For a moment there, us twisted, rusted-on supporters thought we may have lost our identity. But we weren’t letting Hawthorn take that away from us! Let’s just say deliberately doing things the difficult way is character-building. Time to Restump Podcast our gut-wrenching game against the hard-nosed Hawks.

Sadly, we know all too well that a sense of inevitability is difficult to misplace. Thursday night, we added another stat to our 30-year history of failures when it matters most.

That one is tough to reconcile. Getting beaten was definitely a possibility, but no one saw us performing like that. We folded like the deckchairs we sat in on the interchange sidelines at Marvel Stadium against the Blues two weeks back!

The thought we’d be outworked, outmuscled and, most of all, out-pressured in that manner and to that extent, never entered the equation. We were overconfident we wouldn’t be overawed or overwhelmed, and overlooking that possibility maybe was, in itself, part of the problem.

We’re not physically or mentally battle-hardened. We don’t have the deep finals experience to deal with that type of finals onslaught and, albeit somewhat justifiably, we got carried away with the home-and-away season. Unfortunately, we just failed to distinguish between it and September.

While it’s no excuse for the way we were brushed aside and pressured out of the game, our old mate Lloyd Meek has played more finals than 20 of the 23 players we rolled out Thursday night.

Let that sink into the noggin! The ruckman who, understandably, couldn’t get a look in at Freo, goes to another team, fights his way into the position of first ruck, puts away more finals than his former teammates and adds another one to his tally against them. One of those football stories, and we actually couldn’t be happier for him.

The reality is we’ve had quite the fortuitous season. We’ve met teams at the right times; we’ve had an absurd injury list, or rather a lack of one, and we’ve faced almost zero adversity. You still have to rack up the wins, and we were impressive doing so, but there were numerous games where we just got over the line thanks to 10 to 15 minutes of burst footy. That isn’t necessarily reliable or replicable in finals football.

A lack of obstacles and misfortune isn’t our fault, and it can be a big tick for process, planning and application. But did we overlook that lack of hardship we faced this year? Was it problematic in our preparation for September?

Hats off to the Hawks. They were ferocious and relentless, and they thoroughly deserved the win. But the disappointing aspect for us was that we couldn’t work our way back into it at any stage. That has been our signature this year, but, again, finals is a different bag.

However, being the best side all year means we earned our finals position and double chance. We were hoping not to need it but, it’s safe to say, it’s better to have and not need than need and not have. So, don’t ‘Weekend at Bernies’ us just yet!

We now face the Morris Finance, Cotton On Cats, the family of farm owners, the secret-signature securers, this coming week, in a do-or-die ding-dong on the home deck.

It’s time to make the inevitable avoidable! The canvas is where comebacks begin! Get out your Chumbawambas and start Tubthumping, because we get knocked down, but we get up again.

However, before then, if you need answers and some trauma-ridding closure to move on from last night, you’re amongst like-minded folk. It’s the Freo Festivus, the airing of grievances. We can’t carry complicated cognitive cargo into the Cats’ clash! Let’s cleanse the conscience and create a clean-slate state. So, pull up a pew and partake in passing around the purple prattle pole on the pod.

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We went in with a healthy level of nonchalance; we injected the appropriate amount of complacency and deliberately ended up lackadaisically horizontal. Time to somehow Restump Podcast that beyond meaningless, going through the motions, self-preservation performance against the Blues.

I can’t remember a more meaningless encounter. In fact, I can’t ever recall contemplating switching off 5 minutes into the first quarter. And we were 3 goals up at the time!

And no doubt the players felt the same. There wasn’t the attention to detail, there wasn’t any defensive vigour and there was just no purple spirit. Even Paddy Voss’ attempt at inserting the energetic vibe fell flat. When Vossy can’t spark the fire, you know there’s more at play.

We had nothing whatsoever to gain and too much to potentially lose. We rested Jye Amiss, Sammy Switkowski and Heath Chapman.

But why did we stop there? It’s been a hell of a long season, so why wouldn’t we rest half to three quarters of the best 23, Rosco Lyon style? A lack of soldiers in the WAFL wasn’t it! Was a 20-day break too risky? Was it fear of the AFL and their idiotic fake optics obsession?

However, we’ve won 19 games in a season, we’ve won the minor premiership, we’ve got the double chance, two home finals and we’re not only favourites for, but we’re in the best position we’ve ever been in to win that debut flag. That says the club has gotten almost everything right this year, so who are we to question their decisions!

