2027, Scott King wrote: 'When North Sydney Bears start playing in Perth, they CANNOT play at Optus Stadium. The centre of the ground looks terrible. Go find a rugby ground.' Despite obvious signs around the ground the NRL match had been played the night before the turf was holding up reasonably well as the Dockers took a 16-point lead into halftime. Showing some strong defence, Fremantle pulled away in the second half in another encouraging step for Justin Longmuir's side. Originally published as Optus Stadium's huge test AFL after State of Origin slugfest
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Optus Stadium's huge test AFL after State of Origin slugfest
Perth's $1.6 billion Optus Stadium is under intense pressure as it backs up for an AFL game on Thursday night less than 24 hours after a brutal State of Origin contest on the ground. The surface at the stadium, which was officially opened in 2018, has come in for criticism in recent years, leading to extensive renovations at the start of 2025. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Back in 2023, footage emerged of stadium staff relaying grass on sections around the ground, while the following year the slippery surface was criticised by former West Coast coach Adam Simpson and ex-Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt following a Fremantle clash with the Suns. It is facing its sternest test since then after hosting three AFL games over the last six days, along with Wednesday's typically physical Origin clash held in driving rain. Watch the ground transformation in the video player above The Dockers beat North Melbourne at the venue on June 14, a day before the Blues took care of West Coast, while Fremantle is hosting Essendon on Thursday night. Thirty ground staff worked on the pitch since the rugby league game finished and Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna was extremely confident it would 'look like it's a new ground' by the time the AFL fixture had its opening bounce. 'When the (State of Origin) game finishes tonight, there'll be obvious signs that it's been played on, but by the time we get to tomorrow evening, it'll look like it's a new ground,' McKenna told 'I think we'll come out of this game into tomorrow and it won't be very noticeable, so I think we'll see a really strong result and we're really confident that it will play really well right through the season.' State of Origin matches in the NRL are renowned as among the most bruising in Australian sport, with the players often causing significant damage to playing surfaces. Regular NRL grounds including Sydney's Accor Stadium and Allianz Stadium often come in for criticism for its turf quality. The surface was a hot topic prior to the Dockers' home game as they chased a fifth straight win. 'How nervous are the AFL going to be tonight given just how much wear and tear it's had lately?' Fox Footy's Jon Ralph was asked pre-match. 'No doubt. The Optus Stadium boss, Mike McKenna, says the ground will look brand spanking new, but Fremantle certainly has concerns,' Ralph reported. 'So the NRL State of Origin was played last night in drenching rain. 'The Dockers and Essendon get the official report from the AFL a couple of hours beforehand, but as (Fremantle) footy boss Joe Brierty says, it's clearly too late to make any changes at that stage. 'The third AFL game in six days, the Optus Stadium turf did undergo a renovation over summer, the drainage is so much better. 'Essendon will liaise with their players about the long stops in boots. The players don't love wearing them, they do pull up really sore. 'The 30 workers who worked around the clock to try to get this in good nick, and it certainly looks OK, it just depends how it plays.' Sarah Jones added: 'We'll have a close eye on that. It might be a headline waiting to happen.' Reporting from ground level, Kath Loughnan said the ground looked 'pretty good' and the ground staff had done a 'pretty good job' before the game commenced. It also helped that solid rain in Perth this week had eased by Thursday night, but fans watching on weren't impressed by what they were seeing. An X account called Gazzalinga tweeted: 'I'm sorry, the Optus Stadium looks horrible right now. 'I know they said people have worked tirelessly to get it ready for the game but who in their right mind would actively play on that ground in current condition? Surely someone is going to be pulling up.' Daniel Hikisz quipped: 'Seen enough, the surface isn't up to AFL standard. Call off the game now, we take the 4 points and move on.' With the Perth Bears set to join the NRL competition in 2027, Scott King wrote: 'When North Sydney Bears start playing in Perth, they CANNOT play at Optus Stadium. The centre of the ground looks terrible. Go find a rugby ground.' Despite obvious signs around the ground the NRL match had been played the night before the turf was holding up reasonably well as the Dockers took a 16-point lead into halftime.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Privately seething': NRL club filthy as Nathan Cleary secret exposed
