exclusive
Fremantle Dockers captain Alex Pearce on leadership, Justin Longmuir and premiership ambitions

Fremantle’s ambitions of a maiden premiership don’t linger at Cockburn as some sort of elephant in the room. The players that want to be the first to wear purple on a grand final dais made a conscious decision years ago to be open about what they want to achieve. That’s led by inspirational captain Alex Pearce, who admits he lets his own mind wander sometimes to holding up the premiership cup with Justin Longmuir. Ahead of his long-awaited 150th game — the Dockers’ crunch Thursday night blockbuster with Geelong — Pearce has opened up on those ambitions, his long and persistent battles with injury setbacks, how leading the club sits with him and on his relationship with his coach. The thoughtful and methodical Fremantle leader knows as well as anyone what success would mean to the people of Perth and the fans that have so desperately craved it. A football journey Pearce’s path to 150 games is one of resilience and determination. It has been far from smooth sailing for the important defender, who has often promised so much on the field only for his body to let him down. Complications from a broken leg sustained the year prior cost him all of the 2017 season, while he did not suit up at all in 2020 because of an ankle he broke in 2019. In fact, the 31-year-old has only played 20 or more games in a season three times (2018, 2022 and 2023) so far, as injuries have prevented him from carving out the career many thought he’d have when he was drafted out of Ulverstone in Tasmania with pick No. 37 in 2013. When Pearce speaks about the milestone, he is more focused on the impact he has on the next generation, particularly where he grew up, than on what it means to him personally. “I’m not that great at reflecting on my own personal achievements. It’s a long way to come for most of my friends and family, they’re in Tassie, so there are still quite a few that are coming, and it means a lot that they’re making the trip,” Pearce said. “Throughout my career, the support that I’ve received from friends and family, mainly back home, has been so consistent, and after every game I get messages, before every game I get messages and every time I go home, it means a lot to be able to come back and have people that are invested in my career. “I do get it because I was that person growing up. I used to idolise the people from our part of Tassie who made it. And there was no one from my club that I knew back then, so I guess that is the main thing. “It always meant a lot to be a player from Ulverstone who made it to the AFL and then to become an actual player, a player who was playing and then to become a captain, that meant a lot. “And now to play 150, again it solidifies that, and I think that’s where most of my satisfaction probably comes from is the impact I know I can have on other people.” Dreaming of a maiden flag Fremantle’s weekly mantra this season has been to go 1-0. What that boils down to is that every week they want to win and then come Monday, they not only reset their focus but the season. It’s a new take on the old cliche of “one week at a time”. But after a club record 12 consecutive wins has the Dockers on top of the ladder and outright premiership favourites, the lid is off amongst the supporter base — ‘Flagmantle’ is alive and well. Pearce admits he thinks about holding the premiership trophy on the last Saturday in September, but says the best chance he has of turning that vision into a reality is not letting it consume him. “We all know what it means, and we’ve spoken about it years ago, that we want to win a premiership and we’ve never wanted to hide away from that fact because that’s what we’re all here to do, and we believe we can do it,” he said. “I think about it, I think about how special it would be and again, as I spoke about, I don’t let it consume me because I know that’s what I want to achieve. And to do that means that if I spend all my time thinking about it, then it’s less likely to happen. “So, I think about what’s important, being able to stay in the moment and enjoy the moment. And be a good leader, and that gives us the best chance.” This doesn’t mean Pearce doesn’t want those outside of the four walls of their Cockburn facility to buy into the hype. Instead, he wants them to embrace “Wharfie Time” and the fun that comes with it because it’s a special time for him and the players every week to feed off the energy they bring. “It creates really special memories to be out there and to be involved in that, to be embraced by the fans, and to know that we give such joy and excitement to the fans,” Pearce said. “We’re very conscious of what we do. We kick a ball around and play footy, but 50 odd thousand people come and watch. And it’s such a highlight for people and for some of them, for their lives, what we can do. “We want to make sure we give it our best, continue to make the Freo family proud. That’s something we’ve spoken about quite a bit. “It’s relevant when we go out and play, it’s relevant yesterday when we go and do school clinics, today when we go to junior footy clubs. “It’s not all about going and playing and winning, it’s about being a good person, which is really important for this club.” Freo’s growth When Pearce