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A lot can happen in 500 games of footy, and Fremantle will play their 500th AFL game this Sunday against Geelong at Domain Stadium.
It's a suitable occasion for a milestone game, with the fans to be decked out in purple for the annual Starlight Purple Haze Game, proudly supported by Fremantle Ports.
Take a stroll through the most notable moment's in Fremantle history.
Game 1, 1 April 1995 – Freo made their AFL debut against Richmond at the MCG. Todd Ridley kicked the first goal in club history, and Freo almost pulled off a victory with a five goal to two final quarter, but lost to the Tigers by 5 points.
Game 3, 15 April 1995 – Freo broke through with their first win in the AFL, a 43-point win over Fitzroy at the Western Oval. Winston Abraham led the way with three goals.
Game 4, 21 April 1995 – First win at home: a 19-point win over Geelong at the WACA.
Game 5, 29 April 1995 – Shaun McManus made his AFL debut at the Western Oval against Footscray, picking up 14 disposals and two tackles as Freo dropped a heartbreaker by two points.
Game 9, 28 May 1995 – Freo’s first win at Subiaco Oval: a 54-point demolition of the Brisbane Bears, led by a 27-point disposal effort from inaugural captain Ben Allan.
Game 52, 18 May 1997 – Quenton Leach kicked a goal after the siren against Brisbane to give Freo a five point win at Subiaco Oval.
Game 98, 4 June 1999 – Tony Modra kicked a bag of 10 goals, the most for a Fremantle player in a game, as Freo defeated Melbourne by 54 points at the MCG.
Game 104, 18 July 1999 – After dropping the first nine Western Derbies, Fremantle broke through to defeat West Coast by 47 points. The game kick-started Freo’s ascendency in the rivalry, winning 20 of the next 35 derbies.
Game 111, 11 March 2000 – Paul Hasleby made an impressive AFL debut at Subiaco Oval against Geelong, racking up 30 disposals. He would go on to win the AFL Rising Star that year, and play 208 games for the club.
Game 115, 8 April 2000 – Matthew Pavlich kicked two goals in his debut against Melbourne at the WACA. Including his debut game, the Freo great would play 353 of Fremantle’s next 385 games.
Game 131, 30 July 2000 – The infamous Demolition Derby saw Freo overcome a 32-point half time deficit to win by a point. Up front, Clive Waterhouse kicked seven goals.
Game 162, 18 May 2002 – Jeff Farmer goaled after the siren against his old side Melbourne to seal a five point win at Subiaco Oval.
Game 190, 5 July 2003 – After working his way into the side from the rookie list, Aaron Sandilands picked up 31 hit-outs against Brisbane to earn an AFL Rising Star nomination.
Game 194, 2 August 2003 – Fremantle hosted their first ever Starlight Purple Haze Game in a 21-point win over Richmond, raising $14,000 for seriously ill kids and their families. Over the following 15 years, Fremantle and their fans would donate more than a million dollars to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Game 199, 5 September 2003 – After finishing fifth in the home and away season, Fremantle played Essendon at Subiaco Oval in their first ever final.
Game 228, 30 April 2005 – David Mundy made his debut for Freo at the MCG, picking up 12 disposals as Fremantle defeated Melbourne by 14 points.
Game 229, 8 May 2005 – Matthew Pavlich’s six goals at Subiaco Oval helped Fremantle to their highest total in club history, kicking 28.12 (180) against Collingwood. The 112-point winning margin also gave Fremantle their first 100+ point win.
Game 237, 17 July 2005 – Shane Parker became the first Fremantle player to reach the 200-game milestone, and celebrated by kicking his first goal in almost four seasons as Freo defeated Carlton at the MCG.
Game 242, 19 August 2005 – After kicking a goal after the siren to defeat St Kilda by five points, Justin Longmuir threw himself into the arms of the fans at a packed Subiaco Oval.
