This week will see Fremantle return to the Friday night lights for the first time in 2,122 days when they host North Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
Their most recent match on a Friday evening came on July 15, 2016, when a Ross Lyon-led outfit hosted Geelong at Subiaco.
The Dockers entered that match with a 3-12 record and had searched to salvage their season after beginning the campaign with 10-straight losses.
They would eventually fall to the Cats by 17 points, with Patrick Dangerfield earning three Brownlow votes with a 31-disposal, four-goal effort.
Now, almost six years on from the game, we take a look at Fremantle's side the last time they played on Friday night.
Current Dockers
Among the Dockers' 22-man side from the game, only two players are likely to line up against the Roos this week, with veteran duo David Mundy and Michael Walters among the quartet of current Fremantle players to lose to Geelong in 2016.
Another Docker to still feature in purple is key forward Matt Taberner, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, while utility Connor Blakely remains on the fringe under Justin Longmuir.
All four Dockers were among the nine separate goalscorers from Lyon's side, a stunning metric considering Fremantle only booted the nine majors for the night.
Mundy has seemingly continued to play at the same calibre six years on, while Walters has shown glimpses of his lethal attacking abilities in 2022.
Reigning Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe sat out a majority of the 2016 season after suffering a broken leg in Round 5.
Now playing elsewhereย
Four players have left Cockburn for another club in the past six seasons, headlined by Brownlow Medal winner, Lachie Neale.
The Brisbane ball magnet ventured to Queensland at the end of the 2019 season and would claim the league's top individual honour the following year, succeeding his ex-teammate, Nat Fyfe.
Two more ex-Dockers have also landed in the Sunshine State since 2016, with Lachie Weller having been traded to the Gold Coast Suns the next year, while Sam Collins had made his way to Carrara in 2019 after being delisted in the same off-season Weller departed.
High-flying Bulldogs defender Hayden Crozier also left Fremantle at the end of 2017 in a trade to Whitten Oval after six seasons and 69 games with the Dockers.
Retired players
14 players have since had their AFL careers come to an end in the past six years, with all now finding themselves scattered across the nation and working in a litany of professional fields.
The former Dockers goalsneak was delisted by the club at the end of the 2019 season after 171 games and 254 goals in purple. Shortly after leaving Fremantle, Ballantyne returned to WAFL club Peel Thunder for the 2020 season, where he played two seasons before calling time on his career.
Ballantyne has since continued his role as a horse trainer in Perth, having worked with his father, Graeme, throughout his playing career.
Tom Sheridan
Sheridan was another Docker to depart for another club, heading to the GWS Giants ahead of the 2019 season, where he would play two games across as many years in New South Wales.
After retiring at the end of the 20202 season, the Calder Cannons product has since become the co-founder of Rixx Eyewear and is host of Ausmerican Aces podcast.
2016 would be Mzungu's final campaign at Fremantle, with the loss to Geelong the utility's second last in purple overall.
The Melbourne-born Zimbabwean was delisted at the end of the year before being recruited to Greater Western Sydney via the Rookie Draft.
The now 36-year-old played just the four matches for the Giants prior to calling time on his career, linking back up with the Dockers as the coach of their Next Generation Academy from 2018.
The 156-gamer was delisted at the end of the 2017 season and would eventually link up with South Fremantle in the WAFL.
Suban would be an integral part of the Bulldogs' 2020 premiership side and continues to lace the boots for the club in 2022.
The 31-year-old has joined Ballantyne as a horse owner.
Dawson was another Docker to depart at the end of 2017, having played 89 games for the club after joining in 2011 after previous stints with Hawthorn and St Kilda.
The often-maligned defender remained in the AFL system after ending his playing days, taking on the duties to lead Carlton's Next Generation Academy.
Dawson has since moved on from Princes Park and is currently an employee at Sprint Capital Partners.
The Dockers life member played 177 games for the club across a 12-year career, first making his debut in 2007 against Richmond.
