Fremantle grinds St Kilda to make it 10 straight

And while it took until the second half of the last quarter to finally put the Saints away, the Dockers’ second tier deserves a resounding tick. Depth can make or break premiership tilts. Just when clubs think they have enough of it, it can be ripped away in a blink. And that’s exactly what Fremantle fans feared when news broke that three-time All-Australian Caleb Serong had been ruled out with a calf injury. Last week, star midfielder Hayden Young suffered a concussion at training. The

week before that, captain Alex Pearce’s knee buckled in the final seconds of Fremantle’s thrilling win over Hawthorn. In mid-April, Jaeger O’Meara suffered multiple facial fractures at training. Sean Darcy wasn’t at his best before suffering a calf injury, but that’s a fifth-best 23 Docker sat up in the stands. When you cut that deep into your starting side, let alone your upper echelon, cracks will undoubtedly appear. You only have to look back as far as 2024 when the Dockers lost their last three

games of the season, minus Darcy, Pearce, and Josh Treacy, to stumble out of the finals. But Fremantle finally has the maturity to paper over the cracks. Its depth is the best it’s ever been, and Justin Longmuir’s side is stacked with unsung heroes. Due to a combination of form and injury concerns, Nathan O’Driscoll has ping ponged in and out of Fremantle’s starting side in recent years. But Friday’s 27-disposal effort was the most profound of the 20 games he’s managed in the last

three years. After bravely opening up about his mental health history, O’Driscoll stepped up in the absence of the Dockers’ prime midfield movers. A rookie selection back in 2021, there was no guarantee Karl Worner’s career would amount to anything of significance. But in back-to-back weeks, he’s accumulated 25+ disposals. An astute intercept mark and neat kick, Worner is one of the most improved players in the competition. Matthew Johnson couldn’t fight his way back into the Dockers’ best 22 last season after overcoming an

ankle injury. A clutch late goal against Collingwood earlier in the year underlined his composure. But on Friday night, he was handed a negating role on St Kilda’s Hugo Garcia. After 25 disposals, two goals, 10 clearances, and seven tackles last week, Garcia was lauded as the most improved player in the competition. Against Fremantle, he finished with 10. Johnson doubled him with 20. Pat Voss continued his menacing ways, riling up Callum Wilkie. The Saints skipper averages 11 marks. Voss held him to three

and kicked three goals. There were times when some wondered where Neil Erasmus would get to 50 AFL games. In the first three years of his career, the top 10 draft pick lined up just 23 times and looked far more comfortable at WAFL level, named best on ground in Peel Thunder’s 2024 premiership. And while he still has some flaws to correct until he’s an A-Grade midfielder, he kicked a classy goal on the run and had a few moments. “It’s a credit to

the whole playing squad, the boys down at Peel as well,” Worner said. “We have a lot of players playing some really good footy down there and pushing for spots. It’s great that we can have some of our most important players out, and we have blokes who can step up and do the job. “You just have to be patient. There’s been a solid squad at Peel for a few years now, and the attitude of all of those boys is phenomenal. They’re not

dropping their heads or whining. They want to get better and are pushing for spots. “That’s the framework we set as a football club. If you come into the team, you know what’s required. “Across the board, it was a solid performance. If we all consistently play our roles, the game opens up.” A growing injury list wasn’t the only thing going against Fremantle on Friday night. The Dockers also had to contend with a five-day break and a flight back from Melbourne. There were

definitely signs of sluggishness and some flat footed players in patches. But this was a side that defied history by saluting off the back of back-to-back-to-back six-day breaks. “We haven’t spoken about it too much, to be honest,” Worner said. “It’s something we’re proud of, but winning 10 in a row doesn’t win you a premiership. “Obviously, there’s a rich history at Fremantle and a few great teams that have come before us. It’s nice, but we’re not focusing on it at the moment.” The

last Fremantle outfit to win nine in a row? Ross Lyon’s 2015 edition of the Dockers. It was only fitting that apprentice schooled master in front of 53,707 fans, the biggest ever crowd between the two sides. Next up? A date with the reigning premiers. Originally published as How Fremantle’s incredible depth is fuelling its premiership ambitions

Fremantle, St Kilda, Dockers, Saints, Serong, Young, Pearce, Darcy, O'Meara, Worner, O'Driscoll, Erasmus, Pat Voss, Hugo Garcia, Neil Erasmus, AFL