Game 247, 30 April 2006 – The infamous Sirengate game saw Fremantle awarded the win on a protest. The umpires did not initially hear the final siren with Fremantle leading by a point, allowing St Kilda to ‘tie’ the game seconds later.
Game 267, 15 September 2006 – 42,505 fans packed Subiaco Oval to see Fremantle win their first ever final against Melbourne, qualifying the side for the first Preliminary Final in club history.
Game 290, 1 September 2007 – Matthew Pavlich kicked four goals against Port Adelaide at Football Park to bring his 2007 season total to 72, eclipsing Tony Modra’s mark of 71 in 1999 for the most goals by a Freo player in a season.
Game 308, 3 August 2008 – Freo sent off 228-game legend Shaun McManus in style with an 83-point thrashing of West Coast. It was a typical McManus performance with six tackles and 21 disposals.
Game 313, 29 March 2009 – Stephen Hill and Nick Suban made their AFL debuts against the Western Bulldogs in Freo’s 2009 Starlight Purple Haze Game.
Game 323, 6 June 2009 – Michael Walters kicked his first goal for Freo in his debut against Port Adelaide at Football Park.
Game 339, 25 April 2010 – Nat Fyfe kicks a goal in his debut as Freo run out 39-point winners over Richmond at Subiaco Oval.
Game 381, 31 March 2012 – Ross Lyon coached his first game for Fremantle, taking his side to a four-point win over Geelong at Subiaco Oval.
Game 404, 8 September 2012 – A 16-point Elimination Final win against Geelong at the MCG gave Fremantle their first ever victory in an interstate final.
Game 424, 11 August 2013 – 15 individual goalkickers contributed to a 113-point win over GWS at Subiaco Oval, giving Freo their largest win in club history.
Game 425, 18 August 2013 – Lee Spurr made his AFL debut in Fremantle’s 386th game, but it wasn’t until game 425 that he kicked his first AFL goal. The overjoyed defender’s celebration on the middle of the MGC was the highlight in Freo’s 95-point win over Melbourne.
Game 428, 7 September 2013 – Freo replicated their 2012 interstate win with another against Geelong, this time at Kardinia Park. Stephen Hill’s timely interchange and goal to seal the win continues to be one of the most exciting moments in Fremantle history.
Game 429, 21 September 2013 – The chant of “MCG MCG” rang around Subiaco Oval as Fremantle defeated Sydney by 24 points to book their first ever Grand Final berth.
Game 430, 28 September 2013 – That “one day in September” didn’t go Freo’s way, but the Grand Final defeat to Hawthorn was the culmination of a week that saw tens of thousands of Freo cross the Nullarbor to paint Melbourne purple - witnessing Matthew Pavlich lead the side out onto the MCG on Grand Final day.
Game 444, 21 June 2014 – Fremantle conceded just 3.4 (22) to the Brisbane Lions to set their lowest conceded score in club history, on the way to an 83-point win.
Game 445, 5 July 2014 – Hayden Ballantyne played his 100th game against Melbourne in Darwin, becoming just the third Sandover Medallist to play over 100 AFL games since the VFL expanded in 1986.
Game 475, 30 August 2015 – A 54-point victory over Melbourne gave Freo their 17th win of the 2015 season, securing the club their first Minor Premiership.
Game 485, 14 May 2016 – Lachie Neale racked up 30 handballs in his 38-disposal effort against Hawthorn, the highest in Fremantle history and equal fourth highest in the history of the AFL.
Game 498, 20 August 2016 – David Mundy became the second player in Fremantle history to reach the 250-game milestone.
Game 499, 28 August 2016 – Matthew Pavlich is given a send-off that will live long in the hearts of Freo fans as Fremantle defeated the Western Bulldogs by 20 points in his 353rd and final AFL game. The highlight of the game came from the man himself, kicking his 700th career goal in the opening term.
Tickets are still available for Sunday's match through ticketmaster.com.au or by calling 1300 135 915.
The Fremantle Dockers Foundation is proud to have the Starlight Children's Foundation on board as a Principal 'Friend of the Foundation’