AFL

Fremantle ran into a buzzsaw on Thursday night as Hawthorn rolled into Optus Stadium and produced a superb 32-point win to book their spot in a Preliminary Final.

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While the Dockers are left to pick up the pieces after a performance that was easily their worst of the season.

Having been one of the most consistent teams throughout the regular season, when rubber met the road on Thursday night, it was the brutal Hawks who out-muscled Fremantle on their home deck as the Dockers were shell-shocked, kicking just five goals for the game.

Still set to play a home game against the winner of Geelong and Carlton, the Dockers have a lot of soul-searching to do.

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And for SEN’s Gerard Whateley, in his call after the game, gave a scathing assessment of the Dockers’ performance.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a home team play worse in a final than tonight,” Whateley said. “From start to finish, that was appalling.

“It’s an examination of their psyche, do you blokes have it in you or not. Are you really a good team?”

What now for Fremantle?

Well, there is no time to feel sorry for themselves, as the Dockers have to get right back on the horse before their next final.

Having lost a lot of credibility, according to some, given the manner in which the Dockers lost, now it comes down to how much you really want it.

We saw the Adelaide Crows go out in straight sets last season and the fallout from that. Could you imagine if the Dockers suffered the same fate?

As Adam Simpson stated, the coaching starts now, and how Fremantle responds next week will tell us a lot about the team’s makeup.

But after the Hawks’ loss, there aren’t many who are convinced the Dockers can go all the way.

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What now for Fremantle?

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