It is official — Fremantle’s 2026 side now stand alone in WA’s sporting pantheon.
The Dockers extended the record-setting run of victories which has rocketed them into premiership favouritism to 14 by toppling Gold Coast by 51 points and took ownership of the longest winning streak in the history of any of the State’s major sporting clubs in the process.
While it was anything but pretty, the ladder-leaders managed to exorcise whatever demons still lingered from a shock loss to the Suns in last year’s elimination final by emerging on the right side of an 11.14 (80) to 3.11 (29) Sunday afternoon slugfest at Optus Stadium.
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The win may well have been the ugliest of the Fremantle’s campaign so far but it might prove among the most important, having ensured they started a brutal block of three games across 12 days by locking away four more premiership points.
The Dockers’ run of victories is now the equal-seventh longest inside a single AFL season this century — and of the sides to have strung 14 or more wins together, four have won the flag and three have been beaten in the grand final.
Justin Longmuir’s side gave their supporters intermittent tastes of the ultra-aggressive ball movement they have added to their game this year.
But their latest win was down to their one-time calling card — defence. They held the Suns to what was the equal fourth-lowest score in their history, which includes several years spent at the foot of the ladder as an expansion side.
If Fremantle’s fans needed an example of their growth from last year, Micheal Frederick provided the perfect one. Much maligned for a quiet showing in the defeat to Gold Coast which ended his side’s 2025 season, the speedy forward matched his career best by slotting four goals in the return bout.
Michael Frederick was brilliant. Credit: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
Caleb Serong (20 disposals) spent much of his day being closely minded by Nick Holman in a change the Suns swung in the hopes of giving their misfiring midfield a lift.
But once again, the Dockers responded by showing the depth and variety in their on-ball brigade — Serong’s fellow vice-captain Andrew Brayshaw (29 disposals, six tackles, one goal) continued a stunning patch of mid-season form, Murphy Reid (28 disposals) was unbelievable once again and Luke Jackson (15 disposals, 17 hit-outs) managed two goals from the ruck when they were at a premium.
Much of the attention in the lead-in to the contest was placed on Sean Darcy, who was favoured to return as Jackson’s deputy in place of Mason Cox.
While the 2021 Doig medallist’s individual impact was only muted in a 20 hit-out, six-disposal day, he more than held his own in the ruck and showed some forward chops by slotting what was just his second goal of the season.
Sean Darcy held his own on his return. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Smarting off a run of four consecutive defeats, the Suns attacked the start of the contest with plenty of intensity, with both sides applying 10 tackles apiece inside the opening 10 minutes.
Fremantle were able to match the endeavour of the visitors and much of their scoreboard reward from a strong start came through something of an unlikely source in Frederick, who matched his best tally of the season to date by managing three goals inside the first 17 minutes.
Even getting their hands on the football in the opening exchanges proved a challenge for Gold Coast, who headed into the first break 26 points in arrears and with 37 fewer disposals than the Dockers.
At last, Gold Coast were able to get on the scoreboard early in the second term through Ben King, who finished off an end-to-end slingshot strikingly similar to several their opposition produced in the first term.
A spell of rain towards the end of the opening quarter created a slick football and the game devolved into an arm-wrestle, with the Suns settling as the two sides split six behinds before the main break.
The game became an arm-wrestle in the second term. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Just as he has with regularity throughout a stunning season, Jackson lifted to inspire his side at the start of the second half, thumping the third term’s first goal from beyond the 50m arc and turning provider in spotting up a leading Pat Voss only minutes later.
Staring down a game-high margin of 31 points, Gold Coast’s eyes darted into the corridor whenever they had the chance, but their hopes of taking the game on were quashed by the Dockers’ expert zone defence.
Fremantle’s fans showed plenty of appreciation for Frederick’s fourth goal of the day but their loudest cheer for the day came later, when Darcy capitalised on a free kick to mark his return with a major.
Sean Darcy marked his return with a goal. Credit: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
Having managed only two goals for the day, Gold Coast’s task of needing to kick at least seven in the final term to steal victory figured as the longest of long shots, and it became even tougher when Brayshaw struck first.
With the win stitched up, Fremantle’s supporters swung into party mode, with the vast majority of the 50,602 fans who turned out as they returned to what has been their traditional timeslot in recent years breaking into a Mexican Wave.
SCOREBOARD
FREMANTLE 4.4, 4.7, 8.12, 11.14 (80)
GOLD COAST 0.2, 1.5, 2.8, 3.11 (29)
Goals – FREMANTLE: M Frederick 4 P Voss 2 L Jackson 2 S Darcy A Brayshaw J Amiss.
GOLD COAST: J Walter 2 B King.
Best – FREMANTLE: A Brayshaw M Reid M Frederick L Jackson S Bolton L Ryan.
GOLD COAST: N Anderson J Walter Z Uwland B Uwland.
Umpires: J Power B Rosebury B Wallace P Bailes. Crowd: 50,602 at Optus Stadium.
