Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
"Superfluous to needs": The key forward the Dockers should trade
SEN • September 8th, 2025 2:30 pm
Where to now for the Fremantle Dockers?
A promising season had the side brilliantly placed headed into September, winning 11 of their last 13 games and primed to attack a home final against the inexperienced Gold Coast Suns.
While the opportunity to progress into a Semi Final was there for the taking as they came from behind, the Dockers were overrun late in the contest, squandering a six-point lead with under two minutes remaining to lose by a point in a heartbreaker at Optus Stadium.
Beneficially, the Dockers remain one of the youngest lists in the AFL, fielding an average age of just 24.9 years across the season – the fourth youngest in the competition, significantly younger than the likes of Collingwood (28.7 years) and Geelong (26.9 years).
That being said, David King believes the club should look to make changes to their list in the off-season to ensure they can back up their September appearance.
One of those changes surrounds a 22-year-old key forward who struggled to find his feet in 2025 after promising 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
“I think they could get aggressive with Jye Amiss,” King told SEN Fireball.
“If they’re looking to put one up, I think he’s superfluous to needs. If they could trade that player for another line-breaking mid, that’d be a sound investment I would say.”
Within his side’s loss, Amiss was withdrawn tactically ahead of the final term, kicking one goal from just two disposals on the night.
Despite playing all 24 games this season, Amiss kicked just 32 goals, a three-year low, while also averaging career-lows in marks and disposals per game.
While not disagreeing with King’s take, Cornes put up another Fremantle first-teamer that he believes should be moved on.
“(Sean) Darcy’s the one, isn’t he? Skinny Sean is the player you put up,” he suggested.
King: “I think the two rucks works. It hasn’t hurt them all year. You need them on your list, even if you’re worried about injury, you do need two competent ruckmen.”
Cornes: “Wasn’t Sean’s best night. If you can get a first-round pick for Sean, you do that today.”
King: “And turn that into a player, because they’re ready to go.”
Assessing their season, Cornes permitted their age bracket as a form of pass mark, suggesting that the list is in a great spot to attack in years to come.
“They’ve got the excuse of youth, which is there for them,” he said.
“They are bottom four for age, so that is always going to be in their favour. At some point that excuse runs out, and they haven’t used that publicly as a club.
“They’re in a good spot for a list demographic point of view.”
Referencing their poor start to the season, in particular their Round 1 smashing at the hands of Geelong, King believes that in order to succeed, Longmuir cannot play a timid brand of football given their evident talent.
“Did you ever see Mike Tyson jab for the first six rounds?” King questioned.
“He just finished the fight. I don’t mind that approach. He’d try to finish the contest as quick as possible.
“Imagine if Mike Tyson was in the Fremantle camp. We would never have seen the highlights in Round 1 that we still put on video now.
“If you can punch, punch! (Punch early) and often! That will be their correction next year, and when they finally do that, they will be a top four team.”
