Docker Annual 2022

From The

PRESIDENT

DALE ALCOCK

After such an exciting AFL season, any result that wasn’t a Grand Final win was going to be hard to take.

The comeback victory against the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final was a landmark moment for our Club and this group, but the loss to Collingwood showed us the work that needs to be done to get to the next level.

Thanks to the quirks of fixturing, we enjoyed three seasons in 2022, including two with finals appearances.

Despite having to spend the majority of the year on the east coast, our AFLW team battled into a

preliminary final in Season 6 and then regrouped to go again later in the year in Season 7.

It’s hard to quantify the family and career sacrifices these elite footballers go through every day to chase their dreams and to represent the Fremantle Football Club, and I would like to thank all of our AFLW and AFL players, coaches and staff - and their partners and families - for their absolute dedication to the cause.

I would also like to pay tribute to Trent Cooper who made a significant and important contribution as our Senior Coach over five seasons. While we have decided to move in

a new direction, there is no doubt that our W program and our Club is in a stronger position thanks to Trent’s efforts and contribution.

This year we continued to enjoy incredible support from the Purple Army once again. It’s not lost on us how significant it is to finish fourth in attendance when we cannot rely on opposition fan support to drive our numbers up like the Victorian clubs. And away from home, our wins against Geelong and Melbourne in particular sounded like home games.

We had Andrew Brayshaw become the league’s Most Valuable Player at just 22 years old and two players earn All Australian honours in

David Mundy called time on his incredible and storied career with a Club record 376 games –the outright eighth most in AFL/VFL history.

We also shed a tear when our inaugural AFLW captain Kara Antonio played her final game, kicking two goals in what was a fitting farewell against Hawthorn.

A less talked about aspect of our season, that was still significant, was the contribution of Alex Pearce as stand in captain, due to Nathan Fyfe’s unfortunate injuries through the year.

Alex is a proud Palawa man and we are thankful to have had his guidance in Nathan’s stead. There has been some terrific projects take shape off the field.

Earlier this year, the Club re-formed its Reconciliation External Advisory Group to provide feedback, support current initiatives and to help guide the formation of our next RAP, which will launch next year.

The Purple Hands Foundation came leaps and bounds in its first full year of operation, allowing us to use the platform of sport to make our mark in the community, with programs that support youth mental health, inclusion and social equality - just to name a few.

We also launched our sustainability framework to look at how the Club can reflect on the work done to date in the area and improve our sustainability practices.

This is an area our players are very passionate about, and we thank Bailey Banfield for his hard work in developing this framework and providing that link between the players and our administration.

Last year I signed off saying that our aspirations for 2022 should be to play finals.

It’s crucial we don’t get lost into dreaming about what is possible for our teams next year, but to remain grounded in the reality of where we stand and the hard work that lies ahead.

To be an elite Club we need to be elite in every aspect of our operations, on the field and off the field.

And I’m confident we have the players, the personnel and the will to get there.

Board memBers 2022

Brayshaw and Hayley Miller in Season 6.

DALE ALCOCK

COLLEEN HAYWARD

CHRIS SUTHERLAND

PETER MANN

ANDREA HALL

CRAIG CARTER

JAMES CLEMENT

TONY GRIST

From The

CEO

SIMON GARLICK

As a Club, we took a collective step forward in 2022.

But as Justin Longmuir mentioned in his press conference after our semi final loss - unless you win it all, you leave the year disappointed.

And that sums up where we are at. Despite elements of significant growth and development, we are dissatisfied. There is no contentment.

“

TO OUR MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS, JUST KNOW, THAT WE KNOW, THAT WE EXIST AS A GROUP TO MAKE THE FREMANTLE FAMILY PROUD.

“

While we have made progress, we haven’t achieved anything yet and there’s a mountain of work to do if we are to reach the aspirations and aims that we have set ourselves.

There is enough experience and awareness in our organisation to understand that without the appropriate levels of hunger, drive and determination, this competition finds you out.

There are countless examples of teams making it to play finals after an extended absence and stagnating or regressing the next year.

This is something to be aware of as opposed to focused on.

The theme for 2022 first started in the summer. Our AFLW team, were dominant on the road all year, and faced North Melbourne in a qualifying final at Arden Street where no one gave us a chance.

What resulted was a 38-point victory, our Club’s first win at the historic ground, followed by the team pushing Adelaide, the eventual premiers, right to the end in the preliminary final the week after. That finals win was the highlight of a

challenging year for the group, who played two seasons in one year and sacrificed a lot to ensure both seasons could go ahead. In total, our AFLW team won five interstate games from seven in Season 6.

Then in the AFL, the boys earned 7.5 wins from their 10 games interstate – beating our record of seven road wins in our minor premiership year of 2015.

When one of your main areas for improvement for next season is your home form, and we had 60,000 members scream us over the line in a final in September, you know we have some opportunity for growth.

Right now, there is a sense of normalcy around the Club and I have the privilege of coming into work with a dedicated staff group, who have also persevered through the past three seasons and come out the other side as connected as ever.

This time last year, we publicly unveiled our five-year strategic plan and while we’re well advanced on several KPIs, we clearly haven’t achieved the most significant yet.

As a Club, we are encouraged by our progress but not satisfied. There’s no silver bullet, no panacea – the ultimate success can only be achieved on the back of the work we’ve done to date, the committed people we have and the culture and environment we are creating.

On all fronts, we won’t be letting up, we will in fact be doubling down.

To our members and supporters, just know, that we know we exist as a group to make the Fremantle family proud.

We hope we have done a bit of that this year and it’s that same purpose that will drive us into the 2023 AFL and AFLW seasons, and we can’t wait for what lies ahead.

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Ross McLean David Hatt Damian

15th

Ross McLean David Hatt Damian Drum Adrian Fletcher/Shaun McManus 12th

2001 Ross McLean

Rick Hart

2002

2003

David Hatt/Cameron Schwab Damian Drum/Ben Allan Adrian Fletcher/Shaun McManus 16th

Cameron Schwab Chris Connolly Peter Bell 13th

Rick Hart Cameron Schwab Chris Connolly Peter Bell 5th

2004 Rick Hart Cameron Schwab Chris Connolly Peter Bell 9th

2005 Rick Hart Cameron Schwab Chris Connolly Peter Bell 10th

2006 Rick Hart Cameron Schwab Chris Connolly Peter Bell 3rd

2007 Rick Hart Cameron Schwab Chris Connolly/Mark Harvey Matthew Pavlich 11th

2008

2009

Rick Hart

Cameron Schwab/Steve Rosich Mark Harvey Matthew Pavlich 14th

Rick Hart Steve Rosich Mark Harvey Matthew Pavlich 14th

2010 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Mark Harvey Matthew Pavlich 6th

2011 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Mark Harvey Matthew Pavlich 11th

2012 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Matthew Pavlich 7th

2013 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Matthew Pavlich 3rd

2014 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Matthew Pavlich 4th

2015 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Matthew Pavlich 1st

2016 Steve Harris Steve Rosich Ross Lyon David Mundy 16th

2017

Dale Alcock Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Nathan Fyfe 14th

2018 Dale Alcock Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Nathan Fyfe 14th

2019 Dale Alcock Steve Rosich Ross Lyon Nathan Fyfe 13th

2020

Dale Alcock Simon Garlick Justin Longmuir Nathan Fyfe 12th

2021 Dale Alcock Simon Garlick Justin Longmuir Nathan Fyfe 11th

2022 Dale Alcock Simon Garlick Justin Longmuir Nathan Fyfe 5th

Ross Kelly Chairman 1994 - 1998 1999

Shane Parker Player 1994 - 2007 2003

Shaun McManus Player 1994 - 2008 2004

Matthew Pavlich Player 1999 - 2016 2006

Paul Hasleby Player 1999 - 2010 2007

James Walker Player 1997 - 2007 2007

Troy Cook Player 1999 - 2007 2007

Peter Bell Player 1994 - 1995, 2001 - 2008 2007

Antoni Grover Player 1998 - 2012 2009

Rick Hart President 2002 - 2009 2009

Luke McPharlin Player 2001 - 2015 2010

Aaron Sandilands Player 2001 - 2019 2010

David Mundy Player 2003 - 2022 2012

Michael Johnson Player 2003 - 2018 2013

Ryan Crowley Player 2002 - 2015 2013

Dr Jeffrey Boyle Physiotherapist 1995 - 2020 2013

Dr Ken Withers Doctor 1995 - 2020 2013

Paul Duffield Player 2003 - 2015 2014

Ben Allan Player, Coach & Administrator 1994 - 2015 2014

Stephen Hill Player 2008 - 2021 2015

Garrick Ibbotson Player 2005 - 2017 2015

Chris Mayne Player 2007 - 2016 2015

Hayden Ballantyne Player 2008 - 2019 2017

Nick Suban Player 2008 - 2017 2017

Syd Corser Administrator 1994 - 2003 2017

Nathan Fyfe Player 2009 - present 2018

Michael Walters Player 2008 - present 2019

Steve Harris President 2009 - 2016 2019

Dale Kickett Player 1995 - 2002 2020

Roger Hayden Player & Coach 2000 - present 2020

Stephen O’Reilly Player & Administrator 1995-1999, 2009-2019 2021

Chris Bond Player & Administrator 1998 - 1999, 2007 - 2018 2022

Tony Godden Player & Administrator 1996 - 1998, 2004 - present 2022

YEAR PRESIDENT CEO

AFL COACH AFL CAPTAIN AFL LADDER AFL

Ross Kelly

David Hatt Gerard Neesham Ben Allan 13th

Ross Kelly David Hatt Gerard Neesham Ben Allan 13th

Ross Kelly David Hatt Gerard Neesham Peter Mann 12th

Ross Kelly/Ross McLean David Hatt Gerard Neesham Peter Mann 15th

Drum Chris Bond

-

Adrian Fletcher Clem Michael

Ashley Prescott -

Peter Mann (33) 18,456

19,622

Kingsley Hunter (32) 19,949

Clive Waterhouse (30) 22,186

Tony Modra (71) 24,896

Troy Cook Paul Hasleby John Rankin - Clive Waterhouse (53) 24,925

Peter Bell Dion Woods

Matthew Pavlich Paul Medhurst

Leigh Brown - Matthew Pavlich/Justin Longmuir (28) 23,898

Shaun McManus - Trent Croad (42) 23,775

Peter Bell Graham Polak Troy Longmuir - Paul Medhurst (50) 25,368

Peter Bell Andrew Browne Matthew Carr - Paul Medhurst (41) 32,780

Matthew Pavlich David Mundy

Troy Cook -

Matthew Pavlich (61) 34,124

Matthew Pavlich Marcus Drum Luke Webster - Matthew Pavlich (71) 35,666

Matthew Pavlich Robert Warnock Heath Black - Matthew Pavlich (72) 43,343

Matthew Pavlich Rhys Palmer Luke Webster - Matthew Pavlich (67) 43,366

Aaron Sandilands Stephen Hill Michael Johnson - Matthew Pavlich (28) 39,206 David Mundy Michael Barlow Matthew de Boer - Matthew Pavlich (61) 40,069

Matthew Pavlich Tendai Mzungu Matthew de Boer - Kepler Bradley/Chris Mayne (25) 42,762

Ryan Crowley Lee Spurr Tendai Mzungu Chris Mayne Matthew Pavlich (69) 42,918

Nathan Fyfe Cam Sutcliffe Lee Spurr Ryan Crowley Michael Walters (46) 44,035

Nathan Fyfe Matt Taberner Alex Silvagni Nathan Fyfe Hayden Ballantyne (49) 48,777

Aaron Sandilands Alex Pearce Jonathon Griffin Nathan Fyfe Michael Walters (44) 51,522

Lachie Neale Lachie Weller

Aaron Sandilands Lachie Neale Michael Walters (36) 51,889

Bradley Hill Luke Ryan Zac Dawson Nathan Fyfe Cam McCarthy (25) 51,254

Lachie Neale Brennan Cox

Aaron Sandilands Ed Langdon Michael Walters (22) 55,639

Nathan Fyfe Sam Switkowski Aaron Sandilands Nathan Fyfe Michael Walters (40) 51,431

Luke Ryan Caleb Serong Alex Pearce Ethan Hughes Matthew Taberner (29) 51,577

Sean Darcy

Andrew

Young Caleb Serong/David Mundy Lachlan Schultz Matthew Taberner (37) 50,342

Sam Switkowski - Rory Lobb (36) 56,105

DOIG MEDALLIST BEACON AWARD BEST CLUBMAN PLAYERS’ AWARD LEADING GOAL KICKER MEMBERSHIP

Peter Mann Scott Chisholm - -

Stephen O’Reilly Gavin Mitchell - - Kingsley Hunter (33)

Dale Kickett Mark Gale - -

Jason Norrish

Brad Dodd

Chris Bond/Jason Norrish

Hayden

Brayshaw Brandon Walker

AFLW FAIREST & BEST BEST FIRST YEAR PLAYER BEST CLUBWOMAN PLAYERS’ AWARD LEADING GOAL KICKER

Dana Hooker - Amy Lavell Kara Antonio Kara Antonio/Ashley Sharp (4) 2080

Ebony Antonio - Lisa Webb Ebony Antonio Amy Lavell (6) 1147

Kiara Bowers Philipa Seth Evie Gooch

From The

AFL COACH

JUSTIN LONGMUIR

After a year of progress, all of the players have returned from their off-season with a real hunger to get better in all aspects of their game.

Everyone committed to their off-season program, and while many took the opportunity to go overseas for the first time in a few years, the players connected with each other as much as they could.

