Original subtitles

-[waves lapping] -[insects chirping]

[quiet atmospheric music]

[Nat Fyfe] It doesn't matter how you feel.

If you get up and do something, you're into the day, you've won already.

I'm Nat Fyfe. I'm from the Dockers and I've been playing for 16 years.

I've always been very focused.

My greatest strength has allowed me to be the best player in Australia.

[crowd cheering]

[commentator] Well, the big players, the big moments,

the big stakes for Fremantle.

[dramatic music builds]

Fyfe. Nat Fyfe.

From the pocket, for an impossible goal!

Nat Fyfe was the closest thing to God there was.

[commentator 1] Fyfe breaks through. Speaking of all-time greats!

-[commentator 2] What a goal! -[commentator 1] How good is he?

The athleticism, the size, the physicality.

A one-man wrecking ball.

[Abbey Holmes] The intensity, the ferocity...

Everything about him made him simply unstoppable.

[commentator] This is brilliant. What a show he's putting on.

[dramatic music]

[Sam McClure] The Brownlow Medal's the most prestigious individual award

that AFL football offers up.

[Abbey] Great players win Brownlow Medals once,

but Nat Fyfe is a two-time Brownlow winner.

[Sam] Fyfe separated himself not just through talent,

but through pure determination.

I literally watched him play with a broken leg like it was nothing.

[Nat] If you are willing to put your body on the line and go all in,

some great things can happen with that sort of mentality.

Every week, I would play as intensely, with as much purpose as I could,

but my ultimate strength was my ultimate weakness.

[commentator] He's, uh, in trouble.

[dramatic music swells and fades]

[insects chirping]

[Nat] I haven't played a final in ten years.

And what I've had to go through cost me.

It cost me so much.

Oh, warmin' up.

I've had three major concussions.

27 operations -

six shoulders, two broken legs, two knee operations,

back operation, cracked sternum.

My body shape's completely different.

They just changed the whole way I moved.

The backwards walking stuff is for my knees.

The rope flow stuff is to try and get some connection

with my upper and lower body.

After every operation I had,

I get heavy, heavy depression for six months

until the point where it starts to ease

and anxiety then reveals itself.

My body's saying, "We can't go,"

but all I've ever known is to keep going.

So finishing off 2024, I was done.

My body wasn't allowing me to enjoy what I was doing.

But it felt like we had the necessary ingredients

to be a club that could win a premiership.

[kettle whistling]

[clears throat]

A few buckwheats. No idea what they are. Bridget likes them, though.

I wanna win a premiership

and I will do whatever it takes to get to where I wanna go.

-Good morning. -Good morning.

[Bridget] Bit of a modern story, I guess.

We met early last year

so we've been together for... just under two years.

How was your walk?

Knee feels amazing.

-Good. -Mmm.

[Bridget] Yeah, he messaged me, asked if I wanted to catch up.

I thought, "I'm probably not gonna like him."

I was wary of dating someone in the public eye or an athlete.

So initially we just had one date.

He told me that he had only allotted one hour

and it ended up going for about three or four hours

and I guess the rest is history.

[Nat] This is what I'll do at training today.

Physically...

I feel really, really good.

[Bridget] He tried for so long to get to finals and win a premiership.

In the past, he would do whatever he could, at whatever cost,

put his body through absolute hell,

but maybe that's not gonna work anymore.

[tense music]

[Nat] I'm dealing with a bit of an ankle injury and a few other things.

I'm desperately keen to overcome these injuries.

[indistinct chatter]

[physio] So a good amount of expected lateral bruising.

[Nat] Yep.

What I'm checking for is to see how much other damage

you've got inside the rest of your joint.

-That was a bit jumpy. -Little bit, yeah.

[physio 1] So stand up on your toes, high as you can.

That's a good range. So you're not too bad.

They're very forgiving ligaments.

I think it's actually pulled up really, really well.

-Okay. Cool. -[physio 2] You happy with that?

-[physio 1] Very happy. -Alright, thanks, gents.

[Nat] I just want to get out of here so that I can play this week.

You want to feel like you're contributing to the success.

