When Fremantle were 50 points up against Geelong in the semi-final of 2012, the football world was stunned.
Despite Fremantle’s tenacity at the ball and the man there was a lingering feeling the Cats would mount an inevitable comeback.
After all this was a seasoned side that had won three flags in six years, one of the greatest teams of all time. Surely this wasn’t the way their season ended?
Well it did. Geelong were put to the sword by a virtuoso finals effort from skipper Matthew Pavlich, kicking six of the finest on the hallowed MCG turf.
They did fall at the second last hurdle, albeit to a red-hot Adelaide at home, but this 2013 team has a winning look about them.
The Dockers could be on the brink of something very special.
The acquisition of Ross Lyon at the beginning of last year was controversial at the time, but has proved to be a master stroke.
Aside from Pavlich and Sandilands their best players are on the good side of 28 and they find themselves sitting a very comfy 10-3-1 alongside the reigning premier, who they had beaten before the Swans stole a draw from the jaws of defeat at the SCG in Round 8 this year.
We all know about the Ross Lyon defensive strangle that elevated the Saints to two grand finals, it has been well and truly on show at Freo with players like Ibbotson, Johnson and McPharlin the generals of a back-line that has conceded fewer points per game (68) than any other in the competition.
West Coast counterpart John Worsfold knows the challenge that lies ahead for his players in the lead up to the derby this weekend, saying on Wednesday that this is arguably the best Dockers outfit he has seen.
“Their list is great and they are performing at an elite level consistently,” Worsfold said.
“In 2006 they had a wonderful year, but I think the way they are going at the moment, they have the position to at least match that.”
Along with their miserly defensive pressure, the depth at Fremantle is a factor resembling the Collingwood of 2010 and the Sydney of last year.
Despite long-term injuries to Pavlich and big Sandilands, their voids have barely scratched the surface with players like Zac Clarke and Chris Mayne taking on critical roles in the starting 22.
Even with Stephen Hill lacking his usual burst and Ballantyne not performing to the level he was last year, we have seen Freo bat very deep with their midfield generals Barlow, Mundy and Fyfe having outstanding years and Michael Walters being in All Australian form.
It’s been 18 years since they came into the AFL but who knows, maybe the purple haze might just add a flag to its cabinet prior to its 20th anniversary.
Brendan
Guest
The game against West Coast is almost a mini final the Eagles needing a win to keep in touch with the eight and the Dockers eyeing of a top four spot. IMO Fremantle need a top two finish a winning home final first up followed by a home preliminary to have a big shot at the flag.This requires Hawthorn or Geelong to drop two games and the Dockers none - a tough ask.
Cutts
Guest
I predict Freo will b 3rd come finals. We've got a good final run. Im glad Geelong gave us a belting. It's very hard to beat Geelong at Geelong, especially with 4 of ur best players out. But I think Freo can beat Geelong at the MCG. I dont think they can beat Hawthorn. I'd b rapt with 3rd and semis, anything else is a bonus.
mark
Guest
Smithy, i actually have met a few Dockers fans who detest the way they play, yes they win, and fans are always happy about that, but overall they strangle the opposition and play a very (usually-but not always) a very drab, grey, wrokmanlike unattractive style. But let it be said, that the Dockers of now, are very unlike the Dockers of yesteryear, they are disciplined, they are accountable, they want to win, and they will put in the extra effort to do so, but i actually preferred to watch them, when like Clive Waterhouse, they were unpredictable, confusing, frustrating but generally exciting.
langou
Roar Guru
Good one. Ross Lyon's game plan is good enough to make a grand final and have more scoring shots than the opposition but not good enough to win or even better his game plan is good enough to draw a grand final but not good enough to get that extra one point required.. Didn't realise it was the game plan that caused St. Kilda's small forwards to miss easy shots in 2009 and certainly didn't realise it was the game plan that caused Milme to get that shocker of a bounce in the dying stages of the 2010 grand final
Simoc
Guest
I love the way Freo are playing and wish that we'de always played that way for 18 years. Hard at the ball for four quarters. I still think that at this stage Hawthorn and Geelong look a little classier than us and we will need things to go our way to beat them. All other sides we are better than an even bet. Still for the first time I'm saving for a trip to Melbourne, just in case.
matt.nolan
Roar Rookie
Well said. They're evenness across the ground and players that are unheralded make them a good side. The players you mentioned aren't rock stars but they just get the job done week in, week out.
matt.nolan
Roar Rookie
I was more pointing out the fact that if they had've punched the ball through like they should've the game was there for the taking. But yes, Sydney did play better over the course of the game.
