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For a fleeting moment there was a cup in the cabinet, an accolade in the armoire, a plaque in the pool room. Time to somehow Restump Podcast the split-second surrendering of the silverware. Where do you possibly start? And of the many review perspectives that dominate your lens, which one do you look through first? I'm not sure we've ever experienced a feeling of absolute numbness post-match before and, as a rusted-on Fremantle fan, that's a big call. We know despondency, we’ve felt a sense of hopelessness more often than I care to recall, agony, exasperation... but never a feeling of outright numbness, bordering on paralysis. Who knew there was one more Freo-fuelled emotive feeling they had up their sleeve for us? It was an amazing grand final and an unforgettable experience, but it was the absurd speed of the feeling that went from ‘the 32-year drought was over’ to ‘hey, look at that, Brissie secured the 3-peat.’ It was a ruthless four-minute period, with no time to catch your breath. It left fans stunned and distraught, unable to immediately comprehend what had just happened. The purple platoon was good enough, it was tough enough and it handled the occasion well beyond what many of us thought it may. But for whatever reason or reasons, we each deem pivotal, we somehow walk away empty-handed. Was it selection? Did fatigue play its part? Have we just lost our second grand final due to inaccuracy? Josh Treacy being robbed of a mark or his bamboozling blunder? Did we go into safe mode far too soon? Was it a lack of composure late? The broken rules around the inexplicable use of Wharfie Time? For mine, every moment plays its part, but the overriding reason for somehow managing to squander the premiership was Alex “the difference” Pearce. The tragedy of his exit from the game early into the third quarter trumped all moments. It not only allowed Logan Morris off the chain to severely damage us; it allowed the Brisbane Lions to play with more flowing freedom. It’s credible to claim the purple chalice would be courier-bound for Cockburn had the captain continued clear of the calamity. And that brings us to the question: is our reliance on Alex Pearce ironically our Achilles heel? Admittedly, Brennan Cox’s absence wasn’t ideal, but with the ageing and admirable Luke Ryan and second or third defensive banana Oscar McDonald doing their better work alongside the skipper, have we some issues that need a conversation? However, the doom and gloom will be temporary, and while we won’t see the silver cup, we can see the silver lining. We’ve had a remarkable year, we’ve been the best team in the competition, we’re a young list and on the cusp of a decade of success. We’ve got some areas needing attention but, hey, who hasn’t? What we will get out of the adversity we overcame during the finals series will be enormously dividend paying beneficial. The gratitude for the season is slowly but surely beginning to displace the pain of the loss. In any case, we will regroup, we'll reassemble, we'll suit up, stump up and go around again next year. But we just need a moment, a processing period, to collect and organise our thoughts, to come to terms with what was, and then, in the blink of an eye, what wasn't. We all need some time, just not of the Wharfie variety. For one final occasion this year, let’s talk through the trauma and process the pain before we pivot to probe the positives, procure perspective and praise the purple posse for their practically perfect 2026 period on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

It doesn't matter how you get there — the direct path, the scenic route, maybe you escaped from jail — you just have to get there. The Swans lulled us into a false sense of minimum security, but we broke out! Time to Restump Podcast just our second-ever successful preliminary final. Thirteen years after defeating the Sydney Swans in a preliminary final to partake in our first grand final, we've delivered a repeat of the feat. We'd be lying if we said we weren't all bewildered at our performance early Friday evening, but we settled and turned it into a breath-holding, blood-pumping, beautiful night! To be brutally honest, celebrations momentarily aside, we may have been fortunate it was the Pullman five and not the Pullman three or four. We really only just got there in the end. Add a Chad Warner and/or an Isaac Heeney into the mix and things quite possibly may have been devastatingly different. But they went there, things weren’t different and we’re off to Grand Final!  We matched the Swans' pressure, but they handled it far more effectively than us. We continue to be susceptible to high pressure, and it can be the key to our undoing. Was there a Telstra or Optus outage in the area? It was constant communication breakdown early. Oscar McDonald and Luke Ryan, and Jye Amiss and Josh Treacy, were incommunicado. Connectivity and cohesiveness were replaced with confusion, finger-pointing and second-guessing. There were some conspicuous absentees within our 50 metre arc and it got to a point where we eventually had to call on the SES to conduct a search party for the missing tall forwards. But while efficiency wasn't front and centre, we were winning most of the numbers, just not the ones that definitively count. Thankfully, you don't have to be better than your opponent all night; you just have to be better for longer. You just have to be in front when it matters most and, as we have done way more often than not this year, we were. Moments of magic can sometimes make the difference, and that's when the magic moment-makers made their moves. We could almost attribute the remarkable win to Hayden Young's absurd goal after the three-quarter-time siren. Not because it put us within range, but because of the much-needed belief it instilled. Jye Amiss somehow managed his moment of ridiculousness, Shai Bolton