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PREMIERSHIPS are earned and not deserved.
But if Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich is able to hoist the premiership cup about 5.30pm on Saturday, there will be a collective nod of heads.
Pavlich doesn't deserve it any more than Luke Hodge does, or Max Bailey, of Brian Lake, yet his journey is one of resilience, respect and crazy loyalty.
He rejected million-dollar offers from afar, from both South Australian clubs and Carlton, and at times you wondered if he was making the right decision.
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Such was Fremantle's ineptness on the national stage, Pavlich arguably had earned the right to seek greener pastures, because a football career is short, and failure can menace the minds of even the most balanced sports person.
Since his debut in 2000, the Dockers have finished 12th, 16th, 13th, fifth, ninth, 10th, third, 11th, 14th, 14th, sixth, 11th, seventh and this year awaits.
That's eight double-figure positions on the ladder from 14 seasons.
Through 2007-2009, the Dockers were diabolic.
In Round 4, 2009 at Etihad Stadium against St Kilda, the Dockers kicked 4.4 (28) on the competition's easiest ground to score on.
In Round 15, of the same year, they kicked a humiliating 1.7 against Adelaide and lost by 117 points.
Basket-case teams were quietly chuffed, because no matter how bad they were performing, the Dockers were always worse.
Matthew Pavlich celebrates a goal against Geelong in the qualifying final. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: HeraldSun
Even in coach Mark Harvey's final season, 2011, where the Dockers showed vast improvement, their last seven games of the season produced scores of 64, 44, 72, 85, 45, 52 and 61.
The Dockers had some pluck, but they couldn't kick goals.
Harvey was sacked and Ross Lyon was hired in a clandestine hit and run assignment, which history would now record as the most critical decision in the club's 19-year history.
Pavlich has lived the turmoil and mostly thrived.
Saturday night was his 290th game.
He is the club's greatest player and a future of Hall of Famer.
But he, too, shouldered blame for being the champion that he is.
There was a period when Pavlich, in big moments in big games, seem to hit the post at every second attempt at goal.
It would beg the question: Has he the big-match temperament to lead his team in a September campaign?
In 2007, former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas famously asked whether Pavlich would rather play great in a Fremantle loss or play poorly in a Fremantle win. Thomas thought the former.
It was a slicing comment from Thomas, directed squarely at Pavlich's leadership priorities.
"There's never been any question about his football ability," Thomas said.
"In the areas where I think he has improved significantly and I firmly believe, and stand by comments I made in the past about him, I didn't see him as a great team leader.
"I saw him as a guy driven to be as a good a player as he could be himself, but I didn't believe he was selfless team leader.
"He's now the complete package and has been for a few years.''
Lyon has a wealth of terrific subjects to add to the pre-Grand Final commentary and didn't forget his skipper on Saturday night.
To be where they are, there had to be buy-in, Lyon said, and Pavlich and key backman Luke McPharlin were front and square.
Thomas reckons Lyon has able to squeeze from Pavlich the final fragments of greatness.
"Ross has been able to take him up another notch again, even it's only been a few per cent,'' Thomas said.
"Pav gets a lot of strength from having a strong leader like Ross. Ross won't let anyone get away from playing selfishly or playing for themselves and you know what I've noticed about Pav is when Freo when under Ross have been dominating sides, he's kept it together.
"Six or seven years ago, Pav would've been jumping on the bandwagon, trying to kick eight goals and do it himself.
"Now, he is the sort of player who gets as much enjoyment out of helping a teammate to succeed than him doing it himself.''
Again, premiership cups are not for good blokes alone, but in Pavlich, there's a sense not so much of destiny, but of reward.
Still, he will have to earn it.
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