It loomed as a good, old-fashioned “danger game” for the Dockers, who finished clear on top of the ladder, but no one could have predicted just how thoroughly they’d be outplayed by Sam Mitchell’s men in their qualifying final at Optus Stadium.
Our experts, AFLW star Libby Birch (Dockers) and Scott Spits (Hawks) rate every player’s performance from a stunning night out west.
Fremantle
(3) Caleb Serong: He worked his way into the contest after a quiet start, but never exerted his usual influence around stoppage. Didn’t help the midfield play to the conditions. 4/10
(5) Heath Chapman: Provided important drive from an under-siege defence, although he was beaten in the air in some costly moments. 6/10
(6) Jordan Clark: Fremantle’s standout, defending desperately and repeatedly driving them forward with bold run and excellent ball use in his milestone match. Fremantle’s best player for the night. 8/10
(8) Andrew Brayshaw: He started slowly and his early possessions lacked impact, but lifted after half-time to inject urgency and kick a much-needed goal. 6/10
(9) Luke Jackson: Kicked the opener, competed strongly around the ground and was Fremantle’s second most influential player through the first half. 7/10
(10) Shai Bolton: He was barely sighted early on a night that should have suited him, before providing flashes of energy through give-and-go football after half-time. 4/10
(13) Luke Ryan: Valiant and unrelenting under sustained pressure, he read the play well and producing several important spoils. 7/10
(16) Murphy Reid: The youngest player on the field looked composed around stoppage and was clean when opportunities came, but he struggled to impact in the second half. 5/10
(18) Mason Cox: Struggled to impact early as Jackson’s ruck support, but improved as the game wore on and took important defensive marks. 4/10
(20) Patrick Voss: Could not win enough contests ahead of the ball and was repeatedly worked underneath it by James Sicily. 2/10
(21) Oscar McDonald: Conceded an early high free kick to Jack Gunston and lost another crucial contest in the goal square on a difficult night. 4/10
(23) Karl Worner: Produced a huge chase-down tackle and a goal-saving smother, but an errant kick that gifted Hawthorn a goal proved costly. He gave it a crack. 6/10
(24) Jye Amiss: He was frustrated and largely unsighted in the first half, but gave Fremantle an immediate lift with the opening goal after the half-time break. 3/10
(25) Alex Pearce: Battled hard against Mitch Lewis and offered a strong presence in a defence that was repeatedly placed under pressure. 7/10
(26) Hayden Young: His early ball use was uncharacteristically poor and he struggled to generate his usual damage through the midfield. 4/10
(28) Neil Erasmus: One of Fremantle’s better early contributors, using the ball with purpose and looking through the corridor when others played safe. 6/10
(30) Nathan O’Driscoll: Needed to be stronger aerially early, but lifted his intensity and produced a fierce third-quarter tackle on Newcombe. 3/10
(31) Brandon Walker: A surprise inclusion for just his second game of the year, he competed bravely on Watson before an ankle roll contributed to another Hawks goal and his night done. 5/10
(32) Michael Frederick: Was unable to find space or use his speed, remaining largely unsighted. 2/10
(35) Josh Treacy: He fought a difficult battle against Hawthorn’s organised defence but had little impact and went without a single kick deep into the third term. 2/10
(39) Sam Switkowski: He had a brilliant third quarter and kicked a huge goal to give Fremantle a (slight) sniff – the first finals major of his career. 6/10
(43) Isaiah Dudley: Missed an early opportunity but grew into the contest, improving his defensive pressure and contributing to Fremantle’s second-half ball movement. 4/10
(44) Matthew Johnson: One of Fremantle’s better midfielders in the first half, competing strongly and providing some composure amid Hawthorn’s pressure. 5/10
Hawthorn
(1) Harry Morrison: Showed a few flashy moments midway through the third term. He can point to kicking the first goal of the final term, giving Hawthorn a match-high 38-point lead, for his golden moment. 5.5/10
(2) Mitch Lewis: A player of influence. He overcame a shoulder injury scare just before half-time. Look back to the early minutes of the game, when the action was hot, and Lewis pulled off a great run-down tackle and earned a free kick. 7/10
(3) Jai Newcombe: Not Hawthorn’s most important or valuable player, but that was a good sign for the brown and gold. Led Hawthorn’s tackle count at the main break, however. 6/10
(4) Jarman Impey: Reliable deep in defence in his All-Australian season. It was hard to find fault with his game as Hawthorn’s defence shone brightly all the way. 6/10
