Fremantle Football Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fremantle Football Club
Names
Full name	Fremantle Football Club Limited
Nickname(s)	Dockers, Freo Indigenous rounds: Walyalup
2024 season
After finals	AFL: — AFLW: 5th
Home-and-away season	AFL: 10th AFLW: 5th
Leading goalkicker	AFL: Josh Treacy (45 Goals) AFLW: Aisling McCarthy (8 goals)
Best and fairest	AFL: Caleb Serong AFLW: Mim Strom
Club details
Founded	21 July 1994; 31 years ago (1994-07-21)
Colours	AFL:      Purple      White AFLW:      Purple      White      Crimson
Competition	AFL: Men AFLW: Women
Chairman	Chris Sutherland
Coach	AFL: Justin Longmuir AFLW: Lisa Webb
Captain(s)	AFL: Alex Pearce AFLW: Ange Stannett
Premierships	0
Ground(s)	AFL: Perth Stadium 2018-present (capacity: 61,266)
	AFLW: Fremantle Oval 2017–present (capacity: 10,000)
Former ground(s)	WACA Ground (1995–2000) Subiaco Oval (1995–2017)
Training ground(s)	Cockburn ARC (2017–present) Fremantle Oval (1995–2017)
Uniforms
Home Away Clash
Current season

The Fremantle Football Club, often called the Dockers or Freo, is a professional Australian rules football team. They play in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top competition for the sport. The club started in 1994 and represents the port city of Fremantle, in Western Australia.

Fremantle was the second team from Western Australia to join the AFL. The first was the West Coast Eagles in 1987. Both teams are owned by WA Football. Even though Fremantle has won many finals matches, they are one of only three active AFL clubs that have not won a "premiership" (the main championship). However, they did win a "minor premiership" in 2015 for finishing first in the regular season. They also reached the Grand Final in 2013, but lost.

Famous players who have played for Fremantle include Matthew Pavlich, Peter Bell, and Nat Fyfe. The club's main training and office facilities are at Cockburn ARC. Their home games are played at Perth Stadium in Burswood.

Fremantle also has a women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) league. They joined when the league began in 2017. Their best season was in 2020, when they were undefeated. However, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so no premiership was awarded.

Australian Rules Football in Fremantle's History

The city of Fremantle, Western Australia, has a long and important history with Australian rules football. The first organized game in the state was played there in 1881. Early Fremantle teams, like the original Fremantle Football Club and the East Fremantle Football Club, were very strong. They won 24 of the first 34 championships in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).

Since 1897, Fremantle Oval has been the main place for football games in the city. Before Perth Stadium opened in 2018, the record for the most people at a football game in Western Australia was 52,781. This was for the 1979 WANFL Grand Final between East Fremantle and South Fremantle at Subiaco Oval.

Many great footballers played for clubs based in Fremantle. Some of these include Steve Marsh, John Todd, and George Doig.

History of the Dockers

Early Years and First Finals (1993–2006)

Chart of yearly ladder positions for Fremantle in AFL

Even though Fremantle had a long football history, the AFL first expanded into Western Australia with the West Coast Eagles in 1987. It took a while for a second team to be formed. On December 14, 1993, the AFL announced a new team would join in 1995, based in Fremantle.

On July 21, 1994, the team was officially named the "Fremantle Football Club" or "Fremantle Dockers." Their colors were purple, red, green, and white. The first training session for the team was held on October 31, 1994, at Fremantle Oval.

The team had some tough years at the start, often finishing near the bottom of the ladder. But in 2003, they made the finals for the first time, finishing fifth. They played against Essendon but lost. In 2006, Fremantle had a great second half of the season, winning nine games in a row. They finished third and won their first-ever finals game against Melbourne. They then reached their first "preliminary final" (a game before the Grand Final) but lost to the Sydney Swans.

Recent Seasons and Grand Final Appearance (2007–Present)

Fremantle players warming up prior to a game in the club's original guernsey, 2009.

