Gold Coast SUNS fans might walk away disappointed tonight, but would be buoyed by the fact that although it wasn’t their sides day today, their side continued to fight out a high pressure and contested affair.
Fremantle did what many sides haven’t been able to do in recent years, riding some clutch Shai Bolton moments to hold on for a thrilling 11-point win over Gold Coast at a wet People First Stadium on Saturday.
The 11.9 (75) to 9.10 (64) victory was the Dockers' third straight and pushes them into the top eight, temporarily at least, with a favourable month to follow their upcoming bye.
They had to survive a late scare though, with the SUNS having a chance to level scores before a Jye Amiss goal just before the siren sealed the deal.
And Bolton was right at the centre of everything.
Following two goals by Sam Flanders and a point to Mac Andrew – who had been thrown forward – the SUNS had all the momentum as they got within five points with plenty of time remaining.
But as the ball bounced in open space about 30m from the Docker goal, Bolton put in a huge chase to mow down Nick Holman, before Amiss pounced to secure victory.
It completed a brilliant performance by the three-time premiership Tiger, who kicked three goals from his 20 disposals.
His second goal was a stunning effort on the run from 50m late in the third quarter after the SUNS had hit the front, and his third came during the final term to give Freo a buffer.
Although the game got agonisingly close, Fremantle deserved its victory, with relentless pressure all day in the tricky conditions.
Caleb Serong (27 disposals) and Andrew Brayshaw (30) were excellent around the ball and Luke Jackson (27) was again influential.
The Dockers' tackling was vice-like for all four quarters, with Bolton's desperate act in the dying seconds indicative of their want to win.
Jordan Clark (30 disposals) was clean at half-back, while Patrick Voss (three goals) provided an excellent contest inside 50.
Fresh off consecutive wins over Greater Western Sydney and Port Adelaide, Fremantle hit the wet deck full of running.
With insatiable pressure around the contest that either won them the ball or forced Gold Coast into hurried handballs and turnovers, the Dockers kicked five goals in the opening quarter to lead by 20 points.
The SUNS were flustered. Bodhi Uwland was run down by Voss – one of 11 tackles inside 50 in the first quarter – that led to a goal, while Joel Jeffrey handed another to Corey Wagner with an errant handball.
The home team found some rhythm in the second quarter, winning clean ball around the stoppages thanks to Matt Rowell and Touk Miller and giving their forwards more chances ahead of the ball.
Rowell found himself the target of some Neil Erasmus niggle, pushing the Docker away at a stoppage and hitting him around the jaw to give away a free kick.
The see-saw nature of the match continued in the third term, with Gold Coast briefly hitting the lead by a point before some Bolton magic from 50m and then a gift to Voss for his third gave some breathing space at the final change.
Dockers on the rise
Following a turbulent start to the season, the Dockers are suddenly right in the thick of the finals race. Moving to a 7-5 win-loss record following wins over the Giants, Port and SUNS, they now have a bye followed by a favourable month to follow. Fremantle will start its post-bye run with matches against North Melbourne, Essendon, St Kilda and Sydney – all contests it would likely start favourite in.
Fyfe's return as a sub
After an injury-interrupted start to 2025, dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe played his first game of the season against the SUNS as the sub. Fyfe has overcome a pre-season knee injury and then a hamstring problem suffered in his first game on return in the WAFL to finally make it back to the AFL. Coming on at three-quarter time, the veteran midfielder had an impact in the final term, gathering seven disposals that included one clearance and having some telling touches in the tense final moments.
Lombard's memorable first goal
It was as much for the celebration as the goal itself, but anyone that saw Leo Lombard's first goal will long remember it. The latest SUNS Academy graduate to make his debut, Lombard found some space midway through the second quarter to kick his maiden goal from close range. Like he'd won the lotto, the 18-year-old jumped up with a fist pump and ran through almost the entire SUNS team high-fiving them at top speed, before sprinting from the field for a breather where he pumped his fist to the crowd for another huge cheer. It was a memorable moment on a gloomy weather day.
GOLD COAST 2.1 5.5 7.7 9.10 (64)
FREMANTLE 5.3 6.5 9.8 11.9 (75)
GOALS
Gold Coast: Flanders 3, Walter 2, Uwland, Long, Lombard, King
Fremantle: Voss 3, Bolton 3, Wagner, Switkowski, Frederick, Brayshaw, Amiss
BEST
Gold Coast: Anderson, Rowell, Rioli, Miller, Andrew, Uwland
Fremantle: Serong, Bolton, Clark, Jackson, Brayshaw, Voss
INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Fremantle: Worner (hamstring awareness)
SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: David Swallow (replaced Leo Lombard at three-quarter time)
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe (replaced Karl Worner at three-quarter time)
Crowd: 11,750 at People First Stadium
