Fremantle's Michael Frederick has turned heads for seasons out in the west, but now, everyone is starting to take notice of the gun half-forward.
Having one of the best cruising speeds in the league, Frederick floats across the ground in Purple, often putting his natural athleticism - and occasional backflip - on show.
Frederick may not fill the stat sheet, but his work rate up the ground to be a relief mark in defence, before bounding up the ground to impact the scoreboard, is a key reason behind the Dockers' improved attack in 2026.
Leading Western Australian sports journalist Digby Beacham told Zero Hanger's Mark Stevens on The Outer Wing that Frederick is a "special player".
"He really is (special) Michael," Beacham said. "He had an outstanding pre-season, and then he injured an ankle in March, and he missed the first six weeks of the season.
"He was outstanding last week, and he was very good against Hawthorn also earlier in the season. He has twice finished in the top 10 in their best-and-fairest.
"He kicked 30 goals last year, and in the current game, he is that perfect half-forward with that explosive pace that he possesses. He's blisteringly quick; he can push up and then work back towards the goals, and you saw that on the weekend.
"He is a key member of that Fremantle forward line. He makes them so much better when he is up and running, and he is a hard opponent to shut down because he has got wheels that few other players in the competition possess."
The 26-year-old has booted 14 goals from 10 games so far this season, with his two best performances coming against Hawthorn (19 disposals, three goals) and Gold Coast (seven disposals, four goals).
Fremantle, as a club, has had arguably two strong and premiership contending sides in its 32-year history.
The 2013 team was the only Dockers group to make it to a grand final, while 2026's version looks the most likely to return to that last game of the season.
Stevens handed Beacham the difficult task of putting together the best side possible out of the 2013 and 2026 Dockers players. Splitting the difference 12-11 in favour of 2026, Beacham delivered his side below:
FB: Brennan Cox, Alex Pearce, Lee Spurr
HB: Jordan Clark, Luke McPharlin, Stephen Hill
C: Hayden Young, David Mundy, Andrew Brayshaw
HF: Shai Bolton, Josh Treacy, Michael Walters
FF: Jye Amiss, Matthew Pavlich, Hayden Ballantyne
FOL: Luke Jackson, Nat Fyfe, Caleb Serong
INT: Aaron Sandilands, Murphy Reid, Lachie Neale, Luke Ryan, Chris Mayne