After some coaching changes, Mark Harvey became the full-time coach in 2007. In 2010, Fremantle made the finals again, winning against Hawthorn before losing to the Geelong Cats.

In 2011, Ross Lyon became the new coach. Under Lyon, Fremantle had a very successful period. In 2012, they won their first-ever away finals game against Geelong.

The 2013 season was a highlight. Fremantle finished third and won their qualifying final against Geelong. They then beat the reigning champions, the Sydney Swans, in the preliminary final. This meant they reached their first-ever AFL Grand Final. In the Grand Final, they played against Hawthorn and were defeated by 15 points.

Panorama of the 2013 AFL Grand Final, Fremantle's only grand final appearance

In 2015, Fremantle finished first on the ladder, winning the "McClelland Trophy." This was their first major trophy. However, they lost to Hawthorn in the preliminary final. That year, Nat Fyfe became the first Fremantle player to win the Brownlow Medal, an award for the league's best and fairest player.

After a difficult 2016 season, Ross Lyon was replaced by Justin Longmuir in 2019. Longmuir's first season in 2020 was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 AFL season was a strong year for the Dockers. They made the finals for the first time since 2015, finishing fifth. They had an exciting comeback win against the Western Bulldogs in their first final. They then lost to Collingwood in a semi-final.

In the 2023 AFL season, Fremantle finished 14th. The 2024 AFL season saw them start well, but they finished 10th after some key player injuries late in the year.

Team Performance

Fremantle has had a challenging history, with a win rate of about 45.52% as of July 2024. This ranks them 16th out of all 21 teams that have played in the AFL. Because of this, they haven't won a premiership yet. Fans sometimes jokingly call them "Flagmantle," hoping for a future championship.

Their best years were between 2013 and 2015. During this time, they finished in the top four three times, played in their only Grand Final (2013), and won their only minor premiership (2015).

Fremantle had its first "drawn" (tied) game in 2013 against the Sydney Swans. In 2006, a game against St Kilda ended in a controversial draw. The AFL later changed the result, declaring Fremantle the winner by one point. This was because the siren was not heard properly by the umpires. It was the first time a game result had been changed after the match since 1900.

Year-by-Year Performance Overview

AFL Home and Away Finishing Positions (1995–Present)

Club Identity

Team Nickname

Fremantle Football Club logo (1999–2010)

The club is called the "Dockers" because Fremantle is a famous port city. "Dockers" refers to people who work at the docks. For a while, the club couldn't officially use the "Dockers" name due to a clothing brand. However, in 2010, they made a new agreement and could officially use the nickname again. This was important because fans strongly connected with the name.

Team Uniform (Guernsey)

Matthew Pavlich wearing Fremantle's original purple-red-green anchor guernsey in 2006

Fremantle kit with the chevron arrow design, adopted in 2011

Until 2011, Fremantle's uniforms (called "guernseys") featured an anchor symbol. The home uniform was purple with a white anchor. It also had red and green sections, which are traditional colors for port and starboard (left and right sides of a ship). These colors also honored Fremantle's large Italian community, many of whom worked in fishing.

Since 2011, the home uniform is purple with three white "chevrons" (V-shaped patterns). The away uniform is white with purple chevrons. Each year, there's a "Purple Haze" game where the team wears an all-purple uniform with a white anchor. This game helps raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation.

Home Ground and Headquarters

Fremantle Oval, home of the club's original training facilities

Fremantle Football Club's original training and office facilities were at Fremantle Oval from 1995 to 2017. In 2017, they moved to Cockburn ARC. This is a modern sports training and community center in Cockburn Central.

The team plays its home games at Perth Stadium, also known as Optus Stadium. This stadium can hold 61,000 people. They started playing there in 2018. Before that, they played at Subiaco Oval and the WACA Ground.

