Fremantle has pulled off a sensational last-quarter comeback to surge into the AFL grand final with a tense 12-point win over Sydney.
Trailing by 27 points late in the third quarter, the Dockers kicked the last six goals of their preliminary final to win 12.11 (83) to 10.11 (71) at the SCG.
Fremantle advances to the second grand final in club history, where they will meet either Hawthorn or Brisbane.
Justin Longmuir’s men were staring down the barrel of an early exit before Hayden Young converted a difficult set shot after the three-quarter time siren, and were full of running in a gripping finish.
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Young (28 disposals), Andrew Brayshaw (29), Caleb Serong (28) and Shai Bolton (two goals) were instrumental in the victory.
But it wasn’t assured until the dying stages, when Isaiah Dudley ran into an open goal with less than two minutes on the clock.
“Words can’t describe how proud I am of everyone for stepping up,” Fremantle captain Alex Pearce told Channel 7.
“There were just so many moments where guys stood up under the fiercest of pressure.
“We played our best footy in the last quarter when everything was against us.“
Luke Jackson finished with two goals in an entertaining ruck battle with Brodie Grundy.
Dudley’s second major was the Dockers’ fifth of a dominant final quarter, in which Patrick Voss’s huge fend-off and checkside goal on the run was a highlight.
“[Our forwards] were beaten early, and it was hurting us a little bit,” Pearce said.
“Our ball use into the forward line was diabolical at times. We were just kicking it to the red jumper.
“But wow, our forwards stood up [in the final quarter]. They stood up like big men.”
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Sydney’s brave effort came without injured captain Callum Mills and the five stars banned in the fallout from the Pullman Hotel scandal.
Errol Gulden (36 disposals) was brilliant in setting up their lead, with Logan McDonald (three goals) dangerous in attack.
“It’s gut-wrenching, devastating, but I’m overwhelmed with pride in what we’ve been able to do over the last couple weeks,” Swans stand-in captain Dane Rampe said.
“We didn’t get that result tonight, but I felt over the last couple of weeks we took a couple of steps in the right direction towards [getting] back respect and trust of not only our fans and our club, but the AFL community in general.”
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Sydney vs Fremantle — live scoreboard
That’s where we’ll leave things for tonight!
Thank you for spending your evening with us for what was a thrilling win for Freo!
Join us again tomorrow as Hawthorn and Brisbane battle for the right to face the Dockers.
I’ll be on hand again to bring you all the live action as it happens.
See you then!
Dean Cox looks emotional at the post-game press conference
A lot in this post-game chat from Dean Cox, who looks as though he might have shed some tears in the locker room with his team before getting to the podium.
“I’m extremely proud. To put on a performance like that, I’m just extremely proud of everyone uniting and galvanising to get our season to the last game, and we fell short.
“To Freo’s credit, they ramped up towards the end of the third. We were in a really good position for three and a bit quarters, but this time of the year, you can’t give a team any sort of momentum.
“They outnumbered and we blasted out of our back half and they got repeat entries and took their moments, that’s what good teams too.
“I thought our pressure on the ball carrier and the system that we played stood up.
“I’ve been really proud of the ability to play the players we have all throughout the year. When they weren’t playing throughout the year, they acquitted of themselves really well.
“It is raw, but that is footy, footy is a hard game. I learnt a hell of a lot. I’ve got a chance to really reflect on the season we’ve had.
“We want to be playing these games of footy every year, that’s what we strive for. I love prelim finals.
“We’ve got to learn, and I do as well, and we’ll spend the off-season doing that. They’ve been really supportive and wanted to action everything we wanted to put in place. They’ve just been really hungry to improve.
“It’s hard to say it’s a missed opportunity when you play a really good footy team.
“Prelims are big games and there is a lot at stake because there is a grand final next week.
“The older players, they certainly understand that they don’t just come around every year. They’re hard to get to, so that’ll settle in the next few days.”
Cox is asked about what lies ahead for Dane Rampe, who was very emotional after the match.
“I can’t speak highly enough of what Dane has done for our football club ever since he’s been here.
“He’s a club favourite, a fan favourite. His emotional intelligence is as high as I’ve seen.
“He leads really strongly and it’s just unfortunate that we couldn’t get done for him.
“He’s earned the right to say if he wants to play on or if he doesn’t, and we’ll have the conversations from there.”
A look back at the manic final few minutes
If you missed the ending to this match, here’s how it panned out:
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Good luck trying to fly from Perth to Melbourne
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Stuie is not happy with the umpiring in the final term
Not a single free kick to the Swans in the final quarter.
– StuieD
What a con. Disgraceful by the Umpires. They have umpired Sydney out of the game, whether through incompetence or, as I suspect, deliberately.