successfully let go from 50, and then Paddy Voss entered with his moment of absolute mastery. Stiff-arming a 14-year almost 300-game stalwart defender and then perfectly executing the banana to goal, will enter the history and histrionics books. It'll be one of those precious moments we'll talk about forever. We're the Fremantle Dockers! We'll never abandon our inherent unconventionality, but that's what makes us eternally exciting. We don't do boring, regimented monotony! Flawlessness is for the fundamentalists! What is finishing first without flair and heart failure along the way? We’re now off to the MCG to play on the final Saturday in September for just the second time. But before we all roll into the Melbourne concrete-colosseum jungle to take on the Lions, there’s plenty of time for our usual inconsequential and insignificant nonsense on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Hopefully the boys light up the SCG and don’t be so reckless, like they were against the Hawks. We’ll be downhearted if Errol gets a hold of us! We’re in a prelim final! With memory flashbacks to 2013 it’s time to Reyne on Sydney's parade again and Restump Podcast the battle to the big dance. We’ve done the work, we’ve secured the results and, while we took the scenic route, we deserve our spot in the preliminary final against the Sydney Swans tonight. We’re going in with an unchanged line up but are Jaegar O’Meara and Chris Scerri along for a little more than the ride? Could there be a late change?  The Swannies have obviously been through the wringer, now losing Callum Mills and Harry Cunningham on top of the Pullman Five! However, that in itself, is a danger for us as there truly can’t be any genuine expectations on them, regardless how hard JL tries to claim underdog status. Being free of expectation can throw up some unpredictability. They have gotten further than anyone thought they would, so the shackles are off. This is a free hit for the Swans to take and we need to be well aware of it. Straight away three factors come to front of mind with initial thoughts on the game. Complacency, pressure and Errol.  Our Freo boys are only human and no matter how hard they try and how often they tell themselves otherwise, there has to be some level of thought attributed to the enormous names missing from Sydney’s team. Too many of those thoughts could have us on the back foot and, in a preliminary final, it’s a position we just can’t afford to be in.  Pressure has at times been our kryptonite. We can be susceptible to it, we know it, the players know it and the entire league knows it. Sydney’s only real chance at beating us comes in the form of maniacal pressure and you can bet your knackers it is exactly what they will try to bring. Although Murphy Reid might not be able to stake that bet! Errol Gulden is Sydney’s key to the grand final car. Their hopes rest so much on his shoulders. Charlie Curnow and Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean don’t get the silver service if we can curtail Errol’s influence. But that is easier said than done. It’ll be a task performed by committee but you’d imagine Matty Johnson might not have gotten too much shuteye the last couple of nights.  It sounds simple but it ever never is. In fact, given what has happened to the Swans, or what they’ve caused themselves, for us it seems too good to be true. And when something seems too good to be true, concerningly more often than not, it is.  We’re two and two against the Swans in finals and we’re one preliminary final each. We’ve only been to the SCG three times since 2019 while the Swannies have had to come to Optus on eight occasions against us.  However, the reality is none of whatever has occurred in the past matters. Our 2026 form against the Swans means didley! We’re going in with a massive advantage and we really should just be winning. There will be no excuses if we don’t and the fallout will be loud! Given the circumstances and the match ups, as scary as it is to say, it is just difficult to contemplate we don’t win tonight.  There is something that feels very uneasy about going into a preliminary final comfortable and confident. So, as we’re just hours away, let’s rekindle the familiar feeling by throwing some nervous logs on the anxiety fire to heat up the tension on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

It's true, he is built different! Luke Jackson's heroics proved yet another of the unfortunate and unique season challenges Chris and his Cotton On Cats couldn't overcome. Time to Restump Podcast Freo's feat over the Morris Finance Felines. It was a fork in the road moment for Freo. We could’ve followed a familiar path and folded or we could've said to hell with that, the post season frivolities can wait. We collectively decided on the latter using the challenge corroded Cats as a steppingstone to the Swans. And while we magnificently ended Geelong's campaign, we have to acknowledge the season of difficulties they had to endure. The odd injury, the exposing of their secret concussion signatures, the fall in beef and cattle prices, the rise in farm equipment costs and the travel burden. I mean they only played 10 games in Geelong this year! They had to travel an hour up the road to the MCG or Marvel a further 6 times! Oh, the horror of the hardship! Back in reality, it was a match of moments and masterful performances delivered by masterminds. Shai Bolton's early minutes of magic, Andy Brayshaw setting the turning up tone from the first bounce running himself into exhaustion, not just the brawn, but the brains of Paddy Voss and who here amongst us can honestly put up their hand and say they were confident Caleb Serong would make that 55 metre monster? And then there was Cool Hand Luke! The man who single handedly snatched a grand final 5 years ago! He returned to the scene of salvation and in another individual act of September supremacy, swung momentum, started a surge and secured the semi. We needed to beat Geelong in a final in 2013 to advance to a preliminary final against the Swans, to make it to a grand final against the Hawks! We've just beaten Geelong in a final to advance to a preliminary final against the Swans where a possible rematch against the Hawks could unfold. It's Groundhog Day wrapped in some mysterious deja voodoo! Take that "lightning doesn't strike twice" guy! We're now off to the Milo tin lid sized SCG to slug it out with the short-staffed Swans. However, we haven't finished scoffing at the sore losing sourpusses, but more we’re not done praising the performances of the purple people, on the pod. So, let's momentarily soak up the occasion. Let's enjoy it and appreciate it before we switch the gratitude to attitude and deliver Sydney their swan song. