Justin Chadwick and Anna Harrington
August 24, 2026 — 10:22am
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Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is optimistic his team will be able to achieve what no other club has done this year: beat Fremantle in Perth.
The Hawks secured their first top-four finish since 2018 with a 16.11 (107) to 6.9 (45) smashing of West Coast in Perth on Sunday night.
Elliot Yeo of the Eagles and Will Day of the Hawks contest for the ball during the clash at Optus Stadium on Sunday.Paul Kane/Getty Images
A triple-figure win would have lifted Hawthorn above Brisbane into third spot, meaning they would have faced the decimated Swans in a qualifying final in Sydney.
But fourth spot means Hawthorn will now face the most daunting task in football – taking on the Dockers at Optus Stadium.
Fremantle are a perfect 12-0 at Optus Stadium this year, with their hot run of form at home helping them land the second minor premiership in the club’s history.
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The Dockers have developed a knack of unleashing devastating goal blitzes late in games.
Hawthorn got a taste of that in round nine when Fremantle, aided by Wharfie Time, kicked the last five goals of the match to turn a 19-point deficit into an 11-point win.
Wharfie time is an enthralling crowd activation shown on the big screen that features a boat tackling massive waves, accompanied by the iconic gong and intro from AC/DC song “Hells Bells” and a dramatic heartbeat sound.
But Mitchell is confident Hawthorn’s best can match it with Fremantle, and having two games in Perth this year has given the Hawks vital experience heading into their qualifying final.
“Obviously, they’ve got a significant home ground advantage,” Mitchell said of Fremantle.
“They’ve been a great team for the whole season, and they deserve to have a home final, but a home final doesn’t make a win.
“So it’s our challenge to come here and get the job done.”
When asked whether he would be training his team to prepare for ‘Wharfie time’, Mitchell replied: “We prepare for every environment that we play in, and we’re obviously going to be in a hostile environment filled with purple, so we’ll be ready for that.”
Veteran forward Jack Gunston, who kicked five goals against the Eagles in what was his 300-game milestone, looms as a major weapon.
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Dockers confirm key defender out of final against Hawks
Gunston tore Fremantle apart in round nine with five first-half goals before being limited by Brennan Cox.
But Fremantle will have to take on Hawthorn’s tall timber without key defender Brennan Cox after scans confirmed the backman had suffered a moderate calf strain.
Cox limped out of minor premiers Fremantle’s loss to Carlton on Saturday and was immediately in doubt for the start of finals.
The 28-year-old has played just 18 of 23 games this season and will be unavailable for at least next Thursday’s huge qualifying final at Optus Stadium.
“It’s an unfortunate result for Brennan after an interrupted season and he’ll now miss our qualifying final,” said Dockers football boss Joe Brierty.
“We will assess all of the interventions possible to support Brennan’s recovery and look for him to be available post our first final.”
Clearly winning the qualifying final and securing an additional week off would be pivotal to Cox’s hopes of featuring again this season.
Hawthorn play a tall forward line of Jack Gunston, Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol – and have Calsher Dear plus ruckman Ned Reeves in reserve – making the timing of Cox’s injury particularly frustrating.
Oscar McDonald, who coach Justin Longmuir had flagged as an option up forward, will likely need to stay in defence with Alex Pearce, while Heath Chapman may need to play tall.
AAP
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