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Live sport on SN this weekendThe missing link that's solidified Fremantle's premiership credentials
SEN • May 2nd, 2026 8:35 pm
Gerard Whateley and Adam Simpson have both praised the performance of Fremantle’s Hayden Young following their 12-point win against the Western Bulldogs.
After plenty of pre-season hype around their potential, the Dockers have backed it up and then some, having won their last seven matches to find themselves in the top two.
Within their squad, Young has been an important cog in their star-studded midfield when fit.
And no greater was his impact felt than on Friday night, with the 25-year-old booting three goals against the Bulldogs.
Following that win, Whateley believes that Young is the missing link within the Dockers.
“(Hayden) Young proved that he has been the missing link,” Whateley told SEN’s Crunch Time.
“He's the player that they couldn't really get out there last year.
That was his 3rd game in a row, and now that he's tuned to the game, he was just about the best player on the ground.”
The former West Coast coach would be in agreement with Whateley, noting his versatility to play multiple positions.
“Some of his craft around the goals, he started as a halfback, and now, he's a mid that can push forward,” Simpson added.
The 2018 Premiership coach doubled down on his view that 2026 could be the year that the club wins its first AFL Premiership.
“Last year, they (Fremantle) were just too young in my eyes, the maturity level wasn't quite there, and expectations were a bit higher than perhaps I thought they should have been,” he continued.
“But this year, I think the groundwork is done, I think the maturity level is there (and) the talent's there, isn't it?
“We can see every line is almost better than the opposition's line, when they go head-to-head most weeks.
“And it's down now to the last 10%, the intangibles, the spirit, the handling of big moments, the availability's important, the coach and his messaging, they seem to have bought into what he's selling, and we're not talking about their ball movement this year, are we?
“They kicked three goals from D50 this week, and they kicked seven goals from the back half last week.
“But they win in so many different ways now. So, they're going to be top of the ladder at the moment or equal with Sydney.”
The Dockers are hoping to make it eight wins in a row when they host Hawthorn at Optus Stadium on Thursday.
The match will begin from 8:10pm AEST (6:10pm local time) with SEN having live coverage of the game from 6pm on its radio network and on the SEN app.
