Paul Duffield

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

In mid-November, Fremantle held its club champion awards function and - despite missing four games through suspension - midfielder Nat Fyfe was the resounding winner of the Doig Medal. It is Fyfe's second consecutive win, capping a stellar season during which he was named the AFLPA's best player and earned All-Australian selection. Fyfe polled 283 votes from his 20 appearances, 20 more than he did from two more games in 2013.

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

Coming off their first win of the season last round, the Greater Western Sydney Giants were brutalized by a rampant Fremantle Dockers team in their Round 20 clash. GWS won the toss and inexplicably kicked into a breeze that was worth at least a couple of goals. Fremantle started with a bang when Nick Suban kicked their first goal within 30 seconds of the bounce down. They were pressuring the exits from the back line with precision and the GIants were finding it hard to hit up targets as they tried to move forward. It was intense football from the home team with an avalanche of goals the result. Michael Walters scored the next goal with his uncanny sense of where the big sticks are, snapping truly off his left foot from 40 meters out. The Giants were rattled and gave up three more goals due to Docker intensity at the ball. Hayden Ballantyne, Chris Mayne and Lachie Neal all registered goals to have six different goal scorers at that stage of the game. Three of those six goals came from turnovers by a struggling GWS. It could have been a lot worse as the Dockers kicked seven behinds to go with those goals. GWS had limited opportunities to score including one shot from Jonathan Giles that hit the post. The luckless Giants had failed to score a goal in the quarter and trailed by a whopping 40 points at the change.

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

100 games as captain: Jonathan Brown (BRIS) joins Michael Voss (210 games 1997-2006) and Roger Merrett (125 games 1990-96) as the only men to have captained the Brisbane Lions/Brisbane Bears in 100 or more games. Brown was appointed captain in 2007 after Voss retired as a player. Merrett's last year as captain was also the last year of the Brisbane Bears. At the end of 1996, the merger with the Fitzroy Lions was finalized and the Bears became the Brisbane Lions starting in 1997.

South Australia has the Showdown, Queensland the Clash but the Western Derby is considered one of the most exciting games of the entire season. Unlike other games, it doesn’t matter where the West Coast Eagles or the Fremantle Dockers are on the Ladder. The Derby is guaranteed to be a cracking, hard fought match. For the record, this time the teams were fifth and sixth on the Ladder and 41,000 fans were treated to a classic encounter.

In the highly anticipated Round 12 game between third and fourth placed teams on the Ladder, St Kilda traveled to Perth for the second time in a month to take on the in form Fremantle Dockers. The home side was the slight favorite with the betting money but the Saints' powerhouse should never be underestimated.

Anzac Day football has a special meaning for Australians. The traditional playing of the Last Post in front of 38,000 silent people will raise goose-bumps on the arms of anyone who is fortunate enough to be present. The winless Richmond came into this game with a good record against Fremantle, having won their last four encounters. Last year Fremantle were humbled by their opponents on most occasions. This season so far their attitude and skill levels have improved and they appear capable of beating any team in the league. The Tigers arrived in Perth at the bottom of the Ladder but who knows what any team is capable of when the blood is up and the ANZAC battle cry is ringing in its ears.

Hawthorn have returned to the Final Eight with a hard fought win against a valiant Fremantle Dockers team. Traveling interstate to Subiaco Oval for the Round 8 match against Fremantle, the Hawks came in with a defense seriously undermanned through injury. The Fremantle Dockers were coming off a morale-boosting three game winning streak and had the home advantage. Tipsters were divided in their predictions and Friday night football looked set to reward fans with an absolute beauty.

A bumper crowd of 41,654 watched Matthew Pavlich become one of only three Fremantle Docker players to reach the 200 game milestone, joining former team mates Shane Parker and Shaun McManus in the illustrious 200 club. In a Western Derby played in two starkly contrasting halves, Pavlich started slowly and had minimal influence until after half time. Moving into the center of the ground in the third quarter, the Captain imposed his strength and willingness to go in hard after the football and turned the tide of the game.