Finishing mid-table in 2021, the Fremantle Dockers don’t look too far off from getting back to their very best after some lacklustre performances in the previous years.
Inconsistent performances against weaker teams, as well as impressive victories over arguably stronger teams, led to mixed feelings amongst the Freo faithful over how the team performed.
Coming into the 2022 season, Justin Longmuir's side look stronger than ever on paper. It's now about putting everything into action and performing when it matters most.
With many players on the brink of returning from injury, things are looking up for the Dockers. And with a lot of players starting to find themselves, flourishing in their current roles, as well as the return of captain Nat Fyfe, Fremantle fans have a lot to be excited about going into the upcoming season.
Off-Season Moves
Ins: Jye Amiss, Neil Erasmus, Matthew Johnson, Eric Benning, Will Brodie [Gold Cost], Jordan Clark [Geelong]
Outs: Brett Bewley [delisted], Adam Cerra [Carlton], Reece Conca [delisted], Taylin Dunman [delisted], Stefan Giro [delisted], Stephen Hill [retired], Leno Thomas [delisted], Luke Valentine [retired], Tobe Watson [delisted]
Last Season
Despite playing some exciting football, Fremantle will consider last season slightly disappointing. Finishing one win outside the eight with 40 points, the Dockers just couldn’t do enough to separate themselves from the other teams in the competition.
Disappointing losses to Carlton in Rounds 3 and 16, losing by over 50-points on four separate occasions, as well as injuries to star player Nat Fyfe all caught up to haunt Freo towards the end of the year.
It wasn’t all bad news, however. Convincing performances such as their 62-point win against Hawthorn in Round 17, as well as impressive wins over West Coast and GWS, showed they clearly weren’t a team to take lightly.
Breakout years for young ruckman Sean Darcy and eye-catching performances from young gun Caleb Serong also made headlines throughout the season.
Regardless of these performances, injury struggles ultimately led to Fremantle’s downfall. With Joel Hamling, Heath Chapman, Michael Frederick, Alex Pearce, Sam Sturt and Hayden Young all failing to play even half of the home and away season, as well as Nat Fyfe’s shoulder issues, the Dockers struggled to maintain a healthy squad, resulting in inconsistent form.