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

We can't allow tonight to be Sammy's finale. He can't end his hard-fought career with a straight sets exit! Time to rapidly Restump Podcast Freo's do or die ding dong against the Morris Finance Felines. The ratio of disappearing fingernails to hours before the bounce is out of whack. If it's a close game, many of us will lose finger tips by the end of it! Not going to lie, we're a little on edge as we get closer to bounce down. I don't know if the frequent nervous whizzing has kicked in or I've got prostate issues! The Cats are going to be an almighty tough task. They're well drilled, superbly coached and they've played more finals that we've had early mad Mondays!  Tonight we'll get some clarity on whether our formidable Freo folk are September sufficient or really just regular season rock stars! Can we handle the pressure we collapsed under against the Hawks? Will we see a conspicuous response to last week? Is there any chance of an overcorrection?  Do we put Jeremy Cameron in the gun and go after him? It may deliver the Cats a distraction as they try to protect him. Is Bailey Smith the one we should more than corral from the catwalk?  Can we see some forward defensive pressure? We can't allow the Cats to walk the ball out of the fifty like Hawks did with ease. Freddy, Switta, Dudley all need to bring unconditional defensive effort. Does Hayden Young pinch hit at half back to help out the defensive unit and provide us run and carry and precise delivery? We have to expect the Cattery will have cooked up some cracks to our codes. So, we have to be composed, cool calm and collected and ready to become counteracting contortionists!  We can do this! We've beaten the cats when it counts before. If we need to take out their nine lives, then so be it!  Tonight we're at the last chance saloon. Late in the evening when we hear, Time ladies and gentlemen please, last call for drinks, we have to make that final drink count.  We're just minimal movements of the stick on the tick tock away from getting underway. So, if you want to settle your system and calm your nerves, get as far away from us and this pod as you possibly can!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

For a moment there, us twisted, rusted-on supporters thought we may have lost our identity. But we weren’t letting Hawthorn take that away from us! Let’s just say deliberately doing things the difficult way is character-building. Time to Restump Podcast our gut-wrenching game against the hard-nosed Hawks. Sadly, we know all too well that a sense of inevitability is difficult to misplace. Thursday night, we added another stat to our 30-year history of failures when it matters most. That one is tough to reconcile. Getting beaten was definitely a possibility, but no one saw us performing like that. We folded like the deckchairs we sat in on the interchange sidelines at Marvel Stadium against the Blues two weeks back! The thought we’d be outworked, outmuscled and, most of all, out-pressured in that manner and to that extent, never entered the equation. We were overconfident we wouldn’t be overawed or overwhelmed, and overlooking that possibility maybe was, in itself, part of the problem. We’re not physically or mentally battle-hardened. We don’t have the deep finals experience to deal with that type of finals onslaught and, albeit somewhat justifiably, we got carried away with the home-and-away season. Unfortunately, we just failed to distinguish between it and September. While it’s no excuse for the way we were brushed aside and pressured out of the game, our old mate Lloyd Meek has played more finals than 20 of the 23 players we rolled out Thursday night. Let that sink into the noggin! The ruckman who, understandably, couldn’t get a look in at Freo, goes to another team, fights his way into the position of first ruck, puts away more finals than his former teammates and adds another one to his tally against them. One of those football stories, and we actually couldn’t be happier for him. The reality is we’ve had quite the fortuitous season. We’ve met teams at the right times; we’ve had an absurd injury list, or rather a lack of one, and we’ve faced almost zero adversity. You still have to rack up the wins, and we were impressive doing so, but there were numerous games where we just got over the line thanks to 10 to 15 minutes of burst footy. That isn’t necessarily reliable or replicable in finals football. A lack of obstacles and misfortune isn’t our fault, and it can be a big tick for process, planning and application. But did we overlook that lack of hardship we faced this year? Was it problematic in our preparation for September? Hats off to the Hawks. They were ferocious and relentless, and they thoroughly deserved the win. But the disappointing aspect for us was that we couldn’t work our way back into it at any stage. That has been our signature this year, but, again, finals is a different bag. However, being the best side all year means we earned our finals position and double chance. We were hoping