Fremantle Dockers miss out on AFL finals as Caleb Serong contained in loss to Port Adelaide at Optus Stadium

ACT 1, SCENE 1: Marvel Stadium. St Kilda forward Jack Higgins snaps truly with 12 seconds remaining in the final quarter to put Ross Lyon’s Saints two points ahead of Carlton.

ACT 1, SCENE 2: Optus Stadium. Patrons glued to their mobile devices as the theatre unfolds 3400km away inhale as Higgins takes his shot and exhale as it sails through. The half-full venue still musters a decent roar as the siren sounds, the Saints with their noses in front.

ACT 1: SCENE 3: Fremantle’s season is alive.

At least it was.

For two-and-a-half pulsating hours, Port Adelaide surged, Fremantle reeled in the deficits, only for the visitors to punch again.

In what was a stressful day for Blues and Dockers fans as they waited for the dominos to fall in their favour, the final game of the season was a story about executing under fierce pressure – both on the field and in the head.

Port Adelaide was simply cleaner when it counted and made more correct decisions at the right times.

It might come down to experience, but it explains why Port sit second on the ladder heading into the finals and the Dockers will not be a player.

The Power steadied after a wayward opening term where they had an edge in territory with 18-11 inside-50s but were operating at just a tick over 16 per cent efficiency in their attacking zone and did not hold a mark inside 50, a metric they are rated No. 1 in the competition.

The Dockers did have a say in it too, with a committed structure behind the ball, shaped by Heath Chapman, Luke Ryan, Brennan Cox and Jordan Clark.

The Power’s first big win for the game was a hard tag – Willem Drew went to Caleb Serong at the first bounce and did not leave his side.

Serong was restricted to 19 possessions, the first time he dropped under 20 for the season.

If Serong was quiet, Andy Brayshaw, Nathan O’Driscoll and Hayden Young filled the gaps in the opening half.

O’Driscoll’s running goal in the first quarter underlined why the Dockers were so desperate to inject the tall midfielder with the booming left-foot into their team.

Young’s value was underlined by two precision passes inside 50 to Sam Switkowski and Patrick Voss in the first quarter that resulted in two goals.

Brayshaw was another busy hunter and gatherer who got a lot of football dipping back into defence.

But whatever Fremantle could do, Port did better. Ollie Wines began to have an influence and Jason Horne-Francis exploded into the contest after the first break.

His goal on the run from a second quarter chain was started by himself in a one-on-one marking contest at halfback.

As Port started taking marks inside 50 - WA-bred forward Mitch Georgiades held two and converted both – it was Fremantle’s turn to fritter away in their forward half.

Matthew Johnson sprayed one the team needed him to kick, while O’Driscoll was too committed to team first when he passed off instead of trusting his sweet left foot.

There wasn’t a lot in the game, just moments.

At the start of the last quarter, Justin Longmuir swung Luke Jackson in the ruck to try and find a spark and quell the big influence being exerted by Port’s big man Jordan Sweet.

A Patrick Voss mark and goal got the Dockers to within a kick.

But what followed was fumbles, missed handballs and shoddy kicks in the face of Port’s unrelenting pressure.

Just when the game was there to be won and lost, Young suffered a leg injury and was forced into the forward line and then off the ground.

To be fair, Port had been operating for the second half without key mid Kane Farrell, subbed out with a hamstring injury.

And in the end, a face familiar to WA audiences, Willie Rioli, sealed it with two final-quarter goals to give him three for the night.

Like his team, he had the finish when it was required.