Mark Duffield - The Editorial (21.09.2026)

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

Into the wild, the Caltier Panther encounters a shimmering crocodile, a lonely love bird, a breathless zebra, and a restless tiger. Have a break.

Andy Richter (0:43)

Have a KitKat. Hello, everybody.

Mark Duffield (0:46)

Welcome to the SENWA Radio Studio. We're out here at Optus Stadium Monday morning in Perth in Grand Final Week, and we're here thanks to Beaumont Homes' award-winning design, built to be loved forever. It's going to be sunny in Perth today, a top of 23 degrees, made in WA for WA. This is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SENWA. Righto. Hold on to your hats, because here we go. The first Grand Final Week for either of our WA clubs since West Coast in 2018, Freemantle's first Grand Final since 2013, and just the second in the club's history. We have some breaking news. Sean McManus, the former captain of Freemantle, a heart and soul player for the Freemantle Dockers, will be the person that presents the cup should the Dockers win on Saturday.

How about that? Sean Mc. Give us your thoughts on that. Every Grand Final winner has a theme or a moment that defines the flag and how it will be remembered in history. So Chris Fagan told his Lions when their flag hopes look doomed two years ago, if we're going to walk on thin ice, we might as well dance. Adam Simpson's Eagles had family, friends and flags. Already in this final series, we've heard Justin Longmuir telling the team to strive to be reliable, not remarkable. While Andrew Brayshaw put a note on the locker of his teammates, reminding them that the first group of players to take Freemantle to a flag will be immortals. But for me, if Freemantle managed to win this flag on Saturday, and Brisbane will be a mighty challenge, the moment that will have made it possible will be Hayden Young's set shot on the three-quarter time siren on Friday night at the SCG.

It took a 27-point lead back to a manageable 21 points. It took the Dockers to the three-quarter time huddle with a hint of momentum, a comeback looked possible, and 10 minutes into the final term, it looked inevitable. The thing about Sydney's frenetic attack on the contest was that it was always going to take a toll. And Dean Cox's face in the coaches box changed from excited to concerned early in the last quarter. He knew the Swans were running short on petrol tickets, and he also knew the Dockers are the most powerful fourth-quarter team in this AFL competition. And that means that the deeper they can take the Brisbane in Saturday's grand final, the more likely they will be to win. And speaking of Dean Cox, if there is a coach of the final series award, I reckon it has already been decided, and I reckon Dean Cox is the winner.

Just think about this. What an incredible performance. In the space of three weeks, Cox completely reframed a team from one of attacking momentum, slick ball use, and forward handball, to one tailor made for the close confines of the SCG. And almost without exception, every player brought in to replace first the Pullman Five, then the injured skipper Callum Mills, and then veteran Harry Cunningham were fast, disciplined, and prepared to adhere to roles that enhanced Sydney's team defence and their ability to apply pressure. Now, Cox looked exhausted and drained at his post-match press conference, but he still managed the class to speak with pride about his team and praise the winners' post-match, and then visit the Dockers' rooms to congratulate them. Now, it's fair to say Fremantle didn't handle the Sydney pressure that well for two and a half quarters, but it's also fair to say it was the same pressure that brought mighty Brisbane unglued in a qualifying final a couple of weeks earlier. And unlike the Dockers, the Lions couldn't find a way through the Blitz, and they got beaten by 53 points. So don't get me wrong, it's going to take Freemantle's absolute best to beat Brisbane on Saturday, with or without Lockie Neal, and even their absolute best may not be enough if the Lions unleash all of their might. But let's be careful about some of the predetermined narratives being chucked around by commentators at the moment. They're saying, well, they were saying, that if Freemantle had been beaten by the Swans, they were going to call it one of the all time great chokes. But Brisbane's performance against the Swans was apparently a case of the Lions just not caring enough. So what? The Lions didn't care enough about a qualifying final?

Having poor performances in earlier finals does not rule you out of playing well in the big dance. So Brisbane were beaten by five goals by Geelong in a qualifying final last year. They had trailed GWS by four goals at three quarter time in a preliminary final the year before.