Fremantle book grand final spot, and the port city turns purple
A preliminary final victory over Sydney has put Fremantle one win from ending a 32-year wait for an AFL premiership, and the city has already begun celebrating.
Fremantle have reached the AFL grand final after beating the Sydney Swans in the preliminary final, a result that has put the club within one win of its first premiership in 32 years.
The scale of that victory sparked scenes across Fremantle rarely seen in the port city, according to Guardian Sport, with fans pouring into the streets to celebrate long into the night.
The Dockers' CBD turned into a mass of purple as supporters danced, hugged and partied despite heavy rain, the report said, with the celebrations described as chaotic in their intensity.
Guardian Sport likened the atmosphere to the drought-breaking party that followed the New York Knicks' NBA championship win, though it stopped short of calling the Fremantle scenes quite as wild.
Chants of "MCG, MCG" rang out among the crowd, a reference to the Melbourne venue that will host the grand final, with the noise reportedly unsettling bus drivers attempting to navigate the packed streets.
The result matters because of what has preceded it. Fremantle's fanbase has endured three decades without a flag, and Guardian Sport described an unwavering belief now taking hold among supporters that the drought could finally be broken.
That belief will be tested at the MCG, where Fremantle now turn their focus to the grand final itself, aiming to convert a famous preliminary final win into the premiership that has eluded the club for 32 years.