It was 18 years ago today on 14 April that one of the greats of the game played his first match for Fremantle.

Jeff Farmer, known by fans as ‘The Wiz’, made his Freo debut in round three of the 2002 season against Hawthorn at York Park in Launceston.

It didn’t take the exciting small forward much time to impact the contest, dribbling a goal from 25 metres out in the third minute of the first quarter.

It was Farmer’s first kick for Freo and it showcased both his skill and football smarts, keeping the ball low to avoid an attempted smother from a Hawthorn defender.

Ahead of the 2002 season, Farmer was traded to Fremantle from Melbourne in exchange for pick no.17, a price the club would be happy to pay for someone who would go on to be named in its ‘25 since 95’ team.

The 2000 All Australian built steadily in his time at Fremantle, peaking in 2006 when he kicked 55 goals to help propel Freo into their first preliminary final.