Fremantle Football Club

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Fremantle
Full name Fremantle Football Club
Nickname The Dockers
Strip Purple, green and red guernsey with a white anchor, purple shorts, purple socks with green, white and red bands at top. For examples, see

Mero's Footy Jumpers
Founded 1994
Sport Australian rules football
League Australian Football League
Ground Subiaco Oval
Club song Freo Way To Go
President/Chair Rick Hart
Coach Chris Connolly
Captain To be announced in early 2007
2006 3rd of 16 after Rd 22, 4th of 16 after finals

Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers and known unofficially as the Fremantle Dockers and informally as "Freo", is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League. It was the second team from Western Australia to be admitted to the Australian Football League after the West Coast Eagles. The club is based in the port city of Fremantle, south west of Perth at the mouth of the Swan River.

The club is currently coached by Chris Connolly and will name a new captain in early 2007, following the relinquishing of the captaincy by Peter Bell in October 2006. High profile current players include Matthew Pavlich, Jeff Farmer and Paul Hasleby.

Contents

[edit] History

See Also Australian rules football in Western Australia

The first Australian rules football match to be played in Fremantle occurred in 1880 and the city quickly became a stronghold of the code. For over 100 years it has been represented by two strong clubs in the West Australian Football League: East Fremantle and South Fremantle. However it was not represented in a national club competition until 1995, eight years after the foundation of rival Western Australian football team, the West Coast Eagles.

The AFL announced on December 14 1993 that a new team would enter the league in 1995 and be based in Fremantle. The names "Fremantle Football Club", "Fremantle Dockers" and club colours were announced on July 12 1994. Their first training session was held on October 31 1994 at Fremantle Oval.

Not long after the team was launched, Levi Strauss & Co., which produces Dockers brand clothing, challenged the club's right to use the name "Fremantle Dockers". As a result, the club discontinued use of the "Dockers" nickname in 1997. However, the team is still known unofficially as "The Dockers", both inside and outside the club.

The team endured some tough years near the bottom of the premiership ladder, until they finished fifth after the home-and-away rounds in 2003 and made the finals for the first time. The elimination final against eighth placed Essendon at Subiaco Oval was then the club's biggest ever game, but ended in disappointment for the home team, with the finals experience of Essendon proving far too good. They then missed making the finals in the following two seasons, finishing both years with 11 wins, 11 loses and only 1 game outside the top 8.

After an average first half to the 2006 season, Fremantle finished the year with a club record 9 straight wins to earn themselves 3rd position at the end of the Home & Away season, a club record 15 wins in a year and a double chance for their September finals campaign. In the qualifying final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, the Dockers lead for the first three quarters before being overrun by the Crows. The following week (September 15) saw the club win its first ever finals game in the semi-final against Melbourne at Subiaco Oval. The club subsequently earned a trip to Sydney to play in its first ever preliminary-final the following Friday night (September 22) at Telstra Stadium against the Sydney Swans, where they lost by 35 points.

On the 8th of October Peter Bell stood down from the captaincy of Fremantle, and is expected to be replaced in this position by Matthew Pavlich.

Fremantle is the only currently active club the AFL that has not won a premiership, following Port Adelaide's win in 2004.

The club is also the only team never to have played in a drawn match, despite a controversial Round 5 match against St Kilda at Aurora Stadium in Launceston, Tasmania in 2006. The Saints trailed by a point when the final siren sounded, but the field umpires failed to hear the siren. St Kilda then scored a behind, levelling the scores, before the siren was sounded a second time. Immediate protests from Fremantle players and officials failed to have any effect, causing controversy throughout Australian rules circles. However, the AFL overturned the result the following Wednesday — the first time this had occurred since 1900 — and awarded the win and four premiership points to Fremantle.

[edit] The Club

Fremantle Football Club has its training and administration facilities at Fremantle Oval. The club encourages fans to attend Monday night training sessions, when players remain on the field after training to meet their supporters and sign autographs.

The team's home games are played at Subiaco Oval. Between 1995 and 2000 they also played home games at the WACA Ground.

[edit] 2007 squad

See also Fremantle Football Club drafting and trading history for the complete list of Fremantle's draft selections, delistings and trades
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Rookies:


[edit] The Western Derby

The Dockers and the Eagles play each other twice a year in the home and away season, in fiercely contested "Western Derby" matches (Derby is pronounced dERby in Western Australia; most other States pronounce it dARby). West Coast were victorious in the first nine games, before Fremantle won in round 16, 1999. As of 2006 Fremantle had won 8 of the 24 Western Derbies. These games are reminiscent of the Fremantle Derby games between East and South Fremantle in the WAFL. A Fremantle Derby Grand Final in 1979 holds the WAFL attendance record of 52,781.

[edit] Captains

[edit] Coaches

[edit] Club records

Fremantle players enter Subiaco Oval, before a game in 2004.
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Fremantle players enter Subiaco Oval, before a game in 2004.