not to need it but, it’s safe to say, it’s better to have and not need than need and not have. So, don’t ‘Weekend at Bernies’ us just yet! We now face the Morris Finance, Cotton On Cats, the family of farm owners, the secret-signature securers, this coming week, in a do-or-die ding-dong on the home deck. It’s time to make the inevitable avoidable! The canvas is where comebacks begin! Get out your Chumbawambas and start Tubthumping, because we get knocked down, but we get up again. However, before then, if you need answers and some trauma-ridding closure to move on from last night, you’re amongst like-minded folk. It’s the Freo Festivus, the airing of grievances. We can’t carry complicated cognitive cargo into the Cats’ clash! Let’s cleanse the conscience and create a clean-slate state. So, pull up a pew and partake in passing around the purple prattle pole on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

We went in with a healthy level of nonchalance; we injected the appropriate amount of complacency and deliberately ended up lackadaisically horizontal. Time to somehow Restump Podcast that beyond meaningless, going through the motions, self-preservation performance against the Blues.  I can’t remember a more meaningless encounter. In fact, I can’t ever recall contemplating switching off 5 minutes into the first quarter. And we were 3 goals up at the time!  And no doubt the players felt the same. There wasn’t the attention to detail, there wasn’t any defensive vigour and there was just no purple spirit. Even Paddy Voss’ attempt at inserting the energetic vibe fell flat. When Vossy can’t spark the fire, you know there’s more at play. We had nothing whatsoever to gain and too much to potentially lose. We rested Jye Amiss, Sammy Switkowski and Heath Chapman.  But why did we stop there? It’s been a hell of a long season, so why wouldn’t we rest half to three quarters of the best 23, Rosco Lyon style? A lack of soldiers in the WAFL wasn’t it! Was a 20-day break too risky? Was it fear of the AFL and their idiotic fake optics obsession? However, we’ve won 19 games in a season, we’ve won the minor premiership, we’ve got the double chance, two home finals and we’re not only favourites for, but we’re in the best position we’ve ever been in to win that debut flag. That says the club has gotten almost everything right this year, so who are we to question their decisions! Unfair ifs buts and maybes though, possibly Brennan Cox wouldn’t be nursing a torn calf? And given how absolutely vital he is to our chances, you will never convince me there was merit in putting Alex Peearce on a plane to play in an inconsequential formality, especially after the knock to the knee the week before.  Anyway, Brennan Cox aside, we got through seemingly unscathed to close out what has, so far, been a magnificent and successful season. We couldn’t have achieved much more than we have to date and it’s caps off to all involved at the club. However, rightfully or wrongfully, the season’s success to date inevitably raises the bar and the expectations. What we’ve done the last 23 rounds shouldn’t be understated or glossed over when reviewing the year, but it is now in the rearview mirror and, in the context of the imminent finals campaign, it counts for noting.   We’re at the pointy end, largely healthy and in good shape. We’ve got a little over a week to prepare for what is now a new season. We all start on zero and we’re looking to win three on the bounce.  Is the All-Australian night now being held in the purple palladium? The numerous positions in the team awarded to Fremantle individuals is a reflection of our remarkable season. And it was especially a stellar evening for Murphy Reid who never seems to walk away empty handed from an award ceremony. He took home the Best Emerging Player award, drawing with St Kilda’s Max Hall.  Nothing against Murph or Max, and by all means call me a killjoy, but these unnecessary made-up awards are getting a little monotonous! It’s becoming a bit participatory! What is this… a seven-year-old’s birthday party where everyone goes home with a lolly bag?  Yeah ok, self-indulgent rant over. It’s pointless probing that purposeless performance, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of purple to prattle on about. So, don your daggies, deploy your deck chair, decompress and drop in on the docker drivel disguised as deep dialogue on the pod.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In the pregame team meeting, Paddy misconstrued the collective noun for an instruction! Time to Restump Podcast that polished purple performance. Let’s start at that magnificent jumper. It took us back to the nostalgic Neesham era, a simpler time in life when we ran around with a bunch of ragtag upstarts from the WAFL. Every member of the team had a license and if you didn’t do something outlandish or you performed without flair, you didn’t belong!  We got around in an unthinkable combination of purple green red and white while we made the unconventional popular. We cared little for the opinions of outsiders, we played recklessly, free from expectations and not for a second was it not entertaining. I feel for the Freo supporters who never got to experience that special time.  If we were to make that last Saturday in September, it’d be a fitting tribute if we were to don that same deep Fremantle heritage representing, kaleidoscopic number on Grand Final day. Imagine winning the club’s first premiership 30+ years later in the same jumper in which it all began.  Was that the most even contributed performance across the board you’ve ever seen? We out pressured the best pressure team in the competition. But it felt different. It was not only a specific focus and at fever pitch, there was an added component to it, which was to make sure the crows felt it. So, it wasn't just the tackle or the corralling pressure, it felt there was an instruction to hit hard and hurt. A lighter week on the training track would probably wouldn’t go astray. It’s difficult to argue Alex Pearce isn’t our most important player. His presence, his cover, his support and organisational skills allow other members in the defensive unit to play to their strengths. He simply makes others better.  