Fremantle's Luke Jackson has credited the team's finals heartbreak last season for their composure in a thrilling comeback victory over Hawthorn at Optus Stadium.
Dockers dig deep after being 19 points down
The Dockers were staring down the barrel after Jack Gunston's sixth goal put Hawthorn up by 19 points with 10 minutes remaining. However, Fremantle mounted a stunning fightback, led by an inspirational final term from Jackson.
The star ruckman finished with 22 disposals, seven clearances, nine score involvements and five inside-50s to earn best-on-ground honours.
Jackson: No panic at three-quarter time
Jackson praised the group's maturity, pointing to their finals loss to Gold Coast last year as a turning point. "There wasn't any panic at three-quarter time. We were actually very calm, and we felt like if we trusted ourselves with the ball and went corridor, we had good enough players in there to win those tight games," he told Seven.
"I think the feeling around the club is very different to last year. I feel like losing that final to Gold Coast last year was good for us in a way, to get that experience."
Jackson said the group's cohesion has been crucial. "I feel like we've got a group now that has played together a lot, and I feel like you need that to beat good teams. I just can't wait to keep going and keep training hard through the season because I feel like we can achieve anything."
Jackson's clearance work inspired by Serong
The 24-year-old was unstoppable around the contest, with his second and third efforts crucial in setting up the Dockers' late goals. Jackson revealed he has been focusing on his clearance work, drawing inspiration from teammate Caleb Serong.
"But I think everyone is really good in there in getting everyone involved. Bolton has really grown in that area, and I feel like everyone is just levelling up," he said.
"We're a very good clearance team, which I feel like Caleb leads in that area. He's been elite for a long time, and that's something I've wanted to build out in my game with the new centre bounce rule and being able to jump."
Jackson added that his approach is paying dividends. "I feel like it's working so far, and I just want to keep working on it."
The win keeps Fremantle in touch with the top four as the season progresses.
