YOUNG star Murphy Reid has proved he is ready to take his game to a new level in the midfield, spearheading Fremantle's 16-point win against Adelaide at Rushton Park in a polished performance that turbo-charged the Dockers' engine room on Saturday. 

While Reid sent a warning to the competition with an equal game-high 30 disposals, key forward Josh Treacy made a statement of his own with five goals in a powerful performance that saw the Dockers come from behind in the fourth quarter to win 12.12 (84) to 9.14 (68). 

DOCKERS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

The Crows will take plenty out of the performance after building a 12-point lead in the final term, but Fremantle's deep and dangerous midfield was the story of the game as the club heads into 2026 season as a contender. 

Luke Jackson split his time between the ruck, midfield and forward line, proving impossible to stop in a game that he threatened to take over at different stages with his aerial strength. 

The form of recruit Mason Cox in the ruck, which allowed Jackson to roam in various roles, will also give the Dockers plenty to ponder ahead of their season-opener against Geelong after Sean Darcy returned successfully from a calf injury with managed minutes in a WAFL practice game. 

"He had real impact when he came on and I thought he was more physical around contests," Longmuir said of Cox's performance. 

"He really looked to own the opposition ruck and I thought his second efforts were strong. So, yeah, I was happy with the way it went." 

On Reid, who was best-afield in the Dockers' final intraclub match, and impressive against West Coast last week, Longmuir said: "He's been great. He's evolved his game and we're using him slightly different, but he's having an impact wherever we use him."

Jackson was immediately into the action after starting in the ruck, snapping the opening goal out of a forward 50 stoppage as the Fremantle midfielders made a slick start. 

Reid showed his new running power by starting a chain at half-back and then delivering the ball inside 50 after a chain of possessions, while Treacy demanded the ball inside 50 for a pair of early goals. 

The Crows were kicking with a strong wind, however, highlighted by a 65m goal from draftee Mitchell Marsh as the visitors entered the first break with a nine-point lead following goals from key pair Jordan Dawson and Darcy Fogarty. 

It was the Dockers' turn to utilise the breeze in the second quarter and Jordan Clark launched a kick-in past the centre circle, with Hayden Young then delivering inside 50 to Jye Amiss for a rapid coast-to-coast goal. 

Jackson spent the early exchanges as a midfielder in the second term and was only contained by some dropped marks and a missed shot, letting Adelaide off the hook. 

The Freo midfield was well on top, however, winning the clearances 11-3 for the quarter as Young and Caleb Serong dominated, sparking a three-goal run and sending the team into half-time with an 11-point lead.  

The third quarter started as an armwrestle before the Crows got on top and started winning the critical contests, going on a four-goal run as Josh Rachele lifted his output in the midfield and kicked a 50m goal. 

Brayden Cook extended the Crows' lead to 12 points early in the fourth quarter, but Fremantle rallied on the back of its captain for the day, Treacy, kicking five unanswered goals with the breeze to put the final touches on a strong pre-season. 

New faces 
The Dockers would be thrilled with the way draftee Tobyn Murray has stepped in as a half-forward, covering the role of injured Sam Switkopwski and putting himself in contention for round one. The mature-age recruit from Geelong was tough in contests, ran tirelessly and applied excellent pressure. Recruit Judd McVee played across half-back and had some flashes where he was able to set up play with his kicking, but he is still finding his way in the Freo system. For the Crows, Charlie Edwards is pushing hard to make his debut and was impressive as an inside midfielder, finishing with 17 disposals and five clearances. Draftee Mitchell Marsh was quiet but launched a long goal.  

Round one chance 
Mason Cox has charged into contention for the Dockers' season-opener against Geelong after an impressive performance in the ruck. With Sean Darcy on managed minutes in a WAFL practice match, Cox took his chance and finished with 30 hitouts and four clearances against Adelaide big man Lachie McAndrew. The former Magpie was effective with his taps and set up a fourth-quarter goal for Shai Bolton with a perfect tap over his head to the running forward. His form through the game allowed Luke Jackson to roam as a midfielder and forward for long periods. 

Medical room 
Both teams were hit with late withdrawals, with Adelaide star Riley Thilthorpe missing due to back soreness and Fremantle defender Karl Worner benched pre-game after experiencing knee soreness. Adelaide said post-match that Thilthorpe had planned to play but woke up sore and would be fine for round one. Jye Amiss sent a scare through the Freo camp when he limped off during the opening quarter with a left ankle concern. He was able to return, however, and was impactful. Watching on from the stands were captain Alex Pearce (calf awareness), Brennan Cox (calf) and Luke Ryan, with the Dockers' backline set to be bolstered for round one.   

Fantasy watch
Rucks have been a hot topic in the AFL due to the off-season rule changes. In AFL Fantasy, it has dominated discussion and two key options went head-to-head today. Luke Jackson (RUC, $995,000) has been a popular option because the changes favour his game style. He played through the ruck, but even when Mason Cox contested the ruck, the Dockers used Jackson as a midfielder. The flag is that Sean Darcy remains out of the side, but his score of 91 was built while he played a variety of roles. Lachlan McAndrew (RUC, $286,000) appears ahead of long-time Crows ruck Reilly O'Brien. McAndrew scored 81 from just 69 per cent time on ground and many coaches are considering him for their starting 22 to free up cash to spend elsewhere. Scoring 104 points, Murphy Reid (FWD, $581,000) gathered 30 disposals thanks to some extra time in Fremantle's engine room. For the Crows, Josh Rachele (FWD, $655,000) was the most used midfielder at centre ball-ups. This translated to him hitting all the stat lines with 18 disposals, five marks, six tackles a goal and 95 Fantasy points. - Warnie from The Traders

FREMANTLE                      3.1   6.7   7.10   12.12 (84)
ADELAIDE                            4.4   4.8   8.10   9.14 (68)  

GOALS 
Fremantle: Treacy 5, Amiss, Bolton, Clark, Frederick, Jackson, Murray, Voss 
Adelaide: Pedlar 3, Cook, Dawson, Fogarty, Keays, Marsh, Rachele

BEST
Fremantle: Reid, Treacy, Jackson, Young, Serong, Clark, Cox   
Adelaide: Pedlar, Rachele, Milera, Dawson, Laird, Worrell  

INJURIES 
Fremantle: Nil 
Adelaide: Nil 

Crowd: TBC at Rushton Park