It was the biggest home and away crowd Fremantle have played in front of. And it must rank among the most nerve-shredding games in their 30-year history. They took on the kings of the MCG, they were headed behind and they had no answers for a rampant Nick Daicos. They have turned up their toes in these kinds of games for decades. But the Dockers dug in, found a way, caught the right breaks and registered one of the most significant wins in coach Justin Longmuir’s tenure.
Early in the final term, the Dockers appeared to have fired all their bullets. Collingwood had kicked two early goals and skipped out to a 22-point lead. Daicos was off the leash, the Magpies’ pressure was relentless, the umpiring was a shambles, and Matthew Johnson’s leg was dangling like a ventriloquist’s doll.
