It was an ugly duel to bring up the milestone, but Fremantle sealed the best home-and-away season in their club’s 32-year history on Friday night with a 37-point win over the Western Bulldogs.
In doing so, they also locked up top spot in a clash that yielded just 11 goals in the first three quarters. Eventually though, the Dockers were able to remove themselves from the Dogs’ defensive swamp — winning 11.12 (78) over the visitors’ 5.11 (41).
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The Dogs didn’t kick a goal in the second half until the 23rd minute of the final term, by which point the hosts had got themselves out to a game-high lead of 38 points.
“Remember at the soccer World Cup, did you watch the final between Spain and Argentina? Well, the Bulldogs are trying to win a nil-all draw here,” three-time Brisbane premiership player Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy at half time.
“They’re trying to get to a penalty shootout, and it’s working for them. They’ve just grinded away through the stoppages, and they’ve hit the scoreboard late.”
Their final score of 41 is their lowest in over three years, last matched when they kicked the same score in a 51-point loss against St Kilda in Round 2, 2023.
Star key forward Josh Treacy was enormous for Justin Longmuir’s side with three goals from 13 disposals and eight marks, while Oscar McDonald (22 disposals, 12 marks, eight intercepts) played one of the best games of his AFL career down back.
Speaking after the win, Jordan Clark said he was happy to get the four points in the end.
“It’s hard at times. It tests you because it’s a little bit frustrating – the crowd wants goals, everyone wants goals in football,” he said of the Dogs’ defensive mindset.
“We talked about it throughout the week (about the game being turned into a scrap).
“We did expect that they’d get a lot of numbers back and make it really hard to score – a lot of it for us was sticking the course, being mentally strong and physically playing that brand of football.
“We knew if we kept putting the pressure on … eventually we’d score and we did.”
Fremantle goalkickers: Treacy 3, Serong, Jackson 2, Johnson, Voss, Dudley, Bolton
Western Bulldogs goalkickers: Hynes 2, West, Lobb, Sanders
THE 3-2-1… (with Catherine Healey at Optus Stadium)
3. DEFENSIVE DOGS TURN BLOCKBUSTER INTO SCRAP
Freo coach Justin Longmuir was wary pre-game, stating he would “expect the unexpected” from the Dogs on Friday night.
And what he got was a defensive masterclass from rival Luke Beveridge.
The Dogs flooded back at every opportunity, turning the Friday night blockbuster into a scrap Freo didn’t want to be in.
Despite dominating the opening term with a 15-6 inside 50 count, Freo had just a one point lead to show for it.
“They turned it into a stoppage game … basically twice as many stoppages as you would normally get in a quarter of footy thus far this season,” AFL great Jason Dunstall said.
“And that’s made it a real slog.
“Taking away the type of game that Freo want to play.”
And that’s exactly what Beveridge had predicted pre-game, calling for his side to “throw the kitchen sink at them” with pressure and defence.
By half time, scores were locked at 29-all – just 29 points for a Fremantle side averaging 106 points a game in 2026.
The Dogs started players on the centre square edge who then immediately headed into defence.Source: FOX SPORTS
But while the Dogs were denying the Dockers in attack, it was coming at the cost of their own. The Dogs had just 13 inside 50s to the main break – the third lowest ever in a half.
“Fremantle, they are not comfortable with the way the game is,” Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy.
“Fremantle have taken 60 uncontested marks – they only average 78 for a whole game for the whole season.
“It’s not their manner, it’s not their game style.
“Luke Beveridge would be very happy and very comfortable with this current style.”
At repeated centre bounce stoppages, the Dogs sent a man to the edge of the square in an effort to flood back as quick as possible.
“This gives you an indication of how willing they are or how much they want to push back,” Garry Lyon said.
“Before the ball was even thrown up, (Hynes) pushed really hard defensively so this gives you an idea of their want to outnumber in their defensive half.”
But the match turned in a horror moment in the third term.
With the Dogs trailing by just one point, ex-Docker Rory Lobb marked all alone inside 50 around 40m out on the angle.
And just as four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis called for Lobb to “go back and settle himself”, he opted to take the quick chip kick inboard – but missed Ed Richards 35m out directly in front.
The Bulldogs look dejected after the loss to the Dockers.Source: Getty Images
A subsequent fumble opened the door for the Dockers defenders, and they went coast to coast to find Josh Treacy with sticky hands – and he nailed the goal to open up a seven-point lead,
And that’s as close as the Dogs would get.
“They fluffed their lines the Dogs,” Dunstall said in commentary.
“It was a poor kick for Richards… in the end they get punished.
