Fremantle supporters turned out in large numbers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for an open training session held after the club's grand final parade, thewest.com.au reports. The session gave fans in Melbourne a chance to watch the Dockers prepare ahead of the decider.
The turnout was one of several signs of the anticipation building around Fremantle's grand final appearance, as covered across Australian outlets. The Guardian's Brendan Foster wrote that the port city has already turned purple, adding that a premiership win would send Fremantle into meltdown. The Australian framed a Dockers flag as a lesson in karma three decades in the making.
The mood has spread beyond the stands. SMH.com.au reports that tattoo parlours in the Western Australian port city are preparing for a long night, with Dockers fans seeking premiership tattoos if the club wins. PerthNow, meanwhile, published a guide for West Coast Eagles supporters on how to avoid grand final day altogether.
Fremantle's following has been a running theme of the week's coverage, from the parade through to the training session at the MCG. Whether that support carries the club to a first premiership is the question the grand final itself will answer.
What to watch next: whether Fremantle converts the week's momentum into a win, and how the city responds if it does.
