Fremantle Senior Coach Justin Longmuir said he is proud of the way the team held out in the final 10 minutes of the game while North Melbourne had momentum.
Speaking in his post-game media conference, Longmuir said that although the game opened up more than he would have liked in the early stages of the final term, the team was able to refocus and get back on task to secure the four points in a thrilling win.
“I thought we handled some aspects of the game really well, and then there were some aspects - ones that have been strengths this year - where we didn’t,” Longmuir said.
“We opened the game up a little too much, and they kicked four goals off turnovers.
“I thought the last nine minutes of game time we were able to bring it back into a contest.
“Once we got challenged, it was probably one of those games in the past where we wouldn’t have got it done.
“The players were able to dig in and execute reasonably well.”
Two of the key moments of the game came as ruckman Luke Jackson kicked the final goal of the game to extend Freo’s lead, before key forward Josh Treacy courageously drifted back with the flight in the dying minute to seal the win with a clutch mark, surrounded by several Kangaroo players.
“I thought there were a lot of moments in the last quarter,” Longmuir said.
“I thought Jye’s (Amiss) ground ball to get it out to Jacko was just as impressive as the effort to finish it.
“It (Treacy’s mark) was unbelievable. They equalised so we had to man up back there, and we wanted him as an extra.
“To be fair to him, he marked it well all day. On the last line of defence, to have the sticky fingers like that to mark it was handy.”
Comparing Saturday’s win with other tight results this season, Longmuir said the growth of the team compared to last year was evident.
“I think the players are a lot clearer on what we need in those moments," Longmuir said.
“They understand that we play our best footy when it’s in the contest, but to be able to close a game down like that for a long period of time and take their momentum away shows good maturity.
“Usually, in those tight moments guys try to avoid them, or it’s guys going outside their role, searching for those moments, wanting to be that player.
“I think we’re (now) letting the game come to us - we’re trusting our teammates, trusting each other’s roles, and trusting ourselves in those moments to execute.”
The win over North Melbourne marks the first of three consecutive games at Optus Stadium for Fremantle as the team makes a push for a top-eight spot.
