Fremantle turns purple as Dockers chase first flag
Fremantle has turned purple.
The port city is draped in flags, signs and scarves as the Fremantle Dockers prepare to face the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 26 September. The bounce is set for 2:30pm AEST, which is 12:30pm in Perth, according to the AFL. AFL
The stakes are simple. Fremantle is chasing its first premiership, the title awarded to the Grand Final winner. It is the club's second Grand Final appearance, and its first in 13 years.
Back home, the build-up has taken over the streets. Fremantle's city centre is lined with purple, from shopfronts to light poles, as locals get behind the Dockers for the decider. ABC News
The new landmark is on the cappuccino strip. Artist Jerome Davenport painted a Dockers mural on the facade of Sailing for Oranges in four days. It has quickly become a stop for photos.
The food has followed suit. Businesses are selling purple cannolis, ice creams, beer, hot dogs and sausages. One local school temporarily rebranded as "Fremantle Dockers College" and let students wear purple on Friday for a gold-coin donation to the Starlight Children's Foundation.
Not everyone can get to Melbourne. Public screens have been set up at several locations across Fremantle for a watch party, with 40,000 people expected. Roads in central Fremantle were closed for the event and public transport was made free for the day.
On the field, Fremantle has stuck with what works. The club named an unchanged 23-player team for the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final, which will be played at the MCG on Saturday. Fremantle Dockers
Grand Final week also included the parade through Melbourne on Friday, 25 September. Gates at the MCG on Saturday open at 10:30am. Earlier in the season, in Round 12, Fremantle recorded a 25-point win.
What makes this stand out is the wait. Thirteen years between Grand Finals is a long time in footy. For Dockers fans, this means a first chance for many young supporters to see their side play for the cup, and a first chance ever to win it.
