Searching for four quarters

by LES EVERETT Fremantle Herald

IF Dockers, Eagles, Sharks and Bulldogs games were crime fiction novels they'd have titles like "Don't worry, the butler did it".

At East Fremantle Oval on Monday a supporter told me he was sick of watching the Dockers lose every week and sick of watching the Bulldogs win. Maybe the one thing fans don't want is predictability.

Anyway, I just couldn't put four quarters together over the long weekend - even on TV.

Saturday, it was the first and last quarters of the Blues murder. Enjoyable but you get a bit sick of repeats.

I had a lunch date on Sunday and only saw a half of the new Dockers. By my calculations they are twice as good as the old mob.

Derby day. First to Leederville Oval. And I warn you the Royals are starting to run, starting to open up their forward line, starting to get their big blokes organised, starting to look like they did last year.

Just before three quarter time I bobbed up at East Fremantle. The game had been over since early in the second quarter. The Sharks were heading to their sixth loss in a row but the Bulldogs were struggling too.

South has lost just one game this year and it was preceded by a performance similar to Monday's. In round five against Perth the Bulldogs scored just two goals after half time.The second half of the derby was just as unproductive.

Coach Peter Sumich will be hoping his team doesn't take bad habits into Saturday's game which is coincidentally against the Royals.

Despite the good form of Claremont, the clash between South Fremantle and East Perth might just be a grand final preview.

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