“Club got ahead of itself”: Hasleby questions Freo’s failure, ponders Fyfe’s place in the team

Fremantle great Paul Hasleby believes the club and players got ahead of themselves after their massive Round 12 win over Melbourne.

The Dockers crushed the Demons by 92 points in Alice Springs before the bye to suggest to the AFL world that perhaps they should be taken seriously in the premiership race.

However, upon return they faltered against the Western Bulldogs last weekend, going down by 67 points, missing the opportunity to entrench themselves in the top four.

Hasleby believes it is an all too familiar feeling that comes with the territory whenever things seem to be going well at Freo.

“It was ugly and I think the club got ahead of itself,” Hasleby said on SEN WA’s The Run Home.

“Not just the players, the whole club.

“There was a lot of positive media around the Fremantle Dockers. They came off the great game against Melbourne before the bye and everyone was talking about the Dockers.

“Every time the Dockers get to a position where they need to step up on the big stage, they are failing more often than not.

“There’s a long way to go for them to bridge the gap between where they are and where they need to get to.

“They went out and drank the Kool-Aid. They didn’t have the same intensity, they didn’t have the same game style that had got them into a pretty good position.

“Unfortunately they have to bear the brunt of that, which is not being in the top four, and now have to really work to get inside the top eight with some tough games to come.”

Hasleby also wondered if a player like Will Brodie or Neil Erasmus would provide more for the Dockers than veteran Nat Fyfe.

He questioned whether the two-time Brownlow Medallist remains best suited in the team or if another player such as Brodie or Erasmus would be of greater benefit to coach Justin Longmuir.

“Would they better value than Nathan Fyfe?,” Hasleby asked.

“It’s becoming a discussion point. Every game that Fyfe doesn’t step up - and I know it doesn’t help when all the players are down - but it has been a bit of a drop-off ever since he took that managed game. He’s just lost his weapons.

“He used to have this beast mode that he’ll just get the ball and go forward, and everybody jumped on his back. He’s not doing that, he’s not spreading forward, his contested marking has dropped away.

“He kicked 17 and 16 goals in his Brownlow years. He’s got three this year. So there’s not even that element of let’s throw him in the forward line. They tried that late in the game and that component of his game is not working.

“I think it’s a legit question that needs to be answered by the coaching committee. At some point you’ve got to look at Will Brodie and Neil Erasmus because they could be lost to the footy club (if they don’t get games).”

Hasleby pointed to Brodie’s 2022 debut season at the Dockers when he averaged just under 27 disposals, as well as close to six clearances and almost four tackles.

“Brodie had a breakout season in 2022,” the 2003 All-Australian added.

“His numbers in 2022 are better than Nat Fyfe’s 2024 numbers. He was better in disposals, contested possessions, clearances, inside 50s, tackles and equal in score involvements.

“There’s a real discussion to be had about Fyfe’s position in the team and whether Brodie, or Neil Erasmus, could play the same role as Fyfe has been filling.”

The Dockers will be eager to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing loss when they host Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

Listen to Hasleby’s full hot take on Freo below: