• The prelim in pictures: Fremantle v Hawthorn

1. The three-peat is within touching distance for Hawthorn
Under the most extreme duress in Perth, the Hawks again showed that it will take a truly special performance to knock them off their perch at their home ground in the Grand Final. With injured spearhead Jack Gunston a good chance to return for the big dance – Hawthorn's fourth Grand Final in-a-row – Alastair Clarkson's men are primed to etch their names into history as only the fifth club to win a hat-trick of flags. Hawthorn's firepower is devastating, their defence rock-solid and midfield the ideal blend of toughness and pace. If they get through four finals this year and become premiers again, it would arguably be the Hawks' greatest triumph in the Clarkson era.

• Who were the heroes? Every Hawk player rated

2. Final fling for ageing Dockers?
It's hard to imagine this group of Dockers getting a better chance than this. Despite having to contend against the Hawks machine with Nat Fyfe on one leg, the Dockers were playing at home, rested and facing an ageing side which had travelled to Perth twice in as many weeks. The early stages went to script for Ross Lyon's men, but Hawthorn found all the answers when they needed them and earned another shot at a premiership. But what of Freo? If Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin hang up the boots, there's no heirs immediately apparent and the daggers are already out for Ross Lyon's game plan. It will be a summer of soul-searching at Fremantle Oval.

• Your view: how the fans saw the Hawks' history-making win

3. Not picking Crowley was the right call
It was the sideshow to the main event all week and whatever the merits of bringing lockdown tagger Ryan Crowley back after 12 months on the sidelines, it never seemed the answer to Freo's problems. Ross Lyon said pre-match he considered Crowley for a stopping job on Hawks line-breakers Isaac Smith or Bradley Hill, but couldn't look one of the players who carried the team to the minor premiership and leave them out for a preliminary final. The reality was it was the right call. Freo's headaches weren't with just one or two opponents, it was with stopping the Hawks' uncontested style cutting through their defence like a knife.

4. You have to hold your nerve to win big finals
Freo didn't lose the preliminary final on Tommy Sheridan's dropped mark and Cyril Rioli's snapped goal in the final quarter, but it will be a moment the Docker relives over and over during the off-season. It was an instant that summed up the difference in a nail-biting preliminary final – but was far from the only costly error. Chris Mayne's missed set shot from 25m in the first term was equally pivotal when the Dockers held all the momentum and then immediately released the pressure valve, while Michael Barlow simply had to nail his set shot early in the last term to bring the game to within a kick. The Hawks were cooler under pressure and got the result they deserved.

5. Nat Fyfe is as tough as they come
The Docker warrior's bravery to plough on through severe pain will furnish his legend, despite Freo's shattering loss. The 24-year-old described his lower leg injury – similar to shin splints - as a "nuisance" leading into the match. However, after coming on the bench, an early knock to the exact spot on his leg turned a nuisance into a hindrance. It was sad to watch the Brownlow Medal favourite limp around in the first half, but he was still a beast at the contest – somehow pushing through the pain barrier to win a game-high five clearances and 13 touches to the main break. He fought on and finished with 24 touches, nine clearances and six tackles, delivering a stirring performance that will go down in finals folklore.

6. We might have seen the last of two all-time Dockers greats
Huge question marks hover over skipper Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin's futures now the Dockers have bowed out. A week ago, Pavlich bristled at a report he had already made plans to retire, but the legendary leader is on the cusp of turning 34 and going around for one more year might be a bridge too far. If this is the end, what a career it has been for the six-time All Australian and six-time Doig Medallist after 335 games. McPharlin's calf ailments have plagued him this year and the soon-to-be 34-year-old appears likely to hang up the boots after missing Freo's finals campaign. He would be remembered as one of the best defenders of his era after 257 excellent appearances.

• Every Fremantle player rated
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