Fremantle Dockers’ clash with Richmond set to go ahead despite forecast wild conditions amid Cyclone Narelle

The AFL has declared Fremantle’s clash with Richmond on Saturday “will be going ahead”, but fans have been warned to brace for a potential thunderstorm and up to 50 millimetres of heavy rain.

As Cyclone Narelle batters the WA coast, the AFL and the Dockers have confirmed the clash with Richmond won’t be shifted from its scheduled 1.15pm start time despite the forecast wild conditions.

“I would be preparing for a wet-weather match if you are heading to Optus Stadium this weekend,” BoM meteorologist Jess Lingard told The West Australian.

“There is a forecast rainfall totals of anywhere between sort of 20 and 50 millimetres of rainfall for Perth. So it is going to be significantly wetter than anything we’ve seen since about July last year.

“That’s going to be coming off the back of potentially another 20 to 50 millimetres on the Friday. So likely to be a very wet match and wet sitting in the stands, but the good news is that the wind is probably not likely to be too much of an issue.”

While the wind is set to ease in the afternoon, the evening brings the chance of a thunderstorm, which could cause a delay in play towards the end of the game.

“That’s where we do start to see these sort of thunderstorms just maybe creeping up from the south and then more broadly through the metro area later into the evening after sort of like dinner time,” Lingard said.

“There’s a slight risk potentially towards the end of the match, but for the rest of the period, it’s just going to be wet.”

The AFL said it was speaking with the Bureau of Meteorology daily and will continue to monitor the cyclone, along with the Burswood venue.

“There is heavy rain predicted but at this point in time, the game will be going ahead as planned,” a league spokesperson told The West.

Fremantle encouraged members and supporters to “plan ahead and allow extra time for travel” in the conditions, adding fan activations will also be adjusted.

Dockers coach Justin Longmuir backed his team’s strong wet-weather record to continue as he confirmed defender Brennan Cox will play his first game this season.

Prior to 2025, the Dockers had regularly slipped up in inclement conditions, but they became wet-weather specialists in 2025. Freo won five of their six games in damp conditions, with the lone exception their one-point defeat in the elimination final.

“We spoke about wet weather with the players. We thought we were good in the wet last year, so we revisited a couple of those things that we did in the wet last year, which made us really competitive in those games,” Longmuir said.

“Sometimes you wonder how early to go with that messaging, because it can be a bit unpredictable the forecast, but it looks like we’re going to get a fair does of rain so we’ve gone a bit earlier this year.”

The Dockers trained with slippery, soaked balls on Thursday and practiced handling. When asked if the conditions would influence selection, Longmuir said: “Sometimes there’s more stoppages in the wet... but probably not.”

Richmond have cancelled an open training session at Optus Stadium on Friday, while Fremantle have shifted their captain’s run to Cockburn.