And what about the Serong and Brayshaw combo quietly stepping back into the fold to pick up the responsibility slack. Their willingness to do the unfashionable work, take somewhat of a back seat, then step in, take the reins and lead by example when required is beyond impressive. Where we are as a team is largely a direct result of their lack of ego, and there is nothing more admirable. There is some irony in the suggestion it was an even contribution while selecting individuals out for praise. However, a guy that rarely sees the limelight but turns up without fail, is Heath Chapman. In the context of his role, he had an outstanding multifaceted game. Courage personified, he backed into trouble, he was crisp with his ball handling and decision making, he got himself in the right positions and played his role to perfection. Has Jye Amiss forced the tailors to ask for his jacket measurements? He’s second in the Coleman medal with 58 goals at a rate of 2.6 goals a game, going at 64% accuracy. However, he’s kicked 36 in his last 12 games. At the very least, he has surely entered the chat! Anyway, we’re all about the collective and not about the individual. So, we continue on as one connected entity and let the individual accolade chips fall where they will.  Minor premiership secured but in the bigger picture, that is small potatoes. We don’t need to celebrate it and risk Paddy Voss damaging numerous eyeballs! Let’s just get through the one remaining inconsequential regular season game. Meanwhile, join us as we take a deeper look into the classy performance against the Crows, decipher who to rest against the Blues and potentially plot the path the purple pioneers will proceed to possibly procure the premiership on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Everything is under control. The purple Pearce powder preservation plan will pay off. Time to Restump Podcast the manic moments of mayhem against the Dees. Straight off the top, quite simply, if Alex Pearce plays, we win that game and you can't change my mind. We may have won plenty of games without the skipper in the past, but when the heat really goes on, we need the General back there organising and executing. Did the Dees expose our vulnerabilities that we may not have known existed? Is our reliance on Alex Pearce a concern? As silly as it sounds, has constant winning wallpapered over our deficiencies or reliances? We haven't faced a lot of adversity this season to date. We've had just a handful of challenges and our injured players rarely resembled a list. The reality is Andy Brayshaw was down, Murphy Reid finally saw a tight tag and had little influence, Freddy was horribly absent, we were vulnerable down back, we wandered away at times from the selflessness that has served us so well, we suffered moments of complacency and yet we lost by just a kick.  To put it bluntly, the Dees played out of their skins and cannot play better than they did. We, on the other hand, can and will. Tidy up of just one of Mason Cox's nightmare moments and we walk away with another 4-point package. However, it is preferable to get the lesson now rather than in September. From this point on, in future meetings against Melbourne, Harrison Petty's name is in big black bold letters pregame on the whiteboard. He doesn't get to shed tears over some hurty words, garner widespread sympathy, play the taunting victim and be the catalyst for a pathetic rule change, and then come out and make a mockery of his own episode and play this wannabe fake tough guy character! You can't have it both ways and it was a little disappointing we allowed it. Alex Pearce would have rendered him irrelevant! Anyway, we live, we learn, we look into the loss, lock in on the learnings, leverage the lessons and liquidate the lapses. On some small level the loss alleviates the pressure a little. It removes any dangerous perception of invincibility that could have possibly internally crept in. It could work favourably as a grounding agent that will do us well heading into September. Well, that's enough laundering of the language here. The truth is, other than from a mental perspective, the loss had no impact and it means very little. However, dismissiveness alone doesn't feed the bulldog. So, join us to continue the loss legitimising conversational gymnastics on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

It was rarely pretty and it took us a while, but we found a way to break the dog clog. Time to Restump Podcast the minor premiership securing win over Bevo’s Bullclogs. Apparently Bullies coach Luke Beveridge had no specific plan or intention to ensure our forward 50 metre arc resembled an RSPCA adoption dog shelter! The crowding and clogging “just played out that way.”  Rightio Bevo, and bank robber Bill had no plan to roll the bank, he just donned the balaclava and shotgun to do his daily banking and it, “just played out that way.” To be fair to the dogs though, once Aaron Naughton was ruled out, they had no option and their only chance was to implement that clogging strategy, whether they care to admit it was intentional or otherwise.  