Fremantle chief executive officer Simon Garlick has denied that the use of Wharfie Time played a part in the club's heartbreaking Grand Final result against Brisbane.
The Dockers were up by 17 points with four minutes remaining in the match when Wharfie Time was played in the MCG. It also marked a turning point for the Lions who kicked four goals in quick succession to outlast their opponents and secure a three-peat.
Fremantle's use of Wharfie Time has drawn criticism from pundits, who believe it inspired a Brisbane comeback. Speaking SEN WA's Mornings with Mark Duffield, Garlick said that the use of Wharfie Time is for fans, not part of the Dockers' on-field strategy.
"(Wharfie Time's) come from fans knowing they can't control what happens on the field but they can have a real crack at trying to influence it with noise and support," Garlick said.
"I find (the criticism) a bit bemusing myself, but I understand the question given we were so close and in these sorts of situations it's probably natural for people to look for a single reason for this type of loss. Whether it be an umpiring decision, a missed free kick or a key injury, bounce of the ball maybe.
"But it seems in this instance there's some discussion about the impact of Wharfie Time, but we just know it's not the case.
"I think it's probably raw at the moment. Our fans love Wharfie Time. We've just lost a Grand Final in the most heartbreaking way. We are not about to throw out things that make us who we are. We will walk through that in the fullness of time, but it is a fan activation tool. It's not a strategic performance based element.
"It's captivated the east coast this year, we've been running it for three years and it's never guaranteed a win or a loss. And our fans are who really have built it into what it is, they understand that better than anyone.
"We will just work through (if we keep it) with our fans, because we will always take their lead."
Fremantle had been at risk of losing skipper Alex Pearce for the entirety of 2027 after he went down with an Achilles injury in the third quarter of the Grand Final.
Pearce has now had scans which have revealed he doesn't require surgery and is expected to return to training over summer.
Garlick said, should the club had lost Pearce, he was confident the Dockers already had key defensive talent waiting in its wings without needing to go to the trade table.
"We weren't looking for a tall defender in either the trade period or the second level. I think Hugh Davies would come straight to one of the top of lists of players who haven't been playing a lot of footy," he said
"He's clearly the best key defender in the WAFL competition by some margin. We think really highly of Hugh and Oscar McDonald's been fantastic for us. Particularly in the second half of the year when he had to play some critical roles.
"A few years ago, I clearly remember (Josh Draper) playing a fantastic game up in Sydney when we won against the odds and he and Hugh actually combined together well when Alex and Brennan were out.
"He has a huge amount of athletic capability and potential 'Drapes' and we think really highly of him. He is contracted for 2027 and I think with another pre-season he's got a huge opportunity to break out into that key back role.
"It's up to him to have a pre-season like no other and put himself up into the frame."
Fremantle has been linked with three-time premiership Richmond defender Nathan Broad who retired from the Tigers this season but is keeping his future open as he returns home to Perth.
Other than Broad, the Dockers haven't been linked to any serious trade targets all season. Garlick said that's because he believes the club has plenty of internal improvement to come.
"Over the last few days when you are lying in bed looking at the ceiling going through the group who played on the weekend," he said.
"The amount of improvement that I think we still have in so many of those players not to mention the ones who dominated at WAFL level.
"I can't see us making wholesale changes and I think it will be probably more of a drafting year for us."