It means everyone came back in really good shape so we could get to work straight away.

There’s also plenty of work to do off the track and we’re focused on making the most of the time we have. Expectations are high, so we need to maintain our focus and make sure we’re purposeful every day.

We took some good steps forward in 2022, but the exciting thing is, there are some obvious areas to work on and improve.

The Bulldogs game was a clear highlight, mostly because it was a final and the atmosphere at Optus Stadium was at another level.

But we had a few other great wins, especially on the road. Our form interstate was arguably the biggest positive to take from a season where there was a lot of growth.

That said, the Semi Final loss to Collingwood was obviously a disappointing way to finish the year. We won’t make excuses or shy away from that performance, instead use it as fuel for our pre-season.

We’ve reviewed the game plan without making wholesale changes. Our priority is developing consistency in our performances each week and

within games, because we can’t rely on 41-point comebacks every week.

We’ll also be focussed on bringing our new recruits and draftees up to speed as quickly as we can.

Luke Jackson can play in a lot of different areas, but in the short term he’ll be focusing on building a good partnership with Sean Darcy as a ruck-forward.

David Mundy’s retirement opens up a spot in the midfield and Jaeger O’Meara is a very accomplished footballer who can add a lot to our on-field performance.

He’s also a great character who adds to the professionalism we have in our group. He’ll be an important leader to our younger players.

Josh Corbett is going to give us a different dynamic up forward. We want to make more from our inside 50s and he’s someone that leads at the footy really well. His work rate is phenomenal and he’s going to provide us another option.

As well as there being a lot of room for growth in our playing group, I feel the same can be said for our coaching group.

Jaymie Graham is going into his second year and Matthew Boyd is going into his third year.

Joel Corey’s stepping up for his first year as the assistant coach in charge of the midfield, and while it was disappointing to lose Josh Carr, we see a lot of potential in Joel and we’re thrilled to give him this opportunity.

As a group, we’re still working on our connection and seeing how we can collaborate better. It’s all about giving our players the best opportunity to improve and perform.

After six years out of the AFL finals it was great to see that excitement return to the Freo family. As a player and coach at Fremantle, I know first-hand how passionate our members and supporters are.

“

“

The other side of that coin is managing how our players handle the increased excitement and expectation. There were probably moments throughout the year where we didn’t handle it as well as we could have.

As you build your success you get these opportunities to learn, and that will hold us in good stead for 2023, where we hope we can see that same level of excitement from our fans.

This is especially so on game days. We won’t forget what 60,000 Freo fans sounds like at Optus Stadium, it’s an atmosphere that is unparalleled in the AFL and it really helps the players with their energy on game days.

I can assure you we’ll be hard at work through the summer with an eye on round one, and we can’t wait to see you then.

WE TOOK SOME GOOD STEPS FORWARD IN 2022, BUT THE EXCITING THING IS, THERE ARE SOME OBVIOUS AREAS TO WORK ON AND IMPROVE.

From The

AFL CAPTAIN

NATHAN FYFE

Our 2023 pre-season is underway and it’s great to have everyone back together after a welldeserved break.

It was important for everyone to get away in the off-season, for our interstate players to spend time with their families, and to even head overseas for the first time in a few years.

For me, after an injury riddled year and the stresses that came with that, to be able to refresh was really enjoyable and I’ve returned as motivated as ever for next season and beyond.

The past year was one of mixed emotions for me. It was fantastic to see the team come of age and go from strength to strength, and it was also incredibly humbling to see it happen while I was on the sidelines for significant periods, unable to have an impact on the field.

The team gained valuable experience in big finals games and it gave my leadership a new depth and perspective. It all sets us up for a big 12 months ahead.

This year we got to see Alex Pearce go to a new level, not just as a player but as a leader.

What came through was the genuine care he has for the players, and the whole playing group loves playing for Alex.

Then Andy Brayshaw stepped up again and became the best player on the ground most weeks, setting the standard both in the way he prepares and performs. When things weren’t going our way, the players gravitated towards his energy.

When we add what Caleb Serong achieved as a third-year player, it puts our leadership group in a position of real strength - even after the

retirement of David Mundy, whose influence on our group will be felt for years to come.

This allows us to have open conversations about our leadership mix going forward, as we are in a position to adjust that reliance on just one or two leaders. We have a group of guys who can be captain, vice captain or senior leaders every week.

Another big motivator for my pre-season is being surrounded by these young and hungry players who are becoming beasts of the competition.

If I was to list the players that we should be getting excited about in the coming years, it would take up most of the page.

And that’s before we look at our trade period acquisitions, with Luke Jackson and Jaeger O’Meara coming straight into the mix, and Josh Corbett having the opportunity to add to our forward line.

As a senior player, but also watching on as a fan, it became clear in 2022 that we are entering a really exciting window.

After going through the experience of 2011 to 2015, I know that you don’t become a good side by accident. It’s something that is built over years and it can take longer than you’d like – a feeling I’m sure our fans can relate to.

What this team achieved last year was no oneoff, but we also can’t put our feet up. We need to do that work again if we’re going to continue our progress.

We’ve done the work with our game plan, we’re well coached by Justin Longmuir and the coaching group, we’re well trained through our strength and conditioning team.

As long as we turn up and do the work, we’ll give ourselves every opportunity to be as good, if not better, than we were last year and have a red hot crack at playing finals footy deep into September.

As a Purple Army, I hope you embrace it and keep wearing your colours and showing your passion.

We’re the counter culture movement in WA that you want to be a part of, so get on board if you’re not already, as there are some big years to come.

AFLW

BOB MURPHY

2022 was a significant year for both our AFLW program and for the competition.

To ensure future seasons are played at the right time of year, there was a need to power through two seasons in one year.

Seven premiership seasons in and the league is now in a position in the football calendar where it can thrive. There is a sense that this is the end of phase one of the AFLW, and we’re off to bigger things from here.

Having said that, following such a year and the efforts required to get us here, there is a current sense of fatigue from players, coaches and staff.

I’ve said before that the AFLW has almost been a victim of its own stoicism and willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good. The players have always stood up, making it to training and getting to games while still giving their all off the field.

UPDATE

I take my hat off to everyone who pushed through the year. It should never be forgotten how much time and effort has been put in by so many people with their heart in the right place to get this competition airborne.

Now we’re about to take this aircraft to a higher altitude, at higher speeds and in a bigger aircraft.

Overall we had a solid year with many highlights but it was capped off with a disappointing season in terms of win-loss. Despite all of this the playing group never gave up at any point in the year.

Our players have big hearts.

The highlight of the year was how the group galvanised during our interstate hub in Season 6, winning four of five games in a condensed schedule while dealing with the uncertainty of when they would come home.

They topped the season off with the best football I’ve seen this team play in a final against North Melbourne.

Following Season 7, we made the difficult decision to make a change to the Senior Coach role.

There will always be mixed reactions to change. Trent Cooper’s been great for the footy Club and we thank him for everything he has done since he arrived in 2018.

We’ve had some great success on the field under Trent’s stewardship and he always worked tirelessly with the Club front of mind.

With change comes opportunity and I am excited about where we can go with what’s already been built and what we can add to it.

This year was Hayley Miller’s first as captain, and she’s been very impressive in the role.

From The

AFLW CAPTAIN

HAYLEY MILLER

We had two seasons in one year in 2022 and it was a year with many highs, but also several lows.

Season 6 saw an incredible effort from the girls going up against a lot of external factors, namely going away to the hub in Victoria and the uncertainty around when we would come home.

We played some great footy on the road and that continued when we returned to WA.

Our qualifying final win against North Melbourne at Arden Street was really significant, it was one of those moments where everything clicked and we worked perfectly as a unit.

The next week we faced the eventual premiers Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, it was a tough ask and we couldn’t get it done. We didn't click the same way we had the week prior and getting so close was tough to take but also something we can look back and be proud of.

Season 7 couldn’t have started with a tougher assignment than Brisbane at the Gabba and we already had some injuries carrying over the pre-season.

We challenged them for three quarters before they ran over us, and that was a theme throughout the year, with losses to the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Adelaide – as well as the draw against Carlton - after initially getting into really strong positions.

It takes a massive toll when you’re not banking the wins, but it was great to get some good results to finish off the year and get some momentum back as we look ahead to 2023.

We are a very young and relatively inexperienced outfit and it was great to bank two seasons of football in one year.

Come pre-season next year, it’s going to be exciting to see where the likes of Mim Strom, Sarah Verrier, Dana East, Emma O’Driscoll and Amy Franklin are at as we look to return to finals.

Two players that deserve a special mention are Kiara Bowers and Kara Antonio.

I don’t think we’ve seen anyone be as dominant as ‘Turbo’ was to finish the year. She was hitting record numbers highlighted by her 34 disposals and 22 tackles against Hawthorn.

Just registering one tackle takes a lot out of you, and every tackle Turbo lays often results in a free kick or creates a stoppage. She changes the momentum of the game more than any other player.

It was also inspiring to see ‘Juddy’ fight and get back from injury in time for her farewell gameand in true ‘Juddy’ fashion she got us over the line against the Hawks with two goals.

She’s a pioneer of the game and so many of us wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for her paving the way and inspiring a generation of footballers.

It was a daunting task to take over from her as captain, and I couldn’t have done it without her support. She was always there for a chat but also gave me the space to do things my own way.

I can only hope to leave the same legacy as ‘Juddy’ and I’m grateful and honoured to have been part of her journey.

This off-season the Club made a tough call on the senior coaching role and it means we won’t have Trent Cooper at the helm in 2023.

As captain and coach, we worked together very closely and I’m so thankful to have had his guidance throughout my first year as captain.

I also understand the Club’s decision to look for a new perspective in the role as we continue our quest to take the next step and achieve the ultimate success of a premiership.

Finally, I would like to once again thank the fans for their unwavering support in 2022. In Season 6, when we were away from home and most of you couldn’t come to see us play, we could still feel that support through your messages on social media.

We all love game days at Fremantle Oval and we can’t wait to get back out there in 2023.

Round 1 Round 2

OVERVIEW

Fremantle kicked off their 2022 season with an RAC Derby win over West Coast at a windy Fremantle Oval. Freo named six debutants for the opening round and got out to a three-goal lead early lead courtesy of Ebony Antonio’s pair of goals, the first of which was named the 2022 AFLW Goal of the Year for her run, fend off and banana from the pocket. West Coast fought hard to get control and came back within a goal at the final change, but Freo proved too good with a three goal to nothing final term, keeping West Coast to no inside 50s while having sixteen of their own in the process. Ebony Antonio (three goals, 12 disposals) and Kiara Bowers (24 disposals, 14 tackles) were sensational and tied for the best on ground medal, Bowers winning the award for the fourth time in four RAC Derbies.

OVERVIEW

A statement was made in Freo’s round two clash against GWS, with a 28-point second term the catalyst for a 32-point win in the first road trip for 2022. The Giants owned the first term and took a three-point lead into the first change as reward. Freo would take over from there, Gemma Houghton’s second goal opened the floodgates on a four-goal term which saw Freo with a 25-point half time advantage. The win was iced in the final term by a memorable first goal in football for Ann McMahon in her second game back from injury. Freo dominated through the midfield, winning the clearance count 30-18 as Hayley Miller (19 disposals, seven tackles), Kiara Bowers (15 disposals, 12 tackles) and Dana East (eight tackles) all had productive days.

Round 3 Round 4

OVERVIEW

Freo made it three wins from three to start the season with a dominant performance over Richmond. The Tigers put in a gutsy effort across the first three quarters but Freo were finally able to secure a 30-point win, kicking five goals in the final term. Kiara Bowers was outstanding once again with 28 disposals and 16 tackles as she continued to back up her 2021 AFLW Best and Fairest winning effort. Kara Antonio and Gemma Houghton both slotted two majors on a day where the forwards received plenty of footy as Freo registered a 46-20 inside 50 count, and also achieved the rare feat of winning both the tackle and disposal count in the same game.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle emerged as a genuine finals threat after a 31-point victory over the previously undefeated Collingwood saw them go four-straight to start the season. The Magpies were held to their lowest AFLW score in what was a low-scoring grind, and Freo eventually broke the game open with their pressure and a three-goal final term. Hayley Miller continued to hit the scoreboard as she had been with two majors as Roxy Roux, Ebony Antonio and Gemma Houghton also goaled in the win. Tackles were again heavily in Freo’s favour despite having more of the ball with Gabby O’Sullivan (nine) and Kiara Bowers (eight) contributing to the 78-50 count, Bowers also finished with 26 disposals as she continued her excellent form to start the season.

Round 4 Round 5

OVERVIEW

With Fremantle not being able to return home due to Covid-19 border closures, the round 10 fixture against the Bulldogs was moved forward to the week before their round five match. In another gruelling fixture, Freo were given an almighty scare but survived to make it five straight and sit on top of the AFLW ladder. The contest rarely drifted beyond a few points for most of the night before Ebony Antonio was able to break the game open with a curling effort in the final quarter. Amy Franklin had earlier slammed through her first two AFLW goals in quick succession as the Freo forwards were given plenty of good supply with a 37-22 inside 50s count.

* Additional match

OVERVIEW

Fremantle’s impressive five-game winning streak to start the season came to an end against North Melbourne, in the final interstate game before the girls were allowed to return home to WA. Freo was playing a fourth game in 16 days following rescheduled fixtures and the game was played out as a dour struggle for much of the contest. After keeping pace with the Roos all afternoon, Freo just couldn’t hang on and a late North goal was enough for Fremantle to go down by 10 points. Captain Hayley Miller (20 disposals, four marks) was massive again for the visitors while Gabby O’Sullivan (16 disposals, 11 tackles) also shone in a tough contest. The run of five straight wins to start the season bettered their 2021 effort of four wins to open a campaign.

