There’s is no guarantee of victory, of course, but there is an expectation that you get some sort of return on the investment of 24 weeks of home-and-away football.
When the return is as negligible as the Dockers produced last Thursday night against the Hawks, the heat of the spotlight that now consumes the football club is at its most fierce for the season.
And they know they just have to cop it. Don’t play the victim, get back to work and welcome the chance for redemption. They earned a second chance, and they now get to use it.
But while this blinding spotlight is directed to the Fremantle harbour, don’t for a second sleep on their opponents. Geelong was here 11 weeks ago, in round 15. They went down by just nine points, having led by 28 halfway through the second quarter.
But if the Dockers think they know what they’re up against based on that round 15 contest, then they don’t know Chris Scott and his coaching team.
What can they expect that they weren’t exposed to back in June?
For starters, the Cats will have five changes to the side that last travelled west. And they are seismic changes.
Bailey Smith, Tom Stewart, Gryan Miers, Brad Close and Jay Polkinghorne all played in the elimination final against the Blues. None of them played in round 15.
That is an enormous net positive result. You need look no further than that Carlton victory to see the impact of that group.
Stewart was at his imperious best. He completely controlled the back half for the Cats as he has done for the best part of a decade, amassing 20 touches, taking seven marks (five of them intercepts) while accruing 11 intercept possessions in total.
Bailey Smith is a polarising figure but you cannot deny that he has had a magnificent football season. All-Australian for the second year running, he has enjoyed career-high disposals, contested possessions and metres gained and has had his second best year in terms of score involvements. He was relatively quiet in the first half against the Blues but had a big second half, finishing with 27 possessions, 707 metres gained, nine inside 50s and eight score involvements.
So, add Stewart and Smith to that round 15 team – a top-six defender in the comp and a top-six midfielder in the game. Pretty fair start.
But the Cats bat far deeper and their unpredictable versatility has been their ace in the hole all across this late-season push. You only have to look at the following to understand that.
GRYAN MIERS IS BACK
Throw Gryan Miers back into the mix as a genuine match winner. He has, at various stages this year, stared down the barrel of knee reconstruction surgery, be that when running around in the twos or helping to turn the tide of an elimination final that was looking shaky when Geelong trailed five goals to one early in the second quarter.
His importance to this team was there for all to see. When the Cats were predictable going forward early in the game, which played into the hands of a dominant Jacob Weitering, it was the inventiveness and creativity of Miers that kickstarted their comeback.
His ability and vision to take the ball to places that the Blues defenders couldn’t anticipate changed the direction of the game. He ended up with 24 possessions, two goals, 12 score involvements and was the third-highest rated player on the ground. Another brilliant addition to that round 15 team.
THE TAG WILL RETURN
Oisin Mullin didn’t play as a tagger the last time Geelong met Fremantle – he spent 75% of the game playing as a general defender.
On Friday night, I feel certain he will be deployed in the manner that has served the Cats so well for the majority of the season. He started on Sam Walsh last week, but Scott had seen enough of Jagga Smith and his nine-possession first quarter. Mullin was swung onto the Rising Star winner and went to work – restricting him to just two touches in the second quarter and three in the third.
Is it Murphy Reid who will have the sleepless night, having been challenged by Koltyn Tholstrup in their loss to the Demons late in the year? Reid had 27 possessions in that round 15 game against the Cats, with 412 metres gained and eight score involvements. That may have been enough to win him a date with the Irish lockdown master. Or instead, will Mullin set his sights on Shai Bolton? Or Caleb Serong? Someone is set for a difficult evening.
SHAUN MANNAGH: MIDFIELDER
The new Shaun Mannagh will be something else Fremantle wouldn’t have confronted before. In the first 22 rounds of the season, Mannagh attended a grand total of five centre ball-ups. From round 23 onwards, including the elimination final, he has appeared 55 times.
In his last three matches he has averaged 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, two goals, and 8.3 score involvements. They are not the numbers of a mostly small forward who occasionally wanders into the midfield for a change of scenery. His form as a genuine inside midfielder has been absolutely outstanding and, in the win-or-go-home clash last week, he was as influential as any other Geelong player.
Behind at half time, Mannagh was inspirational in the Cats’ six-goal third quarter. He had 10 possessions (five contested), amassed 188 metres gained and pumped the ball inside 50 four times.
As Max Holmes missed games late in the year and now works his way back to full fitness, there was a sizeable midfield hole to fill. Mannagh has filled that hole admirably and the Cats have shown no centre vulnerability as a result. What a superb weapon they have found.
PATRICK DANGERFIELD: FORWARD
The last time these two sides met, it was with Patrick Dangerfield the midfielder. This was probably due to the absence of Smith – on that night, Danger attended 50 per cent of centre ball-ups. Against Carlton last Friday he didn’t attend one.
Dangerfield instead played as a genuine forward and had one of those Paddy nights where he is as close to unstoppable as any player in the game. 21 touches, 485 metres gained, six forward 50 ground balls – which may not read as anything special, but trust me, is an extraordinary return – and, of course, five goals. This remarkable footballer became just the third player to ever record 450+ metres gained and five goals in a final.
TANNER BRUHN: DEFENDER
Was used as a spare parts operator for the first 15 rounds of the season, spread evenly across the ground. But since round 17 he has spent 93 per cent of his time playing as a defender, and looks increasingly comfortable with every game played. Across that period he is a top 100 rated player, averaging 22 possessions a game, with over 400 metres gained and almost five intercept possessions. He’s been a very, very good addition to this formidable Geelong defence.
OLI WILTSHIRE: ASSIST KING
For as long as I can remember, among the very best elements of the Cats when they are at their best is a selflessness that derives as much pleasure in setting up goals as it does kicking them. When you’re a young man trying to establish yourself in this team, having played only 15 games, this trait is even more admirable. Oli Wiltshire’s willingness to set teammates up to hit the scoreboard has not gone unnoticed and he was at it again in what was his very first final last week. And what a finals debut it was: 24 touches, 475 metres gained and five score assists. He’s a brilliant complementary piece of this dangerous, free scoring offence.
JEREMY CAMERON: SWINGMAN
I’m not exactly sure how the Dockers prepare for Jeremy Cameron. Since Fremantle last played Geelong, Cameron torched the Giants playing 97 per cent of the time in defence, missed five matches with a gruesome AC joint injury, split his time between the wing and defence against the Tigers, then spent 71 per cent of the time on ground against the Blues for just nine possessions.
He is clearly dealing with a variety of injuries, but as Chris Scott pointed out in a timely fashion this week, the last time we were questioning Jeremy and his ability to play through injury, he kicked 10 goals. Beware the wounded Cat.
There are many challenges for the Dockers, but working their way out of their defensive half against this Geelong outfit, without turning it over and giving up scores, will be very high on their list of priorities.
As a Freo player, there should be no place you’d rather be than out there, on Optus Stadium with a shot at redemption.
We’ll find out how comfortable they can be when it’s all on the line in September.
After all, it’s a place the Cats look upon as their second home.