Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
· collected 2026-09-03 · by Libby Birch, Scott Spits
It loomed as a good, old-fashioned “danger game” for the Dockers, who finished clear on top of the ladder, but no one could have predicted just how thoroughly they’d be outplayed by Sam Mitchell’s men in their qualifying final at Optus Stadium.
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they → loom → Stadium
Our experts, AFLW star Libby Birch (Dockers) and Scott Spits (Hawks) rate every player’s performance from a stunning night out west.
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experts → rate → night
He worked his way into the contest after a quiet start, but never exerted his usual influence around stoppage.
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He → work → stoppage
Didn’t help the midfield play to the conditions.
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midfield → help → conditions
4/10
(5) Heath Chapman: Provided important drive from an under-siege defence, although he was beaten in the air in some costly moments.
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he → provide → moments
He started slowly and his early possessions lacked impact, but lifted after half-time to inject urgency and kick a much-needed goal.
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possessions → start → goal
6/10
(9) Luke Jackson: Kicked the opener, competed strongly around the ground and was Fremantle’s second most influential player through the first half.
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Jackson → kick → half
7/10
(10) Shai Bolton: He was barely sighted early on a night that should have suited him, before providing flashes of energy through give-and-go football after half-time.
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that → suit → time
Valiant and unrelenting under sustained pressure, he read the play well and producing several important spoils.
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he → read → spoils
The youngest player on the field looked composed around stoppage and was clean when opportunities came, but he struggled to impact in the second half.
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he → look → half
5/10
(18) Mason Cox: Struggled to impact early as Jackson’s ruck support, but improved as the game wore on and took important defensive marks.
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game → struggle → marks
4/10
(23) Karl Worner: Produced a huge chase-down tackle and a goal-saving smother, but an errant kick that gifted Hawthorn a goal proved costly.
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that → produce → goal
He gave it a crack.
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He → give → crack
He was frustrated and largely unsighted in the first half, but gave Fremantle an immediate lift with the opening goal after the half-time break.
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He → give → break
3/10
(25) Alex Pearce: Battled hard against Mitch Lewis and offered a strong presence in a defence that was repeatedly placed under pressure.
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that → battle → pressure
His early ball use was uncharacteristically poor and he struggled to generate his usual damage through the midfield.
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he → struggle → midfield
4/10
(28) Neil Erasmus: One of Fremantle’s better early contributors, using the ball with purpose and looking through the corridor when others played safe.
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others → use → corridor
A surprise inclusion for just his second game of the year, he competed bravely on Watson before an ankle roll contributed to another Hawks goal and his night done.
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night → compete → goal
5/10
(32) Michael Frederick: Was unable to find space or use his speed, remaining largely unsighted.
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Frederick → find → speed
He fought a difficult battle against Hawthorn’s organised defence but had little impact and went without a single kick deep into the third term.
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He → fight → term
2/10
(39) Sam Switkowski: He had a brilliant third quarter and kicked a huge goal to give Fremantle a (slight) sniff – the first finals major of his career.
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He → kick → career
(43) Isaiah Dudley: Missed an early opportunity but grew into the contest, improving his defensive pressure and contributing to Fremantle’s second-half ball movement.
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Dudley → miss → movement
He can point to kicking the first goal of the final term, giving Hawthorn a match-high 38-point lead, for his golden moment.
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He → point → moment
He overcame a shoulder injury scare just before half-time.
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He → overcome → time
Look back to the early minutes of the game, when the action was hot, and Lewis pulled off a great run-down tackle and earned a free kick.
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Lewis → look → kick
It was hard to find fault with his game as Hawthorn’s defence shone brightly all the way.
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defence → find → game
Lively and dangerous from start to finish, he kicked a goal out of nowhere – Hawthorn’s first – after just six minutes.
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he → kick → minutes
A pillar in Hawthorn’s brutal defensive unit all match, he completely nullified Voss’ danger and influence, especially in the first half when the win was set up.
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win → nullify → half
Composed and reliable, this was a true leader’s match.
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this → compose → ?
He kicked Hawthorn’s second goal – again when the match was up for grabs – but it was his work-rate that stood out.
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that → kick → grabs
“That workrate is as good as it gets,” reflected Kane Cornes on Seven, noting Moore’s ability to run hard back at goal.
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Cornes → get → goal
6.5/10
(9) Connor Macdonald: Got better and better as the match wore on, and had some influence in the third term when Hawthorn had to keep the threatening Fremantle at bay.
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Hawthorn → get → bay
By early in the final quarter he only had kicks – not handballs – on the tally board, showing just how much the Hawks rely on his foot skills.
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Hawks → have → skills
5.5/10
(12) Will Day: One of Hawthorn’s best, who effectively became “the Clearance King”.
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who → become → Hawthorn
Like others, Day got better and better as the game wore on and never stopped running.
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game → get → others
He went one-on-one with Brayshaw at stages and won the battle.
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He → go → battle
(15) Blake Hardwick: Went to the dangerous Reid early on.
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Hardwick → go → Reid
Hawthorn basically didn’t have a passenger in their 23, and Hardwick deserves recognition too.
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Hardwick → have → recognition
5.5/10
(16) Massimo D’Ambrosio: Had a fantastic game and was influential (especially in the first quarter) when the game was being won.
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game → have → quarter
While he missed two shots at goal in the opening stanza, he dragged in nine touches as he regularly found space with his hard-running.
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he → miss → running
…and 20 more, not listed.
