SUMMARY

It will be a historic night at Optus Stadium, regardless of the outcome, with the Suns to play their first ever finals game after 15 seasons of trying.

It will be the Dockers' first final since 2022 and they enter the game as one of the in-form sides in the competition having won 12 of their past 14 games, and 10 of their past 12 at home.

A sell-out crowd of close to 60,000 is expected, with the winner to play the loser of the qualifying final between Geelong and Brisbane.

One factor to keep an eye on is the weather, with a forecast of up to 25ml of rain across both Friday and Saturday set to play a role.

The Dockers have lost Sam Switkowski and Corey Wagner to injury as Isaiah Dudley and Nathan O'Driscoll earn recalls, while retiring Suns champion David Swallow comes in for Jake Rogers in their only change.

Fremantle v Gold Coast at Optus Stadium, 5.35pm AWST

NO LATE CHANGES

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe
Gold Coast: David Swallow

DOCKERS v SUNS Follow it LIVE

Where and when: Optus Stadium, Saturday September 7, 5.35pm AWST (7.35pm AEST)

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?

Round 12: Fremantle 11.9 (75) defeated Gold Coast 9.10 (64) at People First Stadium

This was the win that kickstarted Fremantle's mid-season surge as they survived a wet and wild Gold Coast afternoon, and a late Suns fightback, to secure a famous 11-point win. Shai Bolton produced arguably his best game for the club, including a memorable run-down tackle in the dying seconds, while the likes of Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and Jordan Clark all fired, as they tend to do in Dockers' wins. Suns skipper Noah Anderson (39 disposals, 12 clearances) was mighty in defeat, but it wasn't enough for his side.

THE STATS THAT MATTER

Fremantle

Fremantle's defensive unit, led by skipper Alex Pearce, really stepped up late in the season as the Dockers made finals. In rounds 21-24, the Dockers ranked No.1 in the competition for winning defensive one-on-one contests, winning 38.3 per cent of the time. They will come up against a Suns forward line that took an average of 17 marks inside 50 in rounds 21-24, the best in the competition.

Gold Coast

The Suns have won the clearance count in 19 of their 23 games this season, the best record in the competition, while they rank second in average points from clearance, outscoring their opponents by 11.3 points per game.

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR ...

Fremantle

The Suns could be excused for putting plenty of attention into Caleb Serong on Saturday night - the Dockers hold an 11 from 11 record this year when their midfield star has picked up 28 or more disposals - but they may well put their focus on his midfield teammate Andrew Brayshaw instead. Brayshaw averages 27.0 disposals, 7.0 tackles and 5.2 clearances in his past five games against the Suns. With the forecast poor weather and against a formidable Suns midfield, Brayshaw's impact - or lack thereof - should be a major factor in the outcome.

Gold Coast

If the Suns are to cause a boilover in the west, they will need Ben King to do something has hasn't done so far this season - kick a big bag of goals in a big game. In 10 games this season against fellow finalists, King has kicked just 16 goals and no more than two a game, with 77 per cent of his goals this year coming against teams that missed the eight. He's not the only leading goalkicker to fill his boots against the lesser sides this season, but there is no better time than this Saturday to reverse that record.

PREDICTION

With home advantage, a longer break and a strong recent record against the Suns, all signs point to a Dockers win on Saturday night. But the forecast wet weather could amplify Gold Coast's dominance around stoppage, led by Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell, and also shut down the slick ball movement that make the Dockers difficult to stop when they pull that lever. Both sides have also wilted under pressure at times in recent years, so who handles the moment above the shoulders the best will be the winner. The Dockers should get the job done, but don't rule the Suns out. Dockers by 17 points.

FIFTEEN years in the making, Gold Coast has saluted in its first foray into September, downing Fremantle by a solitary point in an elimination final thriller.

Retiring veteran David Swallow kicked a behind to put his side ahead with nine seconds to play, after Fremantle had rallied back from 26 points down in the third to storm into the lead in the final term.

DOCKERS v SUNS Full match coverage and stats

The home side, roared on by 57,507 fans at Optus Stadium on Saturday night, booted four consecutive goals in the fourth quarter capped by prize recruit Luke Jackson’s mark and goal to claim a six-point lead with 3:21 to play.

But the Suns found a way to respond, with ice cool defender Mac Andrew squaring the game up with 1:13 on the clock after being sent forward. 

In the final minute, 248-gamer Swallow won a free-kick on the 50m line for holding the man against Brennan Cox. His attempt initially appeared to be a fairytale goal, but replays showed it was touched by Neil Erasmus on the mark. However, that still put the Suns ahead and meant Fremantle needed to go coast-to-coast in nine seconds which proved impossible.

The triumph sets up a mouth-watering semi-final Q-Clash at the Gabba next Saturday against the Suns’ Queensland neighbours and reigning premier Brisbane, who’ll be without two-time Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale due to a season-ending calf injury.

