A FIERY Josh Treacy is ready to atone for a rare poor performance, with Fremantle midfielder Andrew Brayshaw warning that the star forward would be "playing on the edge" in Friday night's semi-final against Geelong at Optus Stadium. 

Treacy was held to four disposals and a late goal against Hawthorn defender Josh Battle last Thursday night and didn't take a mark for just the second time in his 104-game career. 

With the Dockers forced to take the long road through September after a home qualifying final loss, Brayshaw expected the All-Australian forward to be breathing fire after admitting to teammates his performance wasn't up to scratch.  

"I'd hate to sit under a footy with Josh on the weekend. He's going to be fiery, angry, and playing on the edge," Brayshaw said on Tuesday.  

"I think he'll respond as good as anyone. He never plays two bad games in a row. 

"He admits that he wasn't good enough on the weekend and he's just excited and grateful for the opportunity to go again. 

"If we had to finish the season last week, he wouldn't have been too happy with it, but he gets a chance to impose himself on the contest to make up for last week, as do we all."

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After a brilliant home and away season that saw Fremantle's three key forwards combine for 153 goals and average almost 15 marks a game between them, Treacy, Jye Amiss and Pat Voss were shut down against the Hawks. 

They combined for just 2.2 and five marks, with Brayshaw expecting all three to be "really physical, strong in the air and strong on the ground" against Geelong. 

The midfielder conceded that the Dockers did them no favours with their ball movement last Thursday night, and more dare with the ball would be needed to get the best out of the big forwards. 

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"The Hawks' defenders were really strong all day, but we weren't able to pass it in the way we want to usually," Brayshaw said.

"This week there will definitely be a big focus on breaking that first layer of defence and then pumping it into our forwards on a plate and letting them get to work.

"We didn't play to our strengths, really felt their pressure, and instead of testing the tackle and driving to our numbers, we tried to flick it around a bit too much.

"This week, there will be a real big focus on strength with the ball, backing our strengths in and really sticking to role and sticking to the process that's got us so many wins this year."

Fremantle and Geelong are 1-1 against each other this season, with the Cats coming from behind to win by 10 points in round one, and Fremantle doing likewise to claw back a deficit in round 15 and win a thriller by nine points. 

Brayshaw said the Dockers had watched vision from that game this week and emphasised the role their team defence, communication, and ability to stay calm had played in that memorable fightback. 

Alex Pearce, Corey Wagner, Sam Switkowski, Bailey Banfield and Hayden Young jog laps during a Fremantle training session at Cockburn ARC Oval on September 8, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

Starting well on Friday night will be crucial after falling 31 points down early in the second quarter against the Hawks. 

"I think you've got to lean into physicality from the start. The contest is really key and then try and lock it in our front half," he said.

"I think we had a few inside 50s, but we let the Hawks rebound pretty easily last week.

"So we'll try and be physical and tough from the beginning and really try and lock it in."