Fremantle midfielder Gabby Newton believes the Dockers’ engine room is firing on all cylinders ahead of the club’s elimination final against Essendon.

Newton made the shock move west from the Western Bulldogs during the off-season, but spent much of her first weeks working through rehabilitation.

The former No.1 pick was then forced to learn on the fly, debuting with her new teammates in round one.

“I think it’s been building week on week. It’s only been getting better, that ruck-mid connection between all of us. We’re just humming at the moment,” Newton told The West Australian.

“We’re on the same wavelength, which is really exciting moving into next week.

“I even spent a lot of pre-season in rehab, and so when I came back into the team and started doing full training, the girls were just trying to connect with me and learn how I play and me doing the same.

“So I feel it’s built every week of this season, and I’m fully ingrained now, which is so good.”

Newton added she and the group were especially proud of their efforts in 2024, overcoming serious injuries to stars such as Ange Stannett and Aine Tighe.

However, she said the pair had never left the team in spirit, and their support would be a finals X-factor, alongside her newly adopted purple fans.

“Those girls haven’t gone away. Aine and Ange are like the two loudest voices on the balcony and on the bench, so (the injuries) don’t stop them from still contributing to the team, which I think is absolutely massive for us,” she said.

“It’s like having two extra players out there for us the way they talk, so they’ll keep doing that into finals, and that’s massive.

“And the Freo army has been absolutely killing it; I could hear the chants going during the fourth quarter.

“It just gives you a second wind, and to be able to reward them with a home final next week is going to be huge.”