Matthew Pavlich’s reality check for Fremantle, telling comment about 30-year AFL drought

Fremantle’s greatest ever player Matthew Pavlich has given his old team a harsh reality check as they aim to break a 30-year drought.

Fremantle legend Matthew Pavlich has given the Dockers a brutal reality check, declaring his old team have a lot of work to do before they can be considered premiership favourites.

The Dockers were thumped by Geelong in Round 1 but have recovered to sit eighth on the ladder with three wins on the board heading to a clash against Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday.

“It’s a game they need to be wary of,” Pavlich told news.com.au ahead of the game against the Demons live and exclusive on Fox Footy’s Super Saturday coverage.

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Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw have helped make Fremantle’s midfield one of the best in the AFL, captain Alex Pearce is in career best form in defence and Josh Treacy has transformed into one of the best key fowards in the league.

But Pavlich, Fremantle’s all-time leading goalkicker, believes his former side hasn’t showed enough to prove they are premiership contenders.

“I still think they’ve got a fair bit of work to do to be premiership contenders, Pavlich said.

“They’re still a very young team. Yes they’ve recruited well with Shai Bolton and the list looks in really good shape for the next few years to really build to be a real contender consistently.

Matthew Pavlich has given Freo a reality check.

“They’ve got a bit of work to do on their game both with the ball offensively and in their team defence to be reliable game after game, week after week, to really threaten the likes of Brisbane and the Giants.

“I want to see them get back to their best defensively, they were No. 2 defensively and they’re in the bottom half of the table in the early part of this season

“I think their ball movement is in pretty good shape. Their ball movement from the back half to the front half has been one of the best statistically. It’s more about getting their defensive back on track.

“And also importantly, last year they were the best clearance side by a long way but they didn’t score from those clearances. If they can get that going again, once Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson come back along with that midfield.

“They need to score from those scenarios. They got exposed a bit last year when they won a lot of the footy but they couldn’t get it to scoring a position.

“Improve their defence and score from their stoppages. The rest of their game is in pretty good shape.”

Pavlich haunted by premiership drought

Fremantle joined the AFL in 1995 and Pavlich was part of the team that lost the 2013 AFL Grand Final to Hawthorn by 15 points, the closest the Dockers have come to winning the premiership.

“I don’t think about 8 goals, 14 behinds, five out on the full, losing by 15 points in 2013 all that often,” Pavlich quipped when asked about Freo’s premiership drought, referencing Freo’s wayward goalkicking in the 2013 grand final.

“It would be nice to see the purple team that I played for, for a long time and the team I’m passionate about relentlessly pursue excellence.”

Pavlich (right) is still haunted by Freo’s loss to Hawthorn in the 2013 AFL Grand Final. Photo: Michael Klein

Pavlich gave the Dockers a reality check, noting that since 2015 the Dockers have only made finals once in 2022, winning an elimination final before getting knocked out of finals.

“This young team, they’ve played one final in 10 years,” the AFL Hall of Famer said.

“There’s a fair bit of talk internally and externally that they’re ready — well, we need to see it. This group needs to action it.

“They look good on paper and they say all the right things, but we need to see repeat actions, week after week, season after season. One finals series for this group should sting them a bit.

“Of course I would love to see my old team feature in September.”

Freo’s Josh Treacy has turned into one of the best forwards in the AFL. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Pavlich is delighted by the development of Treacy, who was picked up in the 2021 rookie draft and has emerged as a star forward in the AFL capable of regularly kicking bags of five goals or more.

“I worked with Josh a bit when he first came to the club,” Pavlich said.

“You could see his work ethic and he’s been able to get his body right and his attention to detail off the field. It’s great to see.

“He plays with presence, aggressively in the right way. He’s a star, I love watching him play.”

Originally published as Matthew Pavlich’s reality check for Fremantle, telling comment about 30-year AFL drought