A career-high six-goal haul for Jonathon Patton has helped Greater Western Sydney to an emphatic 92-point win over Fremantle at Spotless Stadium on Saturday.
Patton overcame a quiet start to finish with eight marks, six of them inside 50, and his half a dozen majors, after kicking two in each of the last three quarters.
As they have done so often in the second half of the season, the Dockers were competitive in the first two quarters, but fell away badly in the second half to go down 19.15 (129) to 5.7 (37).
GWS coach Leon Cameron said Patton's return was a great reward for his hard work on the training track.
"Anyone that kicks half a dozen goals has had a pretty good day out, but it's particularly pleasing for Jon because of the injuries he's sustained," Cameron said.
"I think over the last three or four months (he's realised) that footy really means a lot to him.
"He approaches his day off really well, he does his extras, and he understands that he's got to make up some ground.
"He's been in pretty good form for most of the year. He's improved probably one per cent most weeks, but there's no doubt he took a big step today."
Defenders Nick Haynes, Adam Tomlinson and Zac Williams were dominant for the home side, while midfielders Lachie Whitfield, Ryan Griffen and Josh Kelly were also damaging, and Jeremy Cameron and Steve Johnson kicked three goals apiece.
Possession-machine Lachie Neale finished with a match-high 40 touches, 11 tackles and a goal, but the midfielder's major 12 minutes into the second quarter Fremantle's last goal of the game.
Mature-age recruit Shane Yarran was the most dangerous forward on the ground in the opening term and kicked three goals, but like the rest of his teammates, he was barely sighted for the rest of the match.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said after another disappointing fade-out that the GIANTS were a "very good football team that is fighting for top four".
"I was really pleased with our start and the first half in general," he said.
"We were really positive at half-time, but they sort of really ramped it up and we weren't able to sort of go with them. We understand that.
"They are very good and we are struggling to go with the very best."
The home side shared their goals around in the opener with Cameron, Johnson and Toby Greene among the scorers, and with defenders Williams – in his 50th senior game - and Haynes providing outstanding run from the back 50, GWS managed to hold a seven-point lead at quarter-time.
Both the GIANTS and the Dockers had plenty of issues keeping possession in the second term with turnovers making it difficult for both sides to apply any scoreboard pressure, but Cameron and Patton managed to get their hands on it late in the quarter to help GWS to a 20-point advantage at the long break.
Fremantle's first-half intensity went missing in the third quarter and their scoring opportunities dried up, with the visitors going inside 50 just three times for the term, and even when they managed to get forward of centre, Haynes, Wilson and Adam Tomlinson repelled their attacks.
The GIANTS runners took control of the match as the home side booted four goals to none, with Patton (two goals for the term), Johnson and Cameron the beneficiaries up forward, and it was more of the same in the last, as GWS piled on another seven unanswered goals, to give them the last 13 of the match.
MEDICAL ROOM
Greater Western Sydney: The GIANTS came through the game with no major concerns and will head into the last home and away round hoping to keep a healthy list for the first week of finals.
Fremantle: The Dockers had concerns over Matt Taberner's groin but he was cleared of any injury in the rooms after the match.
NEXT UP
GWS faces North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday in a game that has huge repercussions for both teams. Depending on other results it's possible the GIANTS could be playing for top spot, although Hawthorn will get a final say the next day. Fremantle faces the Western Bulldogs at Domain Stadium in a game the Dockers would love to win for departing club legend Matthew Pavlich.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 5.4 8.7 12.18 19.15 (129)
FREMANTLE 4.3 5.5 5.6 5.7 (37)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Patton 6, Cameron 3, Johnson 3, Greene 2, Hopper, Whitfield, Griffen, Lobb, Scully
Fremantle: Yarran 3, Neale, Apeness
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Griffen, Patton, Haynes, Whitfield, Williams, Tomlinson
Fremantle: Neale, Weller, Hill
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
Fremantle: Taberner (leg)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: O'Gorman, Fleer, Jeffery
Official crowd: 9,556 at Spotless Stadium