Round 6 Round 8

OVERVIEW

Playing in front of home fans for the first time since round one, Fremantle wasted little time putting Carlton to the sword with an emphatic 42-point win. The win was set up in a second half onslaught which yielded thirteen scoring shots to the Blues’ one as Freo dominated inside 50s 39-27. Mikayla Morrison was outstanding up forward slotting the first three goals of her AFLW career, as was Gabby O’Sullivan with another 19 disposals and six tackles. Captain Hayley Miller continued her All-Australian form with 24 disposals and six tackles in the middle of the park.

OVERVIEW

Following on from their cancelled round seven fixture, Freo were unable to keep in touch with top spot as Adelaide took out an enthralling battle at Fremantle Oval by nine points. In a low-scoring but high-quality contest, Freo led for most of the afternoon before two final quarter goals from the Crows saw them surge home. Steph Cain, Airlie Runnalls and Laura Pugh all collected 21 disposals in a fighting cause as the stat sheet was evenly spread with contributions. Runnalls also managed to get on the scoreboard with a goal, as did Hayley Miller.

Round 9 Round 12

INJURIES Sergeant (head knock)

OVERVIEW

Fremantle’s hopes of a top-two finish were struck a critical blow in their loss to Melbourne. In their first and only game at Optus Stadium for the season, a Freo side hit with a raft of late omissions with players in the Heath and Safety Protocols was outplayed by a strong Demons outfit. Top-up player Mikayla Western drove to Perth from the South West on the day of the game to make her debut alongside fellow debutants Sarah Wielstra and Maggie MacLachlan. Hayley Miller stood tall and continued her fine season despite the result, finishing with another 22 disposals and a goal, while MacLachlan was also able to hit the scoreboard with a major in her first AFLW game.

OVERVIEW

Another readjusted fixture awaited Fremantle for the final home and away round which saw them comfortably beat the Suns by 37 points, the only downside being it wasn’t enough to secure a home final for the first week of finals. Freo led by a comfortable distance for the first three quarters before piling on four final quarter goals as they had done so many times before in the season so far. Ange Stannett was outstanding in defence collecting 21 touches and five marks, while Kiara Bowers was a force in the middle again with 17 tackles. Although no home final was secured, the win meant Freo booked a qualifying final away to North Melbourne the next week.

Qualifying Final Preliminary Final

OVERVIEW

Fremantle kept their season alive with a stirring performance in their qualifying final against North, taking complete control to run out dominant 38-point winners. The Roos started ominously but were wasteful, with Freo taking full control after quarter time with a four-goal term, before adding six more in the second half as the midfield took over. Kiara Bowers (21 disposals) and Hayley Miller (21 disposals, one goal) were at their sensational best, with Gabby O’Sullivan (18 disposals, six clearances) instrumental in the second quarter turnaround as a healthy spread down forward saw Freo register 10 individual goal kickers for the match.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle’s 2022 season came to an end just one game short of an historic first AFLW Grand Final berth, falling to the minor premiers in Adelaide by 14 points in a tough clash at Adelaide Oval. Although the stats depicted an even contest, the Crows slowly ran away with the contest on the scoreboard, with the win seemingly secured when Freo were unable to score in the third quarter. Hayley Miller collected 26 disposals in her 50th career game to keep the visitors in the hunt all day, and when defender Emma O’Driscoll snuck forward and kicked her first career goal in the final quarter there were dreams of a miracle comeback. It wasn’t to be sadly for Freo, who ended an impressive season of tough obstacles at the preliminary stage.

DOminates awArD Scene Marvellous Miller

Hayley Miller added a string of individual accolades to her name in her first year as Fremantle captain, bestowed with vicecaptain honours of the AFLW All-Australian team for Season 6.

Named on the half-forward line of the final team, it marked Miller’s first All-Australian honour, while teammates Kiara Bowers and Ebony Antonio also received squad selection.

Miller finished in the top ten across the league in disposals, tackles, clearances, marks, inside 50s, score involvements, kicks and contested possessions.

She also cemented herself as the biggest driver of the football in Season 6, topping the metres gained tally across the competition with 4452 metres gained for the season.

The All-Australian selection only added to more season achievements for Miller including nomination in the AFLPA’s Most Valuable Player Award, and the first AFLW player for Fremantle to reach the 50-game milestone.

Miller also placed fifth overall in the competition-wide AFL Women’s Best and Fairest Award, just ahead of teammate and previous winner Bowers in sixth position.

The first-year Fremantle captain detailed the immense pride she felt following her breakout season.

“This year has been phenomenal for me, becoming Club captain has been a pretty proud moment,” Miller said.

“The amount of support I have received from my parents, my extended family and my friends, I can’t thank them enough.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to learn a lot about my teammates and watch them each and every week. I’m incredibly proud of every single player.”

Meanwhile, the rapid rise of Emma O’Driscoll continued in Season 6 after being named for a second consecutive year in the AFL Players’ 22under22 team.

Consistently impressing on-field, O’Driscoll was the 10th most popular player selected in the fan-voted process, with 69 per cent of all voters nominating her in their side.

O’Driscoll was the sole Fremantle player named in the final team, with Mim Strom, Sarah Verrier and Dana East all missing selection after being named in the initial 22under22 squad.

Ebony Antonio was back to her impactful best, setting the tone early by kicking Fremantle’s first goal of Season 6 which ultimately would be crowned AFLW Goal of the Year.

With an RAC Derby to open the season, Antonio found a moment of individual brilliance as she picked up a loose ball on the 50m arc, outstriding her West Coast opponent along the boundary line before slotting a tumbling banana kick through goal.

Antonio was also nominated for Mark of the Year, becoming the first AFLW player to have nominations in both categories in the same season.

Fremantle’s

fairest

First-year captain Hayley Miller capped off an incredible breakout season with a commanding win as Fremantle’s AFLW Fairest and Best for Season 6.

Miller’s win ended a stunning three-year run of Kiara Bowers winning the award, with Miller joining Bowers, Ebony Antonio and Dana Hooker as Fremantle’s fourth AFLW Club champion.

Also announced as Player of the Finals, Miller polled a remarkable 191 votes from 12 games to finish 37 votes ahead of runner-up Antonio.

The fight for second was much closer, with Antonio earning her third top-two finish on 154 votes, ahead of Ange Stannett (148) and second-year player Sarah Verrier (143) in fourth.

Gabby O’Sullivan rounded out the top five on 141 votes after making the switch from the forward line to the midfield.

Stannett was busy on the night, recognised for her team and Club-first attitude, winning both the Players’ and Best Clubwoman Awards to go along with her top three finish.

AFLW Senior Coach Trent Cooper paid tribute to Miller at the awards night.

“Hayley is a thoroughly deserving winner of our Fairest and Best, she had an amazing season this year, which was duly recognised by her being named Vice Captain of the All-Australian team,” Cooper said.

“She was really dominant in most games that she played, and her consistency went to another level this year.

“Hayley worked hard in the pre-season, both on her game and on the physical side to get her body able to produce four quarter efforts at an elite level.”

Cooper also praised Antonio and Stannett for their outstanding seasons.

“Ebony was back to her best and was again used in a variety of positions being equally effective across all three lines,” Cooper said.

“Her ability to play well in the big moments of games can’t be underestimated, both in the impact on the result and also on her teammates, who trust that she’ll stand up at the right time.

“Ange thoroughly deserved to finish in the top three. We really value players who play specific roles and that was evidenced by our defenders performing well across the board this year.

“She had such a consistent year, playing well on so many good opponents while providing us with rebound out of the back half.”

Reliable defender Jess Low won the Best First Year Player Award after being tasked with multiple lockdown roles on some of the competition’s best forwards in her debut season.

Emma O’Driscoll

OTHER AWARDS

Players’ Award – Angelique Stannett Best Clubwoman – Angelique Stannett Best First Year Player – Jessica Low Player of the Finals – Hayley Miller

Angelique Stannett, Hayley Miller, Ebony Antonio

Josie and Trent Cooper

Angelique Stannett & Tash Rigby

O’Sullivan & Mim Strom

Ashley Sharp

FORWARD

Angelique Stannett

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 15/04/1997 S6 GAMES 12 CAREER GAMES 37 S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Kiara BOwers

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 16/11/1991 S6 GAMES 8 CAREER GAMES 33 S6 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 7

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 22/04/2000

S6 GAMES 11 CAREER GAMES 25 S6 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 1

Sarah verrier

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 02/08/2002 S6 GAMES 12 CAREER GAMES 22 S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 1

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 26/03/2000 S6 GAMES 0 CAREER GAMES 25 S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 30

Jasmin Stewart

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 04/11/1998

S6 GAMES 5 CAREER GAMES 22 S6 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 6

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 10/06/2002

S6 GAMES 11 CAREER GAMES 11 S6 GOALS 3 CAREER GOALS 3

MIDFIELDER/FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 21/03/1994 S6 GAMES 11 CAREER GAMES 49 S6 GOALS 2 CAREER GOALS 17

WING/FORWARD

WING

Sarah wielstra

Mikayla hYDe

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 12/01/2002

S6 GAMES 11

CAREER GAMES 15

S6 GOALS 6

CAREER GOALS 7

Laura pugh

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 01/11/1993

S6 GAMES 12

CAREER GAMES 33

S6 GOALS 0

CAREER GOALS 1

Janelle cuthBertsOn

KEY DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 03/09/1990

S6 GAMES 4

CAREER GAMES 19

S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Tiah tOth

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 25/05/1993

S6 GAMES 8 CAREER GAMES 24

S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 1

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 05/11/1993

S6 GAMES 12

CAREER GAMES 33

S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 1

Jessica lOw Mikayla western

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 07/01/1998

S6 GAMES 1 CAREER GAMES 1

S6 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Round 1 Round 2

OVERVIEW

Fremantle were unable to kickstart their season in the same way they had in recent years, suffering an opening round loss to the eventual minor-premiers Brisbane. After an early arm-wrestle had scores locked at quarter time, the Lions would show their credentials and run away with the contest. Kiara Bowers (17 disposals) and Hayley Miller (15) carried over their form from season six, but Freo were outplayed in most categories on the day and would also be left counting the cost of multiple injuries in a less than ideal start to Season 7.

OVERVIEW

In a match played in windy and difficult conditions, Freo was held goalless for the first time in Club history by Geelong in a 26-point loss. Freo dominated the territory battle in the first quarter as Kiara Bowers returned to her best but couldn’t put a score on the board. The Cats were far too clinical from then on and would hold Freo scoreless until the final term. Bowers finished with 18 disposals and 12 tackles in an enormous display on a disappointing day for the team.

Round 3 Round 4

OVERVIEW

Fremantle responded after a slow start to the season with an impressive performance against the undefeated Western Bulldogs but fell agonisingly short by three points. The Dogs had the ascendency for much of the contest but found themselves down at each of the first three breaks in an always-tight contest. Aine Tighe was sensational with an early goal assist and goal, while Mim Strom and Emma O’Driscoll were both impressive while repelling attack after attack from the Bulldogs. A late charge from the home side in the final term was enough to down Freo, who would start the new season 0-3 for the first time in Club history.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle’s improvement continued against Carlton in the AFLW's Indigenous Round, but a precious first win of the season still eluded them, recording the second draw in Club AFLW history. Freo made the most of a strong start despite falling behind in clearances and led by three goals at the main break after a dominant first half in all other areas. Aine Tighe was impactful again with two goals in the first half, while Kiara Bowers (17 tackles) maintained the ascendency in the middle. The Blues came back in the second half and the sides traded leads in the final term before Tighe won a free kick and the chance to put Freo in front late but pushed her kick wide to tie the contest.

Round 5 Round 6

OVERVIEW

Fremantle maintained their perfect RAC Derby record with a tense three-point win over West Coast at Optus Stadium. In a game where the margin never stretched beyond single figures, it was Freo’s midfield dominance which turned the contest, winning contested ball (109-101) and the tackle count (91-47) thanks largely to the effort of best-on-ground Hayley Miller who finished with 26 disposals and Kiara Bowers who laid 18 tackles. Aine Tighe found herself in a game-changing position for the second straight game and rose to the occasion, booting two goals to be the scoreboard difference in a tight contest.

OVERVIEW

A spirited Fremantle returned following a 10-day break to take on top-four hopeful Melbourne and put up a tough fight before ultimately falling to their finals-bound opponents. Despite a close opening contest, Freo fell three goals behind in the third term before fighting back to within five points at the final change.

Kiara Bowers continued her season dominance with 26 disposals, 12 tackles and a goal and when Hayley Miller goaled just before three-quarter time Freo sensed an upset could be on the cards.

Melbourne proved too good in the end, with a four goal to none final quarter enough to overrun a gallant Fremantle effort.

