Fremantle has held off a gallant Collingwood in a seven-point heart-stopper at Domain Stadium to maintain a buffer at the top of the AFL ladder.
The Magpies lost no admirers and confirmed their legitimacy as a finals contender with a quality performance in a high-pressure game played in slippery conditions on Thursday night.
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Scores were level at three-quarter time but the Dockers took control in the middle and kicked three goals to two in the final term to win their 11th match of the season, 12.8 (80) to 11.7 (73), in front of 37,145 fans.
The conditions made it tough for clean ball handling, but Freo’s spread of contributors gave it the ascendancy.
Nat Fyfe was phenomenal again with 32 disposals and two goals, Michael Walters kicked four vital goals and Lachie Neale gathered 32 touches and kicked a goal, while Stephen Hill had 24 possessions and two goals. Garrick Ibbotson took nine marks in defence, many of them crucial intercepts, and Aaron Sandilands had 50 hit-outs, 16 of them in the last quarter.
For the Magpies, Scott Pendlebury was superb, gathering 25 disposals and kicking a goal despite spending an unusual amount of time on the bench. Travis Varcoe was outstanding in his 150th game while Alex Fasolo and Jamie Elliott kicked two goals apiece.
Collingwood started brightly in the opening term, using elements of Richmond's blueprint from round 10 to control the tempo before dominating the clearances through Pendlebury and Swan. Pendlebury had 11 disposals for the quarter and kicked a goal.
The Dockers conceded a 15-point lead at one stage before arresting control around the middle. Neale gathered 12 touches and had four clearances and the Dockers cut the margin to two points at quarter-time. But all three Fremantle goals came through front-and-square snaps after long balls to a congested forward 50.
The Magpies reclaimed the momentum at the start of the second despite Pendlebury spending the first eight minutes on the bench.
But it remained an arm wrestle with the sides kicking four goals each for the term. The slippery conditions and intense pressure forced skill errors on both sides.
It also showcased some brilliant crumbing goals at both ends from Fasolo and Walters while Fyfe pushed forward on Swan to take a huge contested mark and kick his second goal.
The third term was even tighter as the pressure lifted another cog. Scores were level at three-quarter time as was the kicking efficiency of both clubs, which had dropped to 64 per cent apiece.
The Dockers midfield took control early in the last. Both sides received free kicks in front of goal but while Walters slotted his for his fourth, Jesse White missed his chance at the other end to see the Magpies fall just short.
FREMANTLE 3.2 7.4 9.6 12.8 (80)
COLLINGWOOD 3.4 7.6 9.6 11.7 (73)
GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 4, Fyfe 2, Hill 2, Ballantyne, Barlow, C Pearce, Neale
Collingwood: Elliott 2, Fasolo 2, Broomhead, Pendlebury, Adams, de Goey, Crisp, Blair, Seedsman
BEST
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Hill, Ibbotson, Sandilands, Walters, Mundy
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Varcoe, Swan, Sidebottom, Brown, Adams, Cloke
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Collingwood: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Nick Suban replaced Hayden Crozier in the third quarter.
Collingwood: Paul Seedsman replaced Adam Oxley at three-quarter time.
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dalgleish, Stevic, McInerney
Crowd: 37,145 at Domain Stadium
