The state of play after Fremantle’s horror loss to Brisbane

Flying home after a thrilling last gasp victory over Port Adelaide and the emotion that came with Alex Pearce’s sealer.

Club great Nat Fyfe announced early in the week he’d be bidding farewell at the end of the season.

Brisbane heading west with a strong record on the road and a strong record of responding after disappointing losses.

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Fremantle have been up and about for a long time, winning 11 of their past 12 games.

It was a recipe for a reality check.

Usually, we’d say it was the loss the Dockers needed to have.

But there’s no such thing in 2025.

With the eyes of a nation, and seven other finals aspirants, on Optus Stadium, Fremantle failed the pressure test.

For the past three months, they’ve mostly been eking out wins, playing good footy but falling short of great.

Through pressure, fast play and execution, Brisbane broke Fremantle.

Now, the Dockers spot in finals is under immense pressure ahead of next week’s clash with the Western Bulldogs.

And the ghosts of 2024 are threatening to haunt Fremantle into September.

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir isn’t ready to concede his side won’t play finals.

But he did say that it was the first time his team has lacked composure this season when trying to chase down a score.

Coming from behind to win has not been an issue for the Dockers this season.

Five of their six most recent wins came after trailing at three-quarter-time, but there was no fighting comeback this time.

“I suppose the pressure of the game, in terms of being behind on the scoreboard, we just had to chase, and we didn’t chase well,” Longmuir said.

“As I said to the players, it’s probably the first time I’ve seen us be behind and lack composure, in those plays where (Josh Treacy) takes a mark in the goal square and you go to play on.”

His kick got smothered by Ryan Lester.

“The opportunity before that, it just looked like we were out everywhere, and Jaeger (O’Meara) missed a shot from 15 meters out,” Longmuir continued.

“And both those plays we dwelled on, and both those kick-ins went up the middle, and they got field position and scored.

“So, it felt like it was the first time we’ve been in that position for a while, we’ve probably felt the pressure of the game and lacked a little bit of composure to finish our work off.”

The sad reality is that Fremantle are now a better team than the one that lost its final four games to crash out of finals last year.

But after months of work, 15 wins so far and measurable improvement, it still might not be enough.

The Dockers simply weren’t ready for the style of football Brisbane produced.

They couldn’t defend it.

Fremantle gave up 40 uncontested marks in the first quarter, the first time the Dockers’ have been that lenient.

The Dockers also went goalless in the first quarter for the first time since last year’s derby capitulation at the hands of West Coast.

It took until the 19 minute mark of the second quarter for Josh Treacy to finally get Fremantle on the board.

Fremantle simply didn’t handle the occasion. Time after time, they fumbled the big moments.

Treacy had a golden chance in the goal square but played on and got barrelled over by Ryan Lester.

Michael Frederick and Jaeger O’Meara butchered an inside 50 entry when two Dockers were free out the back.

Turnovers coming out of defence, missed handballs, stupid free kicks against, the Dockers were guilty of it all.

Brisbane played a finals brand. Fremantle played like a team consumed by the fear of missing finals.

The nervous energy was stifling in the first term. And while Fremantle got the game back on their terms in the second, the Dockers couldn’t sustain it for four quarters.

And now, it’ll come down to the final day of the home and away season, just like it did last year.

MATCH REPORT: BRISBANE LOCK IN FINALS

It has taken reigning premiers Brisbane until round 23 to confirm its place in the 2025 AFL finals series.

The Lions impressive 57-point win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Friday night ends the chance that both grand finalists from last season will miss September action this year.

If both Sydney and Brisbane had missed the top eight, it would have been the first time since 1963 that it had happened.

Instead, the Lions go into the weekend in second place on the ladder, but it’s still anyone’s guess as to where they’ll end up.

The 15.11 (101) to 5.14 (44) result continues Brisbane outstanding away form, now with nine and a half wins from 12 games away from the Gabba.

It also piles pressure on Fremantle, despite the loss being just their second in 13 games.

The Dockers started this round in fourth spot but might end it needing to beat the Western Bulldogs in round 24 to play finals.

Brisbane’s only concern coming out the win is a dislocated shoulder to wing Jarrod Berry.

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The occasion seemed too much for Fremantle initially.

While the Dockers had 17 players on the ground who had played finals, most of that September action was from the last time the club saw any, in 2022.

Since then, Brisbane has played in two grand finals, with 14 of Friday’s night’s team appearing in both; 17 of them playing in last year’s premiership.

For most of the first half, the experienced Lions made a better go at their chances. They led 5.3 to the Dockers 0.8 late in the first half.

Zac Bailey was the Lion giving Fremantle the most trouble. He spent some time in the middle, with Lachie Neale sidelined and had 15 touches in the first half.

He kicked 2.2 of Brisbane’s 5.4 half-time score, his second a classy snap over his head.

That stung the Dockers, but a free kick to Logan Morris 100m off the ball 30 seconds later, against Brennan Cox, that resulted in another goal looked to have put the Dockers on the ropes.

The margin was 25 points.

NOT THIS TIME FREO

Five of Fremantle’s previous six wins have come after trailing at three-quarter-time.

But the most they’d been behind at the last change and turned it around was 13 points, against Hawthorn in round 18.

The Dockers let Brisbane get too far ahead on Friday night, the margin after three quarters 31 points.

In a lot of the key stats, the game appeared close. But Brisbane was allowed a massive 262 uncontested possessions, 90 more than the Dockers.

The Lions were able to chip the ball around too often to gain the key ground position.

The Dockers allowed them to take a season-high 159 marks, most of them uncontested.

It’s tough to defend anyone with that much of the ball, let alone one of the best teams in the competition.

THE CHALLENGE DID COME

Fremantle’s big forward Josh Treacy was just one Dockers that looked rattled at the start of the game.

In the opening 10 minutes, he’d missed two shots on goal he’d usually slot, and turned the ball over to Ryan Lester, that resulted in the defender kicking his first goal in three years.

If anything, he was trying too hard.

But after that Morris goal, Treacy was one of the first Dockers to react.

Treacy finally got the Dockers first goal, 19 minutes into the second quarter, after taking a strong mark 40m from goal.

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When he repeated the dose three minutes later, the margin was back to a manageable 14 points.

He had a chance to kick his third late in the third term and keep Fremantle in the game, when he marked the ball right on the goal line.

But he turned and played on, his kick smothered by Lester, who was a welcomed return to the Lions after a week off with concussion.