Flagmantle frenzy grows as Dockers brace for Hawks
Justin Chadwick |
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is confident his players will handle the weight of expectation when they front up for Thursday night’s qualifying final against Hawthorn in Perth.
A sold-out crowd of close to 60,000 fans will be on hand at Optus Stadium as the Dockers attempt to lock in a home preliminary final.
Fremantle have been a force at Optus Stadium all year, compiling a perfect 12-0 record on the way to landing the minor premiership.
Hawthorn came the closest to beating Fremantle in Perth, with Sam Mitchell’s men leading by 19 points midway through the final quarter of their round nine blockbuster.
But a devastating five-goal burst, partly inspired by Wharfie Time, lifted Fremantle to a 15-point win.
Such was Fremantle’s dominance this year, they had already locked up a top-two berth with a month remaining in the season.
And the Dockers’ club-record 14-match winning run earlier in the campaign resulted in a large number of fans booking their flights and accommodation for the grand final.
The Flagmantle hype has been off the charts for months now.
And even though Longmuir has instilled a boring “1-0” mantra into his players after every win this year, he has been more than happy to let fans dream big.
Longmuir feels the excitement and expectation from fans won’t be an extra burden for his players in the finals, given it has been there for much of the year already.
“The lid was off pretty early,” Longmuir said.
“I think they were daring to dream at the start of the year, and then as it unfolded, they were just enjoying the ride.
“So I haven’t really noticed much difference (heading into the finals). It’s been pretty full on all year.”
Fremantle’s huge home support has been a massive factor in their success this season.
But Longmuir says for the fans to be an effective weapon, his players need to give them something to be excited about first.
“Home ground advantage is massive, but we’ve got to make sure that we give them something to cheer for, and that’s on us,” Longmuir said.
“We’re the starting point for that, and we understand our responsibility in that.
“But they (the fans) are not going to get us over the line if we’re not playing good footy. So we’ve got to give them something to cheer for, and it needs to be from the start.”
Fremantle pulled a selection shock on Thursday night by recalling small defender Brandon Walker for his first AFL game since round one.
Walker, who has been plagued by injuries over the past two years, replaces Judd McVee and could get the job of shutting down star Hawks forward Nick Watson.
Murphy Reid, Jye Amiss, Heath Chapman and Sam Switkowski all return to the side, with Brennan Cox (calf) Fremantle’s only first-choice player who isn’t available.
Hawthorn regain small forward Jack Ginnivan after he missed the final-round win over West Coast due to back soreness.
AAP