Fremantle Dockers declare star recruit Shai Bolton a ‘game changer’, club capable of contending for 2025 flag

Fremantle star recruit Shai Bolton has been labelled a “game changer” and the club is now capable of contending for a premiership in 2025, according to list boss David Walls. It comes as Walls revealed several players wanted to come to the Dockers this trade period as they become a destination club after years of losing experience at the trade table. The Dockers pulled off one of the biggest deals this year when they sent picks 10, 11 and 18 in exchange for Bolton — who they signed for five years — as well as pick 14 and a future third-round selection. Walls said the dual premiership Tiger could be a match-winner for the Dockers as they look to finally claim an elusive premiership. “I think he (Bolton) is a game-changer, I think he can win games off his own boot and he just makes us so more potent and dangerous up forward,” Walls told The West Australian. “He can play through the midfield too. Some of his numbers with what he’s achieved at Optus Stadium when he’s played there also clearance numbers that go with the amount of ball he can find and work inside and play as a midfielder but then push forward and hit the scoreboard — you’re talking about the top two or three players in the competition with what he can do. “He definitely elevates us but where we get better is from our guys coming back and having another pre-season, working their backsides off and continually striving to get better, taking JL’s (Justin Longmuir’s) gameplan to another level. “It’s definitely exciting and I expect us to be challenging and contending next year.” Walls said the Dockers found out about West Coast’s 11th-hour bid for Bolton after the deal had gone through. The West Australian revealed on Wednesday that the Eagles made a late pitch for the South Fremantle product as Fremantle and Richmond’s negotiations remained at a stalemate. “We had no idea that West Coast were getting involved,” Walls said. “He’d always wanted to come to Fremantle so we were always confident on that, it was only after we did the deal and signed off on it that (list boss) Blair Hartley from Richmond said to me that West Coast put their hand up or came at the 11th hour. “But it didn’t really amount to much and we weren’t aware of it in our negotiations.” For the first time in many years the Dockers didn’t lose any players to other clubs and Walls revealed he had enquiries from several other players about wanting to head to Fremantle. “No players expressed even an inkling of discontent or wanting to move. They’re all locked in, very settled and committed to the cause,” he said. “There were a few other players too — I won’t be able to name them — who were keen to get to Fremantle. It was a nice year for us in terms of not having anyone wanting to leave but having players that are actively trying to get to Fremantle is a nice position to be in.” The Dockers not only grabbed Bolton but still have a first-round pick in this year’s super draft, which Walls said they planned to use at the draft at this stage. “I think we’ll use that pick but we’ll look at everything,” he said. “I feel like we’re better off getting to draft night and then seeing who’s there on the night and then assessing if we slide back or if we try to get up or we hold. “We were looking at our draft order and we feel like there’s 13 or 14 really good names that we’d love to bring into the club with that first pick and if we were holding at 18 your starting to get out a little bit where you just drop off into a different level of quality. “By staying at 14 we feel like we’re in the same band of players in terms of talent grouping and it’ll be be who is there and we’ll make a call on the night. “We were very comfortable if we were picking at 11 or picking at 14 we will be getting a very similar type of quality player.”