AFTER the ‘annus horribilis’ that was Fremantle’s 2016 season, a revived Dockers outfit is now one of the most-backed teams to win the flag this year.

Ross Lyon’s side has attracted the third-highest spend in premiership market betting with bookmaker TAB, behind only premiership favourites GWS and the Western Bulldogs.

As a result, the Dockers’ price to lift the cup in September has been smashed from $51 to $15 in little more than three months.

A productive trade period that netted Bradley Hill, Joel Hamling, Cam McCarthy and Shane Kersten appears to have given punters plenty of belief Fremantle can surge back into premiership contention after a horror four-win season last year.

The impending returns of star duo Nat Fyfe and Harley Bennell to the playing arena have also fuelled confidence of a purple revival.

One brave punter threw down a cool $20,000 on a Fremantle flag win last October at the juicy $51 odds, with a collect of more than $1 million beckoning should the prediction come true.

West Coast remains slightly ahead of its cross-town rival in the premiership market at $11, having bolstered its midfield with the acquisition of Brownlow Medallist Sam Mitchell.

“Fremantle are our third best backed team behind GWS and the Western Bulldogs, while there has also been support for West Coast ($11) and Hawthorn ($9.00),” TAB spokesman Nick Quinn said.

TAB premiership market:

$5 GWS (out from $4.50 in October)

$6 Western Bulldogs (in from $8.00)

$7.50 Sydney (out from $6.00)

$9 Hawthorn (out from $8.00)

$11 Adelaide (out from $7.00)

$11 Geelong (out from $6.50)

$11 West Coast (in from $15)

$15 Fremantle (in from $51)

$21 Collingwood (in from $26)

$26 St Kilda (in from $34)

$26 Essendon (in from $34)

$26 Melbourne (in from $34)

$34 Port Adelaide (out from $26)

$51 North Melbourne (out from $34)

$67 Richmond (out from $51)

$101 Carlton (out from $51)

$101 Gold Coast (out from $51)

$251 Brisbane