[edit] Doig Medal

The Doig Medal is the Fremantle Football Club's annual fairest and best award. Currently, after each of the 22 home and away matches, the Fremantle coaching staff rate each player from 0-7 (with 7 being the best). At the end of the year the votes are tallied and the Doig Medal Night is held to announce the winner. Variations on the voting system have been used in past years. The awards ceremony has been held at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal (1995), Challenge Stadium (1998-1999), Fremantle Oval (2000-2001), the Grand Ballroom at Burswood Entertainment Complex (2002-2005) and the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre (2006).

Winners:

[edit] Beacon Award

The Beacon Award is presented to the club’s best new talent. To be eligible, a player must be under the age of 21 years on or before 31 December of the previous year and have played less than 10 games at the start of the season (matching the AFL Rising Star criteria).

Winners:

[edit] Membership

Membership slogan on banner before NAB Cup Quarter Final, 2006.
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Membership slogan on banner before NAB Cup Quarter Final, 2006.

Despite a relative lack of on-field success, Fremantle has surprised many with record membership figures. The club had 34,178 members in 2005 one of the highest and fastest growing in the AFL competition. In addition to memberships, the club had an average homeground attendance of 36,302 in 2005. It's recent membership slogans have emphasised the passion of Fremantle fans for their team, regardless of results.

[edit] History of club membership numbers

Year, number of members, final ladder position, average home attendance

  • 1995 - 18,456 (13th) 23,286
  • 1996 - 19,622 (13th) 22,113
  • 1997 - 19,949 (12th) 22,025
  • 1998 - 22,186 (15th) 22,780
  • 1999 - 24,896 (15th) 23,869
  • 2000 - 24,925 (12th) 22,405
  • 2001 - 23,898 (16th) 21,258
  • 2002 - 23,775 (13th) 26,358
  • 2003 - 25,368 (5th) 30,680
  • 2004 - 32,780 (9th) 36,261
  • 2005 - 34,124 (10th) 35,224
  • 2006 - 35,666 (3rd) 36,569

[edit] Fremantle Football Hall of Legends

The Fremantle Football Hall of Legends was inaugurated by Fremantle Football Club in 1995, in recognition of the new AFL team’s links with its home city’s football heritage. The inductees are nominated by the two clubs from the Fremantle area in the WAFL: East Fremantle and South Fremantle. In time, players who represented Fremantle in the AFL will join their predecessors in this prestigious Hall.

[edit] Ceremonial positions

[edit] Number 1 Ticket Holders

It is traditional for each club to recognise a prominent supporter as the #1 Ticketholder. Fremantle originally chose to award this to the sitting member for the Federal Seat of Fremantle. This was roundly criticised as the member may or may not be a Fremantle football supporter. The policy was soon changed to select a well-known Fremantle identity.

[edit] Patrons

Since 2003, the Fremantle Football Club has been honoured to have the Governor of Western Australia as its patron.

Vice-Patrons

  • David Malcolm – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia (retired)
  • Syd Corser
  • Con Regan
  • Steve Marsh
  • Jack Sheedy

[edit] Mascots

  • 1995-1999: Grinder - A cartoon-like docker man, in a similar style to Popeye, with a permanent snarl, oversized jaw and muscular arms.
  • 2000-2001: The Doc - a straggly blonde-haired mascot, similar in appearance to Fremantle players Clive Waterhouse or Shaun McManus.
  • 2002-Current: Johnny "the Doc" Docker - a blonde haired surfer with a surfboard under one arm is the Docker's official mascot in the Mascot Manor promotion for kids.

[edit] See also

A commemorative plaque from Victoria Pavilion, Fremantle Oval.
Enlarge
A commemorative plaque from Victoria Pavilion, Fremantle Oval.
Part of the front wall of Fremantle Oval. (The date indicates a major redevelopment in 1986.)
Enlarge
Part of the front wall of Fremantle Oval. (The date indicates a major redevelopment in 1986.)

[edit] External links

Clubs in the Australian Football League
Adelaide | Brisbane Lions | Carlton | Collingwood | Essendon | Fremantle | Geelong | Hawthorn
Kangaroos | Melbourne | Port Adelaide | Richmond | St. Kilda | Sydney | West Coast | Western Bulldogs
Former clubs: Brisbane Bears | Fitzroy | University

Australian rules football in Western Australia
Governing Body

West Australian Football Commission
Professional Clubs (AFL)

West Coast Eagles, Fremantle Football Club
Perth Metropolitan Leagues

WAFL, Sunday Football League, Western Australian Amateur Football League
Regional Governing Body

West Australian Country Football League
Regional Leagues

Avon, Central Kimberley, Central Midlands, Central Wheatbelt, East Kimberley, Eastern Districts, Esperance District, Fortescue, Gascoyne, Goldfields, Great Northern, Great Southern, Hills, Lower South West, Mortlock, Newman, North Midlands, North Pilbara, Ongerup, Peel, Ravensthorpe, South West, Upper Great Southern, West Kimberley
Women's Leagues

West Australian Women's Football League
Masters Leagues

Masters Australian Football WA
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