Round 7 Round 8

OVERVIEW

A late Adelaide surge was enough to down an impressive Fremantle effort, which Trent Cooper described as the side’s best performance of the year. Missing a number of key players and losing a few more to injury throughout the match, Fremantle took up to the challenge and led by a goal at the first break. Fremantle continued to press over the next two terms and to keep the lead within nine points at the final change, before the Crows were able to storm home with a four goal to none final term, a similar story to the week prior. Kiara Bowers notched up 29 disposals and 19 tackles as Mim Strom also recorded the milestone of bagging her first ever AFLW goal after 36 games.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle hosted the final match of the AFLW’s Pride Round but couldn’t come away with a much-desired win, falling by 29 points to a clinical Collingwood outfit. An injury-hit Freo, short of fit listed players and debuting train-on player Madizen Wilkins, held up defensively for much of the first half thanks to some fine showings from Emma O’Driscoll and Laura Pugh. Collingwood were too strong as the game went on, holding Freo goalless for the second time in Club history despite a final quarter surge from the girls in purple. Kiara Bowers put on another standout performance in the middle of the ground, collecting 28 disposals, 10 coaches votes for the third straight week and laying 11 tackles.

Round 9 Round 10

OVERVIEW

Ebony Antonio’s return from injury for her 50th game was the story as Fremantle snapped their three-game losing streak with a hard-fought victory over expansion side Sydney. The Swans made the first half slog, before Freo were able to pull away in the second half. Bianca Webb proved to be the difference on the scoreboard in just her second game for the season, her two goals breaking opening a contest which was tight and tense. Hayley Miller was sensational with 27 disposals and a goal to lead the way in the middle while Kiara Bowers laid a career-high 20 tackles and in the process broke the league record for most tackles in an AFLW season (109), which she set herself in 2021.

OVERVIEW

Inaugural captain Kara Antonio returned from injury for the final game of the season and her career as she announced her retirement in the week leading up, and Fremantle saluted the Club legend in style with a thrilling five-point victory in front of the Purple Army. Hawthorn showed the ascendency and led for most of the first three terms, but an Antonio goal late in the third term sparked the Freo Dockers into action. Freo dominated the last term as Aine Tighe snagged two including one from outside fifty and kicked four for the day, before Antonio found time for one more in her remarkable career. Kiara Bowers was outstanding with 34 disposals and a new career-high 22 tackles, in the process breaking the records for most tackles and highest fantasy score (184) in a game, as well as briefly becoming the AFLW all-time

Bowers Wins Fourth

fairest

Star midfielder Kiara Bowers once again returned to the top at Fremantle, winning her fourth AFLW Fairest and Best.

Announced at a presentation dinner at Optus Stadium in November, Bowers added her Season 7 win to her honours in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with Hayley Miller winning the award for Season 6 earlier in 2022.

Players are allocated zero to five votes based on their performances from five of Fremantle’s coaches, meaning a player can earn a maximum of 25 votes in one game for a dominant performance.

Bowers stormed home with five best on ground performances to finish the season with 169 votes, ahead of Miller in second place on 114 votes and Aine Tighe in third with 110 votes.

Emma O’Driscoll (103 votes) and Ange Stannett (98 votes) rounded out the top five.

Incredibly, Bowers achieved the rare feat of 25 votes in a game twice in Season 7, against Adelaide in round seven and Hawthorn in round 10. She also had 23 votes against Melbourne and 21 votes against Collingwood.

For context, the last time any Fremantle Docker received 25 votes in a game was in 2019, when Michael Walters kicked six goals, had 25 disposals and 14 contested possessions against Port Adelaide.

Bowers had 29 disposals and 19 tackles against the Crows and 34 disposals and 22 tackles against Hawthorn, setting an AFLW record for tackles.

She also set an AFLW record for AFL Fantasy Points against Hawthorn with 184 and recorded more than 100 points in the final six rounds of the season with 116 against West Coast, 128 against Melbourne, 164 against Adelaide, 141 against Collingwood and 129 against Sydney.

Bowers won the Players’ Award, also for the fourth time, while Stannett was Best

Clubwoman for the third time and Irish recruit Orlagh Lally won the Best First Year Player.

Mature-age draftee Megan Kauffman finished higher than Lally in the Fairest and Best count but was ineligible for the award due to her age, with eligible players needing to be under 25 years of age at the start of the season.

Fremantle’s Head of Leadership, Development and AFLW Bob Murphy said Bowers’ season was even more remarkable considering her offfield challenges.

“It’s no surprise seeing Kiara once again win the Club’s Fairest and Best, and for good reason. Her finish to the season was arguably the most dominant football we’ve seen in her celebrated career,” Murphy said.

“Kiara already juggles her football career with a very physically demanding job as a carpenter, as well as being a mother to her young son, to further add to her demands outside of the game.

“Yet on the field we saw her take her game to yet another impossibly high level. It was inspiring to watch, and no doubt the Fremantle supporters felt the same from the sidelines.

“She continues to set the standards both on and off the field, as evidenced by her also winning the Players’ Award for a fourth time.

“Hayley Miller rounded out an impressive 2022 as she battled through an interrupted preseason. Since she’s taken on the captaincy, she’s finished first and second in the Fairest and Best, which illustrates her hunger to lead by example.

“Aine Tighe’s third-placed finish is incredibly exciting for the Club. This year she put her tough run with injury behind her to become a dominant marking target up forward. We can’t wait to see where she can take her game in 2023.”

karA antOniOTHANKS

Kara Antonio was hailed as a woman who inspired a generation of women’s footballers when she was farewelled at the Season 7 Fairest and Best.

Fremantle’s players from the inaugural AFLW season in 2017 – Hayley Miller, Kiara Bowers, Gabby O’Sullivan, Ashley Sharp and her wife Ebony Antonio – all took to the stage to speak about the impact ‘Juddy’ had on their lives and their football careers.

The tears flowed especially for Bowers, who won her fourth Fairest and Best Medal on the night and dedicated most of her winner’s speech to Antonio.

“I became a marquee player with you, and it was the biggest honour,” Bowers said.

“I rate you as high as I could rate anyone, and I’ve learnt a lot of my craft from you.

“If people call me a good player, I credit that to you, from training with you and how hard we go up against each other.”

Bowers’ Fairest and Best win was in part due to her record-breaking 34 disposals and 22 tackles in round 10 against Hawthorn, in what

was Antonio’s farewell game.

The gun midfielder said it was Antonio who inspired her to new heights, with Bowers breaking the AFLW tackle and AFLW fantasy points record in the clash.

“I would rather go out in a body bag than lose for ‘Juddy’, that’s how much I love her,” Bowers said about her performance that day.

“My last game was just for ‘Juddy’, I’d do anything for that girl. Maybe she could keep playing and just say each game is her last!”

Antonio spoke about the honour of being a part of the first Fremantle AFLW playing list.

“Those four girls are all really special to me and the locker room banter is something I will miss the most,” Antonio said.

“I actually will miss pre-season, but I won’t miss the 2K time trials. I will obviously miss game day as I’m so competitive.”

Antonio reflected on falling three games short of the 50-game milestone, as well as the pride and heartbreak that surrounds the 2020 season, where Fremantle went undefeated

before the season was cancelled due to Covid-19.

“I wanted to achieve 50 games for this footy club – 47 was close,” said Antonio.

“I wanted to win a premiership and we were close. I said in my farewell speech (to outgoing coach Trent Cooper) – we’re the 2020 premiership coach and captain.”

Perhaps the most emotional moment came when Ebony Antonio addressed the room.

“Juddy, I’m extremely fortunate to share this significant period of my life with my best friend, my teammate and partner by my side. I’ve been through it all with you,” Ebony said.

“I know the sacrifices you’ve made and I’m so grateful you decided to come to Perth for a fresh start all those years ago.

“Not just because you met your soulmate, but because that single decision was able to influence a generation of girls to become strong, driven and resilient people.

“I’m so proud of you and the legacy you have left for all of us.”

FREMANTLE ‘ORIGINALS’ MAKE TEARFUL TRIBUTE TO KARA ANTONIO

Mikayla hYDe

MIDFIELDER/FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 12/01/2002

S7 GAMES 8

CAREER GAMES 23

S7 GOALS 1

CAREER GOALS 8

Madizen wilkins

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 01/05/2001

S7 GAMES 1 CAREER GAMES 1

S7 GOALS 0

CAREER GOALS 0

Janelle cuthBertsOn

KEY DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 03/09/1990

S7 GAMES 5

CAREER GAMES 24

S7 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Laura puGh

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 01/11/1993

S7 GAMES 9 CAREER GAMES 42

S7 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 1

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 05/11/1993

S7 GAMES 9 CAREER GAMES 21

S7 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Jessica lOw Amy MulhOllanD

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 06/08/1993

S7 GAMES 8 CAREER GAMES 8

S7 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 1

Round 1 Round 2

OVERVIEW

Fremantle kicked off its new season with a win for the first time since 2019 courtesy of a thrilling one-point away win against Adelaide. Freo dominated the first term, which featured a freakish goal-of-the-year contender from Michael Frederick and continued in the second term to register a 25-point lead at the main break. Inaccuracy almost cost Freo in the second half as the Crows went three goals ahead to start the final term, before a Freo fightback ensued. Lachie Schultz, who bagged three majors for the day, capitalised on an errant kick out and put the visitors up late. There would almost be one final twist with under a minute left, however Heath Chapman produced a moment of magic, fisting a Crows’ goal-bound snap back into the field of play to maintain Freo’s onepoint lead. Andrew Brayshaw began his Doig-winning season in fine style with 28 disposals, 7 tackles and 8 clearances.

OVERVIEW

After a pulsating victory to open their 2022 campaign, Fremantle fell short of a win in its opening home game in a 10-point loss to St Kilda. It was all purple in the first half as Freo held the Saints goalless in the first quarter and lead by 12 points at the main break, before the Saints dominated the third quarter to set-up a three-goal lead. Debutant and medi-sub Nathan O’Driscoll had a moment to remember coming on in the final term and slotting a goal on the run from the boundary to bring the home fans to their feet, but Freo couldn’t pull it back. Despite the result Andrew Brayshaw produced one of the all-time great performances in purple, gathering 40 disposals to go with 10 marks, eight tackles and a freakish goal from the pocket.

Round 3 Round 4

OVERVIEW

With senior coach Justin Longmuir unavailable to lead Freo in the first RAC Derby of the season due to entering health and safety protocols, Jaymie Graham took the reins. Freo showed no signs of worry with a resounding 55-point win against their cross-town rivals. The win was set up with six first-half goals and six final quarter goals, as inform forward Lachie Schultz took home the Glendinning-Allan Medal with 23 disposals and two goals. Matt Taberner was also a presence up forward to continue his recent RAC Derby form with three goals, while Will Brodie (23 disposals, eight clearances) was also impactful in his first RAC Derby appearance.

OVERVIEW

A wasteful Fremantle took control when it counted in the final term against GWS to record a 34-point win on a special night for the Club, celebrating the 20th annual Starlight Purple Haze Game. The Giants took it up to the hosts in a see-sawing contest across the first three quarters where the margin never exceeded two goals at any break. The win was eventually secured with a five-goal to none final term blitz by Fremantle, as new recruit Will Brodie dominated in the middle while a career-high 37 disposals while veteran David Mundy (30 disposals) was also prolific. The small forwards had a night out too with Michael Frederick, Travis Colyer and Nathan O’Driscoll all bagging multiple majors.

Round 5 Round 6

OVERVIEW

Fremantle made it two wins from their first two interstate games with a 48-point victory over Essendon at Marvel Stadium. Matt Taberner was outstanding in a best-on-ground performance for the key forward, booting a career-best seven goals. Despite only going into the main break with a three-point lead, Freo took all the ascendency in the second half with a six goal to none third term before adding four more in the last. The Freo midfield cut through the opposition once again, with Andrew Brayshaw (34 touches, five clearances and a goal) continuing his excellent start to the season, while Will Brodie (26 disposals) also showed his class.

OVERVIEW

A five-goal burst during the second quarter would be the catalyst for a fourth straight win for Freo, who would emerge from the contest as a genuine threat in 2022. Both teams entered the annual Len Hall Tribute Game with one loss so far in 2022, and after a tight first term the home side put on 13 majors and ran away with the contest. Will Brodie hit the scoreboard for the first time in purple, as Lachie Schultz continued his excellent start to the season in front of goals with three. Fremantle’s back half performed impressively to repel several attacks with Luke Ryan (22 disposals, 10 marks), Brennan Cox (12 marks) and Alex Pearce the top performers for subduing Carlton’s tall forwards.

Round 7 Round 8

OVERVIEW

Fremantle produced arguably their most impressive performance of the season away to the eventual premiers with a three-point win against the odds at GMHBA Stadium. Without the injured duo of Matt Taberner and Sean Darcy, things looked grim as the Cats piled on five goals in the first term. A tight contest eventually saw a momentum swing and five goals to one either side of the half gave the visitors enough to hold on in a tense final quarter as the Cats charged home. Andrew Brayshaw (28 disposals) continued putting together the finest year of his career to date, while Blake Acres (27 and a goal) was also instrumental in ensuring Freo improved to 6-1 and won for just the fourth time in 19 visits to Geelong.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle lost six players to health and safety protocols but had no issues pushing aside North Melbourne on their way to an emphatic 78-point Friday night win. Freo stood up in the prime-time slot, dominating the disposal count 406-304 and the inside 50 count 67-32. The highlight of the match came within the first ten minutes as debutant and highly touted draft pick Jye Amiss joined the first kick, first goal club with a set shot, and would finish with two for the match. Will Brodie was again outstanding, equalling his career-high of 37 disposals set just four weeks earlier, and Andrew Brayshaw (34 disposals) and James Aish (30) were also dominant through the middle of the ground.

