Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Shai Bolton swerved like a waterskier from the corner of the centre square. He slid past Geelong players as they clutched at the air in an attempt to stop him.
Then the footy flew 60 metres from his boot as though launched from a ski-jump, and sailed through the goals.
It was the moment in Friday night’s win over Geelong that reminded everyone Bolton has returned to his best in Fremantle colours in 2026.
Former Dockers’ great Michael Walters laughs when he recalls the moment when his friend and former teammate made Optus Stadium rock.
“He is one of those players who puts bums on seats,” Walters said. “But he is also one of those players who leads by example by the way he plays on field…he is capable of special things.”
The 27-year-old dual-premiership player is now threatening to be the player who closes the gap between the Dockers and that first premiership cup. It is not out of the question that he spends the next three seasons becoming one of the game’s top-five players. His best is that good.
But last year Bolton’s best was not on display. Fanfare surrounded his return to Perth, but a few niggling injuries hampered his first pre-season back in his home state. He subsequently began his career at the Dockers in an unfamiliar high-forward role after playing deep, or in the midfield, at the Tigers.
He did not feel as though his preparation was necessarily conducive to his best footy, either. And his coach, Justin Longmuir, had not yet realised how to get the best out of him.
Bolton didn’t gain any momentum during the season and finished the season outside the top 10 in the club’s best and fairest.
Much of that changed leading into 2026 as Longmuir and Bolton, who one source described as “a pair of football nerds”, discussed how to best harness his talents and adopted a plan that gave the dual-premiership Tiger the freedom to play his way.
A new high-performance director, Dr Adam Read, was appointed, Bolton’s confidence in his fitness growing as they worked together. The program kept Bolton nimble, his fast feet and cat-like balance exposing Geelong’s Bailey Smith early in the semi-final.
Bolton took on not only the No.10 of “Sonny” Walters, but the responsibility and status Walters carried in the locker room after his brilliant 239-match career at Fremantle ended. Small forward Isaiah Dudley has been one beneficiary of his advice, which arrives sparingly but with real impact.
“He doesn’t take everything overly serious and that is important, especially when you are trying to build connection with the young boys. [They are] able to feel comfortable around him. He is able to be serious but he knows how to switch it off at times and focus on his family life and be a normal human and enjoy the off-field stuff as well,” Walters said.
After Hayden Young suffered an injury in round one, Bolton was sent into the centre square. His pace around the ground and explosion from stoppage sparked the Dockers’ more aggressive ball movement, and it also allowed them to exploit the stand rule better.
Bolton began to flourish. Around the footy is where he believes he plays his best football, and he is showing that faith is justified. His opening two minutes against the Cats showed why he has the capacity to be the most damaging midfielder in the game.
“He wants to be the game’s best player,” said a source, who preferred to remain anonymous as they weren’t authorised to speak publicly.
In 2026, playing as a midfielder, Bolton has kicked 23 goals and 13 behinds. He generates shots at goal as regularly as a chicken lays eggs. Over the previous four seasons he has averaged 65 scoring shots a season.
Sometimes he appears to lack care as to which side of the post the ball goes but those who know him best say that is a misread.
Bolton is a born competitor who feels most comfortable on the football field or with his family: partner Hasina and their two children.
Family was the reason he departed the Tigers at the end of 2024 to return to Western Australia. Richmond reluctantly but with full respect sorted out a trade with the Dockers despite him having four years left on a contract.
He was 17 when the Tigers recruited him with pick 29 in the 2016 national draft. They watched him develop into a star who played in the 2019 and 2020 premierships.
His mum, Kylie, lent her boy great support as he adjusted to life on the other side of the country. He was a featherweight and didn’t initially understand what it would take to make it.
But he earned the respect of all at Richmond for the drive, toughness and competitiveness that underpinned his talent.
Bolton won mark of the year in 2021, was All-Australian the next season and third in the Tigers’ best and fairest in 2023.
Off the field he exuded cool, but it was natural. Those who know the softly spoken father say he has a calm confidence. When he gets to know and trust someone, he’s cheeky, too.
But the element of Bolton’s game that often goes unstated is critical to the Dockers’ push towards their maiden flag.
Bolton is a tackle breaker.
While Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and Hayden Young are the midfielders most associated with the grunt and grind needed to prevail in tight finals, Dockers insiders say Bolton’s ability to keep his feet and extract himself from an opponent’s grasp is the best in the team.
With the Dockers chasing a pre-game objective to take the tackler on, Bolton’s Houdini-like efforts against Geelong were inspirational, restoring the faith that had been tested eight days earlier.
“He keeps moving. He stays balanced and if you tackle him, he makes you work for every inch. He is able to use his illusiveness and his agility to push off opponents and wriggle out of tackles by moving a certain way. That is what he is known for as well as the jumping on heads and kicking incredible goals,” Walters said. “To tackle him … he makes you earn it.”
Fremantle forced the Cats to concede a record 10 broken tackles in the first half of the semi-final.
If they can do the same against the Swans, who stuck their tackles against the Lions, Bolton (whose dad Darren played two games for the Dockers in 1999) will wear No.10 on to the MCG on grand final day.
Bolton is not perfect, of course. He has not been on the positive side of the free kick ledger at the end of his 10 seasons once. His career tally of 119 frees for and 227 against tells a story. He can disappear in patches of games – as he and many of his mates did in the qualifying final – but it is a rarer occurrence this season than last, when he played in the graveyard role of high half-forward.
Now Bolton is the explosive centre bounce star the Dockers needed as they chase that elusive first flag, the midfielder who is reliably remarkable. Walters said it has given his children a great thrill to see the No.10 Dockers’ jumper still flying around.
“There is no other player I would have wanted to wear No.10,” Walters said.