dockersfan
Guest
Fair point, their 2nd half is certainly hard given that Sydney are still flying, Geelong have somehow gotten better and Collingwood are just starting to find some form, however their first half more than made up for these factors WCE just didn't cash in. Don't get me wrong I'm not hoping they miss the finals, I certainly think they'll make it more interesting than Port Adelaide but I just think they've made a reasonable draw look much harder than it needed to be.
dockersfan
Guest
None of those stats have any correlation with winning, you might as well be saying they had more interchanges - scoring shots and inside 50's do. 25 scoring shots to 15 shows that we were not only winning the inside 50's but getting much deeper inside 50's, to put it in perspective this game was the only time a team has had 10 more scoring shots and not won. Sydney won the clearances by 1, but were beaten 14 to 7 in centre clearances. Also 1%'s are the realm of back men, for a team to win those it generally means the game was played in their back half - which it was in this case. And we won the marks inside 50 13 to 12
johno
Guest
Every statistical factor? We were beaten in clearances at stoppages, disposal, tackles, hitouts, 1%'ers and contested marks. And despite a dominant inside 50 count we only had 1 more mark inside 50. Sydney's disposal efficiency was 74% to Freo's 71%, which led to a count of 36 more effective disposals for the match. Sydney played more aggressively and cleaner for most of the day.
Jermayn
Guest
Point taken about WCE's bad form but their draw still is hard even if they were top four.
dockersfan
Guest
Have not met a Freo fan this year who isn't enjoying watching Freo win, like honestly I've been to every home game and watched most away games at various pubs and not 1 person has said "how bad are we going this year". agree it is incredibly frustrating for opposition team fans watching their players be put under pressure and squeezed as I witnessed this for 5 years as the Saints rolled Freo every bloody time we played them, but when it's your team doing the squeezing (and winning) it's very easy on the eye.
dockersfan
Guest
I actually enjoyed the fact that the teams Freo fielded against Geelong and Hawthorn were vastly different to their actual best 22. When you think about the outs vs. Hawks (Pav, Sandi, Morabito, McPharlin - not to mention replacing Macca with our 4th choice FB) and then vs. Geelong (Mundy, Barlow, Spurr, Duffield, Pav, Sandi) it doesn't really give a clear view of where Freo actually rate against those sides. Which will work in our favour come September. Also hearing that we won't do well at MCG in finals, funny theory that considering what we did there last September. The draw is as soft as your current form makes it i.e.WCE have a tough draw is because they haven't been winning at home.
Savvas Tzionis
Guest
Please no..... they play a brand of football uglier than the Swans!
dockersfan
Guest
Disagree, over the course of the 4 quarters freo dominated inside 50's, scoring shots basically every statistical factor just couldn't kick straight until the last quarter. However, if we looked at the last quarter in isolation from the rest of the game then yes, agree Freo stole a draw.
Seano
Guest
Freo will make a few GFs while Lyon is there, he has a good formula to MAKE finals but NOT win the big one, he is and always will be too negative, when you are negative it's always close, you need to take risks for blow outs, sorry Lyon you need argots to win flags. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Franko
Guest
Luckily for them Freo get two runs on the G before the season is out, against the Richmond and the Dees, I rekon it makes a pretty big difference come September. Whilst Geelong and Hawthorn seem head and shoulders above, funnier things have happened.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Agree, Freo stole a draw in that game. Thoroughly outplayed except for the final half of the final term. Johno could have snuck the victory but the Freo forwards did not contest that marking contest with Reid hard enough.
Steve J
Roar Guru
The good thing about the two main losses for Freo this season, Geelong and Hawthorn, is that finals are not played at York Park or Kardinia. The bad thing is that those two teams have the best attacks in the comp and defences able to match it with Freo. The forward line will definitely need Pav to play a major role if Freo wants to progress deep into September, and that could be there undoing.
Smithy
Guest
I think plenty of fans love the way they play; it's hard and accountable football, and it means you don't drop stupid games to teams well below you on the ladder (even Cats and Bomber lost to the Lions). There's some talent on our list for sure but it's not like this is a team full of highly skilled top 10 draft picks, it's a fairly blue-collar team. Team mainstays like De Boer, Mzungu, C. Pearce, Crowley, Spurr, Suban, even Barlow to an extent, are all guys who do the job largely through sheer effort and love of the contest. All are from the rookie list or outside top 20. None of them are flashy players but they give consistent hard efforts. The game plan means we win the games we're meant to win, which ultimately is what puts you in the running for a top four spot. When you travel as much as we do the top four is the only way to find your way to the the last day in September - it's all about stacking the four points during the regular season, and they're doing exactly that.