Fremantle Dockers
Fremantle looked good last season despite not making the finals, coming tantalisingly close. They’re a pretty complete squad, and as a result, there might not be much room for younger players to get a game. However, here are some players worth keeping an eye on.
Breakout Candidates
Heath Chapman
I think this guy has been in the breakout candidate section three years in a row now. He only averaged 65 last season after coming back from injury, but there are always some signs that he could be a good fantasy scorer as he plays the right role. It’s just that there are so many fantasy players in Fremantle’s defence, which makes it hard for him to get amongst the scoring. This was especially the case when Fremantle shifted away from kicking backward and possessing the ball in defence in the latter stages of 2024. I’m willing to give him one more year to see if he overtakes one of the other halfback flankers at Fremantle, but I’m starting to run out of patience.
Josh Treacy
Josh Treacy saw a breakout year last season, averaging 75.8 points per game. He had four 100+ scores last season, which is great going for a key forward. However, I’m not sure if he’s going to improve much more in 2025. As a key forward, so there’s bound to be some fluctuation in his scoring, but he does have a reasonable floor and rarely goes under 60 points per game. He’s a good option to keep in mind to fill out your forward lines.
Matthew Johnson
He spent a lot of time on the wing in 2024. I’m not sure if that was out of necessity or if that’s where they want him to play. That said, I expect Nathan O’Driscoll to play a lot more football in 2025, which means Johnson might be moved off the wing to accommodate him. Also, I expect Nat Fyfe to play less football this season, so there could be room for him on the inside. He’s one worth drafting and hoping for the best.
Neil Erasmus
I think this guy is going to force his way into the team in 2025. He picked up the best-on-ground medal in the WAFL Grand Final, where Peel Thunder lifted the cup. As mentioned earlier, I think it’s Nat Fyfe’s time to go in Fremantle’s lineup. Erasmus could jump straight in and play, especially since we saw Hayden Young playing some different roles at the end of last season. There could be room in the midfield for Neil Erasmus, which hopefully equates to a breakout season.
Nathan O’Driscoll
I’ve always liked what I’ve seen in Nathan O’Driscoll since his debut season. He just hasn’t been able to get his body right. He played the last two games of the 2024 season. One of them was as the sub, which affected his score, but he then put up a nice score in his final game of the year. If he can get on the park and remain there, I think he could be a handy contributor. Given that he’s a winger, he probably doesn’t have the fantasy ceiling, but he could be a consistent player for your team and be a good option to round out one of your final on-field midfield positions.
Stash Options
Liam Reidy
When Sean Darcy was injured last year, I took it as a good sign that Fremantle opted to go with Liam Reidy in the ruck and playing Luke Jackson in the forward line. This tells me that Fremantle will more likely want to play Jackson up forward, which means if Sean Darcy gets injured (essentially a given each season), we’re going to see more of Liam Reidy playing in the ruck. This means he could be a stash option as he gains more experience and (if he continues to develop) could eventually become the number one option.
Rookie Watch
Murphy Reid
Murphy Reid is a classy midfielder who put up some big numbers in the Talent League last season playing for Sandringham Dragons. I find it hard to see where he fits into the Fremantle midfield and where he can score well from the get-go, but I think he’s an option for the future. To read more about him and any of the other draftees, check out our draftee analysis guide or our draftee analysis podcast.
