THE PATH was paved for Fremantle to play finals, but a finely tuned Port Adelaide stood in the way as the Dockers fumbled their chance in a season-ending 20-point loss at Optus Stadium that handed Carlton the last September spot. 

Trailing by three points early in the final quarter, the Dockers lost their ability to handle the ball cleanly under pressure and conceded the last three goals to a formidable Power team that made sure of its second-place finish with the 13.9 (87) to 9.13 (67) win.  

Ken Hinkley's team will host a qualifying final against Geelong in the opening week and take momentum into its fourth finals campaign in five years after bringing a relentless pressure brand to the last game of the home-and-away season.  

Carlton will travel to Brisbane for an elimination final after waiting until Sunday night to know if it would qualify following the Blues’ earlier loss to St Kilda in a rollercoaster Sunday to end the season. 

00:27

Team Song: Port Adelaide

Watch the Power celebrate their round 24 win

The win came with pre-finals pain for the Power, who lost Kane Farrell to a hamstring injury before half-time. Important backman Aliir Aliir also limped from the ground in the second quarter, but he was able to return after the main break. 

Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines was outstanding in his 250th match, finishing with 31 disposals to lead a midfield that applied relentless pressure and handled the big moments better than their opponents. 

Jason Horne-Francis was a star in an ominous performance, kicking two goals as he rotated forward and plenty more, with Zak Butters (27 and six clearances) also vital. 

Premiership small forward Willie Rioli finished Fremantle, kicking two of three goals in the final quarter at a ground where he once starred as a West Coast player. 

00:39

Power spark with Drew out of the blue | PTV

Willem Drew crafts something out of nothing as Port Adelaide enjoys a solid start to the game

While the Dockers will kick themselves for stumbling when the game was on the line, they fought to the end and will be driven in 2025 after letting their September chance slip with four close losses to end the year. 

The equation for the home team was simple at 4.10pm, win and you're in, and the team played with an early intensity that reflected the stakes, moving the ball quickly and bringing the pressure. 

An early conversion from 45m for spearhead Jye Amiss was a good sign, and wingman Nathan O'Driscoll broke the lines with his attacking mindset and speed, kicking a brilliant early goal. 

The Dockers held an eight-point lead at the first change, but they would have been concerned by the Power's weight of forward entries as their midfielders worked into the game. 

00:47

JHF makes the difficult look so easy | PTV

Jason Horne-Francis scores a mesmerising goal on the burst to continue his hot start

Horne-Francis shaped as the dangerman, pushing forward to kick a classy running goal early in the second term and then setting up teammate Dante Visentini, who was a late inclusion for veteran forward Charlie Dixon (illness). 

The Dockers had the better of the quarter in many ways, dominating groundball (30-21) and contested possessions (37-29) for the term, but spraying opportunities to kick 2.6 for the quarter. 

The Power took their opportunities and were clean with the ball when it mattered, with Mitch Georgiades kicking back-to-back goals from set shots to open a narrow lead. 

Fremantle's dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe cut it to one-point at the main break when he took a brilliant one-handed mark deep in attack and converted with less than 10 seconds left in the quarter.

Port ramped up its pressure in the third quarter and looked like using it to create a game-breaking period as Francis Evans and Horne-Francis kicked early goals.  

They maintained it throughout the quarter and didn't relent in the run home, showcasing their professional approach with a finals brand that looks ready to take more scalps in the next month.

FREMANTLE           4.2   6.8   8.11   9.13 (67)  

PORT ADELAIDE    3.0   7.3   10.8   13.9 (87)

GOALS

Fremantle: Voss 2, Amiss, Frederick, Fyfe, Jackson, O'Driscoll, Sturt, Switkowski

Port Adelaide: Rioli 3, Georgiades 2, Horne-Francis 2, Byrne-Jones, Drew, F.Evans, McEntee, Sweet, Visentini 

BEST

Fremantle: Brayshaw, Young, Switkowski, O'Driscoll, Ryan, Voss

Port Adelaide: Wines, Horne-Francis, Butters, Rioli, L.Evans, Bergman, Burton 

INJURIES

Fremantle: Young (calf)

Port Adelaide: Farrell (hamstring) 

SUBSTITUTES

Fremantle: Michael Walters (replaced Matt Johnson at three-quarter time) 

Port Adelaide: Francis Evans (replaced Kane Farrell in the second quarter) 

LATE CHANGES 

Fremantle: Nil 

Port Adelaide: Dante Visentini replaced Charlie Dixon (illness) in the selected side 

Crowd: 45,322 at Optus Stadium