However, in doing so they actually did us a favour. If the dogs played their usual high offense game we would have destroyed them by half time, given their known struggles to defend and the cattle they had out. So, we were forced to endure a different contest, weather the pressure, adapt, persist and find alternate pathways to victory. Yes, it was predominantly ugly but we still manufactured moments of Milan catwalk worthiness. The game gave Murphy Reid a taste of the close checking treatment he's likely to get more of and, unsurprisingly, he’s already made inroads into how to deal with it if his 23 possession second half is any indication. The armchair dingbats taking a dislike to Paddy Voss simply don't understand the Freo system and the selflessly pivotal role he is performing. The sheer volume of cages he is rattling on and off the field points to the possibility he is at the peak of his pervasive and protective powers. Is it no Bont, no dogs? Did Marcus Bontempelli have an off night? Or was it the engaging tactics of the imposing Hayden Young that put the clamp on the champ? The effort and the dedication to the journey Oscar McDonald have undertaken to get to his career best game, is worthy of praise. However, while he superbly played his role, there's no confusion or cause for hesitation, Brennan Cox walks straight back into the team. One man whose role and position are well and truly secure is Karl "Marx" Worner. He had the makeshift dogs forwards on a leash and ended up the highest rated player on the ground. We ran the dogs into the ground, we chalked up our 18th win of the season and we got through unscathed.  We then watched Sydney scrape home over the Saints; we saw Hawthorn fall over the line again the Roos and the Josh Fraser revitalised Blues put the 3-peat seeking Lions to the sword! Everything is coming up Millhouse! It's all getting very real! So, we need to come together as a collective, remain calm, be measured and have some composure... is what we'd call for if we were a boring, self-obsessed, joyless, egotistical, purist fan base! But we're not that rabble of a rudderless mob up the road! We get involved, we get loud, we enjoy every moment, celebrate every thrill and we ride this magnificent juggernaut to whatever end! So, for all that type of hype tripe, dig in your heels, lock in your knees, hang on for dear life and join in the conversation to give and get a purple cheerful earful on the pod! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

If Andrew McQualter still wants to be a scalper, he'll have to turn to Freo's finals tickets! Time to Restump Podcast Saturday evening's walk in the Optus Stadium park. Imagine being a west coast supporter and thinking you're an improved outfit. 12 scoring shots for the game, just 5 in the second half for 1 goal 4. Quite simply, they were putrid.  If Fremantle did anything wrong, it was gravely underestimating the sufficient level of complacency required to win. We could have implemented a player management strategy with a performance output made up of equal parts apathy and lethargy! Pretty much other than the minor premiership securing 4 points, there was almost nothing to take out of that game. I mean it was a good win, and a win by 10 goals, but let’s be fair, we were up against a team of Richmond rejects, mid-season recruits and a guy who cries ‘free kick’ if someone goes within 6 feet of him!  Harley Reid has implemented his own social distancing policy. He rings his own free kick hot line when anyone breaches his self-designated safe space and lodges a complaint! The reality is the game was never out of our control and by quarter time, despite us being the narrowest of margins behind, it went from a procession to a formality, before we let down to a ‘going through the motions’ routine. Yes, Murphy Reid continued bedazzling us, Matty Johnson had arguably his career best game and Jye Amiss, with another 5 goals, showed he has well and truly arrived. But let’s ironically sing the praises of the unsung heroes. Disco Nathan had a ripper of a game. Is it right to suggest he hasn’t the best right foot? But, on his left foot, unlike what left his right foot, a lot left right out of the middle. So, he did a lot right with his left, he left nothing in the tank and right now he’s in no danger of being left right out! (I can’t be the only one who is now bamboozled to a point of not knowing my left from my right?) Anyway, 2 goals, 7 score involvements, 11 possessions and a goal 3rd quarter, and plenty of defensive work from his 19 total touches from the wing was a pretty important contribution.  And the ultimate team man Paddy Voss! His selflessness was on display yet again with his all-round game having a greater impact than it suggests on paper. Add in his goal, his 7 score involvements, his 6 inside fifties and his shepherding of Shai Bolton’s goal and it puts substantial meat on those 11 disposal bones. The good news just kept coming off the field with Murphy Reid signing on until 2032 and Hugh Davies dedicating his future to Freo by putting pen to paper. We cannot overstate how big an achievement securing the extension for Murphy Reid is. The system Fremantle has put in place, the culture they have built, the recruiting and list management they have conducted, the ignoring of the outside noise and backing in Justin Longmuir and the resulting ridiculously successful year we have so far put together, are all encompassing elements that enticed and landed Murphy Reid for longer. He didn’t initially want to come to Fremantle and now he doesn’t want to leave. That is a monumental feather in the Freo cap.  Well, Saturday night was fun but unfortunately the derbies have just lost their shine. Sadly, like they did to state of origin football in its former format, the West Coast Eagles have killed them off. However, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of purple to prattle on about on the pod! So, before we draft a docker design to deal with the dogs, feel welcome to wade into the west coast wrangle waffle water with us as we wrap up the weekend cake walk.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

