Wharfie Time
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Wharfie Time is a slogan used by the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women's (AFLW).[1] It is used by the club as a crowd activation, typically during home matches at Perth Stadium (in the AFL) or Cockburn ARC Oval (in the AFLW).[2]
When Wharfie Time is activated, the screen at the venue will show a boat crashing through waves, accompanied by the sound of a heartbeat and the tolling bell intro from AC/DC song "Hells Bells", which is used to rally the team and excite the crowd in the remaining minutes of a match.[1]
Origins
[edit]The Fremantle Football Club was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fremantle.[1] The club is nicknamed the "Dockers" in reference to Fremantle's maritime and dockworker heritage; "wharfie" is a slang term for a dockworker.[1]
The "Wharfie Time" slogan originated in round 8 of the 2009 AFL season during Fremantle's match against Hawthorn at Subiaco Oval.[3] Speaking before the start of the match (while fitted with a microphone for the television broadcast), then–Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich told his teammates: "Put on your Superman capes, it's Wharfie Time".[4] Fremantle lost the match by 22 points.[5]
Usage
[edit]2026 season
[edit]During the 2026 AFL season, Wharfie Time became the subject of increased attention and was used by Fremantle during three matches.[1] The club finished the season as the minor premiers and had a 14-match winning streak that lasted from round 2 until round 17.[6] In April 2026, the AFL applied to trademark the phrase.[7]
In its round 9 match against Hawthorn at Perth Stadium, Fremantle activated Wharfie Time while losing by four points with four minutes remaining in the final quarter; the Dockers would subsequently kick three goals to win by fifteen points.[8] After the match, Hawthorn player Dylan Moore said he was unsure what Wharfie Time was until it was activated and described it as "quite distracting".[9] Hawthorn returned to Perth Stadium to play Fremantle in the first qualifying final and won by 30 points.[10][11]
During Fremantle's semi-final against Geelong, the club activated Wharfie Time after its lead was reduced to eight points with 75 seconds remaining; Patrick Voss kicked a goal from a centre clearance moments later and Fremantle won the match by 14 points.[12]
2026 grand final
[edit]Ahead of the 2026 AFL Grand Final against the Brisbane Lions, which was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the AFL gave Fremantle the ability to activate Wharfie Time, on the condition that it was only played once and only after a goal.[13]
With four minutes and eighteen seconds remaining in the grand final, Fremantle activated Wharfie Time after Patrick Voss kicked his third goal to give the Dockers a seventeen-point lead (the highest lead of the match).[14] Around one minute later, Brisbane's Charlie Cameron kicked a goal, followed by goals from Zac Bailey and Logan Morris that put the Lions ahead by one point.[15] In the final seconds of the match, Morris kicked another goal and Brisbane won by seven points.[15]
Brisbane players Sam Draper and Josh Dunkley said the club had prepared for Wharfie Time to be used, with the Lions viewing the activation as a "trigger" to "go up a notch".[16][17] Former AFL player Jason Dunstall described the activation as the "worst Wharfie Time call of all-time" and compared it to "celebrating too early or prematurely".[15] Despite many claims to the contrary by Brisbane players, Fremantle senior coach Justin Longmuir said post-match that the use of Wharfie Time was not a factor in the result and he would "of course" want it to continue being used in 2027.[18]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Hytner, Mike; Harmon, Steph (23 September 2026). "It's AFL grand final week – why is everyone talking about 'Wharfie Time'?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Schmook, Nathan (30 August 2026). "AFLW match report: Blues hang on in a thriller against fast-finishing Dockers". Carlton Football Club. Archived from the original on 5 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Meadows, Neroli (27 July 2016). "What the AFL world thinks of Matthew Pavlich". Fremantle Football Club. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ DiFabrizio, Michael (19 April 2010). "Why it's suddenly Wharfie Time at Fremantle". The Roar. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Schmook, Nathan (15 May 2009). "Hawks win in west". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 18 May 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Schmook, Nathan (14 August 2026). "Freo clinches minor premiership with gutsy win over Crows". Fremantle Football Club. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Philipps, Michael (5 May 2026). "A good omen? AFL eyes 'Wharfie Time' trademark as Freo push through sickness to climb ladder". WA Today. Archived from the original on 27 July 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Schmook, Nathan (7 May 2026). "Brilliant Dockers surge past Hawks to win eighth straight". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 May 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Slevison, Andrew (15 May 2026). "How "chaotic" Wharfie Time rattled the Hawks". SEN. Archived from the original on 19 May 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ "'We didn't know what was going on': Hawks ready if Wharfie Time returns". AFL.com.au. 29 August 2026. Archived from the original on 11 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Somerford, Ben (3 September 2026). "Red-hot Hawks blow finals series apart with boilover win over Dockers". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ "Wharfie Time rings as Dockers beat Cats in epic semi". ESPN. 11 September 2026. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Rogers, Michael (24 September 2026). "AFL makes 'Wharfie Time' call ahead of Grand Final". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Pollard, Kyle (26 September 2026). "AFL grand final quick hits: Lions use Wharfie Time to their advantage as Josh Treacy misses a sitter". ABC News. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Faulkner, Will (26 September 2026). "'Worst use of all time': Freo's brutal 'Wharfie Time' backfire that sparked all-time Grand Final comeback". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Black, Sarah (26 September 2026). "'It's all worth it': Allen reveals hidden toll, and what Draper thought of Wharfie Time". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Snape, Jack (26 September 2026). "Brisbane inspired by Fremantle's Wharfie Time in AFL grand final, says Josh Dunkley". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
- ↑ Schmook, Nathan (26 September 2026). "'No sugar-coating it': Wharfie Time not to blame as Dockers reel from GF loss". AFL.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.