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Why the Dockers have no excuses ahead of do-or-die battle
Jaiden Sciberras • August 21st, 2025 6:30 pm
The Fremantle Dockers are experiencing the worst form of déjà vu.
For the second year running, the Dockers will play out an elimination final in August, facing off against the Western Bulldogs in a win-to-get-in season defining battle.
Despite winning 11 games from 12 between Round 10 and Round 22, a battering at the hands of the Brisbane Lions last week leaves Fremantle at the bottom of an unwanted tally – holding the least percentage of all 15-win teams.
Equal on points with top four hopefuls Collingwood and just a game behind second-placed Geelong, Fremantle should be in great shape for a September berth, however if they manage to lose against the Western Bulldogs, the Dockers will undoubtedly fall out of the top eight.
That being said, the pressure lies as heavily on the Bulldogs as it does the Dockers.
Of their 14 wins in 2025, 12 have come against bottom eight opposition, with the Dogs’ wins over the Giants in Round 7 and Round 21 marking the only successful bouts Luke Beveridge’s men have managed this season against top eight sides.
Although their percentage suggests that the Dogs deserve a spot in the eight, their performances against the best leave a lot to be desired, and with that thought in mind, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has condemned the notion that the Dockers are the side fighting for a place.
“We’ve been in these situations before.” Longmuir said in a press conference ahead of Round 24.
“The pressure is on them as well, isn’t it? Last time I checked they’ve won one less game than us.”
As it stands, the Western Bulldogs enter the Sunday clash as the heavy favourites despite having lost to the Dockers in Round 4, and irrespective of the Dogs’ poor record against the best.
“The narrative around some of this stuff gets me a little bit, because the last time I checked, we’re on the same amount of wins as Collingwood who are sitting fourth,” Longmuir continued.
“Everyone’s talking like we’re going to miss the finals – we’ve got full faith in this group to be bale to go there and get it done.”
Speaking on Longmuir’s fighting words, SEN Breakfast co-hosts Garry Lyon and Tim Watson admitted that they were incredibly impressed by the standpoint of the Dockers’ head coach, reinforcing their chances in the do-or-die battle.
“I loved it,” Lyon said.
“I hope that that is the attitude that’s been permeating throughout the Fremantle footy club all week – they’re getting a bit angry, they’re getting a bit p---ed off that maybe they’re being dismissed as a contender.
“They’re going to be in this game up to their eyeballs. The Western Bulldogs have beaten one top nine side for the year.
“We know they’re in good form, we know that can score heavily but we know they are vulnerable in the back half, an area of the ground that Fremantle, if they structure up properly and use the ball with some degree of haste, can really stretch them.”
“They have no excuses, Fremantle,” Watson continued.
“They have all the assets they need to take on and beat the Bulldogs. They have great talent, they have good matchups, they have a good defensive group as well that can take care of the talls – (Sam) Darcy is always going to be a problem but (Alex) Pearce is big enough to be able to control him you would think.”
Lyon: “(Caleb) Serong and (Andrew) Brayshaw’s record against the Western Bulldogs in recent times is crazy.”
Watson: “Up forward, they’re going to have to sacrifice one of their forwards.
“Get (Rory) Lobb out of there - whoever Lobb goes to, don’t play through him, and make their other two defenders defend against their other two talls.”
Lyon: “Don’t make it Patrick Voss, who had that job on the weekend (against Brisbane).
“He got so consumed with Harris Andrews, that he failed to be the spark that he’s been for them in recent times. Give it to Jye Amiss or just play them on their merits.”
The top eight shaper tips off on Sunday afternoon at Marvel Stadium.