Round 9 Round 10

OVERVIEW

The wet and wild weather on the Gold Coast proved too much to handle for Fremantle in their clash with the Suns, going down by 36 points. Freo started brightly to lead by two points at the first change despite having 19 inside 50s as they struggled for meaningful entries. This theme would continue all day as they would were held goalless for the next two quarters despite finishing the day 64-36 ahead in this category, but the Suns were far more efficient. Griffin Logue did his best to stand tall in defence with 29 disposals and 11 marks, while Will Brodie (27 disposals) and Caleb Serong(14 tackles) fought hard in good conditions for contested footy.

OVERVIEW

For the second week running, the wet weather proved a hurdle for Freo as Collingwood took control of the contest. Both teams exchanged a couple of goals in the first term as had happened last week, and the scores were level at the first break. Collingwood soon picked up the ascendency and despite never running away managed to keep Freo at length until they were able to breakaway in the final term with a five-goal finish. Although Freo’s second straight loss in the wet was a concern, Will Brodie’s excellent start to life in purple continued with another 36 disposals and a goal, to easily be named Freo’s best on a tough day, while David Mundy (34 and a goal) and Andrew Brayshaw (31 and a goal) tried to aid the load.

Round 11 Round 12

OVERVIEW

After back-to-back losses, Fremantle travelled to Melbourne and produced arguably their biggest upset of the season, snapping Narrm’s 17-game winning streak. It looked to be another inaccurate and dour day for Freo who registered 2.7 in the first half and trailed by 25 points at the main break. However, the men in purple masterminded an excellent third term where the visitors booted eight goals to complete a 43-point turnaround before keeping the Dees goalless in the final term. Freo slammed on 12 goals to one after half-time in an emphatic performance, which was spearheaded by best-on-ground Lachie Schultz who booted four majors, one of which was set up by a crafty back-hand slap on the run from the quickthinking Michael Frederick. Luke Ryan was also very influential with 29 disposals and 14 marks in the back half.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle hosted Brisbane in a top-four clash, which lived up to the hype as one of the games of the round as Freo ran out 14-point winners. In the Club's inaugural Purple Hands Foundation 'Make Our Mark' game, the Lions got the early jump, but the hosts clawed their way back to within one point at the halftime break before an 11-goal second half powered Freo home. Bailey Banfield proved the difference in the second half of his 50th game with four majors to get his side over the line, with Rory Lobb and Michael Frederick also putting three goals each on the board.

Andrew Brayshaw was best on ground with another outstanding performance, collecting 39 disposals, nine clearances and six tackles as his All-Australian-bound season continued.

Round 13 Round 15

OVERVIEW

Captain Nat Fyfe made his return from injury to feature at AFL level for the first time in 2022 and provided a spark in Fremantle’s 13-point win over Hawthorn. Fyfe jagged a goal in a spread of ten goalkickers for Freo, but it was Andrew Brayshaw who was the hero. His career-best form continued with 37 disposals and the match-sealing goal with under five minutes to play. The Hawks challenged and put up a strong fight, even leading by ten points at the main break, until the class of Freo took over with an eight goal to four second half. Fremantle’s backline also impressed as Hayden Young (31 disposals and 10 marks) and Brennan Cox (21 and 12) continued their strong seasons to date.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle travelled to Melbourne to take on Carlton in an important top-eight clash under the roof at MArvel Stadium and got off to a blistering start. Freo slotted the first three goals before Carlton took the ascendency and began to put scores on the board. Despite some strong presence from Fremantle around the ground, Carlton continued to pull away to an eventual 31-point win. Fremantle were well represented by Will Brodie in the middle of the ground with 36 disposals, six tackles and five clearances, but were left with too much to do in too many areas of the game to mount a challenge.

Round 16 Round 17

INJURIES Taberner (hamstring) UMPIRES Stevic, O’Gorman,

OVERVIEW

Fremantle survived a massive late scare from a resurgent Port Adelaide to hold on for a vital eightpoint win. Freo led by as much as 40 points late into the third term and dominated almost every facet of the game, including the clearances 48-30. Rory Lobb was strong up forward with a five-goal haul and propelled Freo to their initial lead, while Sean Darcy took advantage of Port’s makeshift ruck duo. James Aish played his best game for the season collecting 29 disposals, 10 marks and finishing with a pair of goals to cap off his day as Fremantle held on for the win in milestone games for Nathan Wilson (150 games) and Luke Ryan (100).

OVERVIEW

Fremantle kept their hunt for a top two-spot alive with an impressive second half performance to down the Saints by 41 points. St Kilda took early ascendency, but Freo made their move early in the second half with the first six goals to put the contest to bed at the final change. Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe put together his finest outing since his return with 21 disposals and three important goals, as regular midfield contributors Andrew Brayshaw (36 disposals), Will Brodie (29, six clearances) and Jordan Clark (30) were all prominent. Outside of Fyfe playing forward the visitors saw a healthy spread of contributors, with six others also kicking multiple goals.

Round 18 Round 19

OVERVIEW

A strong finish from Sydney saw Fremantle drop a valuable game at home but remained in the top-four despite falling by 23 points in a gruelling contest. The home side started strong and led for the entire first half before the Swans mounted their comeback over the second half. Three early goals in the final term saw Freo edge back in front but it wasn’t enough as the men in purple were outplayed by the visitors. Luke Ryan tried his best to keep the Swans attack at bay (24 disposals) and was well supported by Hayden Young (23 and nine marks) and Heath Chapman (19 and seven) on an otherwise dour day for the hosts.

OVERVIEW

The first draw of 2022 came with a few tense late moments as Fremantle couldn’t separate themselves from Richmond after four quarters of footy. Richmond had two late chances to win it – Noah Cumberland played on as the siren sounded just minutes after another set-shot was called play on, and a quick-thinking Michael Frederick made a desperate, match-saving smother. Before that, Bailey Banfield had levelled the scores with a textbook rove and snap which bent back perfectly. An entertaining contest saw Hayden Young have a career high 31 disposals and 14 marks as the backman picked up three Brownlow votes.

Round 20 Round 21

OVERVIEW

Fremantle celebrated its Retro Round with a Friday night home clash but couldn’t cap it off with a win as an impressive Melbourne side ran away 46-point winners. A tight opening term pointed towards a classic encounter, but an inefficient Freo side couldn’t make the most of their chances in wet weather as Melbourne won each quarter. The midfield was still able to get plenty of hands on the footy with David Mundy (35 disposals), Will Brodie (35) and Andrew Brayshaw (30) all hitting good numbers, while Michael Frederick and Michael Walters tried to influence up forward.

OVERVIEW

For the first time since 2015, Fremantle finished a round with the guarantee of playing finals football, courtesy of an impressive 17-point victory over the Western Bulldogs. Freo was dominant from the outset in a season-defining clash for both sides and led at every break on their way to a win. It was Freo’s fifth win from six outings in Victoria to that stage, and they were led superbly by Luke Ryan down back. Ryan collected 32 disposals and 15 marks to nullify the Bulldogs forwards. Rory Lobb was also dominant up forward with four goals, while Andrew Brayshaw continued to march towards Freo’s tackles record for a season with eight more.

Round 22 Round 23

OVERVIEW

Fremantle recorded its third consecutive RAC Derby win over West Coast in wet, but fiery conditions, grinding out a 24-point win. The Eagles got an early jump as tempers flared in the opening first term to take a slim lead at the first break, but Freo slowly worked their way ahead as the game continued thanks to the work of Glendenning-Allan Medallist Sean Darcy. The ruckman collected 16 disposals and slotted a goal, but it was his career-high 56 hit-outs which was most telling, giving his side first use to win the clearances 46-34. Blake Acres (29 disposals) and Will Brodie (28) were two beneficiaries of Darcy’s work, continuing their impressive seasons. In his final Home and Away game for Fremantle, Club legend David Mundy was given an emotional farewell by the Purple Army after the final siren.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle survived a final round scare from GWS to keep their hopes of a potential top-four spot alive, which would not eventuate, with a 20-point win in Canberra. Michael Walters celebrated his 200th game with a starring role, booting three goals to prove to be the final difference in the game. The Giants led for much of the first half before Caleb Serong brought Freo back into it with 32 disposals and a goal, and they hit the front on the three-quarter time siren as David Mundy goaled in his final home and away match, to go with 30 disposals of his own. The win, by the end of the round, had set-up a home elimination final with the Western Bulldogs.

Elimination Final Semi Final

OVERVIEW

The elimination final delivered an incredible comeback and one of the most famous wins in Club history, marking Freo's first finals appearance at Optus Stadium in style. Freo were ambushed by the Bulldogs in the first half and couldn’t get hands on the footy, falling behind by 41 points during the second term. The switch flicked before the main break when Michael Walters goaled before Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Jye Amiss – in just game two of his career –followed suit. The second half was a purple avalanche, kicking seven goals to two and hitting the front in the final term thanks to a few big moments. After Amiss slotted his second of the night to tie the scores, Griffin Logue goaled for the lead before Michael Frederick’s now-iconic chase down tackle set up a turnover to hand Walters his third and give Freo breathing space. Nathan O’Driscoll sealed the game with a set-shot from the boundary late, sending a record-Freo crowd into raptures and capping a 13-point win to send them to a semi-final.

OVERVIEW

Fremantle’s season came to an end earlier than any would have hoped, with a 20-point semi final loss to Collingwood at the MCG. Collingwood came out of the blocks and the Freo defence did well to limit their first quarter to only four scoring shots, but it would be as good as it got for Freo who were simply outplayed by another genuine flag contender. Despite going down by 20 points following a final quarter flourish, midfield jets Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw never gave up, collecting 34 and 33 disposals respectively. The moment of the game from a Fremantle perspective came with less than 10 minutes to go in the last – as David Mundy broke out of the middle receiving a handball from Will Brodie and on the run slotted his final AFL goal in what was a happier moment in the Club legend’s final match.

STurT

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 12/05/2000

Griffin lOGue

DEFENDER/FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 13/04/1998

2022 GAMES 20 CAREER GAMES 64 2022 GOALS 8 CAREER GOALS 9

RUCK

DATE OF BIRTH 12/06/1998 2022 GAMES 21 CAREER GAMES 83 2022 GOALS 10 CAREER GOALS 34

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 30/11/1997 2022 GAMES 23 CAREER GAMES 67 2022 GOALS 30 CAREER GOALS 68

Caleb SerOnG

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 09/02/2001

2022 GAMES 22 CAREER GAMES 58 2022 GOALS 5 CAREER GOALS 15

MIDFIELDER/FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 18/09/1991

2022 GAMES 7 CAREER GAMES 209 2022 GOALS 6 CAREER GOALS 170

Andrew BraySHAW

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 08/11/1999

2022 GAMES 24 CAREER GAMES 100 2022 GOALS 12 CAREER GOALS 32

Jordan clark

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 16/10/2000

2022 GAMES 24 CAREER GAMES 56 2022 GOALS 3 CAREER GOALS 18

Blake acreS

WING

DATE OF BIRTH 07/10/1995

2022 GAMES 20 CAREER GAMES 120 2022 GOALS 6 CAREER GOALS 37

Sam

Sean Darcy

Nathan FyFe

Lachie ScHulTZ

Michael WalTerS

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 07/01/1991

2022 GAMES 21

CAREER GAMES 202

2022 GOALS 25

CAREER GOALS 315

Luke ryan

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 06/02/1996

2022 GAMES 24

CAREER GAMES 109 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 3

David MunDy

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 20/07/1985

2022 GAMES 22

CAREER GAMES 376

2022 GOALS 5

CAREER GOALS 161

James aiSH

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 08/11/1995

2022 GAMES 23

CAREER GAMES 143 2022 GOALS 5

CAREER GOALS 29

Nathan WilSOn

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 07/01/1993

2022 GAMES 2 CAREER GAMES 151 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 18

Will BrODie

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 23/08/1998

2022 GAMES 24

CAREER GAMES 49 2022 GOALS 6 CAREER GOALS 9

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 28/04/1999

2022 GAMES 2

CAREER GAMES 42

2022 GOALS 0

CAREER GOALS 15

Mitch crOWDen Ethan HuGHeS

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 07/12/1994

2022 GAMES 6 CAREER GAMES 81 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 4

Darcy Tucker

MIDFIELDER/FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 23/01/1997

2022 GAMES 14 CAREER GAMES 108 2022 GOALS 2 CAREER GOALS 35

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 02/03/1996

2022 GAMES 0

CAREER GAMES 78 2022 GOALS 0

CAREER GOALS 3

Lloyd Meek

RUCK

DATE OF BIRTH 22/04/1998

2022 GAMES 6 CAREER GAMES 15 2022 GOALS 2 CAREER GOALS 3

Alex pearce

KEY DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 09/06/1995

2022 GAMES 21

CAREER GAMES 84 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 4

Matthew TaBerner

KEY FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 17/06/1993

2022 GAMES 13

CAREER GAMES 116 2022 GOALS 23 CAREER GOALS 164

Joel HaMlinG

KEY DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 09/04/1993

2022 GAMES 1 CAREER GAMES 87 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

MIDFIELDER/FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 28/08/2001

2022 GAMES 7 CAREER GAMES 27 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 12

Liam Henry Hayden yOunG

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 11/04/2001

2022 GAMES 22 CAREER GAMES 35 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 1

Jye aMiSS

KEY FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 31/07/2003

2022 GAMES 3 CAREER GAMES 3 2022 GOALS 4 CAREER GOALS 4

Heath cHapMAn

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 31/01/2002

2022 GAMES 17 CAREER GAMES 23 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 1

Connor Blakely

Neil eraSMuS

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 02/12/2003

2022 GAMES 5 CAREER GAMES 5 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 1

Michael FreDerick

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 17/05/2000 2022 GAMES 22 CAREER GAMES 39 2022 GOALS 28 CAREER GOALS 37

