Leading West Australian sports journalist Digby Beacham joined Mark Stevens in the first episode of Zero Hanger's The Outer Wing, brought to you by TABtouch, to discuss surprising predictions for Fremantle this season.
"I think they want for nothing," Beacham said. "Their midfield is stacked, defensively they're sound... I think they're ready to go, Fremantle, I can't see them not being a factor in the 2026 campaign."
While this news may seem surprising, given that Fremantle has never won a premiership, the team did win 16 games last season and are well positioned for the upcoming season with strong young players such as Murphy Reid and Hayden Young raring to go.
When asked to identify a weak point, Beacham questioned Fremantle's game plan.
"Are they going to be willing to embrace the imperfection like we have seen with other sides?" Asked Beacham, "history says no."
Beacham blames coach Justin Longmuir, describing him as a "very controlling" and "defence first" coach.
"We know what they can do when they're allowed to express themselves. We saw it late last year at Marvel stadium against the Dogs," Beacham said.
That game is, in fact, the level of play that many supporters expect from the Dockers this year and that expectation needs to be supported by Longmuir.
"It's time for him, in this seventh season, to march deep into September." said Beacham.
Fremantle is starting this season with a bye and will be playing their first game in Round 1 on the 14th of March against Geelong at the GMHBA Stadium.
Watch the first episode of The Outer Wing on the Zero Hanger Facebook page or listen on the Zero Hanger Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts.
Get set for the footy with the FREE Zero Hanger 2026 AFL Season Guide! Packed with 150+ pages of player profiles, team previews, insights and analysis, the 2026 AFL Season Guide is built for fans who want the full picture. Download your free Season Guide HERE.
