Caleb Serong will stand alone atop the legendary list of Glendinning-Allan medallists if he claims the award for a fifth time — and the Docker who was adjudged the winner in Fremantle’s first win over their cross-town rivals is backing him to do so.

Serong owns four medals given the best player in the western derby, figuring alongside Paul Hasleby as the players to have received the honour more than any other.

If he is again adjudged the winner of the award against the Eagles on Sunday — as he was in the 53rd, 56th, 59th and 60th editions of the contest — he will take sole ownership of the record.

Adrian Fletcher was not the very first Fremantle player to be awarded the medal, which only began after 12 derbies had already been played in 2001.

But in 2018, he was retrospectively bestowed the honour for leading his side to their history-making victory over their cross-town rivals in 1999’s second derby, meaning he figures as the first Docker on the list of winners.

Fletcher told The West Australian he had no doubt Serong would not have to wait long to have the award’s record all to his own.

“He likes the big games. He loves them,” Fletcher said.

“He’s a big-game player, he’s consistent, you know what you’re going to get from him. It doesn’t matter where the game is — even if it’s in somebody’s backyard, he’s still going to play well.

“He’s becoming an outside midfielder as well, he’s improving that part of that game. He’s the full package.

“He does it every time, consistently. He doesn’t get flustered. What happens on a derby week, everyone talks about it at coffee shops, there’s the promotion of it all week . . . it motivates him.

“He’s a tremendous player and a great leader for the club.

“I’m sure he’ll play well. I know he will.”

Drafted out of country Victoria by Fremantle in 2019, Serong has remained totally committed to the Dockers throughout the duration of his career.

Earlier this year, he penned a contract extension which will keep him in purple through to the end of the 2034 season, making him the league’s longest-signed player alongside Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett.

Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Hayden Young and Josh Treacy are all tied to the Dockers for the rest of the decade, with Fletcher saying the display of commitment from the club’s core group was heartening to see for a former representative of the club.

“That’s telling you something, that’s telling you the culture’s good,” he said.

“JL’s doing a great job and there’s good people around him. He’s got a great foundation to build on for this year.”

“They’ve done well. You’ve got to commend the way they’ve built their list, they’ve got some really elite players in the competition — especially in their midfield group — and you add in the forward line and the stability behind the ball, it’s tremendous. You have to give them big ticks for that.”

Hayden Young claimed the Glendinning-Allan medal in the most recent derby last year, but Serong has largely held a monopoly over the award as Fremantle have won nine of the last 10 clashes with their cross-town rivals.

The other Dockers to have been handed the award throughout their dominant run are two-time winner Lachie Schultz, who was traded to Collingwood in 2023, and Sean Darcy, who will be sidelined for the game after suffering a concussion last week.