And what comes with feeling different is hope.

-[crowd cheering] -[dramatic music]

[commentator] Well, Fremantle have got their season back on track.

But the last time they met, it was a 61-point win to the Saints in Round 8.

[Sam McClure] Fremantle Dockers are sixth on the ladder.

There's nine games left.

This is really where the whips get cracking.

[Josh Gabelich] Clearly it's been a really tough, trying year for Nat Fyfe.

But things are looking up for him.

He's back in the 23.

[Abbey] And there's a lot of pressure on.

The Fremantle Dockers have been in the competition for 30 years,

but Fremantle Football Club have never won a premiership.

They haven't featured in finals in recent years

and they're desperate to get back there.

We've done the work all year.

Right? And we've got the ability to go to another level.

They look like they could be a real premiership threat this year.

What I want you to do is chat to the guy next to ya.

What's got you excited or what's given you energy?

[Nat] The last five years of my career

have been defined by injury, poor performance.

I don't want my story to be defined by that.

Last point. It's our way, lads.

That's the stuff we fucking hang our hat on at the end of the day.

[Nat] My whole adult life's work

feels in a way like it hinges on being in the team for finals.

-Let's fuckin' get after it. -[players applauding]

-[crowd cheering] -[siren blaring]

[commentator 1] It's Round 16, Sunday afternoon football in the west,

Optus Stadium.

Luke Jackson in the ruck, opposed to Marshall.

As Marshall just soccers the footy forward.

So my role is sub. I can come on at any stage of the game.

[commentator 2] Nat Fyfe as the sub is as good as any.

[commentator 1] Marshall was clever. Away to Higgins.

He snaps from the pocket! The Saints throw down the challenge!

[commentator 3] The Dockers have ground to make up.

[commentator 2] They need a change-up right now.

[Nat] I just want to get out, get my hands on this game.

I want to be involved. I want the ball.

-You're gonna be on first rotation. -Let's go.

[commentator 1] Big pack weighing down Henry.

Oh, the snap! The goal!

There's a kick in it.

[Nat] I'd warmed up once or twice.

Then I went to run out and warm up again and I did my calf...

Fuck's sake!

You're kidding me.

[Nat] ...which is just incredibly embarrassing.

[commentator 1] Free kick - below the knees.

They take the advantage. They drill the ball in for Jackson!

[Nat] I hadn't even got on the field and I was injured.

[commentator 1] A chance to give the Dockers the lead.

He'll go long instead. They will want a mark.

Jackson's down... No, he's got it!

[crowd cheering]

Jackson, in the fingertips!

[siren blaring]

-[crowd cheering] -The Purple Haze erupts!

It's a rare thing in recent seasons for Freo

to come from behind at three-quarter time,

but that is what they've done.

[commentator 3] Amazing game of footy, coming from behind.

[Nat] I want to be in and valued, helpful.

But just cannot outrun injury.

I got injured sitting on the bench. Didn't even come on the ground.

I just felt embarrassed.

Like, the whole year for me has just kind of been this frustrating rollercoaster

of starting to feel good, then did a bit of a knee,

starting to feel good, then did the hammy.

And so now we're back in that same position again.

There's only a certain amount of control that you have as well.

I've got no doubt you've wrestled with that,

that being the hardest part for years now.

Like, you could do everything you possibly could to get your body right.

How could this club trust me? How could I trust my own body anymore?

It's so far beyond being a sad story now that it felt like the end of my career.

[Jordan Lewis] There's no doubt that Nat Fyfe is running out of time

chasing premiership success.

Then you've got Melbourne on the other hand whose season is done.

All they're really playing for is pride in the jumper.

[tram bell dinging]

How many rucks do you know that can do this, a one-step barrel like that?

[chuckles]

[rock music]

[Max Gawn] I am the captain of Melbourne Football Club.

I just don't miss them anymore.

I'm honoured to be in the role. It's an incredibly special role.

[Abbey] Max Gawn leads his side.

[commentator] Max, the skipper.

I love the role. I love relationships. I love mentoring.

But it can be quite daunting, being captain.

