Fremantle turns purple as 40,000 expected for Dockers' first grand final in 13 years
Fremantle is bracing for 40,000 people to flood its streets on Saturday as the Dockers play their first AFL grand final in 13 years.
The Dockers will meet Brisbane in the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final, the championship decider, after storming home to beat Sydney in the preliminary final at the SCG on Friday night Fremantle FC. That win followed a semifinal victory over Geelong a week earlier. The club confirmed the Brisbane match-up on September 19 Fremantle FC.
The port city is already purple. Public buses are flashing “Wharfie Time”, the Dockers’ catchcry, on their destination boards. Shops are selling purple beer, purple cannoli and purple sausages ABC News.
Resident Paula Nelson and her family spent half a day spray-painting a giant purple anchor, the club emblem, on their front lawn. Nelson did the same thing in 2013, the last time Fremantle made the grand final. That year the Dockers lost to the Hawks.
Wharfie Time is more than a slogan. It is the club’s hype track, played over the ground speakers when Fremantle builds momentum. It was played for only the second time in 2026 during the semifinal against Geelong. Forward Voss kicked his fourth goal from the play that followed.
There is history in this run. One thousand Harbour Masters members each tipped in $1,000 to help get the club on its feet when it joined the league in 1994. Musician Tame Impala is now the club’s number one ticket holder.
Not everyone will be in Melbourne. About 10,000 fans are expected at a licensed live site at Fremantle Oval. The grand final starts at 12:30pm WA time, 2:30pm Eastern Time.
WA Police will have dozens of extra officers in Fremantle on Saturday, on motorbikes and horses, with dogs and riot gear available. Fremantle District Superintendent Dean Snashall said police would not tolerate a repeat of the preliminary final celebrations, when supporters climbed onto shop roofs.
For fans, this means a long wait is almost over. Thirteen years between grand finals is a junior career. Expect noise, purple everywhere, and a city willing its team over the line.