“A two-goal turnaround.”
“That will be painful for the Bulldogs! What might have been at one end is for the Dockers down the other,” Hudson added.
“This is the damage when you don’t make the most of your opportunities,” Lewis said.
The match eventually becoming a what-could-have-been for the Dogs.
“The Dogs came with a really good plan – they executed for three quarters really well. It’s only been broken down basically in the final quarter,” Dunstall said.
The floodgates opened in the final quarter as the Dockers delivered another win at home.
2. THE RECRUIT ‘HOLDING FREO’S BACKLINE TOGETHER’
We know the Dockers have a history of getting the best out of their recruits – and Oscar McDonald is no different.
The three-club journeyman, who celebrated his 100th game last week 11 years after his AFL debut, was unstoppable against the Dogs on Friday night after being given another chance in the absence of injured defender Brennan Cox.
His third quarter alone – of nine disposals, five intercepts and 195m gained, was the second highest rated of his career.
And it saw him ranked the number one player on the ground at the final change.
“We’re so used to the big names for Freo standing up – and the two highest rated players for them are him and Karl Worner at half back,” AFL great Jason Dunstall said at three quarter time.
“They are just rebounding everything coming their way.”
The man nicknamed “the Porterhouse” dominated his match up with Bulldog Rory Lobb, and proved unstoppable as the last line in defence.
“He is holding this backline together,” Will Schofield praised.
“What a game he’s playing,” Anthony Hudson said.
“There’s two of him,” Dunstall joked.
And McDonald’s brilliance in defence left commentators questioning how Freo could drop him should Brennan Cox be fit to return.
“You can’t drop him when he’s playing a game like this!” Hudson said.
“No!” Jordan Lewis added.
“Make yourself indispensable when your chance comes,” Gerard Whateley said.
Freo coach Justin Longmuir has repeatedly said form once you’re in the side counts – as evidenced by Mason Cox holding his spot ahead of Sean Darcy.
But with McDonald, he’s been unlucky in 2026.
“When someone comes in, plays their role and purely loses their spot in the team for the captain or Brennan – which is what it’s been this year – I feel like as a match committee we’ve rewarded Oscar’s performances,” he said last week.
“Every time Oscar’s come in, he’s done a role for us.”
Teammate Jordan Clark praised McDonald’s ability to transition seemlessly into the side.
“It’s a credit to our environment I” think,” he said.
“He’s a professional.
He’s well loved by our team – it’s a frustrating position that he’s in. He’s sort of that backup for Brennan Cox and Alex Pearce – but the one thing that he does, he keeps finding ways to get better even when not at AFL level.
“Every time’s he’s come in, he’s played his best game.
“He’s making his case to stay in the side.”
1. DOCKERS’ FAVOURITE SON SHINES IN MILESTONE MATCH
Justin Longmuir refused to call star Josh Treacy his favourite… but it was clear the star forward is right up there.
“He’s in the top 40,’ Longmuir smiled chatting to Fox Footy pre-game when asked on Treacy in his 100th AFL game.
“I just love his journey. When he came in, he probably had to learn a few things, probably got some games early through injury and our lack of talls up forward, but then he went through a bit of a plateau and needed to learn a few things around professionalism.
“He’s not a bad character or anything like that but you don’t know what you don’t know when you come into the system sometimes.
“He’s turned himself into one of the most professional players in our club, probably the AFL.
“We can see the results of him working his backside off at his game.
“Probably just training habits, what he did away from the club. He’s a big boy, probably carrying a few too many kilos early. We’re talking two or three. But he’s just turned himself into such a great professional.
“He’s got such a great presence about him… it draws others along.
“He’s up there with one of my favourites.”
And it was Treacy who when the Dockers were struggling to find a target forward, that stood tall.
He had two big grabs in the second term when Freo had to put their territory dominance on the board.
And he’s the player who got out the back after a horror Dogs turnover with Freo’s lead at just one to go back and deliver.
Remarkably, he’s one of SIX Dockers to have nailed 20 or more goals this season in a devastating display of power.
And he added three more to his tally to draw level with teammate Jye Amiss on 48 goals – and third in the Coleman Medal count.
It was Treacy who remained patient on Friday night despite the first half frustrations of dominating territory but not putting it on the scoreboard.
“They are clogging up the forward 50 really well,” he told Fox Footy at half time,
“If we keep being patient, we’ll eventually crack ‘em.”
And that’s exactly what the Dockers did in the final term.
Impressively, that’s now four straight games for Treacy against the Dogs where he’s kicked three or more goals.
And in the past six games against the Dogs, he’s racked up 17 goals.
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