Lyon: “Stacked” Dockers have all areas covered

The Fremantle Dockers have nailed their list build, and 2026 could well be the year that they reap the benefits.

From drafting superstars Caleb Serong and Hayden Young with consecutive picks, acquiring Luke Jackson, Jordan Clark and Shai Bolton via trade and the savvy recruitment of Murphy Reid, Josh Treacy and Patrick Voss, the Dockers have hardly wasted an opportunity to improve over the last decade.

And despite a series heart breaking season ends in years past, this season feels different.

Through eight games, Fremantle finds itself with seven wins, all coming consecutively following a tough 10-point loss to Geelong in Round 1 – a game that the Dockers led by 35 points in the second term.

A shift away from their typical defensive setup under coach Justin Longmuir has revitalised the side, introducing a much faster pace in attack that has benefitted the side’s forward stocks.

In ripping form and with superstars all over, this year presents as a brilliant opportunity for the West Australian side, who, according to Garry Lyon, hardly have a hole across their 23 and beyond.

“The question over them still is how they move the footy and how effective they are from one end to the other,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.

“If you’re talking personnel, they are pretty much stacked. They are stacked everywhere.

“You ask all of the questions about them and say; have you got a key defender to play on the monster forwards? Yep, Alex Pearce.

“Have you got run and carry – yep, Jordan Clark. Have you got midfield depth? Well, you have now, because Shai Bolton goes through, Murphy Reid goes through, and you’ve got one of the best ruckmen.

“Have you got big power forwards? Yep, we’ve got three of them. Have you got small pressure forwards? Yep, we’ve got Sam Switkowski.

“They tick all of the boxes, so if you want to get into the weeds, they’ve got better at it, but it was always a bit conservative from the back half, wouldn’t take the direct line and wouldn’t be aggressive, but they’ve got better at that.

“I’m really bullish on the Dockers, but we need to see it in September.”

Breakfast co-host Tim Watson has recognised a shift in the Dockers’ game, with star midfielder Andrew Brayshaw playing a variety of roles outside of his typical midfield stance.

Watson likened it to a shift made by a superstar Tiger that resulted in premiership success.

“It was always about Andrew Brayshaw; it was always about Caleb Serong,” Watson said.

“Brayshaw has had to modify the way that he plays, so in some ways, he has become a more rounded, complete player.

“Like Trent Cotchin did. Do you remember when Trent Cotchin had that transformation from an accumulator to a great leader on field, capable of being able to go and play a different role?”

Lyon: “That’s a great example. Serong and Brayshaw have won the last four (best and fairest awards), which is great, but if one of them wins it again, they probably don’t win (the premiership).

“That’s the way I see it. If Luke Jackson wins his first best and fairest, or if Murphy Reid wins his first best and fairest, you go, wow!

“I know Caleb and Andrew very well, there mindset would be the same – someone else come up! We’ve had individual success, we all like winning best and fairest and be All-Australian, that’s cool.

“But for them right now, it’s – we want a medal. If that means we have to play a different role, we will. I think that’s an evolution of that football club as well.

“They are in the hitting spot, they are in the sweet spot, but they will get challenged by the Hawks.”

They host third-placed Hawthorn tonight in a serious test that may prove to be a legitimate top four shaper.