After incremental improvements in the first two seasons under Coach Justin Longmuir, Fremantle made the quantum leap in 2022 by playing finals football for the first time since 2015. And they disappoint.
In a season filled with successes, the Dockers made tremendous strides finishing with 15 wins, six losses, and a draw. More than the actual win-loss record, the continual growth of its upcoming young players and middle to lower-tier players made the difference in becoming one of the more formidable sides to play against.
With an array of confidence under the belt, Fremantle made important moves during last season's trade period despite losing Rory Lobb (Western Bulldogs), Blake Acres (Carlton), Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker (North Melbourne).
Bringing home Jaeger O'Meara and Luke Jackson is going to shore up its midfield and ruck stocks respectively, whilst Josh Corbett has potential for more opportunities, having fallen out of favour at the Gold Coast Suns.
As the side's first match of the home and away Season is only days against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, these are the five burning questions hovering over the Dockers.
4. What is Fremantle's ceiling in 2023?
Season 2022 was a year of surpassing expectations for Fremantle. The club achieved this by reaching its first finals appearance since 2015 and winning a final in the process, with a stirring 41-point comeback win over the Western Bulldogs.
Their young stars Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Will Brodie, Heath Chapman, Brandon Walker, and Sean Darcy all had excellent campaigns. Most notably Brayshaw won a number of accolades including the Doig Medal, the Leigh Matthews Trophy, and made his maiden All-Australian team.
The heavy reliance on Nat Fyfe, David Mundy, and Michael Walters, which became a regular topic in seasons past, became no more as Fremantle found all-around contributions from top to bottom. Importantly, Fremantle found a way to start winning matches away from Optus Stadium, especially in Victoria.
In seven Victorian trips, the Dockers won five, including a nail-biting win over premiers Geelong, running over the top of Melbourne, and a struggle fest draw against Richmond. It showed the Dockers can match it with the elite sides. In doing so it won eight away games - the most since 2015. Despite the retirement of club legend David Mundy, and the departures of Lobb, Acres, Logue, and Tucker Fremantle have the reliable depth to cover their losses.ย
In acquiring WA products Jaeger O'Meara and Luke Jackson, the Dockers firmly believe it can propel three steps further in bringing home a maiden flag. Fremantle has most bases covered, and now is the time to strike. With the evenness of the league in recent years, anything is possible.