And I'm pretty happy to step on some toes to do what is the best for this club.

Been at the club for 16, 17 years,

which is pretty uncommon when you look around the world.

Loyalty's a big factor in our football club.

This has been a football club that have won one premiership in 52 years.

[commentator] The Demons are premiers!

The drop off from 2021 when they won their flag to now...

[Alister Nicholson] Oh, dear.

Everything going wrong for Melbourne.

...is a massive decline.

[commentator 1] Melbourne fall short.

[commentator 2] Becoming a pattern now.

[Jordan] There's a sense of frustration

around the Melbourne Football Club.

[commentator 1] Adelaide win!

[commentator 2] With all the worries in the world, that man, Simon Goodwin.

As a club, it's a little disgruntled as an environment.

[Alister] Glum faces of Melbourne's officialdom

speaks volumes.

[Abbey] It's been quite a fall from grace

and nobody is really taking accountability

for what is unfolding in front of our eyes.

-[sober music] -[low chattering]

[cameras snapping]

Thanks, everyone. Tough day. A tough day for our football club.

Um, we as a board came to a decision.

We will be parting ways with Simon Goodwin

as the senior coach of our AFL program.

Oh, look, I was disappointed. There's no doubt about that.

Um, you know, but I certainly respect the board's decision.

[reporter 1] The Demons' premiership-winning coach Simon Goodwin

has been sacked...

Clearly, the club are taking a different approach

and, um, as I said, I totally respect that decision.

[reporter 2] It brings a sharp end to his coaching career at the club.

Just last Monday, he presented to the board.

After that board meeting, he said he felt he had the full support of the board.

That is clearly not the case.

[Max] Goody being sacked was a pretty major secret.

"Phwoar! This is gonna be a big day, big week, big year."

[children chattering indistinctly]

[child exclaims]

Am I supposed to do that regularly?

Well, yeah, 'cause you can see the bits build up on there.

[barbecue sizzling]

We understand - we were 6-14 at the time.

But when Goody was sacked, we all got taken by surprise.

[Tom] I got a message at 8:20 in the morning, saying,

"Can you jump on a call with the leadership group to discuss something?"

I had no idea what it was, so I went in totally dark.

The week before Goody being sacked,

the noise internally was, "We're backing him in."

It was a serious wake-up call.

[Tom] Had two years in a row of poor performance.

Like, it's not shocking that someone's responsible for it.

[Max] When you have seasons like we have now, change is inevitable,

but change of boss just gives you uncertainties.

With a new CEO, new president, new coach,

it's kinda like, "Wow. We got a full clean slate now."

Probably other roles that will change as well, new players.

My first thought was, "Goody backed me in.

"What's the next coach gonna think?"

[Tom] And it would be irresponsible

to say that the culture is absolutely perfect.

We've had a player banned from the game for performance-enhancing drugs.

We've had some other, you know, controversial stories.

[Max] Culturally, we're not right.

I've not led well on the ground, not led well off the ground.

You sit there and go,

"Well, I've probably fucked up a fair bit as well, eh?"

[low chatter]

At the end, the head coach,

really, you're relying on wins and losses

and we all know we're not where we want to be.

You would feel that.

[Max] Yeah, it was a bit of a... bit of a whirlwind.

Um, I think the decision shook...

Shocked me a little bit.

I'm conscious of how much stress and adversity people are under.

Um, I'm captain

and I've won best and fairest and I've won All-Australians

and I'm scared about the change?

Imagine what the 44 players under me are feeling.

So they're scared right now.

I need to make sure I'm present.

I'm gonna make sure I'm noisy at training,

I'm noisy game day, noisy in the WhatsApp.

Um, just make sure I'm present.

It's important that I remember first and foremost

why I'm captain of the football club.

In the end, I'm a representative of my 45 players.

The responsibility to lead and drive this club is on me.

-[dramatic music] -[crowd cheering]

[James Brayshaw] Friday night football underway.

Collingwood have won 11 of their last 12 against the Demons.

The final game of the home and away season

for the Melbourne Footy Club.

They just want to restore some kind of pride.

