FOR just the third time in the club’s history, the Fremantle Dockers have made it through to the first round of the AFL finals, after finishing with 13 wins for the season.
The team had a dream start to the season, winning eight of the first 11 matches but that slowed down due to injuries as the Dockers won only five games in the second half of the season.
Despite a 116-point defeat in round 21 against Hawthorn, Fremantle finished on a high note by beating Carlton at home by six points last Friday.
They now face Hawthorn at Subiaco on Saturday afternoon.
Adding to the Dockers’ successful season, Anthony Morabito was nominated for the 2010 NAB Rising Star award in the final round.
Morabito was Fremantle’s first selection in last year;s draft and has played 21 matches this season.
He joins team mate Nathan Fyfe who was nominated in round nine.
Not all the Dockers are celebrating, though, with Hayden Ballantyne set to miss Saturday’s elimination final after fracturing a bone in his left foot.
Though not requiring surgery, the forward will wear a moon boot for six to eight weeks.
In a changing of the guard, the season also marked the end of the line for veteran Dockers midfielder Paul Hasleby after 11 seasons in the game.