Ben Cousins has hailed the current Fremantle side as the club’s best-ever, declaring the Dockers “the real deal” in the wake of their gutsy win over Hawthorn.
Justin Longmuir’s outfit passed their test on the primetime stage on Thursday night, with their late surge securing an eighth consecutive victory to consolidate their top-two ladder position.
The performance captured the attention of Cousins, who said Freo’s spread of top-end talent meant they were now a force to be reckoned with as they hunt a breakthrough premiership.
“They’ve officially announced themselves as the real deal,” Cousins said on 7NEWS.
“They’re super strong across all lines, but they now possess the enviable basket of match-winning players: (Caleb) Serong, (Andrew) Brayshaw, (Hayden) Young, (Luke) Jackson, (Josh) Treacy, (Shai) Bolton, and now (Murphy) Reid.
“I do think this is the best shape they’ve ever been in.”
North Melbourne on Saturday came within eight points of an upset win over Sydney, which would have seen Fremantle leapfrog the Swans and finish a round atop the AFL ladder for the first time since the end of the 2015 season.
Cousins said the current Dockers were better equipped to make a run at the flag than that formidable unit, which stumbled to a straight-sets finals exit after a superb home-and-away campaign.
“It draws comparisons to 2015, when they were minor premiers,” Cousins said.
“That side possessed (Matthew) Pavlich, (Nat) Fyfe, (Lachie) Neale, (Aaron) Sandilands, (Michael) Walters and (David) Mundy. A great side, but I think this team currently bats deeper. It’s far more even and there’s no reliance on one or two individuals.
“This is their time. They’ve got the goods, now they need to manage it.”
Having navigated three consecutive six-day breaks between matches, Fremantle now face match-ups with two teams from the bottom half of the ladder in Essendon and St Kilda as they eye what would be a club record of 10 straight victories.
Cousins said mental strength and player management would now be the key in the quest to lock in an all-important top-two finish.
“When you throw six-day breaks in, and travel… the cumulative effect of the short weeks back-to-back,” the 2005 Brownlow medallist said.
“History shows that weight does stop trains. It is almost impossible to overcome those things. It just makes (the winning streak) all the more impressive.”