Nathan O’DriScOll

WING

DATE OF BIRTH 17/05/2002

2022 GAMES 12 CAREER GAMES 12 2022 GOALS 10 CAREER GOALS 10

KEY FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 04/08/2002

2022 GAMES 4 CAREER GAMES 19 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 14

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 24/08/1991 2022 GAMES 18 CAREER GAMES 146 2022 GOALS 9 CAREER GOALS 86

DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 17/10/2002

2022 GAMES 21 CAREER GAMES 31 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 1

Brennan cOX

KEY DEFENDER

DATE OF BIRTH 13/08/1998

2022 GAMES 23 CAREER GAMES 82 2022 GOALS 1 CAREER GOALS 28

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 12/10/2002

2022 GAMES 0 CAREER GAMES 4 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Rory lOBB

KEY FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 09/02/1993

2022 GAMES 21 CAREER GAMES 140 2022 GOALS 36 CAREER GOALS 143

Josh

Travis cOlyer

Brandon Walker Joel WeSTern

RUCK

DATE OF BIRTH 14/06/2003

2022 GAMES 0

CAREER GAMES 0

2022 GOALS 0

CAREER GOALS 0

Eric BenninG Bailey

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 26/02/1998

2022 GAMES 23 CAREER GAMES 61 2022 GOALS 18 CAREER GOALS 31

Sam SWiTkOWSki

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 20/11/1996

2022 GAMES 14

CAREER GAMES 46

2022 GOALS 11 CAREER GOALS 27

Karl WOrner

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 16/06/2002

2022 GAMES 0 CAREER GAMES 0

2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

Sebit kuek Matthew JOHnSOn

FORWARD

DATE OF BIRTH 11/11/2000

2022 GAMES 0 CAREER GAMES 0 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

MIDFIELDER

DATE OF BIRTH 16/03/2003

2022 GAMES 0 CAREER GAMES 0 2022 GOALS 0 CAREER GOALS 0

DOIG Medal

Andrew Brayshaw was crowned the winner of the 2022 Doig Medal by a clear margin at the Doig Medal Presentation Dinner at Crown Perth in October.

The midfield star enjoyed a breakaway victory, polling 273 votes to finish 73 votes ahead of runner-up Brennan Cox.

Caleb Serong and Alex Pearce couldn’t be split on 197 votes apiece, with Serong claiming third on a countback ahead of Pearce, having received more four-vote games from an individual coach - while crafty goal sneak Lachie Schultz rounded out the top five on 192 votes.

Following each game, senior coach Justin Longmuir and four coaches – Josh Carr, Matthew Boyd, Jaymie Graham and Joel Corey – allocated up to five votes to each player based on how they performed their role, meaning a player could receive up to 25 votes in a game for an elite performance.

Brayshaw’s first Doig Medal triumph also continued a run of four consecutive top 10 finishes and three consecutive top five finishes, regularly finding himself at the pointy end of the Doig Medal count in recent years.

The 22-year-old’s season was highlighted by two 20-vote games in round six against Carlton and round 12 against Brisbane, the latter in which he had 39 disposals, nine clearances and six tackles.

He polled votes in every game and had 15-votes or more on 10 occasions.

The 22-year-old Brayshaw is the thirdyoungest player to win the Doig Medal behind Matthew Pavlich and Nathan Fyfe.

The award completes a series of accolades for Brayshaw in 2022, where he was also named the AFL Players’ Most Valuable Player, earned All Australian honours and finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal.

Emerging defender Brandon Walker won the Beacon Award as the best young player, edging out fellow backman Heath Chapman by one vote.

All first-year players, and second-year players who had 10 or fewer games experience to start the season, were eligible for the award.

Sam Switkowski was recognised for his efforts both on and off the field with the Best Clubman award.

Serong was named Fremantle’s Player of the Finals after he averaged 33.5 disposals, 16 contested possessions and 7.5 clearances in the elimination final against the Western Bulldogs and the semi final against Collingwood.

Fremantle also recognised the administrative and playing contributions of Chris Bond and Tony Godden, with the pair inducted as Life Members.

Inaugural board member Ron Alexander received the Con Regan Medal, which recognises outstanding service and dedication to the Fremantle Football Club.

The Club also recognised four dedicated individuals with an Outstanding Service award in Barrie Herbert for his long and continuing assistance when Fremantle travel to Melbourne, Richard Lakeland and Paul Sinor for their tireless work for the recruiting team by watching countless games interstate, and Megan Bignell who never misses an away game as the coordinator of the Melbourne Cheer Squad.

DOIG Medallist

ANDREW BRAYSHAW

The gun midfielder rose to a new level in 2022, tallying career high numbers in disposals, tackles, marks, clearances, kicks, contested possessions, inside 50s and goals.

His convincing 73-vote win in the count adds to a growing list of accolades from this year for the 22-year-old, including the AFLPA’s Most Valuable Player, All Australian, and finishing fourth in the Brownlow Medal.

Brayshaw is the third consecutive player from Fremantle’s 2017 draft class to win the award, alongside Luke Ryan in 2020 and Sean Darcy last season.

Drafted at no.2, Brayshaw spoke about how he quickly set himself the goal of becoming a Doig Medallist.

After his first year at the Club, he admitted to taking a selfie with then housemate Lachie Neale’s Doig Medal, in part as a motivator to one day reach the same heights.

“I’m really, really proud. Winning the Doig Medal, it’s huge,” Brayshaw said.

“In my first year, I was living with Lachie Neale and he brought home this award and I remember taking a selfie with it actually, just trying to manifest that one day I’ll be up here winning it myself.”

While Brayshaw has joined the likes of Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Fyfe, David Mundy, Peter Bell and Aaron Sandilands as a winner of the award, he emphasised that it was the goal to win a premiership that really ate at him.

“

“Every year you try and take a step forward and I’m going to try and do the same next year,” Brayshaw said.

“It’s hard work and surrounding yourself with really driven people, both coaches and players, and just enjoying every day and loving the burn.

“That (winning a premiership) is what we’re here to do.”

Brayshaw thanked outgoing midfield coach Josh Carr but indicated that the group would be in good hands with development coach Joel Corey, who will step up into the role.

“Carry, I’m going to miss you mate, you’ve had a massive influence on me and my midfield craft,” Brayshaw said on the night.

“Smithy (Corey), thanks for the sessions every morning, you’ve dedicated so much time into your players and you lead the way in that aspect, so thank you very much.”

Brayshaw also paid tribute to his teammates and the Purple Army in his heartwarming winning speech.

“To the fans, I love you guys so much. Every home game, every away game, you’re the most passionate supporters in the AFL. Thank you guys, so much,” Brayshaw said.

“To the players who are leaving, not getting contracts, moving elsewhere or retiring, I’ll miss coming into work with you guys every day.

“To the guys who are still here, let’s improve next year. We took a step forward but we’re not there yet, there’s a lot of work to do.

“Let’s raise the cup next year lads!”

2022 Doig Medal champion Andrew Brayshaw may hold the Club’s highest honour in the same regard, but he hopes the award is just another step on the way to greatness for himself and his teammates.

TO THE FANS, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH. EVERY HOME GAME, EVERY AWAY GAME, YOU’RE THE MOST PASSIONATE SUPPORTERS IN THE AFL.

“

bEAcOn Award

BRANDON WALKER

Brandon Walker put an exclamation point on a season that saw him cement his place in Fremantle’s best 22, awarded Fremantle’s Beacon Award at the Doig Medal Presentation Dinner.

The Beacon Award uses the same criteria as the AFL’s NAB Rising Star Award, excluding the age criteria where a player is still eligible to win the award in his second year if he has played 10 or less AFL games in his first year.

Walker took home the Beacon Award by a single vote ahead of fellow young backman Heath Chapman after he earnt 10 votes or more in six games throughout 2022.

A product of Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy, Walker has been a consistent performer in defence, with his speed off half back and daring ball use fitting in perfectly with senior coach Justin Longmuir’s game plan.

The emerging defender enjoyed a particularly impressive middle part of the season, that saw his efforts duly recognised with a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in Fremantle’s win over Hawthorn in round 13.

“That’s where my natural game comes in as well, so it’s feeding off that and using my ability.

“(Having Longmuir’s trust) is a pretty big confidence boost going into a game. You still have to play your role and perform your best, but you don’t really think about what not to do.

“It’s just playing your role and putting your best foot forward instead of worrying about (selection) the next week.”

While Walker was dealt his own blows at the selection table with his omission ahead of Fremantle’s round nine clash with Gold Coast, Longmuir became steadfast in prioritising Walker’s pace and rebound in the backline over going for a third tall defender.

He said having that trust from Longmuir gave him the confidence to deliver on game days.

“The role requires small defenders to get around the ball and the contest…I like that role,” Walker said.

The faith in Walker by Fremantle’s match committee has not waned from his debut game in round 13 of last season, having only missed three games since.

In April this year, the 20-year-old dashing defender put pen to paper to extend his contract by a further two seasons, which will see him remain with the Club until at least the end of 2024.

IT’S JUST PLAYING YOUR ROLE AND PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD...

“

“

bEst Clubman

SAM SWITKOWSKI

From a long list of potential winners, Sam Switkowski stood out above the rest as the player who best lives by the Club’s anchors, and was awarded Best Clubman.

The award acknowledges the player that consistently puts the needs of the Club first and willingly accepts responsibility to improve the whole Club environment.

Switkowski’s on-field performances in 2022 were complemented by his authenticity off the field in everything he does under the Fremantle banner, from showing genuine care in helping his teammates improve and doing everything he can to assist Club staff.

The elite-pressure forward was again unlucky with injury in 2022, missing seven games in the back half of the season due to a back injury, yet he maintained his positive attitude every time he set foot inside the Club.

“It’s a nice award to win. We are so football-

best person I can and put the Club first when I walk in the door. It’s an honour,” Switkowski said.

“The care and love I have for the Club holds me in good stead and whenever injuries and hiccups come, I try and still put on a brave face and a smile and get around the other guys.

“The ultimate goal is that we are there on the last day of September.

“I love playing footy at Fremantle, there is no

Senior coach Justin Longmuir presented Switkowski with the award and placed an emphasis on the value held internally on the Best Clubman honour.

“The success on the field is a by-product of what we do off the field and the behaviours of which we live and keep each other accountable,” Longmuir said.

“There’s been a level of fight that our supporters have been able to see on the field and the connection within the playing group has got really strong.

“The playing group have all driven each other to become between footballers.”

THERE’S BEEN A LEVEL OF FIGHT THAT OUR SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE ON THE FIELD...

“ “

LIFE Membership

CHRIS BOND & TONY GODDEN

The careers and contributions of Chris Bond and Tony Godden were honoured at the Doig Medal Presentation Dinner after being inducted as Life Members of the Club.

Recognised for their endeavours as both players and administrators, they become the 32nd and 33rd Life Members of the Club.

Bond played at Fremantle in 1998 and 1999, serving as captain in his second year.

In 2007, he returned to the Club in an administrative capacity, working as the general manager of list development in 2007 and as the general manager of football operations between 2008 and 2018.

Godden was a player for Fremantle between 1996 and 1998, and for the past 18 years he has led Fremantle’s merchandise operations.

The pair were presented with their awards by fellow Life Members Shaun McManus and Roger Hayden.

There is no greater honour that can be bestowed by the Fremantle Dockers Football Club than Life Membership and both Bond and Godden spoke of their delight in joining the prestigious group.

“It’s a really significant honour, I’m rapt and incredibly proud,” Bond said.

He has played an integral part in the delivery of some of Fremantle’s biggest and boldest initiatives such as the Club’s rebrand in 2010, and facilitating specially designed jumpers for Indigenous Round, Retro Round, Pride Round and Starlight Purple Haze Games.

“I’ve been in footy for a long time and when I was told by (CEO) Simon Garlick, that made me a bit emotional. It means a great deal and it will do for a long time.”

“It’s a huge honour. It’s something I’m really proud of and quite emotional about,” Godden said.

“You look forward to going to work. Everyone has the same goal to make the Club better. I’m really excited with where the Club is headed, the future is looking really good.”

Fremantle also recognised inaugural board member Ron Alexander with the Con Regan Medal.

Named after the Club’s inaugural football manager and WA football great Con Regan, the Medal recognises an extraordinary, inspirational and dedicated personal contribution to the Fremantle Football Club outside of the competitive arena.

Alexander was very hands on in his approach as a director and played a crucial role in developing the Club’s financial plan, name, colours, selecting coaching staff and assembling the list. He was also the Club’s chairman of selectors between 1995 to 1998.

EVERYONE HAS THE SAME GOAL TO MAKE THE CLUB BETTER. I'M REALLY EXCITED WITH WHERE THE CLUB IS HEADED.

“

“

tHE EnD OF An ERA

DAVID MUNDY

After seven weeks of ‘commas’, the final full stop was placed on the 19-year career of Fremantle legend David Mundy at the Presentation Dinner.

The 376-game champion took to the stage for the final time as a player, joined by wife Sally and, fittingly, former teammate and close friend Luke McPharlin.

“I think it’s ultimately fitting that I’m up here with (Luke McPharlin) considering my first kick in the AFL was an absolute flour bag to you in the forward line which you managed to mark and kick a goal,” Mundy said.

‘I made it look good!’ joked McPharlin.

A return to finals football in Mundy’s concluding weeks as an AFL player meant the opportunity to reflect on a career that had spanned over half of his life had not yet arrived.

