The twelfth round of the 2024 AFL season saw the Fremantle Dockers dominate the Melbourne Demons, the Western Bulldogs produce a thrilling comeback against Collingwood, and Geelong return to their winning ways.
Fremantle humiliate Melbourne Demons
The Fremantle Dockers humiliated the Melbourne Demons in Round 12, producing a dominant 92-point beating against their opponents that no one expected. From the open quarter, the Dockers showed their dominance, and they would only get better as the game progressed. Jye Amiss booted four goals during the match, while Michael Walters, Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson had three of their own, while Jordan Clark led the disposal count with 36 possessions, eight more than anyone else.
In what was the Demons’ biggest losing margin since 2017 – 192 AFL matches under Simon Goodwin – Melbourne kicked the opening two goals of the match, but from then on, it was all Fremantle. The loss is even worse considering they have now fallen to eighth on the AFL ladder, while a victory would have seen them rise to third on the table.
“Obviously, that’s about as bad a performance as you can get. One we certainly won’t tolerate. There’s inconsistencies in our game, and that trend’s been there for a little while now,” Demons coach Simon Goodwin said after the match, disappointed with the showing of his players.
“We understand there’s elements within our method that aren’t right.
“But inconsistencies, not only from week-to-week, are concerning, and we’ll look into it the why of it, because that performance is clearly, completely unacceptable from where we want to be as a team. I know our supporters want more.”
The Dockers have produced a season-defining victory – the 92-point annihilation of the Demons their biggest win under coach Justin Longmuir.@9NewsPerth @FootyonNine pic.twitter.com/TexRqvzkyp
— Erin Harwood (@erin_harwood) June 2, 2024
Bulldogs prevail over Collingwood after thrilling comeback
The Western Bulldogs prevailed over Collingwood in Round 12, handing the Magpies their first loss since Round 2. Finishing the match with an 18-point lead, the club returned to the clash after giving up five goals in the first quarter. However, as the Bulldogs fans rejoiced and exited the game with four points, Collingwood struggled with multiple turnovers.
One of the critical components of the Bulldogs’ underdog victory was the performance of forward Sam Darcy. Darcy kicked three goals and took five contested marks, including the goal that sealed the team’s win. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Lachlan McNeil, Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli all chipped in with two goals each.
“At times when it was trampolining out of (our forward 50) a bit too easy and a bit too quickly and putting our defenders under pressure in space,” Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said post-match.
“It was a difficult game to get a handle on and contain (Collingwood’s) momentum. So, for Sam to be able to let us breathe and have a set shot or two… he was such an important one of the 23.”
An incredible captain’s goal 😍pic.twitter.com/yz2bIpgTh4
— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) May 31, 2024
Geelong Cats return to the winning column
The Geelong Cats have returned to the winning column, holding off a late scare from the Richmond Tigers to win by 30 points. Entering the match as favourites, their start didn’t go to plan after trailing by 29 points in the second quarter, but they were able to minimise their opponent’s lead by 16 points going into half-time.
However, the second half was a different story for the Geelong Cats. Playing at home and eager to respond after a plethora of defeats in recent weeks, they took the lead for the first time in the match 20 minutes into the third quarter and remained in the lead to the final siren.
Max Holmes (29), Jack Bowes (29), Mitch Duncan (27), Oliver Dempsey (27) and Tom Atkins (27) led the disposal count for the Cats, while Dempsey would boot three goals throughout the match but Tom Hawkins could only manage two and Jeremy Cameron was limited to just one goal.
Ollie Dempsey doing what he does best with two in quick succession ✌️ #WeAreGeelong pic.twitter.com/YiB8YfPdl2
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) June 1, 2024