IF THAT was a Grand Final preview then buckle up for September, with Fremantle and Sydney laying it all on the line in a classic home and away match before the Dockers stamped their authority in a powerful fourth quarter to win by 38 points at Optus Stadium.  

In the biggest and most anticipated match of the season so far, the leading premiership contenders produced a ferocious contest for three quarters that was a final in every way bar name. 

DOCKERS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats

But the Dockers showed why they have been the ladder leaders for two months, soaking up the Swans' challenge and defying a five-day break to produce a scintillating nine-goal final quarter to win 15.21 (111) to 10.13 (73). 

It was an incredible turnaround from the premiership favourites, who went goalless in the first half for the third time in their history but kicked 100 points in the second half, with goals raining down on Optus Stadium in the club's Starlight Purple Haze Game. 

They trailed by two points early in the final term after Sydney superstar Charlie Curnow kicked his fifth goal, but the game turned for good after inspirational captain Alex Pearce ran with the flight and took an incredible goal-saving mark in defence. 

From there, the Dockers kicked seven unanswered goals in a 14-minute burst that would have left the competition withering, opening up a 43-point lead when the game had looked destined to go down to the wire. 

Star forward Josh Treacy kicked two of his four goals during the burst, while Michael Frederick was electric with a pair of his own. Mason Cox put the finishing touches on his best performance as a Docker with a critical mark and goal. 

Pat Voss and Jye Amiss also finished with two goals each, while midfielders Andrew Brayshaw (25 disposals and nine inside 50s), Caleb Serong (28 and seven clearances) and Murphy Reid (28 and five entries) were instrumental in the second-half fightback after the Dockers trailed by as much as 25 points. 

Their second-half dominance was highlighted by ascendency in contested possessions (80-53), clearances (25-15) and inside 50s (40-22), with the Dockers' biggest ever non-Derby home crowd of 55,966 floating on the final siren. 

For the Swans, Curnow looked unstoppable at stages and kicked brilliantly for his bag of five, while Errol Gulden's class stood out all night with 30 disposals and seven inside 50s.  

The final margin did not do justice to the sustained high pressure football they played for three quarters on the road, but they will need to assess how it came unstuck so badly late. 

Sydney coach Dean Cox spoke in the build-up about the importance of centre ball-ups early in the game and making sure the Dockers didn't control terms through field position and their tall forwards. 

He would have been thrilled with his players' ability to apply enough pressure to blunt Freo's weapons from the outset, utilising their own to kick the first three goals of the game and race to a 19-point lead at the first break. 

The battle between Luke Jackson and Brodie Grundy typified the match, with both big men throwing themselves at everything in a physical clash between two players contending for an All-Australian ruck spot. 

It was Freo's midfielders who worked their way on top in the second quarter, led by Reid with 10 disposals for the term, but a run of six behinds for the quarter meant they gained no ground. 

Sydney, meanwhile, drew on its class late with Gulden turning neatly on the wing and delivering a long inside 50 to Papley, who converted from long range to set the half-time margin at 22 points. 

The Dockers were goalless at half-time for just the third time in their history, but defender Jordan Clark got them rolling with a long running goal in the opening minute that sparked a shootout. 

The key forwards from both teams asserted themselves on the contest, with Curnow sublime in a three-goal quarter that put him back in front in the Coleman Medal race. 

Treacy and Voss got going for Freo, however, with Bolton slicing through traffic to kick a brilliant running goal from 50m after some earlier wayward attempts, with the Swans' lead cut to three points at the final break. 

It all looked set for a grandstand finish in a potential Grand Final preview, but in the end the Dockers didn't even need Wharfie Time to get the job done in a blistering finish that further cemented them as the team to beat in 2026.

Taunting rule ruffles feathers
The rule is clear, but that doesn't make it any less jarring when goals are given up because a player rubs his opponent on the head. The rule was initially implemented this season in response to Fremantle key forward Pat Voss taunting Melbourne tall Harrison Petty repeatedly, and it bit the Dockers early on Thursday night. Chad Warner missed a set shot after catching Luke Ryan holding the ball, but the Swans received a gift straight after when Ryan rubbed him on the head in front of the umpire, allowing Curnow to convert on the goal line. In the third quarter, Jye Amiss pushed opponent Dane Rampe inside 50 and gave away a free kick, but that was reversed straight away after Rampe tapped him on the head. Amiss missed, but neither club will miss the chance to re-educate their players about a rule that nobody wants to see influencing games like Thursday night's.

Freo's wonky radar returns early 
Just as it did against Geelong in round 15, the pressure to kick a goal slowly mounted through the first half as the Dockers stacked behind upon behind. After kicking 0.5 in the opening term, the home team got on top for long periods in the second but could not convert, blazing away on occasions while Frederick, Amiss and Sam Switkowski all missed set shot chances. They went to half-time without a goal for just the third time in their history, and only the second time at home after kicking 0.3 against Geelong at Optus Stadium in 2020, and 0.1 against Adelaide at Football Park in 2009. The Dockers kicked nine consecutive behinds for a period during the first half against Geelong earlier this season but showed the maturity to turn it around and win. They did the same on Thursday night. 

Cox makes his case 
Mason Cox might have got his opportunity on Thursday night due to the five-day break and Fremantle being reluctant to aggravate Sean Darcy's troublesome knee on a short break, but he played like a man who didn't just want to keep the No.2 ruck spot warm. Cox had a huge aerial presence through the first half, both in front and behind the ball, taking five marks, including three contested grabs. Whoever plays alongside Luke Jackson needs to make an impact in limited game time, and Cox did that on Thursday night. The big Texan booted two goals in round seven against Carlton, but this was his most authoritative performance, adding some extra intrigue into the selection call facing Justin Longmuir. 

FREMANTLE       0.5    0.11    6.16    15.21 (111)
SYDNEY             3.6     4.9     7.12     10.13 (73)

GOALS
Fremantle: Treacy 4, Voss 2, Frederick 2, Bolton 2, Amiss 2, McVee, Cox, Clark
Sydney: Curnow 5, Papley 2, Lloyd 2, Hanily

BEST
Fremantle: Pearce, Treacy, Brayshaw, Reid, Clark, Serong, Bolton
Sydney: Curnow, Gulden, Warner, Grundy, Mills, Papley 

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Sydney: Nil

Crowd: 55,966 at Optus Stadium