joined the Dockers more than a decade ago, they had just played in their first grand final. And while Hawthorn walked away that day with the premiership, there was a sense the club had finally come of age. A few years later, the club established a state-of-the-art home base worth more than $100m in Cockburn, which the club moved into ahead of the 2017 season. On and off the field, the Dockers have become a powerhouse club, and Pearce has seen it all grow in front of him. And this year they’ve taken another significant step, regularly packing out Optus Stadium in home games, averaging a club record 48,386 attendance at home games this season. “I’ve spoken to opposition players after games, and they’re like ‘Oh shit, your fans are crazy, they’re loud, this must be fun playing in front of this every week’,” Pearce said. “And it is. It’s good to be a part of a place that does more than just playing good footy. We’re creating a good atmosphere for our fans, hopefully having a good impact off the field, creating a good environment for people to come to work. “There’s a lot that goes into a footy club. I didn’t know much about it as an 18-year-old coming through the door, but now as captain and a 13-year veteran, I understand how many people are involved, how wide our reach is, and us playing well helps all of that. Let’s keep it going.” Captaining the club Pearce had enormous shoes to fill when he took over from dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe and became the 10th full-time captain in the club’s history in 2023. And it hasn’t been an easy job for the defender. His leadership has been persistently questioned, with many openly pondering whether the position should be handed to one of his two deputies, Caleb Serong or Andrew Brayshaw. Yet if you spend a few minutes talking to Pearce, you quickly understand why he is the right man to lead the club. While he isn’t afraid of his emotions, the defender doesn’t let them dictate how he acts or speaks. It’s a levelness which is ideal for the high pressure environment of an AFL club, where the ability to ride the roller-coaster of emotion is there but is fraught with danger. Pearce is methodical when he answers questions, happy to look off in the distance and think before he answers, not to impress you but rather to give an honest answer that’s not from a knee-jerk reaction. “Because the club means so much to me, because it’s had such an impact on me as a person, and I look at the leaders that I had when I first started, and I know how much of an impact they had on me as a footballer and as a person, it’s very humbling,” Pearce said on being captain. “It can feel like a lot at times, because I want to do a good job and have a positive impact on people. Freo as well, we represent the place, we represent Fremantle. “I see the videos of pubs on South Freo going nuts when we’re playing well. And get stopped and talk to people constantly about the footy, and how we’re going, and things like that. “I think I’ll reflect post footy when this isn’t my life because at the moment it is what it is, it’s normal. It’s a lot, it’s humbling, it’s special, but in 20 years’ time when life’s a bit normal I think I will reflect a bit more and probably appreciate the wave of what it is and what it has been over the last 13 years.” The coach If Pearce has been in the gun in the past few years, his coach has been under a cannon. For most of his more than six-year tenure, Justin Longmuir has been questioned as to whether he is the right man for the job. A lot of the criticism comes from the eastern states media, who see the talent on the Dockers’ list but raise concerns with his gamestyle. They’ve called it slow, too defensive and wondered if Longmuir has the personality to be a leader that is capable of winning premierships. Yet on the back of an incredible start to 2026, the narrative has well and truly shifted. Longmuir is now viewed as one of the best coaches in the league, a man who could be in demand should other clubs come calling. For Pearce and the Dockers, nothing has changed. They’ve long believed in Longmuir, and the rewards are coming. “I don’t see all of it, but I certainly am aware of enough of the criticism he’s copped at certain points and for him to be able to handle all of that, to take it on and to front up with us, and be the leader that he is it’s inspiring in a sense because he came to us as a young, inexperienced coach, and there was expectation pretty quickly,” Pearce said. “He’s ridden those waves and taken it on board. He’s become this strong, stoic leader but also someone who’s incredibly invested in us as players, in his coaches, in the staff. “I am very proud to be able to be alongside him because he represents more than just the football coach and more than just the X’s and O’s. He has an impact on a huge number of people. “And I feel like our relationship has just grown and grown. And over the last 18 months, I feel like we’ve leant on each other more. He’s had a huge impact on me as a leader and as a player. “I’m glad they’re leaving him alone a bit.”

The West Australian exclusiveFremantle Dockers captain Alex Pearce on leadership, Justin Longmuir and premiership ambitions

exclusive
Fremantle Dockers captain Alex Pearce on leadership, Justin Longmuir and premiership ambitions