Thousands cheer Dockers at their last WA drill before AFL grand final

Thousands of Fremantle Dockers fans have packed out the club’s headquarters to watch the team train for the last time in Western Australia before they head to Melbourne for Saturday’s AFL grand final.

It has been 13 years since the Dockers last made a grand final, and the open training session in Cockburn saw so much demand that the team ticketed the event.

All 3,000 tickets were sold.

Long-term supporter Katie said the Dockers’ success this year had special significance for her and her son Finlay.

Finlay was just six weeks old when the 2013 grand final was held. Two years later, he developed cancer, and relapsed a year later. 

“It’s 10 years now since his relapse,” Katie said.

“So it’s his year and it’s the Dockers’ year, and all he wants is the Dockers to win on grand final day … that’s his celebration.”

Imogen Somerville, who has also supported the Dockers “her entire life”, described the event as overwhelming.

“It was really cool to be able to get down here,” she said.

“It was like five bucks to get in, which was awesome, so couldn’t miss out on that.”

Doing the right thing

Fans cheered the team on the field, then posed for photographs with their football heroes, who signed jerseys, posters and autographs.

And it was not just the public who were in the stands — past players, the club’s chief executive Simon Garlick and Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti also attended the session.

Lee Spurr, who played in the 2013 grand final, said he felt “nothing but proud” to see his club back in the running for the flag.

“I was pretty nervous watching the prelim, but now that they’re there, I feel like I’m almost playing. My phone’s been blowing up,” he said.

After experiencing the lead-up to the AFL’s biggest week, Spurr said it was important for the players to turn off their phones and stick to preparation.

“My advice would be don’t get caught up in doing too much, ” he said.

Pure excitement

Superstar ruckman Luke Jackson said he loved having the fans participate in the club’s biggest week.

“Just pure excitement. Can’t wait to get over there and can’t wait to play on Saturday in front of all these fans. It will be good fun,” he said.

Jackson was in his second AFL season when he won his first premiership with the Melbourne Demons in 2021 in Perth.

He said he was looking forward to playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Dockers will face the Brisbane Lions.

Defender Jordan Clark was also excited, and grateful, to see the fans.

“They support us through thick and thin, as they have done for the last 30 years,” he said.

“So they’re pretty happy with this moment and they rightly deserve to be, so it’s pretty special when we get this support.”

With no chance of making the training session, dozens of Dockers fans 1,600 kilometres away flocked to Broome airport today to catch the only direct flight to Melbourne before Saturday.

David Leslie, who goes by Docker Dave, has followed the team since its inception said his faith had been “restored” after their stellar final performances against Swans and Geelong.