Perth, March 24, 2025 – The Optus Stadium lights burned a little brighter tonight as Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox notched his first win at the helm, a gritty three-point nail-biter over the Fremantle Dockers that’s got fans buzzing. It wasn’t pretty more mud wrestle than ballet but after an 0-2 start, the Swans clawed out a 10.11 (71) to 10.8 (68) victory on Sunday, March 23, thanks to a late Joel Amartey heroics and a Chad Warner masterclass. For Cox, it’s a spark of belief; for Fremantle, it’s a bitter pill of missed chances.
Picture this: a game locked in a tug-of-war, momentum swinging like a pendulum. Fremantle’s Josh Treacy had the Dockers ahead by a point with under three minutes left, their fourth-quarter fightback four goals to Sydney’s two threatening to bury the Swans’ season early. Then Amartey, the key forward nursing pain all game, rose above Brennan Cox to slot the match-winner from a tight angle. “It was clutch,” said Tobi, a Swans fan watching from a Lagos bar. “That’s the kind of moment you build a year on.”
Cox, in his third game since replacing John Longmire, couldn’t hide his relief. The 43-year-old, a West Coast legend turned Sydney savior, saw his team dodge an 0-3 hole a start no AFL side’s recovered from to make finals since 2017. “The first three rounds showed we can match anyone when we’re on,” he said post-game, eyes on a squad that’s stumbled against Hawthorn and Brisbane but found its spine in Perth. His faith’s not blind Chad Warner’s 26 disposals and 10 inside-50s, capped by a final-term surge, turned heads. “You want your best players stepping up,” Cox grinned, nodding to the 24-year-old mid who’s got Fremantle dreaming of a trade swoop come season’s end.
Across the bench, Justin Longmuir’s Dockers were kicking themselves. After a 78-point Geelong thrashing last week, they rallied 31 inside-50s in the second half, but fluffed their lines late. Treacy’s four goals and Caleb Serong’s 19 touches (plus one) weren’t enough when execution faltered. “We had our shots and didn’t take ‘em,” Longmuir rued, staring down a second 0-2 start in three years. Shai Bolton’s debut fizzled 12 disposals, no scoreboard bite while James Jordon’s tag (24 disposals, 10 clearances) kept Serong honest. “Not pretty, but we’re close,” one X post mused at 10:55 WAT, capturing a Fremantle faithful clinging to hope.
For Sydney, it’s personal. Last year’s grand finalists were bleeding after losses to Hawthorn and Brisbane a far cry from their 2024 swagger. Cox, who swapped Eagle wings for Swan stripes, leaned on grit over glamour Hayden McLean and Amartey each bagged two, while Jordon’s grunt flipped the midfield script. “Gutsy,” another X user called it, and Cox agrees: this win’s a platform, not a peak. With Warner off-contract and Fremantle circling, it’s a statement he’s worth keeping.
The Dockers, meanwhile, face a mirror. High hopes after snagging Bolton and Luke Jackson’s loyalty pledge (through 2029, maybe beyond) crashed against Geelong’s reality check. Sunday’s fight showed spine Patrick Voss and Luke Jackson chipped in goals—but late stumbles hint at a team still finding its killer edge. “We’re not tough enough yet,” Longmuir admitted last week; tonight, they were tougher, just not sharp enough.
As Perth sleeps and Lagos hums, this game’s a tale of two trajectories. Cox’s Swans have a pulse next up, a chance to build against a wobbly North Melbourne. Fremantle? They’re back to the drawing board, a Gold Coast trip looming. One side’s dreaming of redemption; the other’s haunted by what-ifs. In the AFL’s brutal dance, March 23 proved one thing: belief’s a start, but execution’s the finish line.