Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL Round 11 Tips - Danger game for Dockers in quest for 10 straight

Adam Cusworth

Editor

Last updated: Fri 22 May 2026 09:38

Adam Cusworth 22 May 2026

Share this article

The game will be played at Optus Stadium on Friday, 22nd May, with the bounce at 8:30 PM (AEDT)
Can the Dockers make it 10 straight wins?
Preview, expert analysis, stats, team news & best bet

Expired

Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints, Round 11 2026 - Expert Prediction

Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints, Round 11 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Fremantle Dockers Form Analysis
St Kilda Saints Form Analysis
Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints Team List & News
Fremantle Dockers Team News
St Kilda Saints Team News
Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL 2026 Round 11 FAQ’s

Fremantle look set to make it 10 wins on the trot, but St Kilda can give the home side a genuine fright in Friday night footy at Optus Stadium.

The Dockers are enjoying their best season under Justin Longmuir and sit second on the ladder with a 9-1 record, while St Kilda remain firmly in the finals hunt at 5-5.

The Saints come over to Perth as underdogs, but they match up well in a number of key areas, particularly around clearance and contested possession. Ross Lyon’s side have developed a tougher, more physical midfield profile through the emergence of Hugo Garcia alongside Jack Macrae, Sam Flanders and Mattaes Phillipou.

That shapes as crucial against a Fremantle side that can be vulnerable when opposition “bigger bodies” get to work around stoppages and centre bounce.

The Dockers were brilliant in the opening half against Essendon last week but dropped off in the second-half drop away and will need to make sure they are on from the word go as the Saints have also shown they can frustrate Fremantle.

They smashed the Dockers by 61 points at Marvel Stadium last season before pushing them in Perth later in the year, eventually losing by just 12 points at Optus Stadium. Recent meetings between these sides have consistently been low-scoring, contested affairs, with the past four clashes averaging just 131 total points and all staying under 150.

That under looks firmly in play again. Fremantle remain one of the best defensive sides in the competition and continue to control territory extremely well at Optus Stadium, while St Kilda’s defensive pressure and ability to slow games down under Lyon remain major strengths.

In what is a strong chance of being a low-scoring game, Cooper Sharman shapes as the key forward most capable of troubling the Dockers. Fremantle’s defence is extremely well organised, but taller marking targets have occasionally posed issues, particularly when the ball movement behind the ball becomes slightly disrupted.

Jack Sinclair also looks well placed again from a player prop perspective. The Saints rebounding defender is averaging 29 disposals this season and continues to drive their ball movement from half-back. He has had 25 or more disposals in all but one game this season and should again find plenty of uncontested ball as St Kilda look to control tempo and territory.

Fremantle deserve favouritism and their depth through midfield and forward half is outstanding right now, particularly with Patrick Voss, Josh Treacy and Shai Bolton all in strong form. But this feels like the type of game where St Kilda can stay competitive through contest, pressure and structure.

St Kilda defeated Fremantle by 61 points at Marvel Stadium last season before going down by just 12 points at Optus Stadium later in the year.
The total points in the past four meetings between the two sides has averaged just 131, with all four matches producing 150 points or fewer.
Cooper Sharman has kicked two goals in three of his past four matches.
Jack Sinclair has recorded 25 or more disposals in all but one match this season.

Head to Head Stats

Fremantle were 12-point winners in the Round 16 clash last season at Optus Stadium, while St Kilda scored a 61-point victory earlier in the year at Marvel Stadium when holding the Dockers to just five goals for the night.

Standout player performances in recent head-to-head clashes have come from:

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (Saints) – 25+ disposals in his past three against Fremantle
Andrew Brayshaw (Dockers) – 25+ disposals in six of his past seven
Josh Treacy (Dockers) – three goals in the most recent head-to-head clash
Mitch Owens (Saints) – nine goals from four matches against Fremantle
Fremantle Dockers Form Analysis

Fremantle Dockers Form Analysis

Fremantle have developed into one of the most complete teams in the competition and sit at 9-1 following their 43-point victory over Essendon last weekend.

The Dockers shot out of the gates with a 10-goal-to-one first half and it was Patrick Voss that snagged five goals, while young gun Murphy Reid picked up 29 disposals and booted one goal. They no longer rely too heavily on Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw and have a host of other ball winners in the middle, including Shai Bolton, who had 24 disposals and two goals against Essendon.

The Dockers’ ball movement has improved significantly in 2026. They have maintained their ability to control games through territory and structure, but have added a stronger attacking edge, scoring 100 or more points on six occasions this season.

They will be out to make it 10 wins on the trot in the Round 11 clash and head back to their home deck of Optus Stadium, where they are unbeaten in 2026.

St Kilda Saints Form Analysis

St Kilda continue to show signs of progress but have not been able to string together a consistent block of wins and come in with a 5-5 win-loss record. They picked up consecutive victories over West Coast and Carlton before dropping their Round 9 clash to Gold Coast by 29 points. Last week, they defeated Richmond by 36 points.

The Saints had an even spread of disposal winners, with Jack Macrae registering a game-high 31 disposals, while Jack Sinclair (29) and Sam Flanders (28) were also prominent. Max Hall, with 26 disposals and two goals, was a key contributor, while Cal Wilkie again defended strongly down back.

Sinclair is averaging 29 disposals this season and has had 25 or more in all but one match, while Hugo Garcia continues to progress and has recorded 25 or more in his past two outings. Jack Higgins leads the Saints’ goal-kicking tally with 17 from eight matches and kicked one in his return to the side. Cooper Sharman has kicked two goals in three of his past four matches.

Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints Team List & News

Fremantle Dockers Team News

Caleb Serong is sidelined with a calf injury in a major blow. Corey Wagner returns to the Dockers’ side.

St Kilda Saints Team News

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera remains on the sidelines with a calf injury, while Dan Butler and Liam Ryan are also unavailable. Mason Wood responded to his omission from the senior side with a strong performance at VFL level, while Alex Dodson and Toby Travaglia are others pressing for selection with solid form in the reserves.

Fremantle	POS	St Kilda
O. McDonald, B. Cox, H. Chapman	B	J. Silvagni, C. Wilkie, A. Caminiti
J. Clark, L. Ryan, J. McVee	HB	L. Stocker, B. Hill, L. O’Connell
N. O’Driscoll, A. Brayshaw, M. Johnson	C	M. Windhager, M. Hall, D. Wilson
M. Reid, J. Treacy, S. Switkowski	HF	H. Garcia, M. Phillipou, M. Wood
P. Voss, J. Amiss, C. Scerri	F	R. Byrnes, C. Sharman, D. Howard
L. Jackson, S. Bolton, N. Erasmus	FOLL	T. De Koning, S. Flanders, J. Sinclair
I. Dudley, M. Cox, C. Wagner, M. Frederick, K. Worner	I/C	J. Macrae, J. Carroll, R. Marshall, L. Henry, C. Banfield

Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL 2026 Round 11 FAQ’s

How to watch Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL 2026 Round 11?

You can watch the Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL 2026 Round 11 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL 2026 Round 11?

To buy tickets to the Fremantle Dockers vs St Kilda Saints AFL 2026 Round 11 game check the AFL website or the official Fremantle Dockers site.

Verdict

Fremantle Dockers v St Kilda Saints

Take the Saints with the start in a match where the total points looks set to stay under. Sharman is St Kilda's best chance for multiple goals, Sinclair a lock for 25+ disposals