Finishing mid-table in 2021, the Fremantle Dockers donโt look too far off from getting back to their very best after some lacklustre performances in the previous years.
Inconsistent performances against weaker teams, as well as impressive victories over arguably stronger teams, led to mixed feelings amongst the Freo faithful over how the team performed.
Coming into the 2022 season, Justin Longmuir's side look stronger than ever on paper. It's now about putting everything into action and performing when it matters most.
With many players on the brink of returning from injury, things are looking up for the Dockers. And with a lot of players starting to find themselves, flourishing in their current roles, as well as the return of captain Nat Fyfe, Fremantle fans have a lot to be excited about going into the upcoming season.
Off-Season Moves
Ins: Jye Amiss, Neil Erasmus, Matthew Johnson, Eric Benning, Will Brodie [Gold Cost], Jordan Clark [Geelong]
Outs: Brett Bewley [delisted], Adam Cerra [Carlton], Reece Conca [delisted], Taylin Dunman [delisted], Stefan Giro [delisted], Stephen Hill [retired], Leno Thomas [delisted], Luke Valentine [retired], Tobe Watson [delisted]
Defining Period
Rounds 19 - 23
It's going to come down to the wire for Fremantle in the 2022 home and away season. Their fixtures are quite standard, with beatable opponents and more challenging encounters scattered throughout the majority of the season.
The run home, however, is going to push the squad to their limits and really define whether or not they have what it takes to play finals.
In the last 5 Rounds, Fremantle face the Tigers, Demons, Bulldogs, Eagles and the Giants all in a row, with three of those games being away from home.
All of these teams, bar Richmond, finished above Freo last season.
In 2021, the Dockers were well beaten by Melbourne, GWS, Western Bulldogs, and were smashed by West Coast on their first encounter, although they got the better of the Eagles the second time around. Freo also only managed to beat the Tigers by four points.
If these unconvincing performances are anything to go off, the Dockers could have their work cut out for them in the latter end of the season, which could be detrimental to the team's hopes of playing finals football.
