It won’t fly off the shelves as a highlights package, but Fremantle banked four priceless points after a taxing, error-riddled 35-point win over a dogged Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Good Friday.
The Dockers dominated large periods of a high-pressure game but could not put their opponent away until a four-goal final quarter after they had to turned at the last change 10 points ahead.
But it was a blue-collar win in front of a massive crowd of 51,037 with plenty of takeaways for coach Justin Longmuir.
The clock started slowly again for Fremantle, but veteran forward Michael Walters wound it back in a vintage display of forward craft. He kicked 2.4.
The Dockers were led for the third week in succession by a strong defensive display from captain Alex Pearce, who held Adelaide spearhead Taylor Walker goalless.
Walker kicked nine goals the last time he appeared at Optus – when they mugged the Eagles in round 24 last year – but he was blanketed by the athletic tall Docker, who also gave his team some dash and dare from the back half.
Jordan Clark and Luke Ryan were other mainstays in the back half, while second-gamer Josh Draper produced a composed performance and looks comfortable in the AFL environment.
Jeremy Sharp was another green shoot for Fremantle in his just third game for the club as he worked hard up and down his wing.
The Dockers’ curse of slow starts continued, but unlike the opening two rounds, they weren’t hurt on the scoreboard.
The Crows owned the ball in the first 20 minutes, but couldn’t make it count, turning into the second stanza with an errant 2.5.
Jordan Dawson was the most productive of their mids, who got to work on Fremantle ball magnet Caleb Serong, restricting him to three opening quarter possessions, with Rory Laird his minder.
The Dockers’ best looks for the first quarter were transition plays, resulting in two set shots for Walters, for a return of one goal and another touched on the line, before Matt Taberner dragged the margin back to within a kick right on the quarter-time siren, the goal sparking a melee.
Serong, so dominant in Fremantle’s opponent fortnight, was shifted out to the wing in a bid to trigger a shift and it worked as he started to get his hands on the ball.
The momentum swung in Freo’s favour but they did not get the reward in a quarter dominated by turnover and errors inside 50.
Walters was their most productive forward but wobbled three straight behinds though before he finally converted, the result of a team lifting chase down tackle by Matt Johnson on Josh Rachele.
Walters’ half-time tally of 15 disposals, six score involvements and 337 metres gained was above his average across four quarters for last season. His 2.4 at the long interval could easily have been five.
Like the Crows in the first term, the Dockers owned territory in the second, but couldn’t break the game open.
The Dockers’ willingness to work for each other in attack was evident with 13 forward-half intercepts to one and 60-18 possessions in attack for the term, fuelled by 16-6 inside-50s.
The errors continued to flow in the third term, Docker Brandon Walker setting the standard early in the term with a clanger in defensive 50. He was fortunate Adelaide forward Chris Burgess could not convert from close range.
Both teams were guilty of wasting opportunities in attack in a third quarter of profligacy on the back of 40 per cent kicking efficiency, combining for 12 shots at goal for a scoreboard return of 2.8.
The final term offered much of the same, and it wasn’t until Bailey Banfield goaled on the run after eight minutes of end-to-end action that the Dockers looked like they had done enough.
FREMANTLE 2.2 4.7 5.12 9.15 (69)
ADELAIDE 2.5 3.5 4.8 4.10 (34)
Goals – FREMANTLE: M Walters 2 J Amiss 2 M Taberner 2 B Banfield J Treacy M Frederick.
ADELAIDE: B Keays N McHenry C Burgess L Sholl.
Best – FREMANTLE: A Pearce, H Young, M Walters, J Clark, L Ryan, C Serong.
ADELAIDE: J Dawson, R Laird, B Smith, M Keane, M Crouch, B Keays.
Injuries: FREMANTLE: None. ADELAIDE: W Milera (knee) L Murphy (knee).
Reports: None.
Umpires: L Haussen C Deboy C Dore P Rebeschini.
Crowd: 51,037 at Optus Stadium.