[Alister] It has been an arduous, frustrating,

enduring sort of a year for Melbourne...

Let's go. Welcome back.

...losing their premiership coach, Simon Goodwin, along the way.

[Abbey] Max Gawn is the leader of this group.

He wants to galvanise everybody and go out on a high.

[Max] A lot to play for.

It's important that we go out and do the jumper proud.

[James] Friday night football underway. Gawn and Cameron.

[Jordan] I think when crises like this happen,

the players turn to their captain, Max Gawn.

So he will be a player that everyone will look to for reassurance and guidance.

[crowd cheering]

[Alister] So the halftime margin at the MCG is 13 points,

remembering Collingwood needs to win

and Melbourne's last half of the season.

[siren blaring]

[Max] We deserve to be here on Friday night. Friday night lights.

We deserve to be in blockbuster games. But we gotta show them.

This is our chance to fuckin' show the world we mean business.

I don't care what's happening next week.

We gotta show 'em right in their fuckin' face, lads. Here we go.

[siren blaring]

[Alister] High stakes. A half to go in Melbourne's season.

[James] Gotta take care of business here, the Magpies.

Kysaiah Pickett has got special skill!

Oh, just do that, Kossie!

[James] Some momentum building here for the Demons.

Just watching Max Gawn, there was something a bit different

just in the way he was guiding everybody, the way he was directing everybody

and the emotion that he was showing out on the ground.

You could just see that he was trying to build

not just towards a win under Friday night lights,

but build towards the future.

Hold that side! Hold that side!

[commentator] Here they go again. They are smacking the Pies.

[Alister] Harvey Langford slaps it from 50!

-[crowd cheering] -Good purchase! Goal!

The endeavour, the energy has risen significantly.

[Troy Chaplin] Hey, we spoke pregame about the pride, okay?

You've gotta earn this. And it's fuckin' happening.

Get after 'em and then do your work the other way. Let's go!

[Max] Oi, don't be scared. Don't be scared.

Take the game on. Take the game on.

[James] Some nervous Collingwood fans here now.

[dramatic music rises]

Around the body!

Bounces through!

-Brilliant! -[crowd cheering]

Let's go. Let's get it back. Let's get it back right now.

[Alister] It's a tense, anxious, nervous watch from every angle.

Fuck! Get on him!

Get on him!

[dramatic music builds]

[crowd cheering]

[Alister] Collingwood has arrested the momentum.

[siren blaring]

It simply mattered too much

for Collingwood!

[grim music]

[crowd cheering]

Very difficult season for Melbourne in lots of ways.

They pushed Collingwood right to the line.

[sombre music]

[Max] We just lost another close game the same way.

That's what got us in this position. That's why Goody's not here anymore.

'Cause we can't get over the line.

This game was always gonna tell us a message.

We were either gonna lose by a bit and we were gonna know how far off we are.

We were either gonna win and that can give us some fuckin' hope

and pride for next year

or we were gonna lose a winnable game again,

and we've lost a winnable game again.

So we can go away for this six months before our next game -

we gotta learn how to win.

We're not losing these next year.

We can take the pride in the performance. We gotta learn how to win.

It's a clear message. Kinda glad we got it.

[sombre music fades]

[waves crashing]

[radio host 1] The Dockers eye their first premiership.

[radio host 2] Well, they have to get there first. They can finish top.

They can also finish ninth. It's how close the year is.

[Abbey] There's about five weeks remaining in the home and away season.

There is a lot at stake for Nat Fyfe.

He cannot afford any mishaps in the run home.

Otherwise, it could mean season over and career over.

Nat injured himself in the St Kilda game.

He's now found himself out of the team.

Big session tomorrow. I'll train with the team for the first time.

The high-performance and physios will map out what return-to-play looks like.

But it'll be decided tomorrow?

Well, depending how tomorrow's session goes,

but this one feels like I'm nearly there.

I'm watching the calendar.

As the runway gets shorter, with finals just around the corner,

it's critical to show I'm still a player that can win.

I want to finish this story.

I want to be on the ground when we win the Grand Final,

which at this point seems so far off.

Um...

[clears throat] But it's what still motivates me.

