Dermott Brereton loved the game of Josh Treacy in Fremantle’s 85-65 win over Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
The key forward kicked two goals to go with seven marks and three contested marks and Brereton loved the way he presented inside 50.
Treacy is averaging two goals a game in 2024 and sits 10th in the Coleman Medal race and Brereton thinks he’s becoming a quality centrepiece ahead of the ball for Justin Longmuir’s side.
The Hawthorn great loves Treacy’s aggression and felt that he dominated his one-on-one matchup with Sam Collins – who he considers a very good AFL key defender.
“The boy Josh Treacy was just everything you want in a power forward,” Brereton said on SEN Whateley.
“He took a mark in a six-man pack, not a big three or four-man pack, he outreached and jumped over the top of a six-man pack.
“Then Sam Collins, who is not going to make the hall of fame, but… he’s going to play 200 games, Sam Collins.
“If you are going to say, ‘Who’s the standard in league football for a key backman?’, you will look at Sam Collins.
“If you are anything less than a fantastic, very good key forward at the top of your game, Sam Collins is going to beat you.
“But Josh Treacy at one stage just running back towards goal just saw him and steamrolled him and just banged him to the ground, he fizzled him.
“That’s your power forward who brutally charges into the opposition, who brilliantly out-marks the opposition, and who bravely will stand underneath the ball when it’s kicked up on his head.”
Brereton thinks that Treacy is the alpha male in the Fremantle line-up given the position he plays and could really hold that status as a player too if he continues to improve.
He foresees the 21-year-old Docker becoming a Tom Lynch or Charlie Dixon-type when both of those players were in their primes.
“He is the alpha male,” Brereton said.
“He’s everything to a football team – I’m talking about the position as a key forward – Josh Treacy’s still got to get there, but I just thought that was his breakout game.
“I’ve seen him play some and have good moments, but for me that suggested to me that he could become a Tom Lynch or a Charlie Dixon of previous time.
“I thought he was fantastic … I just thought he was awesome.”
Treacy will hope to continue his good form when the Dockers face Sydney at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.