Home and away season – (2012 in brackets)

Games – 24 (18)

Disposals per game: 9.1 - 32nd (9.3 - 32nd)
Contested possessions per game: 4 - 29th (4.3 - 30th)
Uncontested possessions per game: 4.6 - 33rd (5.2 – 31st)
Handball efficiency: 86.9% - 4th (88.6 – 3rd)
Kicking efficiency: 73.3% - 11th (66.7 – 19th)
Marks per game: 2.8 - 29th (3 – 23rd)
Marks from opposition kicks per game: 1.5 - 6th (1.3 – 6th)
Tackles per game: 1.2 - 32nd (1.7 – 25th)
Spoils per game: 6 - 1st (5.7 – 1st)
Goals conceded per game to direct opponent: 1.5 (1.2)

*rankings are at Freo and players must have played at least four games to qualify.

Highlight – Zac Dawson and the word highlight are rarely used in the same sentence, but the way he stood up when Luke McPharlin was out of the side was exemplary in 2013. He even filled in as a ruckman in round 7 after Jon Griffin had left the game early with a knee injury.

Summary - A steady effort all season long from Dawson. He’s not the sort of footballer who plays too many memorable games. What he does do is perform his role for the team every week. He was his reliable self in the heart of Fremantle’s defence, which was the best in the AFL this season. Predictably led the club for spoils.

Finals

Summary – No key forward got the better of Dawson throughout the finals series head-to-head duels. He played on Jarryd Roughead in the Grand Final, who kicked two goals, but one was courtesy of a contentious free kick for a push in the back.

Outlook: Fremantle knows what it will get with Dawson. The reliable defender will be disappointed at being on the wrong end of a third Grand Final, but that should ensure an even more determined Dawson in 2014.