Dockers’ Heartbreaking AFL Finals Collapse: Reasons for a Strong Comeback

‘No real timeline’ on Ugle-Hagan return | 01:13

There’s a fire burning in the belly of the Fremantle Dockers after their “devastating” slump to finish 2024.

Watch every match of the 2025 AAMI Community Series Live & ad-break free during play, exclusive to FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

With four rounds to go, the ‘Flagmantle’ dream was well and truly alive as the Dockers sat comfortably inside the top four. But what followed was the stuff of nightmares as injuries mounted and so did the losses – four straight ensured they slid out of the eight and into a 10th place finish.

“It was devastating,” Fremantle skipper Alex Pearce told foxfooty.com.au.

“It hurt, it hurt like hell. The days afterwards we were all pretty gutted.

“But that’s footy. That’s sport. That’s what happens.

“A lot of those games were quite close, and we were in it. Gave ourselves a chance in pretty much every game. You could just see how much we wanted it – it wasn’t through a lack of effort or trying.

“We didn’t quite get it done in the big moments.”

Consecutive losses to Essendon, Geelong and GWS by 11 points or less hurt, before the final round defeat to Port Adelaide at home sealed Freo’s fate to miss finals.

Fox Footy’s David King is adamant the Dockers have the talent – but questioned the ruthlessness necessary to make the tough calls.

“This squad is too good to be outside the eight – it’s as simple as that,” he said on First Crack in August.

“(You ask) Were we prepared to make the tough calls? The tough calls to be made on (veterans) Nat Fyfe, Michael Walters. We’re talking about being ruthless to win the thing.

“I wonder if they are too nice around the edges.”

While gutted to miss out in 2024, Pearce believes it’s a fired up Freo outfit ready to take the field – and they’re bolstered by the recruitment of two-time premiership Tiger Shai Bolton and former Cats and Power forward Quinton Narkle.

“It would be quite easy to make some excuses and give ourselves an out, but we wanted to really go all in and still believe we could make finals, we could go deep and be there that last Saturday,” Pearce said.

“You’d rather go all in, put your heart and soul on the line and believe and ultimately fall short than only put half your chips in, and not go all in.

“The fact we did that holds us in good stead this year.”

Likening the current crop of players to that of 2015 who went all the way to a maiden grand final, Pearce says it’s a “hungry” squad looking to build on a season that included wins over eventual premier Brisbane and grand finalists Sydney.

“We feel like we’re ready and that we are good enough to take that next step,” he said.

“Last year, there was a lot of hype and expectation. I think throughout it all, we’ve had a real expectation of ourselves and a real desire and confidence that we are good enough – that hasn’t changed.

“I feel like the group we’ve got now is as driven a group as I’ve been a part of.

“It sort of reminds me of the 2014/15 group I was a part of, led by (Matthew) Pavlich and (Luke) McPharlin, (Aaron) Sandilands, (Hayden) Ballantyne, and those guys had these really high standards and expected the best out of everyone and I think that’s what we’ve got at the moment.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys who really believe they are good enough and they are ready to make their stand a little bit.

“That’s why it is so exciting to come to work at the moment and be part of a group that’s really driven.

“Training is tough! When you are a part of a group that believes, and we really see a great possibility for ourselves, it’s exciting.

“We just believe our best footy is good enough.”

STRENGTHS

Midfield, motivation: There’s no doubt Fremantle possess an elite midfield. Led by the likes of Andy Brayshaw and Caleb Serong, Hayden Young has since proven himself as one of the deadliest in the comp with his precision. In 2024 the trio of top 10 picks averaged more than 27 disposals, 7 score involvements and 6 clearances. Throw in the odd pitch-hit from a two-time Brownlow Medallist in Nat Fyfe too. Coach Justin Longmuir has previously said his side has “all the pieces we need” in the midfield – it’s now about getting it to work in harmony at either end. Given the way their 2024 season ended and the heartbreak players endured, the Dockers are motivated to not only make that eight, but really shake things up. Fox Footy’s Leigh Montagna said he hoped their form slump – that saw them lose four straight and miss the eight – “stings”. “It’s going to burn them,” he said on First Crack. “They are a proud side … it’s going to sit in their guts over summer.” And now here they are gearing up for their first shot at redemption.

WEAKNESS

Experience and structure: The Dockers were sitting pretty in the top four when skipper Alex Pearce went down. Already without fellow defender Brennan Cox, suddenly it was Josh Draper in just his second AFL season tasked with playing on the key forwards of the competition while Luke Ryan had to play tall. Then without Josh Treacy in attack and Sean Darcy in the ruck, Freo were all at sea as their injury woes mounted in the final rounds – and the Dockers never recovered. The experienced heads were missing and so was the composure as Freo wasted match-winning positions. Adding to the woes, Fremantle couldn’t figure where to play star ruck-forward Luke Jackson. In the final month of games, Jackson didn’t have a single intercept mark and from Round 19 was ranked #225 for impact from ball winning. King labelled the numbers as “poor” on First Crack at the time, and called for Freo to find Jackson’s rightful spot in their line up. “This is a player that has been hard to place. I wonder what his position or function is in the team … They’ve found it hard to trust him at centre bounces … As a target forward of centre, they hardly kick it to him,” he lamented. Whatever the issue, Fremantle need to get that structure right with Jackson, considering they’ll be without Sean Darcy in the opening rounds due to injury.

PREMIERSHIP CLOCK

9pm: The Dockers remain a smoky in 2025 after showing finals form for 20 rounds before fading badly through injury and a form slump to miss out completely. But the spine is there – it just needs to stay fit. Already Sean Darcy will miss the opening rounds through injury; skipper Alex Pearce has sent a couple of scares on the training track in match sim games. But the Dockers’ midfield is elite. Their young forward line, led by Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss, is starting to shine and you add a two-time premiership winner in Shai Bolton to the mix – at just 26 years of age and coming into his footy prime – and this is a side not to be underestimated. Fremantle just has to find a way in those tight moments. Seven of their 10 losses in 2024 were by four goals or less – and six were by 13 points or less, plus there was a draw. Experience and composure will get the Dockers over the line in those contests, but will that be this year? It’ll be the difference between being a genuine contender and a fringe eight side.

PREDICTED LADDER RANGE

4th-10th

PREDICTED ROUND 1 TEAM

B: Heath Chapman, Alex Pearce, Luke Ryan

HB: Jordan Clark, Brennan Cox, Nathan O’Driscoll

C: Hayden Young, Jeremy Sharp, James Aish

HF: Shai Bolton, Josh Treacy, Michael Frederick

F: Sam Switkowski, Jye Amiss, Michael Walters

FOLL: Luke Jackson, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw

I/C: Sam Sturt, Nat Fyfe, Jaeger O’Meara, Neil Erasmus, Bailey Banfield (sub)