WATCH: The AFL greats who could've been Fremantle players as mid-90s details are revealed

Even the league conceded the Dockers’ list was “designed to win one or no games” from the restrictions in place.

STAFF WRITERS | July 31, 2024 - 11:05am

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Set up to fail in their early years in the AFL, Fremantle's list build through 1995 saw the club fall narrowly short of signing some of the game's greatest players.

The Dockers were permitted access to 15 uncontracted players across the competition. But for every player signed, the club that lost personnel to Fremantle would be handed pre-draft access via the 1995 Pre-Season Draft, taking most of the top picks from the class.

While Fremantle were able to attain "serviceable" assets, their first pick at the draft saw them unable to recruit any of the top 15 players given the restrictions, a list that included Essendon greats Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas.

The Dockers were also limited to recruiting from half of the WAFL, with the restrictions placed on the club's list build "designed to win one or no games".

Speaking on this week's AFL Team Builders episode, Inaugural Fremantle chairman Ross Kelly spoke on the club's uphill battle when it came to recruiting players in the mid-90s.

"When (AFL football operations director) Ian Collins came across to brief us he said 'your side will have to prove itself, and don't be dismayed, because your list is designed to win one or no games'," Kelly said.

"I was quite surprised by that, but that was how it was. The rules were made quite difficult.

For example, we were given the opportunity to select (players) from only half of the WAFL clubs, the others were restricted.

"We were allowed to recruit up to 15 uncontracted players from the existing (AFL) clubs, with the proviso that if we took a player from one of those clubs that they got a 16-year-old pre-draft choice in compensation.

"We got Todd Ridley and Tony Delaney, both serviceable players from Essendon, and then before the draft they recruited Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas.

"Effectively, when we were allowed a first draft pick the next year in 1995, what happened then was we picked Clive Waterhouse, who was effectively No.15 (ranked) in the draft because 14 other low draft choices had been plucked before they even entered it."

St Kilda greats Stewart Loewe and Robert Harvey were "more than interested" in a move to Fremantle, but would see out their careers as Saints players.

You can watch the full Fremantle AFL Team Builders episode below.