Gold Coast will enter that game full of belief, having beaten Brisbane last time they met. 

Captain Noah Anderson was outstanding with 32 disposals including a game-high 11 score involvements and 13 contested possessions, along with midfield partner Matt Rowell with 34 disposals.

For Justin Longmuir’s Dockers, their 'Flagmantle' charge ends at the first hurdle, with the curtain closing on two-time Brownlow medal winner Nat Fyfe's career.

Caleb Serong threw everything he had at the Suns, finishing with 35 disposals, including a game-high 13 clearances with nine tackles. 

Dockers captain Alex Pearce produced an incredible six final-term marks as Fremantle surged, but Gold Coast had the final say.

Earlier, the Suns had set up their win with an excellent seven-goal second term, opening up a 25-point half-time lead.

Cult hero Patrick Voss got the boisterous home crowd roaring with the first major of the game, but the opening term was one of wasted opportunities for the Dockers, highlighted by Michael Frederick’s inordinate miss from within 10 metres.

The rain stopped and the goals flowed in the second quarter, with both sides trading majors, before the Suns booted the final four prior to half-time.

Bailey Humphrey, who didn’t have a touch in the first quarter, led the way with three goals while pinch-hitting small forward Connor Budarick added two, swooping on Fremantle’s backline jitters.

Three years ago in an elimination final at the same venue, the Dockers rallied back from 41 points down to beat the Western Bulldogs and there was an ominous sign of a repeat when Josh Treacy goaled within 31 seconds of the restart.

But the Dockers had to wait another 20 minutes to make any further inroads, although two goals in quick succession from small forward Isaiah Dudley ignited the crowd and fuelled belief of a comeback.

Jy Farrar’s snap 23 seconds into the last term extended the Suns’ lead out to 21 points, but Freo kept coming with Shai Bolton racing into an open goal before Voss added his third with 12 minutes to play.

With the game on the line, the intensity lifted, with turnovers and counter-attacks, before Brayshaw won a crucial ball on half-back, releasing Hayden Young, with Treacy completing the play from a set shot to narrow the gap to one point with seven minutes to play.

After the scores were squared up, Voss then found Hayden Young inside, with Jackson marking his long ball at the top of the goal square to put Freo ahead. 

But Andrew and Swallow had the final say on a famous night for Gold Coast.

No big-stage freeze for hot Suns
Playing in the club’s first-ever final, the burning question was would Gold Coast freeze on the big stage? Only three players in their 23 had any finals experience. The Suns emphatically shook off any semblance of stage fright led by their two dogged midfield bulls Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson, with the latter bursting clear from the opening stoppage of the game to send a 60m bomb goal bound. The pair led the Suns with their intensity, will and ball-winning. It had to be Anderson who stepped up for his midfield pal Rowell after he was caught holding the ball by Josh Treacy, swooping on Frederick as he tried to take the advantage to win the ball back.

Ruck battle all-important against twin towers
The Suns’ one-wood is their clearance game, with league hitouts leader Jarrod Witts feeding the midfield, so the ruck battle against Freo’s twin rucks Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson was always going to be a major factor. Jackson may have kicked Freo’s go-ahead goal late, but it was Witts, the Suns’ former co-captain, who took the points with a performance full of heart. He finished with 44 hit-outs along with 21 disposals including eight clearances, making his mark around the ground. That was one for the loyal Suns, like Swallow who's been at Gold Coast since the Club's start.

Farewell Fyfe
For so long, the retiring Nat Fyfe has been Freo’s main character, but for three quarters of this elimination final he was relegated to background extra in what proved to be his farewell game. Fyfe was injected at the final change with his side trailing by 15 points, entering the fray at the six-minute mark to a raucous Purple Army cheer. He charged into the spotlight with a pack mark on half forward during Freo’s surge. The 33-year-old finished with five touches on the night but couldn’t will his side home. He also ultimately missed out on that elusive premiership medal after a glittering 248-game AFL career, chaired off in front of his loving home fans.

FREMANTLE       1.2      5.2       8.4       12.7 (79)
GOLD COAST      1.6      8.9      9.13      11.14 (80)

GOALS 
Fremantle: Voss 3, Dudley 2, Treacy 2, Amiss, Erasmus, Reid, Bolton, Jackson
Gold Coast: Humphrey 3, Budarick 2, Long 2, Davies, Fiorini, Farrar, Andrew

BEST
Fremantle: Serong, Brayshaw, Ryan, Young, Pearce, Reid
Gold Coast: Anderson, Rowell, Witts, Andrew, Uwland, Humphrey

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil 
Gold Coast: Nil 

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe (replaced Jy Amiss at three-quarter time)
Gold Coast: David Swallow (replaced Ben Ainsworth in fourth quarter) 

Crowd: 57,507 at Optus Stadium