{"id":861610,"date":"2026-08-20T04:28:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T04:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/861610\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T04:28:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T04:28:32","slug":"fremantle-dockers-finals-your-guide-to-the-afl-finals-in-fremantle-as-the-port-city-turns-purple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/861610\/","title":{"rendered":"Fremantle Dockers finals: Your guide to the AFL finals in Fremantle as the Port City turns purple"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Indigo<\/p>\n

August 20, 2026 \u2014 12:22pm<\/p>\n

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In Fremantle, belief is no longer a quiet hope \u2013 it is a public spectacle.<\/p>\n

With the Fremantle Dockers perched firmly at the top of the AFL ladder and a minor premiership locked away with a game still to play, players and die-hard fans are priming for a historic finals campaign.<\/p>\n

\"CrowdsCrowds in the heart of Fremantle when the Dockers last made the AFL grand final in 2013.Getty Images<\/p>\n

Mayor Ben Lawver believes the Dockers are an \u201cintegral part\u201d of the Port City\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

The city plans to turn its famed Cappuccino Strip purple \u2013 purple bunting, balcony banners, tree wraps \u2013 and is also urging local businesses to join in the Flagmantle fever, with bragging rights on offer for the best window display.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t expect to see the roads painted purple like they did in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really costly exercise, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s on the cards this year,\u201d Lawver said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can probably do a lot more with that money than just painting the road purple. My hope is that we\u2019ll have hundreds of people here all wearing purple, so it\u2019ll be a sea of purple as far as you can see, and you won\u2019t be able to see the street at all because it\u2019ll be packed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any big activations will have to get approved by the council which is expected to deal with their first Dockers related item on August 26.<\/p>\n

If the Dockers make the big dance, the city has plans to host a major \u201clive site\u201d on the strip to give fans the opportunity to gather in the heart of the town and watch the game on big screens.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurning Fremantle purple is a visible show of support for the club, its players, members and fans, but it\u2019s also about bringing our community together and creating an atmosphere that reflects the pride we all feel in our home-town team,\u201d Lawver said.<\/p>\n

\"CityCity of Fremantle Mayor Ben Lawver and Fremantle Chamber of Commerce president Ivan Dzeba at the Cappuccino Strip on Thursday.Indigo Lemay-Conway<\/p>\n

Fremantle Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chrissie Maus said the Port City\u2019s blood \u201cruns purple\u201d, and this was a moment for the town to turn the volume up.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Freo gets behind something, we don\u2019t tend to do it quietly and nor should we,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the Port City plans to turn it on as the Dockers storm towards finals.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Federal Hotel will be expanding into the Paddy Troy Mall for all Dockers games, but if they make it to the grand final, it will be bigger than ever.The Federal HotelThe Federal Hotel<\/p>\n

Right in the heart of Freo is the Federal Hotel, which locals know will always get into finals spirit.<\/p>\n

This year the hotel will ramp up the experience for each of the Dockers final games, expanding beyond into Paddy Troy Mall, to open up capacity for as many as 2000 fans in the heart of Fremantle.<\/p>\n

No tickets are required for finals games and all rounds will be shown, whether they are home or away games.<\/p>\n

If the Dockers make it into the grand finals, Federal Hotel digital brand coordinator Emma Paruscio said reckons it will be a bigger event than the FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n

The games will also be shown live and loud at the Federal\u2019s sister venues South Beach Hotel, 8 Knots Tavern and the Bicton Tavern.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross all four venues, we\u2019re preparing for a huge Grand Final day and, if Fremantle makes it, what could be an incredible day for the local community,\u201d Paruscio said.<\/p>\n

Culleys Bakery and Cafe<\/p>\n

A short walk from the Federal is one of Fremantle\u2019s oldest family owned and operated caf\u00e9s and bakeries.<\/p>\n

If their front window wasn\u2019t patriotic enough, the bakery has also prepped pies and cupcakes in honour of their beloved team.<\/p>\n

\"Culley\u2019sCulley\u2019s is one of Fremantle\u2019s oldest caf\u00e9s and bakeries and is cooking up some Dockers inspired baked goods for the finals. Indigo Lemay-Conway<\/p>\n

\u201cFreo is the Dockers \u2013 they\u2019re very passionate about it around here,\u201d owner Michael Culley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did it last year, and it went really well. So we\u2019re doing it again, and we\u2019re doing it a little bit early, we didn\u2019t want to put the mocker on them or anything, but now that they\u2019re definitely going to finish pretty much on top, we thought we\u2019d run with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Culley said the last time the Dockers made it into the finals, the famed Cappuccino Strip came to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love the Dockers, we love Freo, and Freo fans are probably the most passionate I\u2019ve seen,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was the busiest day we\u2019ve ever had, like by triple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VarsityVarsity Freo will be hosting a block party if the Dockers make it into the grand finals.VarsityVarsity Bar<\/p>\n

