Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce fought back tears after dedicating a crucial goal during his side’s epic draw with Collingwood to late former teammate Cam McCarthy.
Pearce kicked an unlikely late goal as the Dockers launched a frenetic fightback to post a thrilling 75-75 AFL draw with the Magpies at Optus Stadium on Friday night.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Alex Pearce holds back tears after tribute to Cam McCarthy.
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He pointed to the sky in honour of his great mate in what was a touching moment.
Paramedics found McCarthy — who played 49 games for the Dockers plus 21 for GWS — unresponsive after they were called to a house, believed to belong to his parents, in Lake Coogee in Perth’s south two weeks ago.
Asked about his goal after the game, Pearce said he had McCarthy on his mind when he was lining up, but took a moment to begin his answer as he fought back tears.
“It has been tough. A couple of weeks ago was a really hard game to get through,” Pearce told Channel 7 after the game.
“I was nervous going back. When I had it, the hands were a little bit shaky.
“I did think, I was like, ‘Cam would kick this’. I was happy to (kick it). It was for him.”
Pearce and Channel 7 boundary commentator Abbey Holmes embraced at the end of the interview in a nice moment.
The Magpies looked to have Friday’s game in the bag after Bobby Hill’s goal with seven-and-a-half minutes remaining gave them a 25-point lead.
But goals to Bailey Banfield and Hayden Young — plus a controversial goal to Sean Darcy — put the Dockers within reach, before Pearce took a sliding mark and kicked truly to cut the margin to one point with 109 seconds remaining.
Fremantle then had a chance to win it but Jeremy Sharp’s 25m shot on the run with 47 seconds remaining could only manage a behind.
Collingwood surged the ball forward and had two ball-ups in their forward 50m, but Fremantle’s defence held firm.
The Magpies finished 10.15 (75) to Fremantle’s 11.9 (75).
It marked Collingwood’s second draw this season, following on from their stalemate with Essendon.
Adding to the disappointment for Collingwood is the fact that Mason Cox and Brody Mihocek look set to join their lengthy injury list.
Cox’s leg bent awkwardly backwards and bore the brunt of his entire weight as he came crashing down in a third-quarter marking contest.
He also looked to have suffered a hefty head knock during the contest.
Mihocek, who was playing his first match back from a hamstring injury, went off in the fourth quarter with another hamstring niggle.
Collingwood already entered the match missing match-winner Jordan De Goey, Jamie Elliott, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Tom Mitchell and Jeremy Howe among others.
Nick Daicos led the way for Collingwood with 35 disposals and 10 clearances, while former Docker Lachie Schultz was booed every time he touched the ball on the way to 15 disposals and 0.1.
Banfield finished with three goals for Fremantle.
The Dockers entered the match with big question marks over their goal-kicking accuracy after returning 13.33 over the past fortnight.
But it was Collingwood who had the wobbles, kicking 3.9 in the first half.
Collingwood entered the quarter-time break up by a point, but the big talking points of the term revolved around Fremantle spearhead Jye Amiss.
Amiss, who kicked a wayward 2.5 last week, put his first shot out on the full — a tough 50m set shot near the boundary.
His next set shot, from 45m almost directly in front, sprayed to the left.
And Amiss was again in the spotlight in the dying seconds of the term when he gave away an off-the-ball free kick while grappling with Charlie Dean.
Fremantle were rebounding the ball out of defence when the reversal was paid, with the somewhat questionable decision allowing Collingwood youngster Harvey Harrison to kick his second goal of the term as the siren sounded.
The second quarter was a slog until Fremantle blew it open with a three-goal burst.
The Magpies kicked five goals to nil in the third quarter to snatch the momentum, and they looked to be cruising in the final term.
But in the blink of an eye, Fremantle snatched back momentum.
Collingwood’s Lachlan Sullivan gave away a free kick when he handed the ball to a teammate instead of the umpire when a ball-up was called.
Darcy nailed the ensuing free kick before Young and Pearce popped up for goals to set up the draw.
– With AAP