Adrian Barich: ‘Flagmantle’ is a real chance. Is it time for West Coast supporters to back the Purple Army?

Sports are tribal. We all know this. This is my tribe against your tribe. My colors are against your colors. My happiness, self-esteem, and general mood next week depend mostly on whether or not a bunch of guys I don’t know can hit a ball between two big sticks.

This is football. But every now and then football gets bigger. Occasionally, it’s not a club-versus-club battle, but a State-State battle. And after the next Western Derby it may be time for West Coast fans to do something deeply disturbing.

It may be time to stand behind our friends who love wearing purple.

Now hear me out, Eagles fans, before you tear up this page and use it to scratch the bottom of the budgie cage.

Yes, supporting arch-rivals Fremantle during a finals campaign seems like the ultimate betrayal, perhaps likened to the barracks for your ex to find the perfect new partner.

Nobody wants to do this. But if your team can’t win the flag, why not the mafia down the road?

After all, we are talking about Western Australia here.

If your team is out of contention in September, maybe it’s Wharfie Time for us all. Because something has changed in Fremantle. And here’s the biggest breaking news.

For years, just saying the words “Flag Mantle” felt dangerous. In football, it was equivalent to saying “Macbeth” in theatre.

You didn’t say it out loud because the football gods might be listening and you might jinx the team.

In the past, Dockers supporters have come to believe that is exactly when something inevitably goes wrong.

So “Flagmantle” became a bit of a joke. A meme. A warning sign.

But I think those days are behind us now. Freo fans, come on in, y’all.

Throw “Flagmantle” around as much as you want. Gone are the days of Dockery Dockers.

For the uninitiated, “Dockery” has become a catchall term for anything unique, frustrating, funny or disastrous about Fremantle.

This meant losing games they should have won. Missed opportunities. Finding creative ways to make life difficult. This meant weird injuries, weird referee decisions and general purple chaos.

It described the emotional highs and lows of supporting Fremantle: hope, heartbreak, optimism, disappointment. Repeat until exhausted.

Freo fans could never relax. Never fully trust that everything will be okay. But something feels different now. Fremantle is no longer Dockery.

This word is unnecessary. Previous Dockers teams struggled with expectations. They gain momentum, attract attention, and quickly trip over their own shoelaces.

A great victory will be followed by a surprising defeat. Momentum will be followed by disappointment.

This team is free from this curse. The numbers tell the story. No WA-based AFL team has won 13 consecutive matches. Not even the powerful Eagles teams of old.

The record set by Mick Malthouse and his merry men was 12.

And let’s be honest, that side was pretty much a State team wearing blue and gold. Ben Cousins. Chris Judd. Dean Cox. Daniel Kerr. One of the best midfielders ever and even they couldn’t get to 13. Adam Simpson’s premiership team won 10 derbies in a row and 10 in a row but they never came close to this region.

Fremantle operates in rarefied weather. The Dockers are now premiership favourites, and for the first time in a very long time it doesn’t feel too early. They deserved it. They won close games. They won ugly. They won the conflict.

Most importantly, they developed something every true championship contender has: composure, poise. . . and the belief that if things go wrong, a change of momentum will be imminent and a series of goals will result.

No panic. No overreaction. They just rely on their game plan. Everyone is rowing in the same direction.

This group is resilient. They trust their system and stick with it. That’s what mature football teams do.

Yes, there is still a long way to go, injuries happen and there are fluctuations in form.

Yes, finals football is a different beast. No one is giving Freo the first place trophy in June, but they have earned the right to be considered the team to beat.

For years the “Flag Coat” was the punch line. It’s now a legitimate conversation.

And the biggest change: For the first time in a long time, Fremantle supporters aren’t just daydreaming. They believe.

And perhaps this is the strongest sign that Dockery Dockers are gone.

The word Flagmantle no longer sounds like a curse. Sounds like a possibility.