With the stakes as high as ever with Fremantle’s season on the line, it was fitting that a member of Fremantle’s generation-next stepped up to help break their run of losses in Sunday’s RAC Derby at Optus Stadium.
Not only did 20-year-old Caleb Serong lead Freo with 31 disposals, he kicked two goals including a remarkable final quarter snap that arrested the momentum from Freo’s local rivals.
It came with Freo missing both Nat Fyfe and Andrew Brayshaw in the midfield and resulted in Serong winning the Glendinning-Allan Medal ahead of acting captain David Mundy in his club-record 353rdgame.
Serong earned the maximum nine votes from judges Braden Quartermaine (The West), Andrew Embley (Triple M) and Kara Antonio (ABC Radio), ahead of Mundy (four votes), Luke Ryan (two votes) and West Coast’s Andrew Gaff (two votes) and Jack Redden (one vote).
“It was a really humbling experience,” Serong said.
“For me, it was all about doing everything I could for the team to get the win today, it was just playing my role and doing everything I could for the team.
“It’s really humbling to get the medal but it’s even better to get it with a win.”
Serong also paid tribute to Freo’s other vote-getters.
“Dave is amazing every week. He’s just so cool, calm and collected,” Serong said.
“Any time we need a contest win or someone to steady the ship, he’s there and always putting his hand up. He’s super consistent and to see him lift the trophy for the first time in a few years was really amazing.
“Lukey was huge. Especially in the third term. Not just marking the ball but killing the contests. He was playing a lot on Liam Ryan, who’s a star of a player as well.
“For him to stand up in that third quarter…it was the whole backline. In the last quarter as well, when the heat was on, they had some massive contest wins and evened the contest. I can’t speak higher of how the backline handled that today.”
Serong spoke of the goal that sent Optus Stadium into raptures, coming with 12 minutes to play after West Coast had closed within a goal after Freo led by as much as 40 points in the second quarter.
It was Serong’s second big-moment goal in three weeks after kicking the winner against Richmond.
“I don’t know (how), I pulled it out of my backside!” Serong joked.
“I don’t really want to watch the reaction and the celebration, I carried on a bit again. I’m making a bit of habit of the carry on!
“It was great to do that in the moment, try and really stand up for the team. It was really nice to celebrate that with the boys.”
Huge RAC Derby win for Freo
Hill humble from beginning to end