And I'm not ready to give up on that just yet.

[Bridget] It's also not stuff you can control.

So you're focusing on what's now and what you can do.

When he sets his mind to something, he becomes so fixated.

It is tough for him to see a different perspective.

Is it the right thing to keep pushing

even when, you know, it's injury after injury

and hurdle after hurdle?

[Nat] If they said, "We will play you this week,"

would you think that's too soon or...

[Bridget] You're a different player now to what you were back then.

That might result in injury again.

[Nat] I don't want my story to be defined

by frustration and helplessness that comes with injury.

I've come this far. I can't just stop here and die on the hill.

If I feel like me and I could play...

If my body can do what my mind wants it to do, no issues.

[coach] Forward. Yeah? So here.

Drive. Drive. And then... drive.

Right.

Ooft!

[player] Whoa! Has he left a run too late? Maybe.

Maybe not, though.

[indistinct chattering]

Ah, I feel good.

[Joe Brierty] Nat sent a message through to myself and JL last night,

asking about whether there was potential to look at this weekend.

After, unfortunately, his body let him down

when he played in that sub role,

I think there's an element of a confidence that we need from Nat

in understanding that his body can get through a game of AFL.

[players cheering]

The risk versus the reward.

Because the element of risk -

if he was to come back and he has another significant injury,

then it almost puts an end to the year.

[whistle blowing]

Quick, yeah!

[players shouting]

[dramatic music rises]

[player exclaiming]

[Nat] Oh, fuckin' hell.

Are you fuckin' kidding?

Just corked myself.

You're kidding me.

[dramatic music continues]

I'm not gonna be able to go.

I've just... In that tackle with Andy, I just corked my left quad.

Fuck's sake.

[tense music]

Hey, mate. Uh, do you want to chat about your message last night?

Yep.

I think from JL's perspective as well, like, it does feel a little bit rushed.

From a selection perspective,

it's a requirement that you get through a game of WAFL.

Get you right and make sure we're not taking any risks.

-We'll work through what that looks like. -Yeah.

-Um, and continuing to build, mate. -Alright. Cool.

-Alright? -Thank you, mate.

WAFL is our second-tier competition.

It's a state-level competition.

[Abbey] To see an absolute

champion of the AFL

to go back and have to earn his spot through the state league,

that's like LeBron James playing in the G Leagues.

-[woman] Thank you so much for that. -Of course. Most welcome.

Playing in the WAFL, embarrassed about where my career has got to,

but this keeps the pathway open to get back in the team.

This is as critical as any other part in the next few weeks.

In moments like this, you really see the true mental strength

and character of a player.

[Nat] That was always my mantra

of, "I will do whatever it takes to get to where I want to go."

[gentle music]

[vehicle whirring]

[Nat] Work ethic was something that was ingrained really early

and just became everything for me in my footy career.

My dad and mum have a transport business.

From as early as I can remember, we'd go in the truck with Dad.

The most exciting thing that could happen to us

was if he was doing an overnight trip somewhere

and we could go with him and stay in the truck.

We used to get home late at night.

No matter what time it was,

whether it was raining, how exhausted everyone was,

he'd always go in, fuel the truck up and wash the taillights and the windscreen

and then put it away

because we'd have to go again first thing in the morning, or he'd have to go again.

[chattering indistinctly]

Year and a half, B-double...

[Nat] And that small lesson of, "When you don't feel like doing it, just do it,

"do the hard things, you'll thank yourself tomorrow,"

he just never missed on that.

I just cannot think of an example where he ever missed on those small things.

[dramatic music]

[thunder rumbling]

The Fremantle Dockers need Nat Fyfe to be able to prove to them

that he can get through a game,

so the next best thing is the WAFL.

Nat can't afford any more hiccups with his body.

-[man laughing] Oh! -[Nat] Oh, my God.

[man laughing]

[Bridget] Bit muddy. It's not the nicest looking ground, is it?

[Nat] It feels like the dice is loaded.

The weather is atrocious.

It's gonna be difficult, muddy, treacherous conditions.

Plus, as an AFL player, you've always got a target on your back.

