The Dockers move into their first ever semi-finals campaign this week and helping the show along will be a little outfit from Victorian known as the Melbourne Football Club. This will be the first time that the two clubs will meet in a final of any sort, which doesn't really mean anything but it seems to be the sort of thing you have to talk about when you're in the finals.

When the Dockers last crossed paths with the Demons, it was early days in Fremantle's record breaking winning streak. They'd just returned from the MCG where they knocked of Collingwood and a week early they'd started the run with a win over the Bombers. Melbourne were having their own little winning streak at the time and had firmed as favourites for the flag.

The D’s went in as favourites but came out with their pants around thier ankles. A rock solid Fremantle defence made life tough for the Demon's Hollywood forward line, restricting them to just 1 goal for half the game. The Freo forwards had no such problems, dobbing goals from everywhere and putting the game out of Melbourne's reach by three quarter time. All Australian reserve Matthew Pavlich kicked 3 goals as did Aaron Davey for Melbourne. Heath Black had 31 touches and Travis Johnstone 29. Top votes in the Clinton Wolf Medal votes went to Aaron Sandilands for towelling up both Jeff White and Mark Jamar, Shane Parker picked up the 2 and Brett Peake was handed the 1 amidst controversy.

Unfortunately Fremantle haven't been able to dominate the Demons this year like they have, for example, the Eagles. Freo had just come off an exciting 5 point victory over the mob up the road when they took on the Demons in Round 7. Everyone was jumping on the Fremantle bandwagon as they made their first trip to Melbourne for the year to play at the MCG. Unfortunately, Aaron Sandialnds had been viciously taken out behind the play and Justin Longmuir still had a crook knee and the bandwagon quickly derailed.

Fremantle still managed to start the game like millionaires though - running hard, kicking long and dobbing the first two goals of the match but the magnificent start to the game quickly turned into an old school Freo in Victoria style game where the opposition seemed to have more players, and better ones at that, eventually losing by 59 points. Melbourne had 7 multiple goal kickers but Michael Johnson topped scored for the game with 3. Adam Yze had 28 possessions and Travis Johnstone 27 with Byron Schammer's 27 touches the most for Fremantle.

The previous time the two sides met at Subiaco was in Round 17 last year. After giving the Demons a touch up at the MCG earlier that year, Fremantle gave Melbourne players a lesson in wet weather footy back at Subi Oval, fighting out a 25 point win. Luke McPharlin kicked 4 goals, Pavlich and Headland a lazy 3. For the Demons, Aaron Davy jagged a few. Top ball getters were Heath Black with 31 touches, 24 of them kicks and Brad Green with 29 for Melbourne. The umpires liked the games of Byron Schammer, Peter Bell and Heath Black. The Clinton Wolf Medal committee went the way of Paul Hasleby, Peter Bell and Shane Parker...in controversial circumstances.

All up, the Demons and Dockers have played each other 19 times with the scales temporarily tipped in favour of the Demons. Melbourne have won 10 of those games and Fremantle 9. Things swing the other way when the action moves to Subiaco Oval though, with Fremantle winning 4 and Melbourne 3. It swings further into Fremantle's favour when the WACA is added to the mix to give Fremantle 6 wins from 10 games in Perth.

Melbourne's last win over Fremantle in WA was at Subiaco Oval in Round 11, 2004. Fremantle were supposed to be taking their final victory lap around the Melbourne players’ carcasses, Peter Bell's 200th game and Fremantle fighting for a spot in the top 4. They had them beat at three quarter time but the weather turned in the last quarter and the Dockers disappeared like spit in the rain. A scoreless last quarter saw Fremantle not only cough up the lead but cop a 31 point drubbing. Peter Vardy kicked 4 goals, Adam Yze picked up 25 touches and Jeff White was given 3 Brownlow votes. For Fremantle, Luke McPharlin enjoyed his run in the forward line, kicking 3 goals. Matthew Pavlich had 25 touches and was given a Brownlow vote. The Clinton Wolf Medal voting panel like the games of Matthew Pavlich, Dessy Headland and Andrew Browne.

Fremantle have only lost twice in their 12 games at Subiaco Oval this year (twice as few as the other tenants). They fought out a narrow loss to the highly fancied Adelaide Crows in Round 4 and then had an uncharacteristic loss to Geelong before the mid-season break. Melbourne have made the trip to Perth twice and lost both games after leading by a handful of points at quarter time.

Melbourne were doing all the celebrating last week, though. After finishing the season with 13 wins and a draw and finding themselves in 7th spot on the ladder, they were given the job of playing 6th placed St Kilda at the MCG. They struggled early but fought back from 4 goals down to overrun St Kilda,  win by 18 points and get Grant Thomas sacked. David Neitz kicked 4 goals and Cameron Bruce and Brad Green had 29 disposals each.

Finishing much, much higher on the ladder, Fremantle were given a much, much  tougher job. They had to travel to Adelaide and take on the rampaging Adelaide Crows in a howling wind. Fremantle got out to an early lead and hung on for most of the match before succumbing to the Crows drive in the last quarter. Matthew Pavlich and Jeff Farmer were the only multiple goal kickers in a low scoring game but Heath Black still had plenty of the ball with 32 touches.