FREMANTLE'S surge to premiership favouritism has put the club on the cusp of another record in 2026 as it shoots for a ninth consecutive home crowd of more than 50,000 fans at Optus Stadium on Friday night.

The Dockers have set a new benchmark with their home attendances this season, recording their highest ever home crowd for a regular season game against West Coast in round 20, as well as their two highest non-Derby home crowds.

ROUND 23 Get your seats to Dockers v Crows

The club has forecast an attendance in excess of 50,000 fans when it takes on Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Friday night, having consistently drawn large crowds to its prime-time clashes on Thursday and Friday nights this season.

If the club can meet that forecast, it will pass West Coast's AFL record of eight consecutive home crowds of more than 50,000 people, set in the Eagles' 2018 premiership season.

While powerful Victorian clubs regularly draw crowds in excess of 50,000, none have managed nine in a row for home games in a single season. Collingwood, for example, has averaged more than 60,000 at home games in each of the past four years, but the club's handful of home games at Marvel Stadium means they have not been able to maintain a streak of nine consecutive 50,000-plus crowds.

The impending Dockers record, a decade after their average home crowd was just 31,000 people, highlights the power of Fremantle's Purple Army this season and the electric match-day atmosphere the club has created.

Defender Jordan Clark said the Freo crowds had helped drive the Dockers' unbeaten run at home this season. 

"Our fans are the best. Every club says that, but their ability to show up has been awesome, especially on Thursday nights when people have school or work the next day," Clark said.

"To get 50,000 on those nights is a good marker of how invested our fans are and how much they want to support us. 

"We don't take that for granted. We absolutely love it, and running out to a sea of purple makes playing footy pretty easy."

Fremantle's overall home attendances have grown from an average of 45,758 last season to 51,384 this season, surpassing the previous record average of 46,815 set in 2024.

Seven of the club's 11 home games – including this week's clash against the Crows – have been scheduled for Thursday or Friday nights, reflecting the Dockers' national appeal to broadcasters as an exciting and talented team.

Indeed, the Dockers' round 18 blockbuster against Sydney was the highest rating primetime AFL match on free-to-air since 2022, reaching more than 3.3 million Australians, also drawing a record streaming audience for a home-and-away game on Seven.

The Dockers will host two finals at Optus Stadium this season after locking in a top-two finish, with the opportunity on Friday night to secure the minor premiership.

A win against Adelaide would also give them a perfect 11-0 record at home this season ahead of its September campaign. The club's previous best home record was 10-1, which was set on the way to the 2013 Grand Final.

When it comes to finals attendances, last year's elimination clash against Gold Coast drew a crowd of 57,507, with the Dockers' record crowd at Optus Stadium remaining 58,982, which was set in the 2022 elimination final against the Western Bulldogs in 2022.

Melbourne and the Bulldogs hold the AFL attendance record at Optus Stadium after 61,118 fans witnessed the 2021 Grand Final.