It felt like I was playing country footy again.

[Bridget] It is an absolute swimming pool.

I don't want him playing because I don't want him risking injury.

-Number 16? -16.

-Yeah. -Thank you, mate.

[Nat] This game feels like it's my last shot.

One missed week could destroy any chance I have of getting back in the team.

At the end of the day, we're not playing the fuckin' weather.

We're playing Claremont, alright?

[players] Hoo-hah!

-[crowd cheering] -[dramatic music builds]

[fan] Let's go, Thunder!

[dramatic music continues]

[Nat] I knew that it was gonna be really difficult,

but I didn't quite know how intense it was gonna be.

What's that?

It's ferocious, it's combative.

The approach to the game becomes survival.

How's he been going out there?

[Bridget] It can be quite confronting, like, being so close to it.

It's like you want to yell out, like, "Get off him!"

It is quite an emotional experience, watching someone you love risking injury.

[Nat] Most of my thinking is around how confident I am with my body

and how I deal with contact.

Do I need to hide and just do bare minimum?

[dramatic music rises]

[Nat winces]

[tense music]

[Nat] It's always confronting, coming back,

but a lot of confidence can come from a big tackle like that.

Yeah, nah, I think I'm good.

Yeah, I'm fresh, I'm fresh.

My body started to wake back up again.

[player] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

[Dougie] Here we go.

-He's moving pretty well. -[Bridget] Yeah.

Just like, yeah, watching the way he runs, he's looking pretty comfortable.

Just, like, going for a few overhead marks and stuff.

-Yeah, look at that. -[Bridget] He's still got it.

'Cause I wasn't sure if he could get back to playing like this.

And it's not just about him getting himself ready to play.

Like, he's gotta get picked.

And what he's doing now, you know, he's putting his hand up.

[siren blaring]

[Justin Longmuir] I thought he played above the level,

yeah, and showed that he was ready to return.

[Nat] Yeah, that was real... real intense out there.

-Can I have a high five? -Yeah, sure can.

-Cheers! -Good work, guys. Good work.

I'll come back out in a minute, guys. Cheers.

-[birdsong] -[contemplative music]

[Max] This is the big finish.

This is a meeting with the footy manager, high-performance,

to tell us what we do in the off-season.

Melbourne is a very proud club.

They've got a long way to go,

but ultimately they'd love to win a grand final.

Next year, new coach coming in,

a few things are changing, it's a massive time.

We want a coach that can deliver us another one of these.

[Max] A couple of weeks ago, I said,

"This is the last opportunity we'll all be in the room together as a group,"

and I asked a bit out of the group

to tip in and see if we can get some results.

We didn't quite get 'em,

but we all know how we were able to go through those three weeks.

I'm incredibly proud of the group, so I just want to say, um, thanks.

Max and myself feel like this is the team that can take us to premiership heights.

I know our best is capable of beating the best,

but it's about being consistent with it

and bringing it out every single week.

So we're all guns blazing for '26. It's gonna be a pretty special time.

Day one, you get a chance to start clean and do a clean slate with a new coach.

You get to land a first impression

and show the new boss where you want to go to in your career.

That's a pretty inspiring path.

[players applauding]

To be honest, Max has been unbelievable as a leader,

what he's given to each person that walks through the doors

of the Melbourne Football Club and that will walk through the footy club.

He's not gonna have much left in the tank when he's done

and I hope for him he gets the opportunity to lift it once more.

[waves crashing]

[Nat] It's so confusing right now.

It's just a bit of a rollercoaster of emotion.

Winning the premiership, it's the only goal left that I really want to achieve.

[Bridget] Come here.

I'm back in the team, so the door stays open

to the dream of winning a premiership.

But right now it's weird to consider it an achievement.

I don't know. Hope feels foolish.

[Bridget] Kind of, "What's the point?"

Yeah. Does it make you want to run away?

It was honestly more relief than it was excitement and pride.

You have done everything that you can

to work on yourself and get your body right.

And then you keep going and going and it's... Where is the end?

Where are you finally satisfied that

you've achieved all you can and you're happy with what you've done--

Where's enough?