(5) Nick Watson: A top game. Lively and dangerous from start to finish, he kicked a goal out of nowhere – Hawthorn’s first – after just six minutes. It was emblematic of Hawthorn’s smash and grab approach. For Hawthorn’s most “Hollywood” player, it was instead a blue-collar night. 8/10
(6) James Sicily: A sterling game and one easily worthy of best on ground honours. A pillar in Hawthorn’s brutal defensive unit all match, he completely nullified Voss’ danger and influence, especially in the first half when the win was set up. Composed and reliable, this was a true leader’s match. 9/10
(8) Dylan Moore: He kicked Hawthorn’s second goal – again when the match was up for grabs – but it was his work-rate that stood out. “That workrate is as good as it gets,” reflected Kane Cornes on Seven, noting Moore’s ability to run hard back at goal. “Their tackling in the forward half has been unbelievable.” 6.5/10
(9) Connor Macdonald: Got better and better as the match wore on, and had some influence in the third term when Hawthorn had to keep the threatening Fremantle at bay. 6/10
(10) Karl Amon: Another solid contributor. By early in the final quarter he only had kicks – not handballs – on the tally board, showing just how much the Hawks rely on his foot skills. 5.5/10
(12) Will Day: One of Hawthorn’s best, who effectively became “the Clearance King”. Like others, Day got better and better as the game wore on and never stopped running. He went one-on-one with Brayshaw at stages and won the battle. 7.5/10
(15) Blake Hardwick: Went to the dangerous Reid early on. Hawthorn basically didn’t have a passenger in their 23, and Hardwick deserves recognition too. 5.5/10
(16) Massimo D’Ambrosio: Had a fantastic game and was influential (especially in the first quarter) when the game was being won. While he missed two shots at goal in the opening stanza, he dragged in nine touches as he regularly found space with his hard-running. 8/10
(17) Lloyd Meek: Probably won’t get enough plaudits for an impressive game. Won the opening tap-out against Luke Jackson but, yes, was done for holding the ball moments later. Got some eye-catching clearances, a trait normally reserved for his immediate foe Jackson. 7.5/10
(18) Mabior Chol: Did his bit and with style. As Hawthorn ran with Jack Gunston a bit further from goal than normal, Chol became the focal point in the forward line. Importantly, he got physical in countless marking contests, bringing the ball to ground at the very least. 7/10
(19) Jack Gunston: He gave Freo’s Oscar McDonald a bath. He regularly beat his man in the first half as Hawthorn stamped their authority on the game. By early in the second term, the veteran already had his two goals. He only touched the ball five times, but that didn’t matter. 7.5/10
(23) Josh Weddle: Another player vying to be Hawthorn’s best (behind Sicily) on a memorable night for the brown and gold. He was especially influential in the second quarter as Hawthorn looked to consolidate their great start. 8/10
(24) Josh Battle: He played an outstanding game and was a crucial member of Hawthorn’s brilliant defensive unit. He went to Treacy and won that battle in a horrid game for Freo’s forwards. Dragged in 16 disposals in a top game. 8/10
(25) Josh Ward: Another top contributor, he worked hard across the game. In one first-quarter moment, he pulled off an excellent pass to D’Ambrosio up forward, but his teammate was off-line with the kick. Raised his arms in celebration after a defensive spoil by a teammate at one point. 6/10
(28) Cam Mackenzie: Another player who had a growing influence across the game. Had 11 touches by half-time and finished with 20. 6.5/10
(33) Jack Ginnivan: Had an unsung, low-key role early for the Hawks after returning to the team, but the 2023 Collingwood premiership player had a huge moment in the second half by taking a composed mark, and going back and kicking a goal that, again, kept Freo at bay. 6.5/10
(37) Tom Barrass: He played a brilliant defensive game. He manned Jye Amiss for most of the game and, like others in the brown and gold, won his night. Look back at the moment when Barrass applied an excellent punch deep in defence just before half-time. That was telling. Then in the third term he took a few key intercept marks. 8/10
(40) Max Beattie: An inexperienced player who looked comfortable out there in what could have been a tough environment. He did have one bad turnover in the second term when he really shouldn’t have been run down. Only had about 60 per cent game time. 4.5/10
(42) Bailey Macdonald: Also had limited game time and picked up eight touches. There were no Hawthorn passengers, remember. 5/10
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