AFLW: Are The Dominant Dockers Ready To Take The Next Step?

No team has been as utterly dominant in the AFLW home-and-away season as the Fremantle Dockers.

Since 2019, the Dockers have posted a 21-4 mark during the home and away season proving to be the most difficult team to toss aside since that point in time.

The main shining light for the club has been the ability to be an offensive juggernaut in a generally defensive competition through its infancy.

Fremantle has been the highest scoring team in the regular season since 2019, averaging 47.04 points per game, clear of Adelaide’s 45.6 and North Melbourne’s 43.6.

Yet 2022 seemed to be a more challenging season, one in which the team would be without Sabreena Duffy and Ashley Sharp, as well as the prospect of facing a season away from home.

The offensive duo have been key instigators behind the attacking prosperity the team in purple has experienced – between 2019 and 2021, the two combined for 49 goals and 36 behinds, accounting for 29.08% of the team’s total score.

Perhaps more glaring were the holes they left in the team structure, with replacements for one of the league’s most creative and skilled smalls, as well as an extremely hard-working half-forward not easy to cover.

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Three rounds into 2022 and the Dockers sit undefeated with three other teams and are once again the highest-scoring team in the league amassing more scoring shots than any other team. It's in fact only inaccuracy that's prevented them from averaging even more than their current 57.33 points per game.

Encouragingly, 12 separate goalkickers have contributed in the first few games of the season and the Dockers are strong led by two of their best players, Ebony Antonio (5 goals, 3 behinds) and Gemma Houghton (4 goals, 6 behinds).

Despite such successes in attack though, it’s clear that Fremantle’s superior midfield pressure and overall work through the middle is what makes this team one of the best going around.

There aren’t many new adjectives available to describe just how good Kiara Bowers is.

Last year’s league best-and-fairest is averaging 22.3 disposals, 14 tackles, 8.3 clearances, 5 score involvements and 348.2 metres gained per game.

Quite astonishingly, she's taken her game up to a new level with career-highs in each of these categories while setting the standard for her teammates to be as well-rounded and two-way oriented as she is.

Perhaps club captain Hayley Miller has been the biggest beneficiary of such a role model, taking big strides forward in averages for disposals (13.4 to 16.3), tackles (5.5 to 6.3), metres gained (217.3 to 347.8), inside 50s (2.5 to 5), score involvements (2.3 to 5.7) and goals – she had kicked 4.12 in her career before this season yet already has 4.2 through the opening three games.

It’s indicative of a team with a clear gameplan that has all the buy-in in the world.

Fremantle’s kick-to-handball ratio (2.39:1) is the highest by so far that one would be forgiven for thinking they’re playing a different sport.

Remarkably simple, the Dockers look to win clearances and any contest in the midfield and throw the ball onto the boot, launching it forward and giving their forward the best opportunity to put a score on the board.

When the ball is in dispute, the ferociousness in which the midfielders attack, particularly through the aforementioned duo of Bowers and Miller, alongside the emerging Gabby O’Sullivan, aims to be overwhelming and ultimately stop the opposition’s forays forward before they reach the centre line.

This style of play is the reason for the Dockers and indeed their players ranking so highly in kicks, tackling and score, but far lower in disposal efficiency and even rebound 50s.

Defensively, the team is shaky and concede far too easily once the opposition breaks through that centre line. 

In Round 3, Richmond managed just 20 inside 50s, a massive 26 less than the Dockers, yet still managed to put 7.5 on the board and stay within touching distance for three quarters.

Sarah Verrier has been the team’s best intercept player statistically a third of the way through the season despite being very much taking space on the wing and, without Janelle Cuthbertson available to drift off her opponent and control the space aerially as the main interceptor, there’s too much defensive pressure on Laura Pugh and the naturally attacking Emma O’Driscoll.

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It has become clear that the Dockers will not get to play in Western Australia in 2022, which can either destroy or galvanise a group.

One would suspect that the stability and calmness that has overcome the Fremantle Football Club will hold this team in good stead going forward, only bringing the group closer together.

In terms of their 2022 chances though, the next fortnight will be the key.

Games against Collingwood at Victoria Park, and North Melbourne in Tasmania over the next two weeks are going to test the team more than the three soft kills they’ve had to start the season.

The Magpies can put forward strong claims that they’re the best defensive team in the league, they’ve certainly been incredible over the last couple of seasons, and have plenty of weapons to shut down the league’s best attackers.

Tactically, the kick-first mentality of Fremantle may play into the hands of Collingwood’s superior taller defenders that can intercept and peel off quickly, making it a tantalising matchup.

Against North Melbourne, the highest possession-winning team in the league, the tackling and defensive midfield work will need to be at its best in foreign conditions in Tasmania.

Traditionally, the Kangaroos are a little more uncontested and can falter under extreme tackling pressure, but once they get space, they carve up defences quite easily, making it a vital defensive game for the Dockers.

Winning at least one of these games will show that Fremantle’s style of play can be sustainable and adaptable enough to progress further into the finals than ever before, perhaps securing a maiden Grand Final place.

That, ultimately, is the next step in the Dockers’ story.

Fremantle continues to be one of the best regular season teams and after another hot start in 2022, it’s about taking the next step into genuine premiership contention.

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