McVee admits he thought Freo was home before late onslaught

Geraldton Docker Judd McVee admitted he briefly thought Fremantle was “home” before the Brisbane Lions sparked a late surge to overturn the club’s premiership hopes. Speaking after the match at the MCG, McVee said he and others had dared to dream as Fremantle built a 17-point buffer in the final term, but Brisbane’s momentum shifted with four straight goals in a four-minute run. McVee referenced the psychological challenge of staying “in the moment,” with only three minutes and 17 points left. Fremantle’s skipper Alex Pearce was lost in the third quarter, affecting defensive balance, and McVee credited his own work, including intercepts and a crucial smother on Charlie Cameron. He finished with 10 disposals and said the Dockers would return “better and bigger next year.”