Wharfie time has arrived in 2026 after Fremantle used its prime-time clash against Hawthorn on Thursday night to cement its now undeniable premiership contentions with a thrilling 15-point win.
The Dockers had nothing to prove to anyone, according to coach Justin Longmuir, but their come-from-behind win at Optus Stadium would have turned the heads of any lingering doubters, with Freo booting the final five goals of the game to win 12.16 (88) to 11.7 (73).
Down by 19 points and on the ropes early in the final quarter, Freo dug in and produced a tough and brutal finish against a fellow top-four team to win its eighth straight game in its best run of form under Longmuir and longest winning streak since 2015.
The Dockers risked kicking themselves out of the contest after dominating field position but kicking 1.5 to start the final quarter, but Josh Treacy, Michael Frederick and Jye Amiss stood up in clutch moments to seal the win.
Star midfielder Hayden Young made sure of it when he converted a set shot deep in the game, giving the Dockers their biggest scalp this season against a team they could well face off against in September.
Co-vice-captain Caleb Serong was immense once the game became a contested battle, finishing with a team-high 28 disposals, eight clearances and eight inside 50s, while ruck Luke Jackson (22 and seven clearances) asserted himself in a massive final quarter and landed a critical smother.
Frederick and Amiss both booted three goals, with the former kicking two on the run in the final quarter, while the latter snapped the critical go-ahead goal 22 minutes into the final term.
Murphy Reid (20 and nine inside 50s) and Shai Bolton (22 and five clearances) were important in the final chase, with key defender Brennan Cox producing a big second half to shut down dangerman Jack Gunston, who threatened to be the matchwinner in a massive five-goal first half.
The first quarter was one befitting of second against third on the ladder, with both teams rising to the occasion in a high-octane opening that saw Nick Watson land the first blow when he converted on the run from a tight angle.
Pat Voss and Frederick responded with long-range goals, with the Dockers getting on top at stoppages but also whipping the ball through the corridor when needed to create their opportunities.
Then Gunston arrived. The veteran forward kicked his first goal seven minutes into the quarter, had a second overturned after it grazed the goalpost, and then marked on the lead moments later to convert from a set shot, with Luke Ryan struggling to match the sharpshooter.
Gunston and Watson were far and away the most dangerous players on the ground, with the 'Wizard' matching his attacking flair with defensive menace when he chased down Cox to start the second quarter with a goal.
The Hawks – without important defender Tom Barrass (hamstring) from the second quarter – ratcheted up their ball movement and were able to repeatedly find Gunston in space, with the premiership star kicking three straight goals to open a 16-point lead for the visitors.
The Dockers needed to respond and young star Reid sensed the moment, charging through half-forward and taking the responsibility to convert on the run from outside 50m.
Watson was equal to it, however, twisting and snapping an effortless goal from 40m to extend the Hawks' lead to 15 points at half-time.
The third quarter was an armwrestle as the pressure went to a new level and every contest became critical. Serong flourished in the conditions and had 10 disposals for the quarter, with the Dockers soaking up long periods in their defensive half and conceding one goal to Mitch Lewis after he launched from 60m.
It was the Hawks' turn to be wasteful with their opportunities, missing a string of chances before the Dockers went the length of the ground and Amiss took his moment, converting a massive set shot from just outside 50m.
It set the stage for a massive finish, with the Purple Army finding its voice in the enthralling closing stages.
Evergreen Hawks' massive half
There was a period through the second quarter when triple premiership Hawk Jack Gunston looked capable of kicking a 10-goal bag. The Dockers had no answers for him after starting with Luke Ryan and then moving Brennan Cox into the role, and the Hawks' ball movement was making him impossible to defend. When he slotted his fifth goal 14 minutes into the second quarter, he had achieved a career-high for goals in a half, and seven of his eight marks had been taken inside 50. At the age of 34, Gunston is in All-Australian form again and leading the Coleman Medal. Cox did a terrific job to respond and keep him goalless in the third quarter in a match-defining job.
FREMANTLE 4.4 6.8 7.10 12.16 (88)
HAWTHORN 4.2 9.5 10.7 11.7 (73)
GOALS
Fremantle: Frederick 3, Amiss 3, Treacy 2, Young, Voss, Reid, Dudley
Hawthorn: Gunston 6, Watson 3, Lewis, Butler
BEST
Fremantle: Serong, Jackson, Frederick, Cox, Reid, Brayshaw, Bolton
Hawthorn: Gunston, Watson, Amon, Newcombe, Impey, Battle
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Hawthorn: Barrass (hamstring)
Crowd: 54,140 at Optus Stadium