Team Songs

Fremantle's official song is "Freo Way to Go." It's a shorter version of their first song, "Freo Heave Ho." The current song was chosen in 2011 after fans voted on the club's website.

Unlike many other AFL team songs, "Freo Way to Go" has a modern rock sound. Fans are very loyal to it, even though some opposing supporters make fun of its style. In 2021, Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker, who is a big Fremantle fan, released a "pump-up" song called "Go Freo" to be played at home games.

Team Mascots

Johnny "The Doc" Docker, Fremantle's official mascot since 2003

Fremantle has had several mascots over the years:

• 1995–1999: Grinder – a cartoon docker man.
• 2000–2003: The Doc – a mascot that looked like some of the players.
• 2003–Present: Johnny "The Doc" Docker – a blonde surfer with a surfboard.
• 2012–Present: Jenny Docker – Johnny's younger sister.
• 2022–Present: Dokka the Quokka – a quokka, which is a small animal from Rottnest Island near Fremantle.

Club Rivalries

Western Derby

Action from a 2008 Western Derby

Fremantle's biggest rivalry is with the West Coast Eagles, the other team from Western Australia. They play each other twice a year in intense games called the "Western Derby." The Eagles won the first nine Derby games. However, since Fremantle's first win in 1999, the results have been much closer.

The name "Derby" comes from the famous games between East and South Fremantle in the WAFL. These local games were very important for almost 100 years.

St Kilda Controversies

Fremantle and the St Kilda Football Club have had some memorable and controversial moments. One famous event was the "Sirengate" game in 2006. The game ended in confusion when the siren wasn't heard by the umpires, allowing a St Kilda player to score a point after time had run out, making it a draw. The AFL later decided that Fremantle had won the game by one point.

Another big controversy happened in 2011. Fremantle fired their coach, Mark Harvey, and hired Ross Lyon, who was then the coach of St Kilda. This move caused a lot of discussion and criticism. Lyon later became Fremantle's longest-serving and most successful coach. He returned to coach St Kilda in 2023, and his first game back was against Fremantle.

Players

Current Squad

See also Fremantle Football Club drafting and trading history for the complete list of Fremantle's draft selections, delistings and trades

Leadership (Captain/Coach)

Matthew Pavlich captained the club from 2007 to 2015.

Reserves Team

For most of Fremantle's history, players who weren't chosen for the AFL team played for different West Australian Football League (WAFL) teams. Since 2014, the Peel Thunder Football Club has been the "host club" for Fremantle. This means Fremantle's reserve players play for Peel Thunder in the WAFL. This partnership has been very successful and is set to continue until 2029.

Most Games Played by Players

AFL Women's Team

AFLW Team History

Fremantle AFL Women's team huddle prior to a practice match in January 2017

In May 2016, Fremantle applied to have a team in the first-ever AFL Women's (AFLW) season in 2017. They were given a license on June 15, 2016.

Kiara Bowers and Kara Antonio were the first players signed for the team. Michelle Cowan was appointed as the team's first head coach in July 2016.

The Dockers had a tough first season in 2017, winning only one game. They improved slightly in 2018. In 2019, Fremantle had their most successful season yet, losing only one game in the regular season. They made the finals for the first time. Even though they had a great record, they lost in the preliminary final.

In the 2020 season, the team was undefeated. However, the finals series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so no premiership was awarded.

