Fremantle have pulled off a sensational last-quarter comeback to surge into the AFL grand final with a tense 12-point win over Sydney, according to the Guardian. The Dockers, who trailed by 27 points late in the third quarter, kicked the last six goals of their preliminary final to win 12.11 (83) to 10.11 (71) at the SCG.

As the minor premiers, Fremantle will now meet either Hawthorn or Brisbane in the grand final at the MCG.

The Guardian described it as a night unlike any the Fremantle Football Club had experienced, saying the team had never been forced this deep to win a big game, never had so much thrown at them and never played in such a hostile environment. It also noted how quickly the Dockers flipped from a meek, nervy and fumbly team into an offensive powerhouse.

Fremantle were awful in the first half, according to the Guardian, but showed signs of life after the main break. Hard-fought stoppage wins culminated in a superb Jye Amiss goal, before Luke Jackson marked a dump kick and converted from 50 metres.

Sydney responded immediately, cancelling out both goals. But when Charlie Curnow hauled in a cracking contested mark, his first for the evening, the Dockers had half a foot in the grand final, the Guardian reported.

In keeping with the pattern of the game, the decisive passage began with an intercept mark in defence. The Guardian noted that if not for Hayden Young’s goal after the siren from deep in the members’ pocket, Fremantle’s cause may have been lost.

The result reflects a trait the Dockers have shown all year, according to the Guardian: the ability to run out games well and to slam on a lot of goals in a short amount of time.