Fremantle’s qualifying final disaster against Hawthorn now has the Dockers at long odds to grab their maiden flag as punters abandon the Flagmantle dream.

The Dockers were in prime position to earn their first flag after securing the minor premiership on the back of a record-breaking season, giving them two finals at their Optus Stadium fortress.

It saw them enter September as one of the flag favourites, sitting at $2.80 in the premiership markets heading into their final against Hawthorn.

But a disastrous 32-point loss on the back of their insipid display has seen them cast adrift of the front runners, with the Dockers now having to earn a grand final berth the hard way, facing a preliminary final away at either the Gabba or Sydney, assuming they can bounce back in their semifinal.

It was their first loss at Optus Stadium all season and continues their indifferent form over the last month, having now lost three of their last four games.

Fremantle are now priced at $5.50 according to TabTouch, well behind front runners Brisbane ($2.75), while the Hawks ($3.25) have also moved ahead after securing a home preliminary final.

It’s the longest odds they have been at virtually all season, having sat largely between the $3-$3.50 mark after they won 19 regular season games, including a club record 14 in a row through the middle of the season.

With the club now facing the ignominy of a straight-sets exit, coach Justin Longmuir was defiant in his belief his group will bounce back next week.

“The facts are to get to a grand final we need to win two more games, two games in a row,” Longmuir said.

“We’ve won 14 games in a row this year, so we’ve proven that we can win two games in a row.

“We’ve won on the road. We’ve won back-to-back road travels. It’s not the way we wanted it to go, but we’re not dead and buried. We’ve earned the right for a double chance.”