-Or does that ever happen? -Well...

Football has been everything that he's known in his adult life,

but I want him to be able to see there's life outside of football.

Can we not flip it?

Can we not go,

"It's not this never-ending period of, 'Will I get back?'

"It's, 'I've got this finite period of time possibly.

"'Let's just go all in. Let's just go for it.'"

He is struggling with where his purpose still lies.

Is this something that he needs to continue doing

or would he be better served to move past football

and look at what the rest of his life is after it?

[Nat] I've had an amazing journey.

The game's been...

yeah, incredibly gracious towards me.

No matter what happens, he's always gonna be happy to see you.

[muffled chatter]

[chatter continues]

I'm just gonna get Nat to come out the front.

Thanks, Joey.

I want to keep this tight 'cause otherwise I'll get a bit emotional.

After getting back on the weekend and making a successful return,

this is the right time to announce this will be my last year.

[sombre music]

It's been an amazing journey

and I feel like there's just still one last epic chapter to finish off.

Right now, on the edge of finals, with a couple of games to go,

we're on the edge of doing the thing that I have dreamt of doing for 16 years.

So if I can ask us all in the room to do anything from here,

it's just to stay in the moment,

embrace everything that comes with the challenge of the next however many weeks.

Um...

And let's go fuckin' win that cup.

[players applauding]

Nat has one last shot now. One last roll of the dice.

This is it.

[pensive music]

How are you, brother?

-Feeling alright? -[speaking indistinctly]

Excited. First final.

Should be a small crowd, so that'll be right.

-[man] How are ya, Nat? -Hey. Yeah.

[Justin] Fuck, it's great to be playing this time of the year, alright?

But I guarantee ya, the game tonight

won't ask any questions you haven't already answered throughout the year.

[Sam] The Fremantle Dockers are not regularly finals participants

so for them, this is huge.

Whatever the game throws at us, keep coming back to our way.

[Sam] If Fremantle win and they get on a roll,

they have a red-hot chance of winning the premiership.

The game's gonna be chaotic, yeah? Contest is king early.

[Sam] But an elimination final is exactly that.

You lose and you're out.

Now, for a guy that's already announced his retirement,

right here, right now,

doesn't get much bigger.

[crowd cheering]

[dramatic music builds]

[commentator 1] Fremantle and the Gold Coast Suns.

[commentator 2] There's no tomorrow, so this is all at stake.

It's gonna be on tonight.

Oh, this'll be so huge.

[commentator 2] This is a full Optus Stadium here today for the Dockers

and that's for the last time they'll see Nat Fyfe here too.

[dramatic music continues]

Just enjoy it, trust it. Work boots on. Keep turning up.

-[siren blaring] -[James Brayshaw] Alright.

Wet and wild in the west.

No tomorrow. Let's go.

[crowd cheering]

Pearce just couldn't glove it.

Farrar! Fiorini!

-End to end! -[crowd cheering]

No. No.

[commentator 1] Now a chance. Budarick looks over the shoulder.

The easiest goal he will ever kick.

Four in a row to the Suns

and they lead by 25.

I mean, the Suns are dominating.

Fremantle are choking on the big stage.

[siren blaring]

[James] The Gold Coast Suns will take a 25-point lead into halftime.

[commentator 2] I think Justin Longmuir will be disappointed

with the defensive application.

Feels like every time the ball goes inside forward 50 for the Suns,

they score.

[Justin] Instead of running that way, we should be fuckin' running that way!

Yeah? 25!

Where's our fuckin' pivot? Where's your fuckin' man?!

[Nat] Let's go. Enjoy the challenge. Embrace it.

[Nat] We're down by three or four goals.

I just want to get out here and get my hands on this game

and I feel I can really impact.

-On your bike. -Let's go, brother.

Let's go. Let's battle.

[pensive music]

[crowd cheering]

[commentator] Nat Fyfe onto the ground, guys. That's the roar.

[crowd roaring]

[Dougie] Here we go! There he is. He's on!

Let's go! Whoo!

Yeah, I'm gonna go corridor mid.

-Yep. -Right?

