Mark Duffield - The Editorial (14.09.2026)

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Nationwide is so much more than a great insurance company. They're one of America's largest financial services companies. Just like I'm so much more than quarterback Peyton Manning, I'm also Peyton Manning. Insurance and financial services together, it's a masterpiece.

Peyton Manning does it again. For your insurance and financial needs, Nationwide is on your side.

SPEAKER_2 (0:27)

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, here in Fenwick, Columbus, Ohio.

SPEAKER_1 (0:31)

Every game day, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

SPEAKER_2 (0:41)

Ask your prescriber about We Go V, some Maglutide Injection 2.4 milligrams, a GLP-1. Call 1-833-4-WE-GO-V or visit www.wegov.com to view the Medication Guide and to learn more about We Go V.

Why wait?

SPEAKER_1 (0:56)

We Go V!

Mark Duffield (1:00)

Hello, everybody. Welcome to the SENWA Radio Studio. We're out here at Optus Stadium Monday morning in Perth, and we are here thanks to Beaumont Homes' award-winning design, built to be loved forever. It's sunny in Perth today, a top of 24 degrees. Made in WA for WA, this is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SENWA.

I think the key for Fremantle in the build-up to their preliminary final against Sydney at the SCG is to not lose sight of the opportunity, but also to not lose sight of the attitude that got them the win against Geelong in an epic semifinal battle on Friday night. So the opportunity, depending on which betting agency you're looking at, the Dockers and Brisbane have been forgiven for their qualifying final failures and have been reinstalled as the Premiership favourites. Now Justin Longmew might be keen to claim underdog status, declaring the Swans a clear favourite for their home preliminary final, and home preliminary final teams do have a 23-13 advantage historically.

But the punters clearly don't agree.

And rather than spending the week undergoing silly bickering over who is favourite and who isn't, what we can say is the Dockers have kicked the Premiership door wide open with the win over the Cats. But first, they need to treat the Swans with the respect they deserve. And that means a lot more respect than Brisbane gave Sydney when they met them in a qualifying final a little over a week ago.

And that's for the attitude that they need to keep, and that is the let it rip attitude they took into the semifinal against the Cats. It was there for, I reckon, about three and a half of the four quarters. The only time it wasn't there was in the third when Geelong came at them and Freemantle got trapped in their back half. But apart from that, I loved Freemantle's approach to the game. It enabled them to start like they'd been fired out of a cannon, and it enabled them to not tighten up when Geelong took the lead in the third quarter. It was an admirable attitude born out of the disappointment over their performance against Hawthorne in the qualifying final. And it was also a practical attitude, the attitude most likely to enable them to be able to shed any finals demons and to set themselves on an even keel and on the front foot. It was also an attitude that was likely to enable their stars to lead, and that is what happened. No player better epitomized the docker's explosive start than Shea Bolton, who kicked the first two goals of the game in no time at all and lit up the first term. Caleb Sarong was present all night. He helped create the game's first goal with a clever chip to Bolton inside attacking 50, and he dobed the monster set shot goal in the final term from outside of 50 that helped the docker's to keep the cats at bay. Hayden Young fought off an illness. He played limited match minutes, but he had a profound impact. His 23 disposals included the brilliant second quarter goal bursting from centre square's stoppage.

And Andy Brayshaw was just typical Andy Brayshaw. And I thought Brayshaw was one of few Frio players who could hold their head up after the Hawthorne game. I think he is close to most admirable of all the dockers because he's adjusted his role to meet the team's needs, and he still produced a great season. And he just produces week after week after week. Josh Tracy just kicked the one goal, but it was a big goal, and this was more like the Tracy Frio fans have come to love. He got to so many contests, he kicked, as I mentioned, that critical third quarter goal from long range, and he was a constant threat. And Luke Jackson's game, of course, was just absolutely stunning. He was great all night, but absolutely awesome in the dying minutes of the third term, when the dockers took back the lead from Geelong, and bolted 16 points clear of the Cats before three-quarter time. He snuggled back into young Geelong ruckman Mitch Edwards twice at forward 50 stoppages to draw free kicks for high contact, and he executed a remarkable ground level shark, gather, blind turn and handball to Paddy Voss for another goal. And speaking of Voss, he went from completely out-pointed by James Sicily in the qualifying final, to completely out-pointing Tom Stewart in this final. It was a critical stepping stone in his career. He kicked the four goals. He cleverly milked the clock before booting the fourth. I suspect that just having to start your run up before the clock runs down is a loophole the AFL are going to have to close, because Voss milked the best part of a minute off the clock all up. 487 736 is the text line. Send us your thoughts and questions. 13 12 55 is the Barra and O'Day open line. Barra and O'Day, because the little things, everything.