Number 5 – Saturday 22 September, 2006 - The 2006 Preliminary Final

Freo found itself on the biggest stage the club had ever been on – an AFL Preliminary Final.

The prize at stake was a berth in the 2006 Grand Final, and the opponent was the reigning premier Sydney.

There were 62,000 spectators on hand at Telstra Stadium to witness the battle.

They also saw Matthew Pavlich play one of his greatest games under severe pressure.

The Freo star constantly had two or three opponents to deal with, but he wouldn’t stand down, almost singlehandedly keeping his side in the game.
Pavlich took 10 marks and kicked four goals, but it wasn’t enough, as Sydney ran out 35-point winners.

Pavlich’s teammate Shaun McManus rated his performance among the best in his illustrious career.

“’Pav’ was absolutely fantastic,” he said.

“In the third quarter he took some of the best high marks and kicked big goals when we really needed it.”

Match Day Information