Thursday Fallout: Dockers are stacked and Flagmantle is real

Flagmantle is real, and this Dockers team is stacked.

They are two of the key takeaways after Fremantle beat Geelong by nine points (99-90) at Optus Stadium to kick off Round 15.

Justin Longmuir’s side found themselves 28 points behind during the second quarter - the victims of some profligacy in front of goal - but were powerful in the third term before holding the Cats off late.

Freo had nine more scoring shots and 10 more inside 50s. It could have been a comfortable win if they were better than 3.11 during the first half.

They’ve now won 13 on the trot to own a 13-1 record and a percentage of 144.4 which should see them secure a top-two finish and an all-important home final.

Freo’s side has so much quality and it’s hard not to see them seriously contending at the business end.

“I think the field is pretty narrow as to who can win it,” David King said on SEN’s Fireball.

“They’ve just got game-breakers everywhere. It’s just so stacked.”

Kane Cornes is struggling to find a weakness in Longmuir’s lineup.

“Who would be their weakest link?,” he asked.

“They’re just rock solid across the board. They don’t have one (a weak link).”

King added: “They’ve got full health.

“Sean Darcy will come back and take Mason Cox’s place, he hasn’t taken hold of that position.

“The just bat so deep in the middle. Murphy Reid is the best forward-half player in the comp right now.”

Andrew Brayshaw 35 touches, Murphy Reid 27 and a goal, Alex Pearce 11 marks (seven intercept marks), Jye Amiss three goals, four more between Pat Voss and Josh Treacy, Caleb Serong 22 touches, the list goes on…

King reckons you cannot win the flag in 2026 if you don’t have a gun ruckman.

That is exactly what Freo has in Luke Jackson who had 28 touches, 25 hit outs, nine tackles, nine score involvements, six clearances (five from the centre), five inside 50s and kicked three goals in monstrous display.

“If you haven’t got a ruckman you are not winning the 2026 premiership,” said King.

“This guy, Luke Jackson, is a force. Brodie Grundy for Sydney, a force. I don’t know how far Melbourne are going to go but Max Gawn, it seems like it’s Gawn and Kozzy Pickett against the world.

“How are you going to quell the influence of Luke Jackson?”

Good luck trying to beat the Dockers right now.

Are they peaking too early? You don’t win premierships in June, but you can certainly set them up. What they’re doing at the moment is pretty scary and if they can stay fit then anything is possible.

Time will obviously tell, but at the moment they’re riding the crest of a purple wave and the Freo fans are up and about. And rightly so.

There’s not too much to worry about from a Geelong point of view.

Chris Scott is setting them up to have a serious crack at the flag and there’s no doubt they’ll go deep in finals.

They almost pulled off a big win on the road without Tom Stewart and Bailey Smith, and remain third with a 9-6 record.

The Cats will be fine.

Andrew Slevison