Dockers Steel Themselves for Premiership Push

Fremantle Dockers have shown they have the steel to be the best in the AFL, overcoming a spirited Geelong side to claim a 14-point win and breathe life into their Premiership hopes.

Legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said: "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." The Dockers got up, twice, to claim the win and silence doubts about their ability to handle pressure.

A Resounding Response

After a semi-final shocker against Hawthorn, the question was whether this young group would be able to get off the canvas and land a blow. History was against them in surviving a straight-sets exit, which would have been nothing short of humiliating after being crowned minor premiers just weeks ago.

Against Geelong, they delivered an emphatic response. Shai Bolton's two goals in two minutes to start the match, and the Dockers five in the opening quarter — after just five all game against the Hawks — dismissed fears they were scarred from last week's loss.

Fremantle's opening half was a reminder of the football that saw them win 14 games in a row on their way to a club record 19 wins for the season. They laid 45 tackles in a half of football, compared to 47 for the entire game against Hawthorn.

Steel in the Face of Adversity

But 23 minutes into the third term, they were down again. Their mettle was tested, but their stars shone. Great sides — and Geelong is a great side — don't go down without a fight.

Luke Jackson tore the game apart with a five-minute burst that yielded eight disposals, three clearances and two goals. He finished the game with 25 disposals and eight clearances.

Caleb Serong drove his side into attack time and again and Andrew Brayshaw hunted the football like a man possessed. The Dockers' three-headed monster in attack showed why they should be considered among the most feared forward line in the competition.

Patrick Voss booted four goals, Jye Amiss slotted two, while Josh Treacy took eight marks and booted one.

Handling Momentum Shifts

Justin Longmuir's side avoided the embarrassment of a straight-sets exit from the AFL finals. "Our games against Geelong this year have had those momentum shifts," Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said. "If you don't handle the contest well, which we didn't in the third quarter, gave up field position, lacked a bit of dare with the ball, we let them back in the game."

"I'm really proud of the way the players got back on top of the contest and thought Luke [Jackson] and Caleb [Serong] late in that third quarter were outstanding for us."

"A lot has been mentioned about our scoring in finals and I think it's because we haven't trusted ourselves," Longmuir said. "We trusted our way from the very start."