Fremantle fans were left devastated and struggling to comprehend the club’s grand final loss as the Dockers’ hopes unravelled in the closing minutes of a tense match.
In the heart of Fremantle, supporters who had gathered in their thousands began streaming away after the final siren. More than an hour later, Ashley Carnell and Angus Lincoln were still trying to make sense of the defeat.
“Can’t believe that in the last, literally four minutes, so much could go wrong,” Mr Lincoln said.
“My mum and auntie will be at home crying,” Ms Carnell added.
Kate and Damien Marsie wandered through the streets, attempting to process what had happened.
“I feel devastated, I absolutely thought they had it,” Ms Marsie said. “I can’t believe they stole so many points in such a short period of time. I just can’t comprehend it.”
Mr Marsie blamed “Wharfie Time” – the late use of AC/DC’s Hells Bells to rally supporters during a close game – for having done “more damage than good”.
“I guess there’s always next year,” he said.
Paul Lewis, 53, reached a similar conclusion about the tradition.
“Brissy used Wharfie Time better than Freo,” he said.
Fremantle fans face a painful wait for next year
Despite the heartbreak, some supporters tried to focus on the team’s performance and the prospect of returning next season.
“I’m proud of how they played, super competitive. We will be back next year,” Felicity Clark, 53, said.
“We will learn from the Lions, they lost their first one four years ago. Freo forever, always. Of course we’re still fans — they played an awesome game.”
Dockers supporter Dan Huxtable, 53, said the loss was especially difficult because it came so late in the contest, but suggested long-term fans had learnt to live with disappointment.
“It was a great game of footy, hard way to lose in the last four minutes, but you know, that’s finals footy,” he said.
“I think the next generation will take it harder than us . . . the original supporters like us are conditioned for pain.”
Many of the predicted 40,000 people who had gathered in and around Fremantle left soon after the match. Others headed to pubs along the Cappuccino Strip for a drink before going home.
Danielle Desbury, 33, said she needed time and a drink to process the result.
“I’m absolutely freaking devastated. I’m going to have to go home and cry,” Ms Desbury said. “We’ve watched these boys give everything. I can’t believe we’ve lost. I’m f…..g heartbroken.”
For Matt Cartaton, who does not usually follow the sport, the Dockers’ run had nevertheless made an impression.
“Honestly, this is not my sport, but I’m noticing the vibe. I felt the vibe. It was exciting,” he said.
“That was a great game to watch. It was such a close game, and at one point I really thought we were going to win it.”
Some supporters also questioned the presence of Lachie Neale after his ban was overturned on appeal shortly before the grand final.
James O’Reilly said Neale’s selection meant Fremantle had been wronged from the outset, and criticised the decision to allow him to play and later receive the medal.
“It was a good game, very competitive — but at the end of the day you’ve got to ask yourself the question of ‘what is wrong with the AFL?’” he said.
“For him to be allowed to stand there and give speeches and win that medal after the way he treated blokes when playing the game is unforgivable. We’ve been wronged from the beginning.”
A sea of purple before the final siren
The anguish was a stark contrast to the excitement that had swept through Fremantle earlier in the day.
The city’s Cappuccino Strip had become a sea of purple by 10am, with some supporters arriving as early as 6am to secure places outside pubs and cafes. Queues stretched around several blocks as fans gathered to watch the historic clash in Melbourne.
Adrian DeCarolis, who arrived early, said the wait had been worthwhile.
“I’m starting to feel nervous, but good, we can do it,” he said before the match.
Sixteen-year-old Ottilia Miller had painted her face purple and white, adding spray paint and glitter to her hair and body.
“I started getting ready at 8.30 this morning,” she said. “There’s like 10 layers of paint on my face. I have spray paint and glitter on my hair and body paint. I’ve scared a few people but it’s totally worth it.”
Fifteen-year-old Riley Chamberlain wore full face paint and a purple wig. “I need them to win today, I love this club so much,” he said.
Long-time supporter Christopher Lake joined the crowd in an AC/DC shirt and cape.
“I’ve been a fan since they began,” he said. “They can 100 per cent do it, we believe in them, Freo believes in them.”
East Fremantle mother Amy Hill spent the week making purple capes for her children, Story, five, and Lumi, three.
“The kids have got into the footy this year,” she said. “I made them purple capes this week. I’m not typically a footy girl, but I’m a Freo girl so we pulled out the purple.”
For Tanya and Simon Vulinovic, Fremantle was the only place they wanted to watch the match.
“We’ve been supporting them since day dot,” Mr Vulinovic said. “We met after a football game so we wouldn’t have got married if it wasn’t for Freo.”
“You’ve got to be in the heart of Freo. I mean, being in Melbourne is one thing, but I think this will just be amazing if they win.”
Before the match, Indi Ruby, Elise Roscoe and Scarlet Nicholas said “their lives depended” on a Fremantle victory.
By the end of the night, the purple crowds had dispersed, leaving supporters to reflect on a defeat that many had believed was within their team’s grasp.
