Fremantle midfielder Caleb Serong has made history by winning his fourth consecutive Glendinning–Allan Medal, a feat that sees him join the legendary Paul Hasleby. This achievement came during a heated encounter against West Coast, where tempers flared and Serong was involved in a scuffle with rookie Harley Reid.
The Dockers, eager to recover from a poor start to their season, triumphed over their rivals in the 60th western derby, finalising the score at 15.16 (105) to 10.8 (68). Serong’s performance was outstanding, with 35 disposals and 10 clearances, predominantly excelling in the first half when the match remained competitive. Notably, he is now the first player to win the Glendinning–Allan Medal four times in a row, surpassing West Coast’s Chris Judd, who won it three times consecutively.
The match proved crucial for Fremantle, who needed a morale boost after two straight losses. They began to control the game after the first quarter, while West Coast faced additional difficulties with star defender Jeremy McGovern succumbing to a groin injury. The injury compounded the issues for West Coast, especially after the substitution of Harry Edwards, forcing Reid to finish the match in a defensive role—a position he had not played much at the AFL level before this.
Despite being less familiar in defence, Reid displayed an aggressive playstyle, even attempting a goal shot, although he was occasionally caught out of position. His coach, Adam Simpson, mentioned that there had been initial plans for Reid to focus on defense in 2024 to enhance his game, but he mainly performed in the midfield.
Tensions escalated towards the end of the match when Reid pushed Serong down, igniting a confrontation in the dying minutes. Simpson commented on Reid’s competitive spirit saying, “you speak to Harley about this… it’s just in him,” while flagging the need for him to manage his emotions on the field.
Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich expressed his confusion regarding Reid’s behaviour, emphasising that the young player has much to learn. Serong himself chose to remain somewhat reserved about the incident, indicating that it caught him by surprise. Although Reid had his moments, including a stunning mark and a goal in the third quarter, the match outcome left West Coast with further challenges ahead, especially with a difficult game against GWS next weekend, while Fremantle gears up to host the Western Bulldogs.