In the latest of his Classic Matches series, Jim Main looks back at a thriller between the Sydney Swans and Fremantle.

Sydney Swans v Fremantle,
Round 19, August 9, 2008
SCG

When Fremantle entered the AFL in 1995, most rival clubs regarded the newcomers as easy-beats. Not the Sydney Swans!

In fact, the Dockers defeated the Swans by 58 points at the WACA in round 6 that season. In the return clash at the SCG in round 21, the Dockers defeated the Swans by 17 points.

The Swans just could not find a way to topple the then lowly Dockers and lost its first five matches against the new boys from the west.

Even in the Swans’ 1996 Grand Final season they could not overcome their Dockers’ hoodoo, losing to Fremantle by 29 points at the SCG in round two and by 26 points at Subiaco in round 17.  

Their first victory over the Dockers was by 13 points at Subiaco in round 15, 1998. The monkey was off the Swans’ back.

Since then, fortunes have been mixed, with the Swans’ win-loss record against Fremantle going into this week’s match at 11-14, with no draws and three wins from the five most recent encounters.

The most thrilling of these 11 victories was at the SCG in round 19, 2008. The Swans were fighting for a place in the top four and, at the completion of the previous round, were holding fourth position ahead of fifth-placed North Melbourne only on percentage.

Yet even a finals position was no certainty as the Swans were inside the eight by just six match points ahead of the ninth-placed Brisbane Lions.

On the other hand, Fremantle was in thirteenth position with just five wins and out of the race for the finals.

The Dockers took the game right up to the Swans over the first half to lead by seven points at the first break and then by eight points at half-time.

The Swans took control in the third quarter to lead by 13 points at the last change, but Fremantle refused to buckle and looked the likely winner when it led by two points with just minutes to play.

Fremantle star Matthew Pavlich was proving to be a handful for the Swan defence and although he kicked only one goal, was able to bring other forwards into play.

Kepler Bradley kicked three goals, while exciting newcomer Rhys Palmer was brilliant around the packs.

The Swans, with one desperate lunge at the finish, moved the ball to key forward Barry Hall who goaled to give the Swans a last-gasp four-point victory.

Hall might have saved the Swans’ blushes, but the real hero was Adam Goodes, who kicked eight goals from just 11 kicks.

He polled two Brownlow Medal votes for his superb performance, with the three votes going to midfielder Jude Bolton.

The Swans’ win seemed to cement their position in the top four, but defeats by Geelong and Collingwood over the next two rounds proved costly and the Swans eventually finished the home and away season in sixth position.

They then defeated North Melbourne by 35 points in an elimination final at ANZ Stadium before bowing out of the premiership race in going down to the Western Bulldogs by 37 points in an MCG semi-final.

SYDNEY SWANS     2.4     7.6     13.8     17.10 (112)
FREMANTLE           3.5     8.8     10.13   15.18 (108)