As a member of the club for many years, my regular seats were in the section next to the cheer squad, and I often wondered what it would be like to sit among them and be seen as one of the ‘die hard’ fans of the team we love. For those of you that have never had the opportunity to be among them, this is my experience…
I arrived at the game about an hour before bounce down, and watched as the large pom poms were carried into the ground and layed to form a sea of Dockers colours along the boundary line. I sat and spoke with people who were attending their very first live game, and others who had only missed a handful of games since the Dockers inception into the league, 15 years ago.
Wearing my Freo polo shirt and scarf, I felt somewhat naked, as an influx of people wearing Dockers jerseys (many signed and covered with their favourite players badges), beanies, purple pants and jackets, Dockers socks pulled up to their knees, Freo ‘dread lock’ hats and more, poured in and filled the cheer squad section. Veteran supporters were carrying cushions that had been moulded to the shapes of their seat, and flags were an obvious necessity, with rarely a member of the squad not carrying one.
As I sat down, arguably the youngest Freo cheer squad member was sitting, well more like laying, directly in front of me. Six month old Adrian was attending his fifth Dockers game of the season, wearing his ‘number one Docker’s supporter’ jumpsuit and Freo beanie.
An almighty roar erupted around me, as fans stood to their feet and waved their flags, to welcome their favourite Fremantle players on to the ground, for a quick warm up before the game.
 |  |
There are nets directly behind the goals to help stop the balls from hitting fans during kicking practice, but their effectiveness is minimal as half the balls seem to clear the nets and make their way into the crowd. At one stage, four of five balls made their way over the nets at the same time. The buzz of balls constantly flying around you brings an excitement into the squad that results in loud cheers for every goal, and younger fans scrambling to pick up a footy and attempt to throw it back over the fence.
At one stage, a ball came flying over the nets, and I thought ‘It’s coming straight at me’. I can’t tell you the amount of balls I’ve marked playing local footy or during kick to kick with friends, but as I saw the ball coming straight at me with a large crowd watching to see where it’s going, nerves kicked in and I stuck out my hands, hoping it would stick. Thankfully it did, and I felt like a superstar as the crowd around me applauded the mark.
As the game began, the feeling became even more electric, especially since I was so close to the oval, and really felt a part of the game. Kepler Bradley quickly became the hero after kicking the two opening goals for Freo, igniting the crowd into ‘FREO’ chants. With the Dockers kicking to the members end in the first quarter, the cheers were at times deafening, as Freo poured on six goals, and 11 scoring shots.
The cheer squad was in full swing by the third quarter, as we poured on an equal club best 10 goal haul. The crowd all but remained standing in ovation as Ballantyne, Hasleby, Mayne, Fyfe, Pavlich and Hill all kicked goals in quick succession. Purple flags engulfed the view, as fans danced and cheered with every score.
Throughout the game, there was one young man in particular who would lead many of the chants, and turn around to the crowd, getting them in full cheer. Known as the ‘anchorman’ because he has a Dockers anchor etched and bleached into his hair, Travis Wright has been a member of the cheer squad for seven years, joining when he was just 13. His second year as a member saw him take the lead in many of the squad’s chants.
“I was sitting around older guys that would get the crowd cheering” he said, “and so I decided to join in one time, and now the crowd expect me to do it.”
When asked if he felt any pressure to get the crowd involved during winning and losing games, he said “Nah, it’s all just about the fun and getting people to have a good time.”
 |  |
On the way home from the game, I overheard that the Kangaroos were flying out that night, so I decided to go talk to them about just how effective Freo fans are at getting inside the oppositions head.
Veteran North Melbourne backman, Brady Rawlings, said that the crowd certainly does help influence the game, as well as individual players.
“You can definitely hear some things being called out at you but you just have to try ignore them” he said.
“You definitely knew when [tonight’s] game was finished by the noise the crowd made”.
Key North Melbourne defender, Scott McMahon, complimented the impressive Dockers outfit, stating that Freo had played really well tonight.
“It also makes a difference when you have the AFL’s best ruckman [Aaron Sandilands], and arguably the number one forward [Pavlich], in your team” he said.
To really experience a Dockers home game, I recommend sitting among your fellow supporters in the cheer squad, even just once. As always, please feel free to write in and leave comments, and let me know of your experiences in the cheer squad or around the ground at OggsBlog@fremantlefc.com.au.
Be sure to check out Oggs Blog after our next home game against the Saints, as I bring you an insiders view on what it’s like to help create the Dockers banner, walk it out onto Subiaco Oval, and hold it up on the ground as our Freo boys run through.
See you at the next home game.