It wasn't the smoothest hit and run operation, but we saw off the attempted Carrjacking. Time to Restump Podcast the procuring of the points from the plucky Port Power players.  While our mission to get into south Australia, secure the four points and get out again took a similar amount of time, we weren't exactly Delta Force commandos, executing a flawless raid and capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela! Sometimes you simply have to battle the monotony monster in the mind and just win. Sometimes no thrills or frills pays the bills. That was pretty much the summary of the comfortable win over Josh Carr's cabal. There was an air of supremacy about us and a sense of formality and while they're habits we don't want creeping in, to be fair, it's hard to be critical. Port Adelaide had nine of their best 23 out. No Zak Butters, no Jason Horne-Francis, no Connor Rozee and no Mitch Georgiades! So, it is a tad forgivable for allowing an infection of momentary complacency. However, they belted us in the midfield which kind of makes you raise half an eyebrow. Was it a symptom of the situation? It's not nothing but is it any real cause for concern? Does it just provide us with beneficial feedback to work on before finals? But we're a ‘focus on the positives’ posse at the Restump and they came in the form of Luke Jackson, Jye Amiss and Izzy Dudley. Luke Jackson, single handedly turned the tables and carjacked the Carrjackers in the 3rd quarter! But him telling his mids at half time he was going to do it and to be ready for it, that is something we're all here for. Jye Amiss arriving predominantly over recent weeks is something special and it only enhances our September chances. And we've said it before and we'll say it again, Izzy Dudley is as clever as Murphy Reid. His inability to waste a possession is top drawer and it’s a rarity that something good doesn’t occur from a Dudley involvement! We took the points, we put an almost insurmountable lead on the comp for the minor premiership race and now we look to keep on trucking towards Friday night’s Derby, otherwise known as the West Coast fans grand final, whether they admit it or not. And what an encounter it may be! The Eagle fans are high on hope after a string of self-destructive performances masquerading as honourable losses, and they’ll bring their nothing to lose mentality, their whinny manner, backpacks full of arrogance and an overinflated sense of entitlement.  So, if you want to block out the constant shrieking of West Coast fans complaining about Harley Reid not getting a free kick for being tripped by a step, feel free to swap their noise for ours. We can’t guarantee you’ll be better , but at least you’ll be getting a better quality of nonsense.   Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Two games and 11% clear at the top. We're isolated in a league of our own! We're getting lonely up here! Time to Restump Podcast that stunning performance against the swans. A jaw dropping performances surrounding Sydney usually involves the Sweeney variety, rather than the Swans. I mean, what in God's name did we just witness? We were going to do the podcast earlier but we've been in a paralytic state since Thursday, stunned by that second half. After just 11 points for the first half of the match, we somehow shook off the shackles, turned it up a level and hit the Swans with something they, us and anyone around the country watching on, never saw coming.  To be honest, except in front of the white posts, we weren't playing poorly during that six-point puntless period. We were just a little slow to adapt to the relentlessly furious pressure the Swans applied, but we were still holding our own and creating opportunities. It wasn't the disaster a goalless 11-point first half would have you believe, but it still was far from ideal. 2 quarters and 22 points down.... 2 for 22... did we invoke inspiration by beckoning the being of Richie Benaud?  Nonsense momentarily aside, it was Alex Pearce over the spirit of Richie. The Captain was again brick wall remarkable to single handedly keep us in the contest early and help put the game to bed late.  While I'm not exactly sure which "team" he'd choose to represent, Colonel Pearce could defend the strait of Hormuz! I mean whenever chants of “build the wall” ring out, Alex Pearce's name will be in Freo fans front of mind. Hey, I did say the nonsense was only momentarily being put aside. Quite simply if Alex Pearce wasn't able to keep a cool head amidst the mayhem, we may have been too far back to turn it around.  Wait a minute... we piled on 100 points in a half of footy! We had 6 goals up our sleeve.  We can watch on in awe of the bedazzling Bolton, Murphy's magic and Wolf-hearted Worner but, there in the background running the show, ever doing the heavy lifting, the grinding and gravel grouting as always, was Andy Brayshaw. While captaincy possession remains with the Moose until he says otherwise, for mine, I'm only emboldened in my stance that Andy Brayshaw is next cab off the rank. You can have your Caleb Serong and Josh Treacy conversation, but, while they'd be worthy candidates, it's all inconsequential noise while Andy is around!  After setting the club record with 14 wins in a row a few weeks back, we claimed another club record Thursday with 9 goals 5 being our largest ever fourth quarter score. While the performance had to be seen to be believed, what's even more astonishing is that it wasn't against some hapless west coast team of even wannabe battlers celebrating some perceived honourable loss! It wasn’t against some ragtag bunch of Sunday league Bombers, it was against the second placed Sydney Swans!  100 points in the second half! Who do we think we are carrying on like that? Get out of here with that ridiculousness! Well, we've hit our ludicrousness limit here. But, like us, if you believe too much purple parochial palaver is a pittance for such a profound performance, pack your polished piffle, practise your prattle, patronise us and partake in the powwow on the pod. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Blocking out just one sun? What an amateur megalomaniac Bill is! Time to Restump Podcast the retributive purple punishment Freo supplied the Suns. There has to be a sunscreen sponsorship coming Murphy Reid’s way, doesn’t there? Or at least he should be forwarded some of that lucrative green energy climate change cash for an ambassadorial role? Even when the clouds momentarily parted, not even a single ray got close to him! Call it atonement, making amends or retribution. It was evident Gold Coast eliminating us from the finals last year was still very much front and centre in the minds, and it was as if closure on that fateful event was required.  You always hear about players memory banking certain defeats or incidents for future incentive use but you never really think grudges are truly held. However, it's difficult to believe the catastrophic finals loss last year wasn’t an extra motivating factor on Sunday.  The Freo players were on from the first bounce. They were zoned in, super focused, hitting hard and setting the tone. Sure, we’re all locked in and the eyes are on the bigger prize, but it felt like there was more at stake yesterday, something a little extra to play for.  36 more disposals, 6 more inside 50s and 24 tackles in just the first quarter alone set a conspicuous tone and put an authoritative stamp the game. It said, “We remember, it hurt and here, have some of these apples!” Admittedly the Gold Coast Suns must have some internal issues, but to hold them to just 3 goals for the entire match, especially considering how dominant, albeit unclean, they were in clearances in the first half, was a stellar defensive performance by the entire team, but specifically the docker dudes down back. Up forward the inaccuracy disease flared up a touch again, but it looked a little worse on paper given we had 5 rushed behinds. But there are two ways to look at it. We can finger wag at Amiss and Treacy’s misses, or we can realise that even when they’re off, others are standing up. The forward line is functioning in such a way that this week we got the reliability of Paddy and Jackson while Freddy got his reward for recent efforts. And when you have a complimenting and individual supportive forward line, a situation summing up and fast ball moving midfield, attacking half backs and a brick wall of a last line defence… you can win from multiple different positions. Heck, you might even win 14 in a row! This is all getting extremely real. We’re passing each and every test, teams are looking for the chinks in our armour and coming up empty. Have we progressed onto juggernaut status? We’re now at a stage where we have built something meaningful, so we have something serious to lose. So, we need to surround the current climate with sensible and measured commentary. If you can find that anywhere, please let us know! Meanwhile feel free to come along for our often unreliable, absurd and irreverent take on it all on the pod.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

The difference between Shai Bolton and us Freo fans? Shai's head is literally in the clouds, ours metaphorically are! Do we even remember what defeat feels like? Time to Restump Podcast the cutting of the Cats claws. We don't want to speak in a forgone conclusionary tone and we don't want to put the purple cart before the pony, but is use of the term ‘dynasty’ a little premature?  Yes, we know, we hear what you're saying... ‘But Geelong didn't have Tom Stewart or Bailey Smith and Jeremy Cameron only had the use of just one arm!’ Well... we didn't press the Wharfie Time button, so it all cancels each other out! Thursday night's scoreboard may reflect a narrow 9-point Freo victory, but it was effectively a 5 or 6 goal comfortable win. If it wasn't for our inexplicable wayward kicking, with the exception of Paddy Voss, Geelong wouldn't have gotten a look in.  3 goals 11, a scoreless Josh Treacy shot that didn’t make the distance, a Jye Amiss out on the full and a couple of posters to Sammy Switta and Murphy Reid! We couldn't have hit water if we fell off a jetty! Josh and Jye were like blind darts players in cyclonic conditions!  Yet despite the mayhem, despite the fact we couldn't win a centre clearance early and that we were dealing with a 28-point deficit at some stage, there wasn't any panic in the coach's box, on the ground, in the stands or in the lounge rooms. It never felt like it was out of control. Both teams were punishing mistakes on their scoreboards, but the difference was we were handing out punishment in ones. However, you were quietly confident it'd get rectified.  Talk about rectified personified! 3 goals 11 turned into 13 goals 11 in the final quarter. Did we find the accuracy switch or what? And from being on the wrong side of a 3 to 10 centre clearance count, we soon found our midfield mojo to win 15 of the last 16.  Individually speaking, All Australian ruck, Brownlow and Doig favourite Luke Jackson has no peer at that moment. It must be a tad difficult being a Melbourne supporter watching prime time LJ putting on absurd spectacles... and we don't mean the Mason Cox kind. Does anyone actually work harder than Andrew Brayshaw? Is it possible to actually work harder than Andy Brayshaw? Not that anyone had forgotten, but he just gave everyone a reminder of his courage and capability conveying a compelling and commanding case of captaincy consequence. Murphy Reid is outrageous, Shai Bolton is ridiculous, Paddy Voss is preposterous and the 150-game celebrating Captain Pearce is tremendous. But overall, it's the confidence of the collective. It’s the belief and the hunger and the selflessness across the board that has us in this enviable position a game clear at the top of the tree. We could bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs, but.... wait, we can bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs! So, join us on the pod as we bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs! Send us Fan Mail Support the show