More than 55 thousand fans turned up for a Thursday night showstopper against the Cats. Apart from those Harley Reid Charity Shield matches, our biggest ever home and away crowd.
And I’m glad Justin Longmuir declared that Freo fans were indeed entitled to ‘get ahead of themselves’ having wallowed in despair and disappointment for long enough. Reassuringly, he added the players would be doing no such thing.
Freo played some sparkling footy early.
Luke Jackson showed us he was in for a big night when he soccered from the square after a Geelong defender pushed the ball back into play.
A handball from Johnno sent Murphy Reid into an elegant second gear and a second goal, and Pat Voss played on from the boundary to steer home a cracking third.
Problem was, Geelong looked just as good when they won a clearance. And it was the old warrior Dangerfield giving them those opportunities. Jack Martin, now at his third club and playing the best footy of his career kicked three goals for the quarter and some kid called Luke Stay Sharp bobbed up with another couple in the space of a minute.
Treacy and Amiss had chances to hit the scoreboard but chose instead to hit the recycling bins, while another effort landed in a lady’s lap on level three. Five shots on goal. No goals.
Pat Voss did deliver quite the “Don’t Argue’ which had me thinking how effective a physical statement that is, on the ground, but how I would probably be very confident of winning an argument with him off the field on a diverse range of subjects – be it the history of Morris Dancing or the rules of freestyle throat singing.
Anyway …
Geelong went to the break with an impressive ten-point lead.
This was Freo’s Stealth Match, which was in itself essentially meaningless but fun to watch. At quarter time Josh Treacy leered with menace from the big screens while a stunning light show and fat foreboding beats found their way inside our skulls.
Sadly though, something in the collective Freo brain shorted, fizzed and popped as a result.
In the second quarter they seemed determined only to drive down airline prices in September with a crazy exhibition of freewheeling madness. No one could kick a goal.
No one.
The points piled up. We then turned the ball over, and Geelong sliced us to bits.
Shai Bolton did take an incredible Mark of the Year contender and then another beauty closer to earth and yes, the highlight reel of Freo’s ball movement into the 50 was superb.
But it came to nothing. The Cats led by 28 points.
Jye Amiss, who we later learnt had been kidnapped and replaced with a fumbling body double, did finally manage to earn a score assist – by completely missing a grubbered attempt on goal, but it landed in the hands of Voss who kicked our fourth.
And then.
Something clicked.
Treacy, who until now would even miss a bus he was driving, took a big mark on the lead and thumped through an emphatic team lifter.
A moment later Young found Jackson – insert famous Melbourne pub reference – and Freo suddenly had three goals in three minutes and ticket prices for Grand Final week were through the roof again.
The Dockers trailed by only nine points at the half.
As play resumed and delicious aromas of fragrant curries drifted across the ground – these of course won’t be allowed in a future Monoculture Australia – only brittle batter and sour vinegar from an Ipswich fish and chip shop – we returned to our seats feeling very upbeat.
Because Freo makes us want to dance these days.
Luke opened with a snapped goal. The only Neil in the AFL kicked the next and Freo, with five on the trot, had taken the lead.
Ollie Henry answered quickly and while I ruminated on why Geelong seem to have a team of young Jacks and Olivers and Henrys – presumably the grandsons of Western Districts pastoralists – the Cats scored again to regain the ascendancy.
A temporarily spec less Mason Cox saw his way clear to tap beautifully to a crumbing Caleb as Freo closed again, and when the only Neil in the AFL found Treacy Freo had hit the front again.
We would not lose the lead now.
Treacy launched skyward to get a touch on a ball that may well have catapulted the Cats forward, but his desperate touch brought it to ground and then suddenly into the hands of Isaiah Dudley. He calmly goaled and smiled at us, and we knew everything was going to be alright.
That became more certain when, having escaped his mysterious captors, the real Jye Amiss returned, took a mark and goaled.
And then he did it again moments later.
Freo had kicked seven for the term to lead by 19 points at three quarter time.
It was a tense finish but not tense enough for Wharfie Time to be required.
Geelong kicked three goals, two of which came from those pastoral grandsons, but Freo held sway when Jye bobbed up with his third.
Sam Switkowski – for that is his real name – then took a superb pack mark to seal the victory and Freo were home by nine points.
Couple of things to note.
Please sign Switta’s new contract as soon as possible.
Luke Jackson is the best all-rounder in the AFL.
And of course special mention to Moose, our great skipper who celebrated what seems to have been nearly half a lifetime at the Fremantle Football Club with a huge performance in his 150th game.
A man of great courage and character who makes women swoon and men do quite a bit of swooning too.
We march onward.
Not stealthily, but in plain sight.
Yours truly,
Snaps Truly
*By our multi-talented and amazingly insightful footy scribe, SNAPS TRULY. Snaps has seen and done it all. He may or may not have been a fringe player at Fremantle. Don’t miss Snaps’ report after each Freo Dockers match here on the Shipping News throughout the 2026 season.
~ You’ll find more Snaps Truly right here.
~ If you’d like to COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.
~ WHILE YOU ARE HERE –
PLEASE HELP US TO GROW FREMANTLE SHIPPING NEWS
FSN is a reader-supported, volunteer-assisted online magazine all about Fremantle. Thanks for helping to keep FSN keeping on!