The Fremantle games record holder incredibly sits in eighth position on the all-time games played records in VFL/AFL history, with Mundy proudly able to call 147 of the 236 players to have ever pull on a Fremantle jumper, his teammates.

It’s those teammates that Mundy dedicates the success of his career to.

“It’s been an incredible journey of 19 years and I’m not sure Sally and I are even fully caught up yet in the hype or journey that we have been on,” Mundy said.

“We are looking forward to finally putting a full stop on it tonight, there’s been a lot of commas, over the last couple of weeks in particular, and we’ll get a chance to really reflect.

“It takes more than just players and coaches… I’ve been very lucky to learn off a lot of people.

“I’ve also been lucky enough to be coached and be involved with quite a few of the guys at the Football Club now; Justin Longmuir, Josh Carr and Peter Bell in particular.

“Then there are guys like Troy Cook and Shaun McManus who in my early days really showed me what was required at the level and gave me a great blueprint to work off in my own way.”

“

I THINK THERE IS A REALLY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THE CLUB, AND I WILL BE WATCHING ON FONDLY.

E“To the broader Fremantle faithful, I consider myself incredibly lucky and really proud to have been able to represent our Football Club for 19 years. It’s been an absolute privilege,” Mundy said.

“Thank you very much for your support, particularly in the last seven weeks which has been absolutely incredible in the amount of support that has flowed to me and my family.

“To the Fremantle Football Club, administrators, players, coaches, I have really loved my journey.

“The latest iteration of the Fremantle Football Club led by Simon (Garlick), Justin (Longmuir) and Peter (Bell) I have really loved. It’s been three of my most enjoyable years in football.

“

Mundy paid tribute to his family, the people that have meant most in his life, but have lived on the opposite side of the country to him ever since he was drafted to Fremantle in 2003.

“We understand what a significant role family plays, particularly as we’re growing and developing, but what is often missed is that once we as players make it into a Football Club, they have to relinquish that dominance and control in our lives,” Mundy said.

“It can be a really difficult period and transition for all of us, that certainly wasn’t helped by moving to the other side of the country.

“I really thank you… I love you all a lot.”

Mundy saved his final words for the Football Club he had called home for the past 19 years, and the Purple Army who have been cheering his name every step of the journey.

“I think there is a really bright future for the Club, and I will be watching on fondly.”

aFl AWARDS

ANDREW BRAYSHAW’S DOMINATION

Andrew Brayshaw continued to stamp his mark on the AFL competition with a statement 2022 season that attracted a long list of accolades.

Perhaps the most telling of those accolades, Brayshaw was voted as the best player in the league by his football peers as the AFL Players’ Association Most Valuable Player.

The 22-year-old became the fourth youngest winner of the Leigh Matthews Trophy and the youngest since Nick Riewoldt in 2004.

Brayshaw said he was humbled to be recognised by his opponents across the competition.

“I’m really honoured to be judged by my peers and to win the award. I’m very surprised, but grateful as well,” Brayshaw said.

“To think that the rest of the AFL playing group gave me some votes, and enough to win it, it’s a huge surprise and one that I honestly didn’t see coming.

“(Winning the award at 22) is not something that you set out to try and achieve. As a team, we were just trying to win as many games as possible and I was trying to play my best footy.”

Considered at the top by the players, Brayshaw also fared well in the umpire-voted Brownlow Medal count, notching his best-ever placing of fourth on 25 votes.

Averaging more than 29 disposals per game while breaking Fremantle’s tackle record in a home and away season, Brayshaw’s tag as the best two-way runner in the game was also recognised with his first All Australian team selection.

Key defender Brennan Cox also received a maiden selection in the initial All Australian squad of 44 before missing out on the final team.

While Brayshaw’s on-field attributes were duly recognised in 2022, it was his leadership that also caught the attention of the football world, named the captain of the AFL Players’ 22under22 team.

Fremantle led all teams with a Club record of four players in the final 22under22, with Jordan Clark, Caleb Serong and Hayden Young joining Brayshaw, while Michael Frederick was named in the 40-player squad.

The selection marks Brayshaw’s third consecutive appearance in the 22under22, selected in 95 per cent of teams in the fanvoted process - the second most of any AFL player for 2022.

Heath Chapman, Brandon Walker and Nathan O’Driscoll also made a name for themselves as young stars of the competition, with the trio each earning a 2022 NAB AFL Rising Star nomination throughout the season.

I’M REALLY HONOURED TO BE JUDGED BY MY PEERS AND TO WIN THE AWARD. I’M VERY SUPRISED, BUT GRATEFUL AS WELL.

“ “

Andrew Brayshaw (22Under22 Captain)

Caleb Serong (Midfield)

Hayden Young (Defence)

Jordan Clark (Defence)

Andrew Brayshaw & the other members of the All-Australian interchange

Fans anD upDate COMMUNITY

SIMON EASTAUGH HEAD OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The past 12 months have shown significant growth and consolidation in our community programs and outreach in both metropolitan and regional areas of WA.

One of our most significant achievements this year has been the implementation of the female football pathway strategy to help grow the number of girls playing footy within our community. We believe the benefits from this focus will be far reaching and help build the depth of players that can feed into the elite women’s game into the future. While there is a strong participation focus with the current strategy, the hope is that it will evolve to a formal talent pathway for young women, much like the AFL’s NGA for young men.

In a broader community sense, this year we set a goal of having 135,000 young people participate in Fremantle community and NGA programs, and we’re proud to announce that we have exceeded our target.

Below are just some of the programs we have implemented throughout WA:

WE ARE FREO

The We are Freo program was established to introduce Australian Rules Football to multicultural students in WA, and help strengthen and encourage inclusion within the wider Australian community.

The program was an incredible success this year with more than 600 kids participating in the program. A Gala Day held at the Club in November saw 250 year five and six students participate in a lightning carnival, where they celebrated their own cultures while getting involved with the Club and playing Australian Rules Football.

FREO FOOTPRINTS

Freo Footprints is an exciting program for children aged 2-4 years and provided a fun and highly engaging environment where the kids could participate in running, jumping, balancing and basic coordination skills like kicking and catching. We had five Perth metropolitan leisure centres running the program, and just under 600 participants for 2022.

COMMUNITY COACHING

Community coaching was a significant area of growth with the Club delivering regional coach education trips, virtual workshops and in person workshops in Perth. We had 859 community coaching participants over the course of this year, including almost 500 WA Police Academy cadets acquiring their coaching accreditation. We see this as an important program to help develop strong leaders within our community.

FEMALE FOOTBALL PATHWAY

As well as developing our Female Football Pathway Strategic Plan, we saw growth in the Peak Performance program, which provided an elite football experience at the Club for more than 100 girls aged 16 to 18. Peak Performance is designed and delivered by Fremantle's AFL Women’s players and High-Performance staff and brings participants inside the four walls of an elite high-performance environment.

If you’re interested in getting involved in the Club’s community programs, stay tuned to fremantlefc.com.au and our social media channels, where we are constantly advertising upcoming events and programs. You can also contact the Club directly for more information.

GeneratiOn NEXT ACADEMY

WADE SPILCKER NGA MANAGER

Fremantle’s Next Generation Academy was buoyed by a return to relative post-Covid normalcy, with our boys’ squads able to resume playing fixtures against West Coast.

We are still in the process of rapidly developing our female NGA programs to be equal to our male programs, with more than 250 girls taking part in our programs in 2022, as well as the appointment of our first female NGA coach in AFLW player Gabby O’Sullivan.

Our boys’ program is now well established, with five squads providing a framework for a journey to the elite level;

>>> Peter Bell squad (Under 14)

>>> Roger Hayden squad (Under 15)

>>> Tendai Mzungu squad (Under 16)

>>> Antoni Grover squad (Under 17)

>>> Stephen Hill squad (Under 18)

We also have programs for boys aged 11 to 13 that are open to footballers of all backgrounds, before focusing on multicultural and First Nations players, who are eligible as NGA selections at the draft, from the Under 14 stage onwards.

Our Peter Bell and Roger Hayden squads had a number of training sessions throughout the year, and played a handful of games against West Coast, highlighted by a curtain raiser at Optus Stadium before the round 3 RAC Derby.

Our Tendai Mzungu squad wrapped up their year in late November with a round robin against West Coast and a WAFL All Stars team. This is the final stage in their development process before potential selection into the elite phase of the NGA, which is our Antoni Grover and Stephen Hill squads.

While WAFL football is the main focus of the players in the Grover and Hill squads, our programs ensure they turn their focus to off the field.

Roger Hayden and Jon Haines, former Gold Coast SUNS GM of Football, had developed a leadership program that focuses on preparing players for the expectations of life at AFL level.

Roger has been instrumental to the success of our NGA programs. He not only has his AFL playing and coaching experience at hand, but he’s an important leader and role model to the players, as well as the community coaches we work with.

We are passionate about providing opportunities for community coaches; in particular First Nations, multicultural and female coaches who are underrepresented in community football.

We made visits to our regional centres of Geraldton, Narrogin and Merredin, and travelled throughout the Kimberley so we could provide

the same opportunities to boys and girls in the regions as we do in the metropolitan area.

One of the highlights of the year were our Under 12 and 13 WAFL Carnivals, which have now been named the Aaron Sandilands (U13) and Michael Walters (U12) shields.

We had more than 700 players involved in the 2022 carnivals and it would not have been possible without the help of our aligned WAFL zones Peel, East Fremantle, South Fremantle, Claremont and West Perth.

While Fremantle players like Brandon Walker, Liam Henry and Eric Benning headline our NGA program, we see significant benefit in being able to impact so many young male and female footballers every year through our programs.

The NGA isn’t just about elite talent, it’s about using our resources and influence to give something back to the community.

We’re really proud of the meaningful progress our programs made in 2022 and we can’t wait to continue that growth in 2023.

fOunDatiOn PURPLE HANDS

EMMA PASS FOUNDATION OPERATIONS MANAGER

Less than two years ago the Fremantle Football Club identified the importance to not just be successful on the footy field, but also off the field in the community and to use the platform of sport to have a genuine impact on people’s lives.

Out of this, the Purple Hands Foundation (PHF) was born to help build healthy and united communities in WA.

The framework is simple, we provide opportunity and connection to those in the community facing social barriers, with a commitment to giving people a hand up, not a hand out, to help them become their best selves.

It has been a ground-breaking first year after officially launching in December 2021.

In the past 12 months, we have delivered a range of programs across WA, focusing on Health & wellbeing, Leadership & Education and Respect & Inclusion.

A small and dedicated PHF team is well supported thanks to the in-kind support of the Fremantle Football Club, as well as our generous donors, who have helped Purple Hands make its mark with programs and initiatives across the WA community.

KIMBERLEY CONNECTED

In 2021, Purple Hands delivered the inaugural Kimberley 9s – a football carnival on Cable Beach in Broome as reward for positive social behaviour and school attendance by students in Kimberley schools.

In 2022, we wanted to broaden our impact on young people in the Kimberley and so expanded the program beyond just a football carnival. Kimberley Connected is now an education and wellbeing program that sees PHF deliver workshops in schools across Terms 1-3, culminating in the Cable Beach 9s carnival in Term 4.

The program grew from 275 students in 2021 for the carnival, to 370 students for the entire Kimberley Connected program in 2022, and is the flagship program of the Purple Hands Foundation.

A big thank you to all of our key partners who helped us deliver another incredible carnival this year; WA Police, Airbnb, Sullivan Logistics, Tyrepower, Zero2Hero, Containers for Change, Garnduwa, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service and the West Australian Football Commission.

GOALS AHEAD

In 2022 the Purple Hands Foundation partnered with Youth Focus and Zero2Hero to create a mental health program specifically designed for secondary school students in WA.

In its second year, Goals aHead was delivered in three schools with Purple Hands working closely with teachers and students to tailor the content to suit the unique circumstances of each cohort.

Working with our partners, we have been able to use sport as a vehicle to kickstart important conversations with young people around mental health and provide them with vital skills at an important age.

space can be developed for public use in 2023. SEDA DUAL DIPLOMA

In its inaugural year, the SEDA Dual Diploma in Sport, Business and Leadership saw 28 students commence the course. With a 100 per cent completion rate, the course offered a unique insight into the inner workings of an AFL Club where students received industry experience delivered by Fremantle Football Club staff, alongside the Sport and Business curriculum.

The course also provided each student with a project delivery task to plan, develop and deliver a project to external partners that included AFLW clinics in Geraldton, school delivery in Bunbury, the Kimberley 9s carnival in Broome and the Primary Education Support Carnival in Perth Metro.

Purple Hands is proud of the education opportunity provided to the students, but equally we are proud of the young women and men who have displayed great dedication and commitment to the program and support to Purple Hands.

MAKE OUR MARK GAME DAY

The Purple Hands Foundation held the inaugural Make Our Mark Game in 2022 at Fremantle’s round 12 AFL game against Brisbane at Optus Stadium. The focus of the round was to increase public awareness of Purple Hands and showcase some of the key initiatives and programs on offer, while directing the public to donate to help us ‘make our mark’.

CALM SENSORY ROOM

With Respect & Inclusion as one of the key pillars of the foundation, we were proud to pilot a Calm Sensory Room at five of Fremantle’s AFL home games at Optus Stadium in 2022.

The room was developed with support from The Autism Association of WA who assisted with resource development, equipment, and match day support. Users of the room, parents and carers provided valuable feedback so that the

The generous Purple Army got right behind the match day and raised more than $28k for the first fundraising match.

