FREMANTLE has handed Essendon the last remaining AFL finals spot without a fight, squandering the chance to break into the top-eight in a listless 58-point defeat to St Kilda in Hobart.
With everything to play for, the wasteful Dockers found themselves chasing the game on Sunday as the Saints showed greater intent around the contest and were far more efficient going forward.
Cooper Sharman kicked four goals and co-captain Jack Steele overcame close attention from Dockers tagger Bailey Banfield in an influential display in St Kilda’s 17.5 (107) to 6.13 (49) win at Blundstone Arena.
The result ended Fremantle’s season and saw the Saints leapfrog their opponents into 10th spot on percentage.
Both sides finished with 10-12 records, while Essendon locked in eighth spot before meeting Collingwood in their final home-and-away match.
St Kilda was without injured leading goalkicker Max King but mid-season recruit Sharman stepped up with another impressive showing in his fifth senior game.
His four goals went some way towards justifying the new two-year contract he signed during the week, while Tim Membrey kicked three.
Steele led from the front, tallying game-high tallies of 35 disposals and 16 contested possessions to go with six clearances and seven tackles.
He had help, with Zak Jones (27 disposals) and Brad Crouch (28) busy, while Dan Hannebery (22) got through his second match of the season on return from a long injury lay-off.
Ruckman Rowan Marshall was also influential, finishing with 21 disposals and two goals after primary opponent Sean Darcy left the game with a leg injury during the second half.
Kicking with a breeze at their backs, the inaccurate Dockers managed just one goal from 15 forward entries in the first term.
Skill errors and poor structure ahead of the ball were contributing factors in allowing St Kilda to create a 21-point buffer before the main break.
The Saints kicked four goals to one into the wind in the third quarter to put the result beyond doubt and ran rampant in the final term.
Fremantle lost Sam Switkowski to what appeared to be an abdominal issue after he copped a stray boot in an attempt to tackle Nick Coffield.
Switkoswki was substituted out of the match at half-time.
Caleb Serong (35 disposals and nine clearances) and Andrew Brayshaw (29 and six) were Fremantle’s best.
(C) AAP 2021
ST KILDA 3.0 6.2 10.5 17.5 (107)
FREMANTLE 1.4 3.5 4.8 6.13 (49)
Goals: St Kilda: C Sharman 4 T Membrey 3 D Butler 2 D Kent 2 J Bytel 2 J Higgins 2 R Marshall 2. Fremantle: B Banfield J Treacy L Henry M Crowden M Taberner S Switkowski.
Umpires: Nicholas Foot, Nathan Williamson, Andre Gianfagna.
Official Crowd: 3,078 at Blundstone Arena.
