Fremantle erupts in purple after preliminary final win as city braces for grand final showdown
After Fremantle’s preliminary final victory over the Sydney Swans, the port city’s central business district turned into a sea of purple during chaotic celebrations on a Friday night, with the Dockers set to meet the Lions in the grand final on Saturday.
Fremantle supporters have endured 32 years without a premiership and have remained loyal through numerous disappointments and false dawns. Fans say they have been mocked and bullied by supporters of local rivals the West Coast Eagles, who have won four flags, and many harbour resentment that the AFL “turned its back on the Dockers when they joined the competition in 1995.” The club’s identity is tied to perseverance and a working-class ethos, according to local observers.
Hundreds of jubilant fans danced, hugged and partied in the pouring rain in the CBD after the preliminary final win, while chants of “MCG, MCG” from the crowd alarmed several bus drivers trying to pass through. Despite the intensity of the celebrations, the coverage reports no incidents of violence, with supporters described as too delirious to cause mayhem.
The city is described as being painted purple, with even a local real estate agent, wearing a Dockers guernsey, leaving a flyer in a letterbox that read “It’s Wharfie Time.” Local media have been amplifying the build-up to grand final day, framing a potential Dockers victory as a cause for large-scale celebration.
Fremantle mayor Ben Lawver said: “It’s exciting to see our entire community getting behind the Dockers and folk coming into Freo just to soak up the vibe,” he said. Organisers expect more than 40,000 people to attend various events around the city on grand final day, a figure noted to be a few thousand larger than the city’s population, while about 10,000 fans are expected at Fremantle Oval. LED screens are planned for the Cappuccino Strip, Walyalup Koort, Esplanade Reserve and the corner of Market and High Streets.
The city’s sporting and cultural history is referenced in coverage, noting Fremantle’s associations with Bon Scott and Tame Impala and the staging of the America’s Cup in the late 1980s; reports recall US skipper Dennis Conner handling the roaring southwesterlies better than Australian challengers while the city’s parties around the event were described as legendary. Historical anecdotes include a reference to former Royal Navy Admiral Edward Russell inviting 5,000 sailors to a fountain filled with brandy and punch, with the festivities said to have lasted five days.
Local commentary suggests that if Fremantle defeats “one of the greatest teams in the last 25 years” on Saturday, the scale of celebration would exceed previous city events and deliver a long-awaited premiership to lifelong supporters. The Dockers face the Brisbane Lions in the grand final on Saturday, with widespread public gatherings planned across the city.