Ibbotson announced his retirement in 2017, and has since stepped into an operations manager role with leasing specialists Fleet Network.
Pearce joined the Dockers ahead of the 2013 season after 154 games with Port Adelaide - where he won the AFL Rising Star Award in 2006.
The Adelaide-born product would play six seasons with Fremantle, with his final campaign seeing the midfielder claim best and fairest honours with Peel Thunder before calling time on his 258-game career.
Pearce returned to his junior club Sturt in the SANFL in 2019 before hanging up the boots after one season.
The Dockers ruckman would play 56 games in purple after joining from Adelaide ahead of the 2011 season - conjuring a 12-year career in the AFL.
The Round 17 clash against Geelong would be one of 13 appearances for Griffin in 2016, a year that saw the ex-Crow feature in Peel Thunder's maiden WAFL premiership at season's end.
Griffin would be delisted by the Dockers at the end of 2017 before joining East Fremantle for three seasons, including a stint as captain.
Since ending his AFL career, Griffin has been the managing director of BOYA Group - an Indigenous-owned construction and maintenance business.
The Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winner was among the top bracket of Dockers in 2016, looking to step up in the absence of the aforementioned Nat Fyfe.
The loss to Geelong would see Barlow injure his shoulder, being unable to end the match on the field.
2016 would be Barlow's final year at Fremantle however, with the Shepparton-born onballer surprisingly delisted by the club.
Barlow soon found a new home with the Gold Coast Suns, however, he would face further setbacks in his career after breaking his leg in his first year with the Queensland club.
The Suns and Barlow would go their separate ways at the end of 2018, with the latter returning to Victoria in an assistant coaching role with VFL club Werribee.
Barlow was appointed as senior coach of the Tigers in December 2020, a role he currently holds.
The former Fremantle utility was another Docker to depart at the end of the 2016 season, venturing to Collingwood as an unrestricted free agent.
The Western Australian would be rejuvenated as a defender in the black and white, playing in the club's 2018 grand final side among his 76 games with the Magpies.
Mayne's 196 goals still sees him sit among the top five goalkickers in the Dockers' history, having played 172 games with the WA club.
He returned to his home state at the end of the 2021 season after retiring from the game,ย taking on the director of football role with Trinity College as well as a new position with WAFL club Perth, where he has featured this season.
There's not too much that needs to be said of arguably Fremantle's greatest ever player.
2016 would see the 700-goal legend hang up the boots after a then-club record 353 games, leaving the Dockers as a six-time best and fairest, six-time All-Australian and eight-time club leading goalkicker.
Since his departure, Pavlich has taken on media duties with Nine News and Fox Footy.
Hill was one of a few Dockers to have perhaps enjoyed the Round 17 clash with Geelong, with the midfielder collecting two Brownlow votes after recording 37 disposals, six clearances and five tackles.
The West Perth product would endure an injury-plagued ending to his 218-game career, retiring after playing just 15 games across his final three seasons in the AFL.
Lee Spur
The Dockers defender joined the club via the Rookie Draft in 2011 after a prolonged stint with SANFL club Central Districts.
Spurr would make his debut against the Suns the next year, going on to play 120 games for the Dockers before calling time on his career at the end of 2018 season.
Since leaving the league, the Queensland native has remained in Western Australia, taking on roles as a commentator for radio broadcaster 6PR, while also working with the Starlight Children's Foundation, Health in Mind and 360 Medico Legal.
Cam Sutcliffe
The Naracoorte product played seven seasons with Fremantle, amassing 104 matches for the club before his eventual delisting at the end of 2018.
After an impressive stint as captain of Port Adelaide's SANFL side, the Power recruited Sutcliffe through the 2019 Mid-Season Rookie Draft - making his club debut later that season.
After just nine games and 18 months on Port's AFL list, Sutcliffe was culled by the Power at the end of 2020.
Sutcliffe returned to captaining the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL and has since taken up a Community Program Coordinator role at Alberton Oval.
