Family is Dockers v Hawks

Busselton’s Donna Chatfield and her son Amos have joined the masses crossing the country to see the Fremantle Dockers play in the AFL Grand Final tomorrow.

The Chatfields’ journey involved flying to Adelaide and then driving to Melbourne for their team’s first grand final.

But purple doesn’t necessarily run in the blood.

Mrs Chatfield’s cousin Adam Jasper and his wife Nicole will be barracking for Hawthorn at the weekend.

“I’ve been a Hawthorn supporter all my life,” Mr Jasper said.

Every year the 43-year-old’s home turns shades of brown and gold, as he and his wife host a grand final day bash.

“If the game’s anything like last year it will be nerve wracking,” Mr Jasper predicted.

“But hopefully they’ll get over the line.

” He said among this year’s cohort of friends coming to stay for the weekend was one Hawks supporter whose fiancee was a dyed-in-thewool Dockers fan.

“I’ve been asked to prepare separate tents,” Mr Jasper said.

Another staunch Docker is Busselton’s Marilyn Royer, whose daughter is a foundation Fremantle member.

Ms Royer, who started going to matches four years ago, will fulfil a life dream when she flies over for the match on Friday.

“It’s my wildest dreams to be able to go. It’s one of the thing I wanted to do in my life to go to Melbourne for a grand final and it’s amazing the Dockers are in it,” she said.

“The atmosphere (at the preliminary final) on Saturday was amazing and I can imagine at the MCG it will be tenfold.”