Unfair ifs buts and maybes though, possibly Brennan Cox wouldn’t be nursing a torn calf? And given how absolutely vital he is to our chances, you will never convince me there was merit in putting Alex Peearce on a plane to play in an inconsequential formality, especially after the knock to the knee the week before.

Anyway, Brennan Cox aside, we got through seemingly unscathed to close out what has, so far, been a magnificent and successful season. We couldn’t have achieved much more than we have to date and it’s caps off to all involved at the club.

However, rightfully or wrongfully, the season’s success to date inevitably raises the bar and the expectations. What we’ve done the last 23 rounds shouldn’t be understated or glossed over when reviewing the year, but it is now in the rearview mirror and, in the context of the imminent finals campaign, it counts for noting.

We’re at the pointy end, largely healthy and in good shape. We’ve got a little over a week to prepare for what is now a new season. We all start on zero and we’re looking to win three on the bounce.

Is the All-Australian night now being held in the purple palladium? The numerous positions in the team awarded to Fremantle individuals is a reflection of our remarkable season. And it was especially a stellar evening for Murphy Reid who never seems to walk away empty handed from an award ceremony. He took home the Best Emerging Player award, drawing with St Kilda’s Max Hall.

Nothing against Murph or Max, and by all means call me a killjoy, but these unnecessary made-up awards are getting a little monotonous! It’s becoming a bit participatory! What is this… a seven-year-old’s birthday party where everyone goes home with a lolly bag?

Yeah ok, self-indulgent rant over.

It’s pointless probing that purposeless performance, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of purple to prattle on about. So, don your daggies, deploy your deck chair, decompress and drop in on the docker drivel disguised as deep dialogue on the pod.

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In the pregame team meeting, Paddy misconstrued the collective noun for an instruction! Time to Restump Podcast that polished purple performance.

Let’s start at that magnificent jumper. It took us back to the nostalgic Neesham era, a simpler time in life when we ran around with a bunch of ragtag upstarts from the WAFL. Every member of the team had a license and if you didn’t do something outlandish or you performed without flair, you didn’t belong!

We got around in an unthinkable combination of purple green red and white while we made the unconventional popular. We cared little for the opinions of outsiders, we played recklessly, free from expectations and not for a second was it not entertaining. I feel for the Freo supporters who never got to experience that special time.

If we were to make that last Saturday in September, it’d be a fitting tribute if we were to don that same deep Fremantle heritage representing, kaleidoscopic number on Grand Final day. Imagine winning the club’s first premiership 30+ years later in the same jumper in which it all began.

Was that the most even contributed performance across the board you’ve ever seen?

We out pressured the best pressure team in the competition. But it felt different. It was not only a specific focus and at fever pitch, there was an added component to it, which was to make sure the crows felt it. So, it wasn't just the tackle or the corralling pressure, it felt there was an instruction to hit hard and hurt. A lighter week on the training track would probably wouldn’t go astray.

It’s difficult to argue Alex Pearce isn’t our most important player. His presence, his cover, his support and organisational skills allow other members in the defensive unit to play to their strengths. He simply makes others better.

And what about the Serong and Brayshaw combo quietly stepping back into the fold to pick up the responsibility slack. Their willingness to do the unfashionable work, take somewhat of a back seat, then step in, take the reins and lead by example when required is beyond impressive. Where we are as a team is largely a direct result of their lack of ego, and there is nothing more admirable.

There is some irony in the suggestion it was an even contribution while selecting individuals out for praise. However, a guy that rarely sees the limelight but turns up without fail, is Heath Chapman. In the context of his role, he had an outstanding multifaceted game. Courage personified, he backed into trouble, he was crisp with his ball handling and decision making, he got himself in the right positions and played his role to perfection.

Has Jye Amiss forced the tailors to ask for his jacket measurements? He’s second in the Coleman medal with 58 goals at a rate of 2.6 goals a game, going at 64% accuracy. However, he’s kicked 36 in his last 12 games. At the very least, he has surely entered the chat!

Anyway, we’re all about the collective and not about the individual. So, we continue on as one connected entity and let the individual accolade chips fall where they will.

Minor premiership secured but in the bigger picture, that is small potatoes. We don’t need to celebrate it and risk Paddy Voss damaging numerous eyeballs! Let’s just get through the one remaining inconsequential regular season game.

Meanwhile, join us as we take a deeper look into the classy performance against the Crows, decipher who to rest against the Blues and potentially plot the path the purple pioneers will proceed to possibly procure the premiership on the pod.

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