‘Can’t land knockout punch’: Freo makes brutal admission as horror collapse sees ‘opportunity wasted’

A “pretty flat” Fremantle have hit a horror AFL low with their disastrous finish to 2024 costing them finals – despite the side sitting pretty in third just four weeks ago.

Three straight losses saw the Dockers head into Sunday’s clash with Port Adelaide just needing to win to jump into eighth.

But the 20-point loss ensured Fremantle sunk to 10th to see out 2024.

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The result ensures the Dockers now hold the record as the highest placed team after Round 20 to miss finals altogether, with Sunday’s loss leaving players devastated, Docker Heath Chapman admitted.

“We can’t seem to land that knockout punch like other teams can,” he told foxfooty.com.au

“Obviously pretty flat. It’s going to burn.

“We just lacked polish again against a very good side.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do as a team, as a club.

“We couldn’t get the job done in the end … we couldn’t tie it off.”

The Dockers limped to the finish line with four straight losses – and ensured they ended 2024 with just one win from eight games decided by 13 points or less.

“I feel like right now it’s a massive opportunity lost,” coach Justin Longmuir said.

“Just couldn’t get it done when it mattered most.

“You can’t fault our effort – we played three top four sides (in those final rounds)… a bit of me thinks we should have won all of them but we didn’t because we couldn’t execute well enough.

“We didn’t stand up in big moments.

“90 per cent of our game is in really good order, but the 10 per cent whether it’s discipline, whether it’s game scenarios and understanding what the game needs in that moment, we didn’t get right in those games.

“We need to get better.”

Fox Footy’s Leigh Montagna and Ben Dixon agreed the season was an opportunity missed for Fremantle who finished 10th and half a win outside the top eight.

“They’ll look back and rue the opportunity they’ve let slip,” Montagna said on First Crack.

“I hope it stings. It’s going to burn them this Fremantle side.

“It’s going to sit in their guts now over summer.”

“It was sitting there on a platter for them, Fremantle,” Dixon added.

“They’ll be licking their wounds.”

Two-time premiership ‘Roo David King called on the Dockers to make big calls if they want to be successful moving forward.

“This squad is too good to be outside the eight… it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“Are they prepared to make some tough calls? Time will tell.”

It’s a thought echoed by Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley after his side saw off the Fremantle challenge to finish top two.

“I think they are a really talented team – just shows how tough this comp is. That team shouldn’t be not playing finals,” he said.

“But that’s what happens in a really tight competition – someone misses out.”

Longmuir said there was “no magic wand” to solve Freo’s issues heading into 2025, but he was adamant the drive was there.

“We’ve gone up a notch, but we haven’t gone up far enough.”