FREMANTLE'S youth makes it exciting and one of the easiest clubs in the AFL to sell hope around. But when it mattered in Saturday night's knockout semi-final, inexperience finally caught up with the team. 

It was a frustrating way to end a season of significant improvement and will leave a sour taste in the mouths of players, coaches and staff who had travelled east asking why not us, and why not now?

However, when that disappointment fades and becomes a source of motivation over the pre-season, the Dockers should be encouraged by their growth in 2022 and the experience they banked on Saturday night.

MAGPIES v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats

The immediate frustrations will be around their inability to handle the pressure applied by Collingwood, resulting in costly turnovers, and ball movement that either invited more pressure or left their forwards at a disadvantage.

From 43 inside 50s, the Dockers took only six marks compared to Collingwood's 13 as defenders Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe combined for 21 intercepts. The club's most dangerous tall forward this season, Rory Lobb, went goalless. 

When they didn't have the ball, the Dockers' inexperience was most obviously exposed by Magpies Jordan De Goey and Jack Crisp, who were able to slice through the middle, shrug tackles, and terrorise the Freo backline with a combined 15 inside 50s.

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In the end, only inaccuracy from the Magpies, who had 24 scoring shots to 14, stopped the 20-point margin from being significantly more.

The upshot is that Justin Longmuir took the youngest winning finals team since the 2016 Western Bulldogs to the MCG, and Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Hayden Young and Co. played in front of more than 90,000 fans in a knockout final.

There is great value in that experience, which most teams would not get their hands on at this early stage in their ascent.  

Using it as a learning experience and allowing it to motivate you over a long summer was part of Longmuir's message to his players after the game.

There should be confidence now that the Dockers will improve in 2023, but also an acknowledgement that there is work to do both on and off the field before that happens.

The most pressing issue is the forward line, with Lobb is expected to request a trade for the second straight year. He has been a match-winner at times this year and has increased his value but will be hard to replace as one of the game's best forward/rucks.

Defender Griffin Logue was sent forward in the second half of the season and provided a target, but he also shapes as a target for rival clubs who are prepared to better the offer put to the uncontracted 24-year-old by the Dockers. 

Matt Taberner wasn't selected on Saturday night after recovering from a calf injury and played 13 games in his 10th season. Putting a full campaign together remains a challenge for the 29-year-old.

Then there is teenager Jye Amiss, who stood tall in his first final and second game last week and again impressed with some of his involvements against the Magpies, showing composure and smarts.

Unearthing another regular AFL forward from Josh Treacy or Sam Sturt is the challenge, while the future of Melbourne premiership ruckman Luke Jackson will take shape.

Elsewhere the Dockers are in good shape. Their midfield – albeit beaten convincingly on Saturday night – is well led now by Brayshaw and Serong and has a hungry dual Brownlow medallist in Nat Fyfe to return in 2023.

Wingman Blake Acres appears a strong chance to depart, but young jets like Neil Erasmus and Matt Johnson will be hungry to soak up opportunities created there. 

Perhaps the biggest loss will be retiring champion David Mundy, whose role shaping the young midfield can't be understated alongside his own immense contribution as a player and leader.

It will take time to adjust to seeing a Fremantle side without the 37-year-old in it, calming teammates with his cool head and clean disposal. 

The backline is one of the AFL's best and was again stoic under significant heat on Saturday night. Should Jackson arrive, they'll have a formidable ruck pairing with Sean Darcy.

Last year it was the round 23 loss to St Kilda that gnawed at Longmuir over the summer, reminding him of his team's inconsistency in 2021 and inability to back up strong performances.

The semi-final loss to Collingwood will probably be that game in the upcoming off-season, but there is a big difference.

From seven wins in 2020 to 10 last season, this was the Dockers' big leap, banking 15 wins and a draw in the home-and-away season and the club's first finals win since 2015. 

As disappointing as Saturday night was for the club, the nine players aged 22 or under at the MCG will grow again from the experience and should be ready to go further next season. If all goes to plan and the work is done, selling hope for this group won't be necessary.