To find out more about the Purple Hands Foundation, the amazing work we are doing and how you can be help us “Make Our Mark” head to fremantlefc.com.au/purple-hands

A COMMITMENT TO GIVING PEOPLE A HAND UP, NOT A HAND OUT, TO HELP THEM BECOME THEIR BEST SELVES

“ “

uPDaTe RAP

KASEY PASSMORE RAP CHAIR

the three reconciliation pillars of Relationships, Respect and Opportunities.

RELATIONSHIPS

2022 was a rewarding year for the advancement of our Reconciliation Action Plan, as the Club made significant progress on current Stretch RAP initiatives and innovations.

Our RAP was launched in March 2020, right before Covid-19 hit, and almost two years on, we are proud to have achieved so much under some challenging circumstances.

Much of that can be attributed to strong support from our Indigenous Programs Partner Woodside, along with a renewed focus on our RAP governance structures.

In order to deliver on our RAP commitments we have a RAP Administration group who meet weekly to ensure we maintain momentum on projects and initiatives. I would like to acknowledge Roger Hayden, Jana Gernhoefer and Jade Holmes for championing this group.

We then have an internal RAP Working group who meet quarterly to ensure we are on track more broadly with our goals and objectives.

This year, following a discussion with a fellow RAP partner in Starlight, we identified a need to have a representative from every department on the working group, and as a result, we have 17 passionate staff all working on our reconciliation goals.

The final piece of our RAP governance structure was put in place in May when we formed our External Advisory Group. Consisting of representatives from our members, sponsors, players, board, community, AFL and staff, this group has generated valuable feedback and guidance for the Club to build upon and start turning our attention to the development of our next RAP.

In 2022 we did some incredible work across

The AFL landscape lends itself to some wonderful opportunities to maintain and grow respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We have been able to use the AFL & AFLW Indigenous Rounds to make meaningful connections and share experiences together.

For our Sir Doug Nicholls Round in May against Collingwood, the Club welcomed Elders from the Kimberley Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation, as we have done for many years. However this year, the invitation was extended more broadly to the WA Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation and the Bringing Them Home Committee (WA) to ensure a strong and inclusive game day. It was wonderful to have Elders join us from across the State for the game, and take part in the on ground guard of honour.

They were able to watch the team run out in the guernsey that was beautifully designed by Michael 'Sonny' Walters and Peter Farmer Junior.

The Peter Farmer Designs team worked closely with Sonny through the design process. Sonny’became the first current AFL player to provide a design to a Fremantle jumper, and it was a family affair with Walters’ and Junior’s grandparents being close cousins who both have heritage linking back to the Minang language group in the Noongar region around Albany.

For the 2022 AFLW Indigenous Rounds, the players wore the design of Mikayla Morrison and her Uncle Des Headland, who worked with fellow family member and local Ivvndigenous artist Kevin Bynder to create a design for both the 2021 AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round and the 2022 AFLW Indigenous Rounds.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIGHT ISLANDER PEOPLES ARE ADVISED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CONTAINS IMAGES OF A PERSON WHO HAS PASSED AWAY.

The AFLW version also featured eight circles to represent the language groups of each Indigenous AFLW player who have played a game for the Club, continuing the tradition started with Jasmin Stewart’s AFLW jumper design for the 2020 and 2021 AFLW seasons.

Morrison got to take to the field in her design in February against the Adelaide Crows, but unfortunately her knee injury meant she was sidelined for the Season 7 Indigenous Round against the Western Bulldogs. The Club was able to ensure Morrison made it over for the game and was part of the pre-game ceremony to celebrate her contribution.

As part of Reconciliation Week, in May, a number of our staff attended the Walk for Reconciliation and took part in staff and player yarning circles to learn more about First Nations history and culture. Further education opportunties were provided throughout the year, including an introduction to the Uluru Statement of the Heart.

The Club’s NGA has a strong focus on relationships and mentor support for young First Nations players, and it is a credit to Roger Hayden and Wade Spilcker for their significant work to ensure past players like Antoni Grover, and past NGA players like Keanu Haddow, come back and help guide these young men on their journey.

RESPECT

Respect is the foundation block to forming solid relationships and we worked with a number of partners and supporters to acknowledge and pay respect to our strong links to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

It is important to our Club that we demonstrate respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by embedding cultural protocols. Each year, our staff group come together with our playing groups to undertake smoking ceremonies. For our AFLW program, the ceremony is held at Fremantle Oval and is open to members and supporters. This year for our AFL program, a smoking ceremony was held at our Cockburn HQ ahead of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. Unfortunately due to Covid protocols,

the number of people in attendance was limited but it was still a special moment for those who were able to attend.

The management team and RAP working group took part in a personalised acknowledgement of country workshop lead by Curtin University’s Cultural Immersion Facilitators Jayde Conway and Elisha Jacobs-Smith. The workshop empowered and encouraged our people to not only understand when to deliver an acknowledgement of country, but to author a meaningful statement they could confidently deliver, that was personal to them.

In addition to this workshop, Jayde and Elisha also facilitated an on-country experience for staff at Wadjemup (Rottnest Island). The experience was incredibly powerful and educated staff more deeply about Aboriginal suffering on the island as a result of colonisation. Many staff have since reflected on the experience as the most powerful and impactful moment of their 2022 and I encourage our Freo family to seek out the opportunity take part in such an experience.

One of the more prominent projects that demonstrated respect for the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we play our great game in Perth, Whadjuk Noongar Boodja, was our Welcome to Country video played at the commencement of each home game this year. Our media team, with guidance from our RAP advisors and input from some talented performers, produced a stunning video that the Freo family are very proud of.

A ‘Moorditj’ jumper was introduced as a clash strip for AFL & AFLW games as a way of recognising and celebrating First Nations history and culture across the seasons, not just in Indigenous Rounds.

Meaning strong in Noongar, the Moorditj jumper features purple panels down the sides with elements from the Club’s first Indigenous jumpers, designed by Roger Hayden and Richard Walley (AFL) and Jasmine Stewart (AFLW).

OPPORTUNITIES

An important part of our RAP is that we work to establish opportunities that allow us to make a meaningful difference to the social, physical, employment and other outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

In 2022, the Club became members of Reconciliation WA and took part in the first

SPORT RAP Rings event. It was an opportunity to unite with fellow sporting organisations across the State and talk about our progress, priorities and initiatives for reconciliation and what we can achieve together in the future.

When it comes to providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the Kimberley Connected program (see PHF update on page 80-81) is at the forefront of the work we are doing in the community, alongside the Purple Hands Foundation, WA Police and Garnduw and Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service (KMAS).

Primary and secondary school students from across the Kimberley were provided with education and wellbeing workshops across Terms 1 to 3. Those that attended school, participate in the programs and display positive social behaviour, were rewarded with a day of footy on Cable Beach for the Kimberley 9s carnival.

At the carnival, the KMAS presented further education workshops to the secondary school students on vaping and sexual health.

The feedback from local police and teachers highlight the positive outcomes of the program and the opportunities it is providing the children. We also helped one Kimberley school,

2,400km

and be part of the RAC Derby in August. It was a privilege to host the students, and it will be an experience the students and Fremantle staff and players will treasure for a long time to come.

Finally, it was wonderful to be able to work with Woodside to host the Moorditj Markets at both our Season 6 AFLW Indigenous Round at Fremantle Oval, and our Sir Doug Nicholls Round AFL game at Optus Stadium. The markets initiative is a highlight of our game days and creates opportunities for local Aboriginal businesses to showcase their products and services to the broader Fremantle community. We look forward to working with Woodside to run the Moorditj Markets again in season 2023.

SCAN TO VIEW THE FREMANTLE DOCKERS RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN DOCUMENT:

Kulkarriya Community School, provide students with the opportunity of a lifetime when they travelled

to come and visit the Club

Facility upDate FREO 'S

FREMANTLE ARE EXPANDING THEIR TRAINING FACILITY TO INCLUDE NEW AFLW AND COMMUNITY CHANGEROOMS.

In exciting news for the Fremantle Football Club, works will begin in 2023 on a $6M upgrade on the Club’s facility training facilities.

The AFLW & Community Changeroom Project will provide dedicated AFLW changerooms and facilities for our women’s team as well as additional community facilities that will be accessible to local community football clubs throughout the year. This project will enable

the Club to expand and accommodate our community participation programs that are already impacting almost 150,000 people annually.

The project wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of the WA Government, who have committed $2.5m in funding, as well as the AFL and WAFC who also committed funds towards the project.

The project will be completed in collaboration with the City of Cockburn, who will be spending an additional $6m on expanding their Cockburn ARC gym.

The facilities are expected to be ready for use in time for AFLW Season 9.

Since inception, the Fremantle Football Club has been a values-driven organisation, underpinned by a strong and positive culture. We have a proud, demonstrated history of being more than just a football Club and we look to advocate in areas and causes we believe in. It is no accident that a cornerstone of the Club’s purpose is to enrich our community and make the Freo family proud.

Sustainability is important to our Club and the broader Freo community, and we are committed to continuing to improve our sustainability practices across the Club’s operations.

Over our 27-year history, we are proud of the contributions we have made to ensure the Club and our community are more sustainable.

Such contributions include:

> A history of promoting and supporting Indigenous culture and communities to help reduce inequalities.

> Promoting women in sport and advocating for leadership roles to encourage gender equality.

> Supporting disadvantaged kids across WA through the delivery of health and wellbeing programs in the community.

> Investing in a wide range of inclusive school based education initiatives to promote learning opportunities.

> Establishing the charitable Purple Hands Foundation.

Some impactful work has been carried out over a long period of time, and we know there is more work to be done to ensure we continue to make a positive, tangible and lasting difference.

With that in mind, and to improve the Club’s sustainability practices, we identified a number of sustainability initiatives within the Club Strategic Plan that align with a selection of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The UN SDGs are focussed on and gender equality, while reducing inequalities and the impact of climate change.

The Club’s sustainability framework “Anchoring a Sustainable Future” highlights the history, commitments and aspirations of our sustainability agenda. As a Club, we have prioritised this agenda to align with the UN SDGs listed below:

Fremantle Football Club celebrates the contribution and loyalty of members who reached 10 and 20 consecutive-year membership milestones in 2022.

Danielle Herron

Peter Hickson Jenni Hill Stephen Hillier Naomi Lee Hodge

Holmes

Holmes

Horton

Hosgood

Houston

Howell

Humble

Linda Rossi Silvana Rossi

Bevan Hoops Brandon Hosa Jason How Paul Howard Dave Hughes Bancroft Hulme Ashley Hunt Belinda Hunt Jonathon Hunt Shaelee Hunt Holly Hunter Olivia Hunter Tammy Hunter Tony Hunter Pam Hurt Jordan Hussey Alistair Hutchison John Huts David Hynes Tora Idland Jayne Ireland Rob Irwin Steven Ivulich

Vicki-may Jack Jake Jackson Jessica Jackson Monique James David Jameson Samuel Jansen Eran Jansz Mark Jaques Anthony Jardim

Mark Johnson Michelle Johnson

Oscar Johnston Callum Johnstone

Dale Jones

Donna Jones

Jai Jones

Malcolm Jones Matthew Jones

Rochelle Jones

Samantha Jones Stephen Jones

Warren Jones

Valdimar Jonsson

Gargi Joshi

Patricia Joss Sheloe Joss Michelle Juan Maxine Kaempf

Dexter Kannemeyer

Leigh Kannemeyer Imran Kapadia Samuel Kaurin Shane Kaurin George Kavalam Mathew Kavalam Sony Kavalam Heath Kavanagh Jane Kavanagh

Mike Kavanagh

Christopher Kealley

Rylee Keals John Kelly

Lee Kelly Lisa Kelly

Summer Kelly Martin Kennedy

Dante Kenning Jack Kenny Gary Kentfield Luker Kentfield Naomi Kentfield Justin Keogh Dale Kickett

Tom Jaroka Jeremy Jarvis Mayasa Jasim Aurelie Jayles Michael Jefferies

Nathaniel Jesson Prathanna Jeyaratnarajah

Dugald Neeson

Anita Negus Melissa Negus

Anthony

EXECUTIVE

FACILITIES, STRATEGIC PROJECTS & IT

Jade Holmes Facilities & Office Assistant

Jonathon

FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

Patrick Abbott Football Operations Administrator

Mark Anderson Player Development Manager

Angie Bain Head of Wellbeing

Matthew Boyd Assistant Coach - Defence / Team Defence

Elliot Clare Football Analyst

Joel Corey Development Coach

Jackson Dennis Strength and Conditioning Coach

Charlotte Elliott Head Trainer / Pilates Instructor

Dale Emery Football Operations Specialist

Harrison Garland Football Strategy Coordinator

Jaymie Graham Assistant Coach

James Grierson Physiotherapist

Bradley Keller Performance Scientist

Renee Kennedy Physiotherapist

Justin Longmuir AFL Senior Coach

Phil Merriman High Performance Manager

Bob Murphy Head of Football Operations and Performance

Tendai Mzungu Development Coach

Adam Read Development Coach - Forward Line

Paul Salis Property Services Manager

Aaron Sandilands Ruck Coach - AFL

Marshall Stockden Senior Physiotherapist

Geoff Valentine Peel Thunder Senior Coach

Mathew Wilding Football Analyst

Daniel

Adrian Lacquiere Head of Facilities & IT Shannon Oliphant IT Service Desk Officer Sean Raynor IT Manager Corey Read Senior IT Service Desk Officer