Fremantle’s bid for premiership silverware will be underpinned by a simple message about unity when Justin Longmuir’s side faces Brisbane in Saturday’s grand final at the MCG.
The Dockers’ coach gave every player a section of chain during last year’s exit meetings, using the links to underline the importance of connection and the danger of any weakness within the team.
Longmuir also asked his players to choose a word with personal meaning and explain it to their team-mates. The exercise produced a series of candid accounts about family, identity and resilience.
Defender Karl Worner chose “resilience”, reflecting on his mother’s move from Sweden to Australia in her twenties, despite speaking little English and leaving her family behind.
“She came to Australia leaving a whole family behind. Unfortunately, her parents passed away quite young when it was her first day in Australia,” Worner said.
“So just the resilience she showed to put her family first is something I’m extremely proud of.”
Hayden Young selected “heart”, saying he was at his best when he embraced emotion, vulnerability and passion. Michael Frederick chose “family and resilience”, crediting those qualities with helping him overcome a lack of confidence and constant comparisons with his brother.
Frederick said the exercise had allowed players to understand one another more deeply, with team-mates speaking openly about the experiences behind their chosen words.
The chain followed Fremantle’s use of Australia’s 1983 America’s Cup victory as inspiration last season. Players visited the WA Maritime Museum to see the Australia II vessel before being eliminated by Gold Coast by a single point in Perth.
This year, the Dockers have also drawn on the port identity of Fremantle through “Wharfie Time”, a phrase first used by club great Matthew Pavlich during a pre-match huddle in 2009.
“Put on your Superman capes boys, it’s Wharfie Time,” Pavlich told players at the time.
The phrase has since become a crowd feature at Optus Stadium, accompanied by footage of a boat facing huge waves, a gong, the opening of AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” and a heartbeat effect during close finishes.
The AFL has permitted Fremantle to use “Wharfie Time” in the grand final, but only once and only as a celebration song after a Dockers goal.
Longmuir’s “1-0” mantra has helped keep the squad focused after victories during a club-record campaign that produced 19 home-and-away wins and a 14-match winning streak.
Fremantle must now beat Brisbane to turn the chain’s symbolism into the premiership cup the club has been pursuing. The Lions, meanwhile, will be seeking a third consecutive flag.