Current AFLW Squad

AFLW Season Summaries

	Home and away						Finals				Coach	Captain	Best and fairest
Year	P	W	D	L	%	Rank	P	W	L	Rank
2024	11	8	0	3	136.0	5/18	2	1	1	6/18	Lisa Webb	Ange Stannett	Mim Strom
2023	10	4	0	6	71.9	13/18	-	-	-	13/18	Lisa Webb	Hayley Miller	Ange Stannett
2022 (S7)	10	3	1	6	66.8	12/18	-	-	-	12/18	Trent Cooper	Hayley Miller	Kiara Bowers
2022 (S6)	10	7	0	3	134.9	5/14	2	1	1	4/14	Trent Cooper	Hayley Miller	Hayley Miller
2021	9	6	0	3	185.1	5/14	1	0	1	5/14	Trent Cooper	Kara Antonio	Kiara Bowers
2020	6	6	0	0	154.7	1/14	1	1	0	1/14	Trent Cooper	Kara Antonio	Kiara Bowers
2019	7	6	0	1	141.2	2/10	1	0	1	3/10	Trent Cooper	Kara Donnellan	Kiara Bowers
2018	7	3	0	4	89.8	7/8	-	-	-	7/8	Michelle Cowan	Kara Donnellan	Ebony Antonio
2017	7	1	1	5	64.1	7/8	-	-	-	7/8	Michelle Cowan	Kara Donnellan	Dana Hooker
Total/Avg	77	44	2	31	-		7	3	4
Overall	84	47	2	35	-
P = Played, W = Win, D = Draw, L = Loss, % = Score for/Score against. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the finals series was cancelled after the first week, with no premiership awarded.

Source: AFLW History

Club Awards

The Doig Medal is Fremantle Football Club's award for the best and fairest player each year. Coaches give votes to players after every game. At the end of the year, the player with the most votes wins the medal.

The Beacon Award is given to the club's best first-year player.

AFL Women's Awards

Club Records

• Premierships: None
• Grand Final appearances: 1 (2013)
• Minor Premierships: 1 (2015)
• Wooden spoons: 1 (2001)
• Finals series reached: Eight (2003, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022)
• Biggest winning margin: 113 points - 24.13 (157) vs. Greater Western Sydney 6.8 (44), Patersons Stadium, August 11, 2013
• Biggest losing margin: 133 points - 3.7 (25) vs. Geelong 24.14 (158), GMHBA Stadium, August 18, 2018
• Longest winning streak: 9 games (Round 14, 2006 – Round 22, 2006) and (Round 1, 2015 - Round 9, 2015)
• Longest losing streak: 18 games (Round 22, 2000 – Round 17, 2001)
• Highest score: 28.12 (180) vs. Collingwood 10.8 (68), Subiaco Oval, May 8, 2005
• Lowest score: 1.7 (13) vs. Adelaide 19.16 (130), AAMI Stadium, July 11, 2009

Individual Awards and Records

A banner at Subiaco Oval celebrating the 200th game of Hall of Fame inductee Peter Bell

Two-time Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe

• Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees: Peter Bell 2015, Matthew Pavlich 2022
• Brownlow Medallists: Nat Fyfe 2015, 2019
• AFL Women's best and fairest winner: Kiara Bowers 2021
• AFL Rising Star award: Paul Hasleby 2000; Rhys Palmer 2008; Caleb Serong 2020
• All Australians: Matthew Pavlich (6 times); Peter Bell 2003; Paul Hasleby 2003; Aaron Sandilands (4 times); Luke McPharlin 2012; Michael Johnson 2013; Nat Fyfe (3 times); Hayden Ballantyne 2014; David Mundy 2015; Michael Walters 2019; Luke Ryan 2020, 2024; Andrew Brayshaw 2022; Caleb Serong 2023, 2024
• AFLW All-Australians: Kara Antonio 2017; Dana Hooker (2 times); Ebony Antonio 2018; Gemma Houghton (2 times); Kiara Bowers (3 times); Janelle Cuthbertson 2021; Hayley Miller 2022 (S6)
• Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFLPA Most Valuable Player) winners: Nat Fyfe 2014, 2015; Andrew Brayshaw 2022
• Most games: David Mundy, 376 games
• Most goals: Matthew Pavlich, 700 goals
• Most goals in a season: 72 Matthew Pavlich, 2007
• Most goals in a game: 10 Tony Modra vs Melbourne, Round 10 1999, MCG
• Mark of the Year winners: Tony Modra 2000; Luke McPharlin 2005
• Goal of the Year winners: Winston Abraham 1996; Hayden Ballantyne 2011; Caleb Serong 2021
• Goal of the Year (AFLW) winners: Ashley Sharp 2019

Attendance Records

• Record attendance (home and away game): 62,198, Round 19, July 20, 2025 at MCG v Collingwood
• Record attendance (AFLW home and away game): 41,975, Round 2, February 10, 2018 at Perth Stadium v Collingwood
• Record attendance (home game): 58,982, First Elimination Final, September 3, 2022 at Perth Stadium v Western Bulldogs
• Record attendance (finals match): 100,007, Grand Final, September 28, 2013 at MCG v Hawthorn.

Supporters

Number-One Ticket Holders

Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker, the club's current number-one ticket holder

A "number-one ticket holder" is a famous supporter recognized by an AFL club. Fremantle chooses well-known people from the Fremantle area for this role.

In 2010, the band Eskimo Joe became Fremantle's number-one ticket holder. They even thought about writing a new theme song for the club. In 2021, Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker became the club's new number-one ticket holder.

Other well-known fans include author Tim Winton and members of the band Tame Impala.

Membership Base

Supporters cheer on the Dockers

Even without many premierships, Fremantle has a strong fan base. Their membership numbers are often higher than the average for the league. In 2004, they had the fastest-growing membership in the AFL. In 2023, Fremantle reached over 60,000 members for the first time in the club's history.

Season	Members	Change from previous season	Finishing position (after finals)	Average home match crowds
1995	18,456	–	13th	23,361
1996	19,622	1,166 (+6.32%)	13th	22,473
1997	19,949	327 (+1.67%)	12th	21,982
1998	22,186	2,237 (+11.21%)	15th	23,365
1999	24,896	2,710 (+12.21%)	15th	23,972
2000	24,925	29 (+0.12%)	12th	22,357
2001	23,898	1,027 (−4.12%)	16th	21,258
2002	23,775	123 (−0.51%)	13th	26,359
2003	25,347	1,572 (+6.61%)	7th	31,688
2004	32,259	6,912 (+27.27%)	9th	35,693
2005	34,124	1,865 (+5.78%)	10th	35,224
2006	35,666	1,542 (+4.52%)	4th	37,063
2007	43,343	7,677 (+21.52%)	11th	37,474
2008	43,366	23 (+0.05%)	14th	35,877
2009	39,206	4,160 (−9.6%)	14th	33,144
2010	39,854	648 (+1.63%)	6th	37,084
2011	42,762	2,908 (+6.8%)	11th	34,394
2012	41,705	1,057 (−2.4%)	6th	33,386
2013	44,480	2,775 (+6.7%)	2nd	35,015
2014	48,776	4,296 (+9.7%)	6th	36,215
2015	51,433	2,657 (+5.4%)	3rd	36,914
2016	51,889	456 (+0.89%)	16th	31,416
2017	51,254	635 (-1.22%)	14th	32,375
2018	55,639	4,385 (+8.60%)	14th	41,764
2019	51,431	4,208 (-7.56%)	13th	40,896
2020	51,577	146 (+0.28%)	12th	16,215
2021	50,342	1,235 (-2.4%)	11th	30,008
2022	56,105	5,763 (11.4%)	6th	40,460
2023	62,064	5,959 (10.62%)	14th	41,199

Honours and Achievements

Images for kids

• 

  Marking contest from a Fremantle Derby between South Fremantle and East Fremantle, c. 1910

• 

  A view over Fremantle Oval and the surrounding buildings, c. 1910

• 

  East Fremantle legend George Doig, namesake of Fremantle's Doig Medal

• 

  South Fremantle legend Bernie Naylor

• 

  Statue of John Gerovich's mark over Ray French

See also

In Spanish: Fremantle Football Club para niños