– StuieD
A disgrace. An absolute disgrace. Sydney absolutely ripped off.
– StuieD
What was the free kick count in the last quarter?
– StuieD
Jackson says Freo GF appearance ‘dream come true’
What a moment for Luke Jackson, who grew up a Fremantle fan, and now gets to represent his Dockers in a grand final!
Jackson was a very young buck when he reached the big dance with Melbourne in 2021, but will be one of the main men next Saturday.
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Bolton opens up on Brayshaw’s letter to teammates
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Longmuir speaks after riding the rollercoaster
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says he “rode the rollercoaster” tonight.
“We were able to hit the scoreboard and put the pressure on them,” he tells Fox Footy.
“It [Young’s goal on 3QT] just gave us a little bit of a boost, and we probably needed that.
“We jumped into the last quarter the way we wanted to and got field position.
“I wouldn’t have wanted [the ball] in anyone else’s hands, put it that way.
The Pullman Five end up costing the Swans
What could have been for Sydney… those five outs would have been good to have.
– Jeremy
Definitely would’ve made a difference tonight Jeremy. I can imagine Nick Blakey’s run off halfback in particular when Freo started dominating territory.
What a shame after such a good season for the Swans. The remaining players fought so hard, but they didn’t have enough firepower tonight.
It was like rocking up to a gunfight with a butter knife in the end.
The Dockers represented in the theatre!
Am sitting in His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth watching a ballet…during interval an audience member got up and squealed, waving her freo scarf…and that’s how the whole audience knew!!
– Avi
A look at some of the big individual performances
Here are your top three players on the ground according to the AFL’s ranking points:
- Errol Gulden (SYD): 36 disposals, eight tackles, seven inside 50s, five clearances, 766m gained
- Hayden Young (FRE): 28 disposals, seven tackles, seven score involvements, five inside 50s, four clearances
- Shai Bolton (FRE): 20 disposals, eight tackles, seven score involvements, seven inside 50s, three clearances, 2.0
Alex Pearce reacts to Fremantle’s comeback win
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Is this Rampe’s final game for Sydney?
Dane Rampe looks the most emotional of all the Swans after that one.
He’s very teary and has a wave to the fans in the stands before walking off the ground.
The 36-year-old is out of contract, I wonder if he’s played his last game for the Swans.
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The final numbers from Fremantle’s prelim win
Here’s a look at the final team numbers, and in the end these numbers show that Freo’s dominance eventually told on the scoreboard:
- Disposals: Fremantle 369-314
- Inside 50s: Fremantle 67-49
- Clearances: Fremantle 44-30
- Centre Clearances: Fremantle 12-6
- Contested Possessions: Fremantle 162-133
- Marks: Fremantle 71-44
- Marks Inside 50: Fremantle 9-6
- Contested Marks: Fremantle 17-8
- Tackles: Sydney 80-64
- Tackles in Forward 50: Sydney 19-17
- One Percenters: Sydney 57-41
Incredible scenes on the ground after that one!
The Dockers are understandably absolutely chuffed after that one.
Hayden Young speaks to Fox Footy, he was the firestarter after kicking that goal on the boundary on the three-quarter time siren, and calls the kick a “fluke”.
I’m not too sure about that.
There is a massive Freo contingent in the stands and the players are going around exchanging high fives with those sitting boundaryside.
Justin Longmuir looks absolutely proud as punch out there and rightly so.
FT: Fremantle 12.11 (83) defeats Sydney 10.11 (71)
The Dockers have done it! They are through to their first grand final since 2013 after an absolute SCG heist!
Luke Jackson jumps into the arms of Shai Bolton and that ecstasy is mirrored by absolute devastation from the Swans.
Dane Rampe on his haunches and in tears as he shares a hug with Tom McCartin.
Shai Bolton has blood streaming from above his left eye as he chats to Eddie Betts, describing this win as “special”.
He was outstanding in the final quarter with two goals to get this comeback underway.
It was a complete final quarter avalanche from the league’s best team all year.
They kicked 5.4 to 0.1 in the final quarter to steal this.
Papley hits the post!
Oh my goodness, Papley almost kicks an incredible goal from congestion, but the ball bounces and hits the post.
The Swans need two goals in a minute. I don’t think it’s going to happen.
Dudley wins a huge free kick, then seals the deal!
Isaiah Dudley wins a free kick for high contact in the middle of the ground.
He then works his way forward and receives the handpass from Murphy Reid and drills the goal to put the Dockers into the grand final!
The Dockers have kicked 5.3 to 0.0 for the quarter. What a comeback it’s been!
Freo by 12 points with 1:46 remaining on the clock.
Three minutes to go
It’s a ball up inside 50 for Fremantle. One score will probably do it for the Dockers.
The Swans scoreless in the final quarter so far.
dan