This isn't a good look for Laurie Daley and his lieutenants. The NSW camp has been exposed in staggering fashion with the truth of Nathan Cleary's fitness clear for all to see as soon as he stepped onto the Optus Stadium turf on Wednesday. It was rumoured during the week Cleary had been put on a restricted training program and Channel 9 reported on Wednesday night Cleary had been reduced to 'kicking by visualisation' during the Blues' final training session. All of this caught the Panthers by surprise, Code Sports reports. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. It comes as another bomb was dropped on the NSW camp on Wednesday with suggestions the Blues had mishandled Mitchell Moses' training program before the Eels star suffered a serious calf injury which ruled him out of Game 2. The strategy to protect Cleary may have been an over-reaction after Parramatta officials were reportedly left furious about the injury Moses suffered last week. Scans showed Moses will be out of action for at least six weeks. Code Sports reports Moses carried a calf complaint for several weeks and had been carefully managed by Eels high performance staff. According to the report, NSW training staff were informed of the situation when Moses first went into camp. 'Eels officials are believed to be privately seething with the injury to their talismanic skipper,' leading NRL journalists Brent Read and Michael Carayannis reported. Moses has already missed several games for Parramatta this season because of a foot injury. Cleary, meanwhile, was hot and cold throughout the night as Queensland piled on 26 points in the first half before holding on for a thrilling 26-24 win. According to Code Sports, the Panthers were not aware of any injuries Cleary was carrying that would have forced him to take such extreme measures. He ran onto the field looking out of sorts and the sight of a compression bandage wrapped around his upper right leg was a damning sign of things to come. Cleary had enough classy touches to justify his selection by NSW coach Laurie Daley, but the revelations that have since come out from Penrith shows something was not right. Code Sports reports Penrith officials were 'dumbfounded by Cleary's apparent injury'. The halfback handed goalkicking duties over to Zac Lomax — who kicked two goals from five attempts — and he relied on Jarome Luai and Latrell Mitchell to do the bulk of the downfield kicking. According to NewsWire, Cleary kicked just three times in the first half. He finished the game with 11 kicks for 295 metres, while he also ran five times. The mystery of how Cleary went downhill so significantly after joining his teammates in NSW camp remains unknown — and it seems even the Panthers are out of the loop. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler said it will be 'interesting' to see how Cleary recovers. Cleary will not play in the Panthers' clash with the Warriors in New Zealand on Saturday, but is expected to be selected to play in the Panthers' Round 17 battle with the Bulldogs on June 26. 'There is a problem, without a doubt,' Fittler said on Nine. 'It's an upper thigh, around the groin (issue). He's the ultimate professional. He's one of those blokes who is kicking as much as anyone. He's running as much as everyone. He's doing every thing he can. 'Every now and again your body just says, 'You know what, you have to slow up a little bit here'. So let's just hope it calms down.' Daley provided an update on Cleary's groin injury in the press conference after Game 2. 'He just felt a bit tight in his groin so we wanted to sort of limit the amount of force he put through there,' Daley said. 'He's a tough kid, Nathan. We know what a quality player he is, but he's tough.' Daley said the Blues had a plan to 'limit the amount of force that he put through' his leg. Meanwhile, the Panthers are confident Cleary will be fit to face the Bulldogs next Thursday. Cleary took the line on a couple of times in the first half against Queensland and had a try disallowed for obstruction, but the Blues need him to be 100 per cent for the decider given they're already without Moses. The Panthers desperately need him to play the ladder-leading Bulldogs given they are one point outside the top eight and will be without their Origin stars for the game against the Warriors.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Simple photos sum up why eight million people are FURIOUS about State of Origin
A simple photo of Blues captain Isaah Yeo in heated discussion with referee Ashley Klein has encapsulated the discontent NSW supporters have towards the officiating on Wednesday night. Despite a spirited second-half comeback, the Blues couldn't quite seal victory, with Cameron Munster's side holding out in a dramatic finish, to win the match 26-24 and level the series at 1-1. Referee Ashley Klein awarded eight penalties for the Maroons - and none for Laurie Daley's men across the opening 40 minutes. The count at the end of the match was 10-2. NSW's lack of discipline didn't help at Optus Stadium - but many supporters were incensed on social media as Billy Slater's team took a 26-6 lead into the sheds. 'Ashley Klein needs to pull his head in. You cannot tell me he hasn't been instructed to favour Queensland,' posted one on X. 'I know the NRL want a decider, but Klein can't even hide the bias. 8-0 penalty count and all the six-again calls. You may as well skipped game 2 and just gone to game 3,' fumed another. 'Looks like Klein took part in the Queensland Captain's run,' joked a third. Former players were furious with the brutal penalty count, too. Ex-Blues playemaker Jamie Soward posted: 'That will do me. Ash doing his best to get in the way here.' Jarryd Hayne posted: 'This is why Origin is the greatest game in this country!!! Regardless of the pressure teams face, it is the team spirit that truly matters. 'Ps 7-0 pen count. Did some individuals attempt to influence the referees to force a decider?' Blues captain Isaah Yeo was pictured in a tense discussion with Klein during the match, looking visibly frustrated. Following the match, Yeo said he thought the 50/50 calls went against the Blues all night. 'There's certainly a few that we were shooting ourselves in the foot with and they were just penalties,' he said. 'Other ones are 50-50. Some nights you get them, some nights you don't. So what you can't do is you can't go drop the ball early in the next set early in the tackle count when you've got the ball. 'So obviously I'd like that to be a bit more even, but we were our own worst enemy at times as well.' NSW coach Laurie Daley was more blunt when asked about the officiating.