It does make you emotional, to watch that,

and you feel so... excited for him, nervous,

and so proud as well.

[crowd cheering]

Get it out! Kick! Kick!

[James] Patty Voss slams it through!

[crowd cheering]

Let's go.

Gold Coast are still coming, but Fyfe almost wound back the clock.

You know, it was like the Fyfe of old.

[James] Fyfe!

-Nice. -Yes!

[commentator] Brilliant. How clean was that contested mark from Nat Fyfe?

I reached up and it stuck

and I thought, "Right, we are so on here. Let's get to work."

[James] Ten minutes exactly left.

Yes!

That's a risk of a kick, but, fuck, it's come off!

Huge kick.

Fremantle are turning the tide on the game

and have all the momentum.

-[James] And he's got it! -[crowd cheering]

-Yes! -Jackson! Jackson!

Let's go!

[James] They were down by 26 points, Fremantle, and looked out.

Luke Jackson...

jams it through!

[crowd roaring]

Freo actually playing in a grand final,

let alone winning it,

has seemed so far away until now.

We've been here so many times.

[commentator] Only three finals have been to extra time.

Are we going there

or is there a miracle for one of these two sides in the last 70 seconds?

Big ball here.

[dramatic music swells]

[crowd cheering]

[whistle blowing]

[umpire] On the man.

[commentator] Swallow taken without the football.

[umpire speaks indistinctly]

Come on.

Can't be like this.

[commentator] 47 seconds.

He can absorb 30 of them.

[tense music builds]

I don't really want to look.

[commentator] Swallow has kicked...

[tense music rises]

[crowd cheering]

...the most magnificent score!

[siren blaring]

[James] Siren sounds! History made!

And they have won

an almighty elimination final.

-[Nat] Love you, mate. -Love you too, mate.

[soft sombre music]

[Nat speaks indistinctly]

-Oh, fuck, I'm so sorry. -No, don't be sorry, mate.

Wasn't meant to be, okay?

-We've come so far as well. -[tearfully] Oh...

-I love you, mate. -Fuck, mate...

-What a journey. -Oh!

Just a deep love for the players that you play with.

Um...

But, yeah, I was... I was numb.

-Love you, mate. -Love you too, eh?

-Ah, fuck, man. -It's footy.

I said I was gonna do this thing, that we were gonna get to this place,

I believed it with every cell in my body

and... we hadn't.

[soft sombre music continues]

It felt like they were holding me up

to show everyone that I'd...

that I'd failed.

-[soft sombre music continues] -[crowd cheering faintly]

[music fades]

[Justin] It's... it's hard to know what to say.

Thanks for everything, Fyfey.

Um... you've given your all.

You've given every last scrap.

Every last drop that you've got, you've given it.

Sorry we couldn't get it done for you today.

Yeah, he'll... he'll be missed.

[pensive instrumental music]

[Joe Brierty] When Fremantle Football Club

win their first premiership, whether it's in 2025 or in the future,

Nat Fyfe's name will be etched in that cup.

I'll be telling my grandkids that I got to play with him

and he's the best player I've ever played with.

[Nat speaks indistinctly]

I was kind of trying to tell him that I'm so proud of him

and that I'm here for him and that he doesn't need to keep fighting.

Oh! I fuckin' love you, Nat.

Couldn't be more proud of you.

[reporter] And what's next in your journey in just terms of general life?

It's a great question and if I figure that out, I'll let you know.

Nice mark. Well played. Gee, a bit like the old days.

Mmm.

[interviewer] Is there a fear in what's next?

Nah. No fear.

Just excitement. Yep.

[crowd cheering]

[dramatic music]

♪ Win the flag for you, fight, fight, fight... ♪

-[Sam] The agony and the ecstasy. -♪ Run, run, run all the way, hey! ♪♪

100 metres away, you've got the pure joy and jubilation

of the Gold Coast Suns and Touk.

For someone like Touk Miller who's been there for all the low points -

and there have been many at the Gold Coast Suns -

it's extra special.

The Gold Coast Suns have made their own history.

Whatever story you want to write is up to us.

[driving music]