Craig O'Donoghue is part of The West Australian's sports writing team. He joined The West Australian in 2000 and spent 2013-14 working in the Melbourne bureau. He now focuses on AFL and basketball.
Fremantle will be without key defender Brennan Cox for another week as the club takes a cautious approach to his return from a calf concern, while an injured veteran is also unavailable.
Craig O'Donoghue
Fremantle fans will get the the chance to win entry to the changerooms or be on the field before Saturday’s game against Melbourne in an unprecedented move to get the Purple Army to Optus Stadium early.
Fremantle are set to be among the teams contending for a premiership in 2026 with a list brimming with talent and experience. Here’s every player who will assist their bid this season.
Optus Stadium isn’t hosting soccer this weekend but it’s not available for Fremantle or West Coast either, and that puts heaps of pressure on both clubs to start the season well, writes Craig O’Donoghue.
Fremantle were belted to the tune of 78 points by Geelong in round one last year but 2026’s repeat should prove a stark difference as the Dockers look to announce themselves as flag contenders.
Wildcats coach John Rillie once again raised eyebrows among fans by not calling a time-out to draw up a play late in their play-off loss to Sydney. Kings coach Brian Goorjian reveals his thoughts on the tactic.
Perth Wildcats suffered a heartbreaking loss to Sydney Kings on Wednesday night and they may have lost import Dylan Windler for the next game too after he suffered an injury during the final play.
Perth Wildcats star David Duke understand what his defensive assignment will be against Sydney Kings and he’s determined to cut off the head of the snake in the semifinal battle.
Perth Wildcats are the only semfinalist without a dominant scorer this season, but that’s exactly how they wanted it to be when they signed their squad. Now they’ll find out if that gives them a finals edge.
Fremantle star Shai Bolton can tear games apart, boot incredible goals and take amazing marks, but there’s one aspect of his play that keeps letting him down and the Dockers are working hard to fix it.
Perth Wildcats will play in their third consecutive semifinal series under coach John Rillie, but he continues to receive criticism. One of his biggest stars wants everyone to recognise what he’s doing.
Perth Wildcats have won through to the semifinals after Jo Lual-Acuil produced a massive game against Melbourne United and he was extremely open about what led to his brilliance.