IT WAS an emotional rollercoaster but Fremantle's premiership aspirations are alive, edging Geelong by 14 points in front of tense yet raucous club-record 59,725 fans at Optus Stadium on Friday night.

The indomitable Luke Jackson produced a final for the ages with 25 disposals, 35 hitouts and two goals to ensure the minor premier avoided the ignominy of a straight sets finals exit, triumphing 18.12 (120) to 16.10 (106).

DOCKERS v CATS Full match coverage and stats

The result sends Fremantle into a preliminary final for the first time since 2015, where it will take on Sydney at the SCG. The long-suffering Freo fans' optimism will be re-ignited, fuelled by a rare 'Wharfie Time' when Geelong closed late.

Geelong, which won seven straight games to get to this point after their fadeout against Greater Western Sydney in round 18, miss the final four for only the second time in the past eight seasons under Chris Scott.

The Dockers exercised their first-quarter finals demons, kicking six goals to two in the opening term to open up a 31-point lead, but Geelong stayed in touch, eventually hitting the front with Jeremy Cameron's goal midway through the third putting them eight points up.

Enter Jackson, who produced a heroic five-minute patch late in the third, kicking two goals and setting up another for Patrick Voss (who finished with four goals) – inflicting nightmares for young Cats ruck Mitch Edwards in the process.

Fremantle led by as much as four goals in the last but nothing is ever easy, and the Cats simply wouldn't roll over.

Bailey Smith (29 disposals) never stopped, Ollie Henry booted a game-high five goals and Shannon Neale kicked three to keep them in touch.

The Cats got within eight points with just over a minute left in the game thanks to a rare Tom Stewart goal, before Fremantle unleashed its trademark 'Wharfie Time', frenzying the home fans. Those fans willed Voss to nail the sealer as the Dockers held out in a game full of twists and turns.

Jackson was the standout, but Shai Bolton (26 disposals) weaved his magic early, jumping out of the blocks with two goals within the first two minutes of the game.

Freo gained its dominance at clearance, winning 44-31, including 23-13 centre clearances for the game.

After being jumped by Hawthorn last week, Justin Longmuir's side had put a focus on starting fast, and they delivered - Fremantle's six-goal opening-term outdoing their entire tally against the Hawks.

Longmuir had promised in the pre-game his side would be braver and would take on the game. That was evident, with Freo employing a proactive handball game style, registering 54 to 25 handballs by the first change.

It fuelled the Dockers' fast start, along with a centre clearance dominance initiated by Jackson alongside his determined onballers; Hayden Young's 55m running goal out of the middle underlining that.

But Geelong stayed in the fight, keeping within arm's reach throughout the second and stealing the momentum early in the third.

That momentum came as Chris Scott looked to arrest Fremantle's centre-clearance dominance by clamping Young and Caleb Serong, with Oisin Mullin and Mark O'Connor going to work on the pair.

Henry booted three goals in the third to twice cut the margin back to four points.

Patrick Dangerfield's set shot put them ahead, before Cameron slammed home his second goal from the goal square, opening up a 10-point lead and a swathe of groaning mouths among the Freo faithful.

Then Jackson stepped up, as the Dockers somehow re-claimed the lead in a blistering patch, which included two goals in the final 38 seconds of the term, to lead by 16 at the final change.

Michael Frederick goaled from a tough angle early in the last to open up a four-goal lead, before Henry snapped brilliantly on his left from 35m for his fifth as the Cats kept pressing.

The anxiety persisted inside the stadium until Serong's 50m goal settled the nerves, with Stewart's consolation allowing an indulgent 'Wharfie Time' as Freo got home.

Freo fans faith finally re-paid
Fremantle will play in its first preliminary final in more than a decade with Fridaythe semi-final win restoring hope for their long-suffering fans. It had been a week full of anxiety for the Dockers and, in true Freo style, their clash with the Cats was never going to be easy despite an early 31-point lead. The Dockers have now avoided becoming the seventh top-four side in the past six seasons to go out in straight sets. And now there's hope.

ARC controversy denies Dempsey volley
There was ARC controversy early in the third quarter when All-Australian winger Ollie Dempsey appeared to produce a moment of magic, acrobatically volleyed over his shoulder under pressure from Matthew Johnson from Smith's wobbler to the goal square. The umpires called for a review, with the soft signal a point. The ball grazed Johnson's arm but the uncertainty was whether that was before or after Dempsey's boot made contact. In the end, the ARC determined insufficient evidence going with the umpire's call, which seemed hasty. A goal would've cut the margin to eight points.

All-Australian bounces back after donut
Josh Treacy had a season-low qualifying final against the Hawks, including zero marks, but bounced back emphatically in a determined display. The All-Australian centre-half forward had five marks by half-time, providing clever assists for two goals in the tight second term. 'The Big Cohuna' manfully played on after a heavy collision with teammate Mason Cox midway through the second, booting a long-range goal to re-claim the lead in the third quarter. He finished with a team-high eight marks.

FREMANTLE    6.2   10.5   15.6   18.12 (120)
GEELONG    2.1   7.2   12.8   16.10 (106)

GOALS
Fremantle: Voss 4, Amiss 2, Bolton 2, Dudley 2, Frederick 2, Jackson 2, Cox, Serong, Treacy, Young
Geelong: O.Henry 5, Neale 3, Cameron 2, Dangerfield 2, Mannagh 2, Stewart, Wiltshire

BEST
Fremantle: Jackson, Bolton, Young, Treacy, Reid, Brayshaw, Serong
Geelong: O.Henry, Smith, Humphries, Neale, Dangerfield, Mannagh

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Geelong: Nil

Crowd: 59,725 at Optus Stadium