Fremantle’s history of close losses leaves season on knife’s edge when premiership was within reach

Regardless of what happens next week against Port Adelaide and whether Fremantle play finals in 2024, when we reflect on the Dockers’ season, an inability to win the close ones will be the difference between a top-two finish and an increasingly likely tumble out of September.

With a nine-point loss to GWS the latest in a string of thrillers, the Dockers have now won only one of eight matches decided by 13 points or less this year.

If Fremantle had held on in the five games where it led at three-quarter time, the Dockers would be a game and a half clear on top of the ladder.

Fremantle is yet to come from behind and win in the final quarter this year and that trend continued at ENGIE Stadium despite a valiant effort.

The six losses — and one draw — have come by a margin of 36 points which could ultimately decide Fremantle’s campaign.

Without captain Alex Pearce, key forward Josh Treacy and ruck Sean Darcy, the Dockers were up against it against an in-form Giants side desperate to secure a top four finish. And so it stings more knowing that they got as close as they did.

It also bites that a former Docker was the hero. Jesse Hogan was immense with six goals, including the sealer in the fourth term.

With one hand already on the Coleman medal, Hogan’s final say summed up Fremantle’s afternoon.

First, Hogan took a soaring mark in the middle of the ground on Brennan Cox. His match-up for most of the day, Cox lowered his colours and he attempted to disguise his inability to go with Hogan in the air with regular clutches at his hamstring.

Cox was sidelined earlier this season with a serious hamstring tendon injury. But if he was not fit to play, he should’ve come from the ground. Cox then lost Hogan in the unfolding passage of play and he popped up again at half-forward with another contested mark.

This time, Bailey Banfield tried to stop him and instead gave away a 50m penalty which sealed the result. Banfield too was well below his best with a dropped mark earlier in the quarter directly resulting in a Giants goal.

Skill errors and defensive lapses won’t win you close games of football. But it wasn’t reflective of how hard the Dockers fought.

Andrew Brayshaw finished with an equal-career-high 41 disposals and nine clearances. Caleb Serong had Toby Bedford for company but fought through a hard tag to rack up 24 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals.

Jye Amiss finished with 1.2 and hit the post on the three-quarter time siren but he set up the play of the day, handballing to himself on the wing and belting it long towards Luke Jackson who had his defender’s measure in the square. Jackson was able to spend more time forward and preserve Fremantle’s structure thanks to a quality debut from Liam Reidy who won 31 hitouts and six disposals, guiding the ball into the path of his midfielders when he got the opportunity.

Sam Sturt took an incredible pack mark and his ball use further afield set up plenty for Fremantle. Heath Chapman won large chunks of his match-up with Toby Greene and gave the Dockers plenty of rebound. Even Nathan O’Driscoll impressed when he came on late in place of Nat Fyfe, generating three scores from five disposals.

But a series of costly GWS free kicks in defence gave the Dockers plenty of cheap looks on goal. And the little things let Fremantle down.

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Michael Frederick kicked three goals but he dropped a mark inside 50 that the Giants were able to turn into a Greene goal at the other end. Cox somehow let Hogan slip out the back of a pack inside 50, giving him the goal square to himself when the Giants won the footy. And Fremantle took too long to pay some attention to Brent Daniels who finished with 29 disposals and three goals.

So close, yet so far.

But it’s not over yet for Fremantle.