Around the corner near the FOMO building sits Varsity, which has transformed into \u201cthe ultimate destination for Freo diehards\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to our mates at Pirate Life and the Fremantle Dockers, the whole venue has been decked out in purple and white,\u201d Varsity marketing coordinator Jaslyn Tumilty said.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Andrew<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be slinging $12 pints of Pirate Life all the way \u2019til the end of season, plus a very Freo Burger of the Month coming in September.\u201d <\/p>\n

(It\u2019s worth noting Dockers legend Nat Fyfe was an early investor in brewers Pirate Life, before the company was sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev<\/a>, which was later acquired by Asahi Beverages.)<\/p>\n

And if the Dockers make it to the grand finals, Varsity will be hosting a massive block party.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re taking over Newman Court with big screens, a massive beer garden, heaps of indoor and outdoor seating, indoor and outdoor bars, and an atmosphere that rivals the Melbourne Cricket Ground,\u201d Tumilty said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFree entry, cheap beers, purple food specials. It\u2019ll be epic. As close to experiencing the footy at the MCG as you can get. Loud, rowdy and purple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ThisThis Dockers inspired Fiat is often parked at the South Freo Continental and last week, owner Carlo Noto and long-time friend and deputy mayor of Fremantle Fedele Camarda drove it to Optus Stadium to watch Freo play.Indigo Lemay-ConwaySouth Freo Continental<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve seen a Fiat driving around town that resembles a purple Sherrin football, chances are it\u2019s from South Freo Continental.<\/p>\n

Carlo Noto has his Dockers-inspired car parked at his brother Sergio\u2019s cafe most days, and says it\u2019s been a photo opportunity for fans of all ages.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the best thing I\u2019ve ever done. It\u2019s just a little toy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With his lifelong friend and deputy mayor of Fremantle Fedele Camarda in the passenger seat, Noto drove the car to Optus Stadium to watch the Dockers beat the Adelaide Crows and officially lock away the minor premiership on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took it to the stadium, and it was just a laugh. People were just beeping the horns, and they\u2019d give us a thumbs up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Both the Notos and Camarda families are foundation members of the Fremantle Dockers, and have their fingers and toes crossed that this year is the one to remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Fremantle pull it off, it will be something special,\u201d Noto said.<\/p>\n

Camarda said he was hopeful the Dockers would come to Fremantle to celebrate with their long-term fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be ideal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think supporters would love to see that.<\/p>\n

\u201cFremantle is the spiritual heart of the club, obviously, and it would be very special for our supporters to see that.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when you talk about supporters, obviously we love the team and the players, but when you\u2019ve supported a club for over 30 years, it\u2019s also about the people you go to the games with, and the relationships that you\u2019ve built.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo share that experience together is very special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camarda said local fans have suggested the Dockers come to Fremantle on a double-decker bus if they won the grand final.<\/p>\n

The Wray Hotel<\/p>\n

As the unofficial home base for the Dockers Purple Army, fans have not wasted time to book in at the Wray Hotel.<\/p>\n

Venue manager Nicolo Cartesan said they have been fully booked out for the grand final since the end of April.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of people already booked in. We\u2019re sitting at 460, roughly, already booked in, and I have a waitlist of 350 on top of that. It\u2019s going to be a big day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Wray Hotel is raffling off a Yamaha R3 signed by Dockers players and coach Justin Longmuir.Indigo Lemay-Conway<\/p>\n

But have no fear, the hotel has plans to fit more people in \u2013 or out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are applying for the extended license for the car park. If that gets accepted, we\u2019re going to do the whole car park with tables and screens,\u201d Cartesan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s going to be a couple of bars around, and a kitchen outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s going to be very big, and we\u2019re planning to roughly 1200 to 1300 people on that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans will also have the chance to go in the running to win a Yamaha R3 signed by Dockers players and coach Justin Longmuir.<\/p>\n

Fremantle City Dockers junior football club<\/p>\n

As finals loom, the up-and-coming generation of Dockers players are still hitting the field and are fired up with purple spirit.<\/p>\n

With ex-Dockers player Matt Carr as one of the coaches and his son Jarren a recent draft for the team his dad played 162 games for, the club has a history of producing great talent.<\/p>\n

Fremantle City Dockers JFC president Connor Magee said it was an \u201cincredibly exciting time\u201d for football in Fremantle.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Fremantle City Dockers junior football club Year 6 team.Indigo Lemay-Conway<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see the Fremantle Dockers with a genuine opportunity to do what we\u2019ve been waiting for many, many years \u2013 it creates an incredible buzz right across our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a partner club and the only junior football club in the City of Fremantle, we see firsthand the positive impact the Dockers have on our young people.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir success inspires the next generation to pick up a football, get involved and dream big.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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