Fremantle’s hopes of securing an elusive AFL premiership ended in a devastating late collapse against the Brisbane Lions, leaving the port city stunned after the Dockers surrendered a 17-point lead and lost the grand final by seven points.
About 40,000 Fremantle supporters had gathered at paid and free viewing sites across the city, turning the Cappuccino Strip into a sea of purple before the final siren brought the celebrations to an abrupt halt.
The mood had been hopeful before the match, with fans filling streets and watching the action on big screens. Lachlan Smith, who had also been present when Fremantle lost to Hawthorn in the 2013 grand final, said he was nervous but believed the team could win.
“I’m a little bit nervous. I was back here in 2013, and it didn’t go our way, so hopefully we can pull it off this year. But yeah, very nervous, very nervous, but we can do it!” Smith said.
Supporters grew increasingly tense during the opening quarter. James Orie, watching at a free viewing area outside the National Hotel, criticised what he described as poor refereeing decisions before declaring that a Fremantle victory would have been celebrated across Western Australia.
“I used to be an Eagles fan, but I’ve jumped onto the Freo bandwagon because WA is WA and if one of us wins, we all win,” he said.
The chants of “Freo” and “Wharfie Time” intensified as the match progressed. When Patrick Voss kicked a goal late in the final quarter to put the Dockers 17 points ahead with roughly four minutes remaining, the crowd believed the long-awaited premiership was within reach.
Among the supporters was Queensland-born Nathan Peek, whose son Oliver supports Fremantle through his mother’s family. Nathan told Oliver the game was over with five minutes remaining, only to watch the Lions produce a dramatic turnaround.
As the final siren sounded, the noise across Fremantle disappeared. Tom Wilco compared the atmosphere to a mass funeral and said supporters had believed victory was secured.
“I’m devastated, gutted. We thought we had it in the bag. I’m speechless,” he said. “We Wharfied too close to the sun, unfortunately.”
Stephenie Borowiec, who has supported Fremantle for 27 years, said the defeat was especially painful after the team had come so close for a second time.
“It just turned at the end, within the blink of an eye,” she said.
Despite the heartbreak, Borowiec said she remained proud of the players, particularly given the relative inexperience of the team.
“But I’d say good game to our boys. They played so well, especially for how new they are to AFL,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of boys who have been in the team for a while or in AFL for a while. So they smashed it. I’m still proud of each and every one of them.”
