It's been a long journey for the WA team since its inaugural season in 1995, with only one grand final berth in 2013 which it lost to Hawthorn.
The Dockers finally have the chance to win a maiden flag when they face Brisbane in the premiership decider at the MCG on Saturday.
"It's a bit of a cliché to say you bleed purple, but that's how it feels sometimes," TV funnyman Rove McManus told AAP.
"I've always loved this club through highs and lows, and I think that's what being a Dockers fan is all about.
"We've never been the most successful, and there are teams that have come in well after us who have walked away with premierships while we're still waiting for our first."
The broadcaster and comedian is a former No.1 ticketholder for the club which he has supported since its inception.
"The stress of just wishing and hoping for that one premiership win," he said.
"We have been here before in 2013, which did not go our way, and that was absolutely heartbreaking."
McManus will watch his beloved team at the MCG with his mother Coralie.
The Lions will be hunting for their sixth flag and second three-peat premiership after lifting the cup in 2024 and 2025.
"If we could make it happen this time, that would be great because I don't know that either of us has the strength to think about how long it could be before we're back there," McManus said.
Jan Emmett, 79, echoed the sentiment while watching the Dockers' open training session on Wednesday, where 3000 excited fans turned up to cheer on their heroes.
"The last thing on my bucket list is winning this grand final," she said.
"I have a t-shirt that says 'Just once before I die' with a Docker holding a question mark.
"My dream would be fulfilled. 32 years is a very, very long time.
"For all those years we've constantly been told what losers we are. We haven't won a cup; it's been a bit tough."
Ms Emmett, who dyed her hair purple after the Dockers stormed home against Sydney to seal their place in the grand final, will watch the game in the stands at the MCG.
She's flying via Sydney to avoid the skyrocketing airfares for direct flights from Perth to Melbourne.
Junea Taylor, 17, put her name in the ballot for an MCG ticket but wasn't successful.
The high school student was only four years old the last time the Dockers played in a grand final.
"It would mean just so much. I've grown up as a fan my whole life, so seeing them win the flag, there will be tears," she said.
"This year is our year, and I reckon winning this year will give us the respect that Fremantle well and truly deserve."
She's heading to Fremantle, where tens of thousands of Dockers supporters are expected to watch the match in pubs and big screens in public areas.
The port city has become a sea of purple in recent weeks, with thousands of anchors adorning walls and lampposts.
There were jubilant scenes after Fremantle's gripping preliminary final win with fans flooding the city's cappuccino strip and some climbing onto the roofs of businesses.
Shop fronts proudly display "Go Dockers" and "Wharfie Time" posters, and restaurants are selling purple hamburgers and sausages.
WA Deputy Premier and Treasurer Rita Saffioti and her family will be among the thousands of supporters heading east for the grand final.
"It would mean everything, to be honest," she said of an elusive Fremantle flag.
"Probably it would be one of the best experiences of my entire life.
"We've been through so many lows, and we haven't had the respect that we probably deserved."
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