Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Crows: Freo Descend on Adelaide Oval to Deliver Good Friday Sermon

The Dockers arrive on the banks of the Torrens with two wins, a loaded forward line, and absolutely zero mercy for religious occasions. The Crows arrive with two losses, a concussed key defender, and Tex Walker's determination to prove he's not a heritage-listed monument.

Good Friday. A day for quiet reflection, hot cross buns, and if you happen to be an Adelaide Crows supporter, steeling yourself for what history suggests will be another deeply uncomfortable two and a half hours. Fremantle roll into town having won two of their first three games and sitting third on the ladder, arriving with the calm, purposeful energy of a team that knows exactly what it is and what it wants to do. The Crows, bless them, are 1-2 and sitting 12th. Their solitary win came in a Round 1 grind over Collingwood. Since then they've had a close loss to the Western Bulldogs, and an eight-point defeat to Geelong last week in the absence of their captain and their best forward. Not catastrophic. Just… closer to Carlton than they'd like and quietly worrying that they can’t get it done.

How we got here — Freo's season so far

The Round 1 loss to Geelong at GMHBA was heartbreaking. Fremantle led by 35 points during the second quarter, controlled the first half completely, and then watched the Cats grind them down in the second half to win by just 10 points after keeping Freo scoreless in the final term. It was a loss that stung, but it was also the kind of loss that a good teams needs to kick itself into gear. The response has been emphatic. Against Melbourne in Round 2, Andrew Brayshaw collected 39 disposals and Shai Bolton added 32 as Freo blitzed the Dees by 48 points. Josh Treacy kicked four, Isaiah Dudley kicked three, and the game was effectively over by half-time. Then came Richmond in Round 3 — Treacy adding four more, Bolton smiling his way down the wing and Sean Darcy working his way into form after his cautious early-season return. Justin Longmuir has named an unchanged team for this one. When you can name the same 23 twice in a row, you know you're travelling well. Treacy has booted 10 goals in three rounds is a 200cm problem Adelaide's injury-depleted defence has no convincing answer for, and everyone on both sides of the Nullarbor knows it.

The Crows are not without quality. Their Round 1 win over Collingwood showed they can eke out wins and Josh Rachele has been their most dangerous player all season — he had a career-high 31 disposals against Geelong and has nine goals in his last four games against Fremantle. The problem is context. The Crows have not cracked 100 points once this year, their forward entries have been rushed, their inside 50 efficiency against Geelong was poor, and a midfield that works hard has been unable to consistently create the clean ball movement that turns pressure into scores. With a few players back into the side this week, their ceiling is higher, but the floor has a few cracks in it.

Last meeting

Anzac Day 2025 Freo Win 85 - 67

In last year's meeting, Brayshaw had 37 disposals and Serong 32. Riley Thilthorpe kicked three and Walker two in a losing effort. Fremantle controlled the contested work from start to finish and led by seven goals at three-quarter time before allowing the Crows a consolation run home. Adelaide's last win in this fixture was at this very ground in 2023.

Brayshaw and Serong versus whatever Jordan Dawson can piece together in the middle. With the captain back, Adelaide at least have a general — and Dawson is the genuine article, a genuine top-10 player who changes how his team functions. But Freo's midfield trio of Brayshaw, Serong and Bolton has been the most cohesive unit they have fielded in years, and the last time these sides met they combined for 69 disposals between Brayshaw and Serong alone. If Adelaide cannot find and lock down one or more of them, the Crows' inside 50 rate will remain frustratingly low and Treacy's dance card will fill up quickly.

The Verdict

Fremantle win by 20–30 points. The Crows' returning troops (Dawson, Walker, O'Brien) add genuine quality to a side that needed it, this will be competitive game for three quarters, as Adelaide games usually are. But Treacy, Amiss and Voss against a depleted defence missing Butts and Laird is simply too great a mismatch, and Freo's midfield depth should prove decisive in the final term. Treacy to kick three, Rachele to be the best player on the losing side, and Brayshaw to drift past 30 touches with the quiet authority of a man who finds the whole contest slightly beneath him. Hallelujah. Freo fly to Gather Round next week very much in business.

*Predictions are provided purely for entertainment and should not be used for financial decisions, life choices, or arguments with your father-in-law.