WA footy preview 2025: Dockers, Eagles look to climb the ladder in new AFL season

Two Australian Football League (AFL) teams in Western Australia face distinctly different challenges in the upcoming 2025 season. The Fremantle Dockers need to translate their undeniable potential into tangible results, while the West Coast Eagles, under new coach Andrew McQualter, need to demonstrate a clear direction of development and strive to reshape the team's competitiveness.

Looking first at the Fremantle Dockers, they showed ambition during last year's AFL trade period, sacrificing three first-round draft picks to acquire key player, Shai Bolton. This move was intended to complement the already talented players on the team, but the team's performance in the 2024 season fell far short of expectations. Fremantle was expected to finish in the top four, but a series of injuries and form slumps saw them drop from third to ninth, missing the playoffs.

Sean Darcy and Josh Treacy suffered knee injuries, while Alex Pearce fractured his arm, leaving these three key players out for the end of the season. This left Fremantle without their captain, first-choice ruckman, and leading goal scorer. Darcy's injury remains a concern, and he will miss the start of this season. Former Fremantle captain and football manager Peter Bell believes the club must accept the reality that Darcy cannot participate in every game of the season.

Despite the injury woes at the end of the season, it is difficult to understand how a team that spent 11 consecutive weeks in the top eight could lose their last four games and lose their competitive edge. The end-of-season collapse, coupled with a roster that was considered to have top-four potential, has put coach Justin Longmuir under immense pressure. Add to that the arrival of Bolton, and it will be hard to view the season as a success if the team fails to make the finals twice. "We think we've got the football program, the coaching staff and the structure, Justin [Longmuir]'s coaching staff... and most importantly, the player list, we think that that as a collective is competitive and from this year onwards," Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick said on ABC Perth's sports talk show.

Shai Bolton's move to Fremantle from Richmond, where he won two premierships, can be interpreted as a vote of confidence in Fremantle's players. The club sees him as a key player in helping this highly talented team take the next step towards winning their first premiership. There is no doubt that Bolton brings an upgrade in goal-kicking ability and ball skills to Fremantle—the 26-year-old kicked 34 goals in a team that only won two games in 2024. Only one other player kicked more than 20 goals. The question is how to use him at Fremantle. As well as being the Tigers' leading goal scorer, he was also one of the team's best midfielders. He ranked third in contested possessions and tackles, and led the team in inside 50s. "I think they [Fremantle] need to allow Shai, and the team, to a degree, to introduce some chaos, some unpredictability," Bell said.

The question on the selection table boils down to whether to trust emerging stars to take the next step, or to maintain faith in experienced players such as Michael Walters and Nat Fyfe. The contributions that both have made to the club are undeniable, but the question now is whether they can consistently make Fremantle's best 23 each week. Fyfe is likely to compete with Neil Erasmus, Mufi Reid, Matt Johnson, and Will Brodie to be the next player to step up into the midfield position. Walters has shown in the pre-season that he still has the skills that made him one of the best small forwards in the game, but again, small forwards are under pressure, especially with the arrival of Bolton.

2025 is crucial for the Fremantle Dockers. The club has signed its core players to long-term contracts, and this season they must begin to mount a challenge. As Bell said, "I feel like they're a top-four team... I've got them finishing fifth or sixth. That's the disconnect between what I think they're capable of doing and needing to see more evidence that they're capable of handling the big occasion."

At the other end of the ladder is the West Coast Eagles, who are trying to shake off three years of poor performance. Andrew McQualter has taken over from Adam Simpson, and the club has moved to fill a glaring hole in the roster by recruiting players in their 20s. Liam Baker and Jack Graham bring premiership experience from Richmond, while Matt Owies kicked 33 goals in 23 games for Carlton last season. Tom Barrass and Jack Darling have left the team in the off-season, but several young players will be expected to step up in their absence.

Elijah Hewett missed the 2024 season due to a foot injury, while Harley Reid has been working hard to regain his fitness in the pre-season. Rookie Bo Allan has shown signs in the pre-season that he is up to the task, but he missed the first round due to illness. "They're going to play some exciting football. You'd hope to see that for long periods of games and for the majority of the season," Bell said. "Yes, they're going to butcher it [at times], that's what happens when you're building a new style, particularly if you're playing a really aggressive style, they're going to get scored against."

Off the field, the future of co-captain Oscar Allen will be closely watched, as he has yet to commit to staying beyond this season, and there have been reports of interest from interstate teams. If he stays, and the Eagles can show consistent effort, the club can expect to make progress in future seasons.