AFL round 24: Fremantle ends season with victory over Hawthorn as Tom Emmett shines

And Fremantle put an end to an unwanted piece of history against Hawthorn.

The most optimistic of Dockers fans would’ve hoped that their season would end at the MCG. It wasn’t quite what they’d imagined, but Fremantle did manage to win its first, final round away game.

In every non-finals season the Dockers have completed, they’ve not only failed to win away from home in the final round of the year, they’ve usually been thrashed.

This game meant nothing. Neither team would wake up on Sunday morning with something more to play for. But Fremantle gave its round 24 clash meaning and will head into the off-season with some level of confidence and a 37-point win over the Hawks.

It’s not quite the triumph Fremantle imagined. But it’s something.

And for a variety of reasons, the win will go down in history.

Jye Amiss made history. The second-year key forward became the first Docker since Michael Walters in 2019 to kick 40 goals in a season. He’s the youngest Fremantle player to ever do it. And he’s also following in the footsteps of greatness.

Matthew Pavlich won Fremantle’s goal kicking in just his second season. And we know what sort of player he became. Amiss didn’t get there easily. He was targeted and given plenty of attention from Hawthorn, a badge of honour after a significant individual season. But he still kicked three goals, fulfilling a bold pre-season prediction from former Docker Paul Hasleby.

Remarkably, Amiss probably hasn’t done enough to win the Rising Star award this year given the quality of candidates. But he’s done plenty to convince Fremantle that he is their future up forward.

History is also made to be challenged.

One of the reasons Amiss was able to get off the chain was the fact that Fremantle sent Brennan Cox into attack.

It’s a move many have been calling for given Cox played forward earlier in his career before developing into an intercept defender. And the calls grew louder after Cox kicked a goal from outside 50 in the last quarter of Fremantle’s loss to Port Adelaide.

Cox didn’t hit the scoreboard. But he paved the way for several of his teammates to instead.

The inclusion of Joel Hamling and Fremantle’s desire to lessen the load on a tired Amiss paved the way. Amiss will be a generational key forward in a few years’ time. But the reality of taking the opposition’s number one defender each week has taken its toll late in the season.

Cox on the other hand was in All-Australian contention last year as a defender. But his mature frame is equally well-placed up forward and Cox’s ability to create a contest brought Fremantle’s other attackers into the game, like Lachie Schultz’s perfectly timed run off hands in the final quarter. He also had a game high five contested marks.

It’s a structure worth persisting with and was more akin to what the Dockers did earlier in the year when Sean Darcy was fit and Luke Jackson played up forward. And Fremantle kicked more than 80 points for the first time in seven trips to the MCG, unlocking a new look up forward.

History is also made to be overcome.

A lot has been made of Tom Emmett’s story, overcoming cancer as a teenager and several serious injuries to earn an opportunity on an AFL list. Soon, Emmett will be known for his football.

In just his second game of AFL, Emmett was a shining light. Holding his place despite Michael Walters return from a calf injury, the mature age draftee from Sturt kicked two goals from 17 disposals. He also had 10 score involvements, the most on the ground. There was none better than a perfectly weighted kick to Walters in the first quarter which ended in a goal.

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A second quarter five goal to two onslaught was where most of the damage was done. And the Dockers used the remaining half to build on that lead. Hawthorn never gave up and threatened to mount a comeback in the third quarter.

But Fremantle’s star-studded midfield and pinpoint forward handball game kept the contest on their terms. Despite losing the clearances, the likes of Andrew Brayshaw (33 disposals, one goal, 512 metres gained) and Caleb Serong (32 disposals, nine clearances, 10 score involvements) finished the season how they started it, the latter winning the inaugural clash of the Serongs.

Ultimately, a season of immense disappointment ended on a high. And there’s enough to suggest that bright days are ahead for the Dockers.