FREMANTLE showed its fast side, its tough side, and an ability to score heavily when it had momentum in a 48-point win against Melbourne at Optus Stadium that signalled its intention to run and stun in 2026. 

Against a Demons team that unveiled its own attacking style in round one, the Dockers produced a high-octane performance under lights that left their opponents scrambling, opening their account with a 17.16 (118) to 10.10 (70) win.   

DOCKERS v DEMONS Full match coverage and stats

They floored Steven King's team with a seven-goal opening quarter and then broke the game wide open in a devastating seven-goal third term as their fleet of runners and small forwards took over the game. 

Challenged this season to capitalise on momentum, they did maximum damage in their two main bursts and never left the door ajar for Melbourne, albeit conceding four goals in the final term when the sting was out of the game.  

Josh Treacy was outstanding in attack, booting a game-high four goals, while star midfielder Andrew Brayshaw bounced back from a disappointing season-opener to play a pivotal role with 39 disposals and 10 score involvements.  

Half-forward Shai Bolton stepped up in the absence of Hayden Young to do a power of damage in the midfield with 32 disposals, 10 inside 50s and two goals, with small forward Isaiah Dudley kicking three goals in the third quarter.  

Captain Alex Pearce was supreme in the air and took the chance to be managed in the final term when the game was decided, with Luke Ryan taking his chance in defence after replacing Brandon Walker in the team late. 

The Dockers were fast starters against Geelong in round one and they repeated the dose on Saturday, bursting from the blocks and building a 42-point lead in the first quarter as Brayshaw, Matt Johnson and Bolton all converted long-range chances. 

Freo was tougher in the contest and far cleaner with the ball, running in waves and handballing through the Demons in a dominant quarter that saw them go inside 50 a massive 25 times to seven. 

Pat Voss ruffled feathers off the ball and got in the face of Koltyn Tholstrup, whose tagging job kept Caleb Serong to just four disposals in the first quarter. But the Demons' focus on one Freo vice-captain meant the other got off the chain, with Brayshaw racking up 14 disposals in a massive term. 

The Demons needed to respond and did, going on a four-goal run to open the second quarter and cutting the margin to just 20 points after Kysaiah Pickett crumbed and snapped a terrific goal. 

Fremantle had lost its damaging handball game as Melbourne evened up possession and took control in the air, but Sam Switkowski pounced on a Harrison Petty turnover to strike back before Treacy kicked his third to set the margin at 31 at the main break. 

The Dockers' dangerous half-forwards took over in the third quarter, with Murphy Reid, Dudley and Bolton all capitalising as the team's running game returned. Bolton launched again on the run from 50m, while Dudley did his damage from closer range with a pair of late snaps to extend the margin to 67 points at the final change. 

The Demons fought the game out to the end and were best served by captain Max Gawn (23 disposals and 11 marks) and defender Christian Salem (26 and eight rebounds), while recruit Jack Steele battled at the coalface with a team high 31 disposals and nine clearances. 

They will sweat on the fitness of key defender Daniel Turner, who suffered an early hand injury and was forced out of the game with swelling, putting pressure on defensive pair Blake Howes and Changkuoth Jiath. 

Electric Dockers overshadow star Dees 
Indigenous stars Shai Bolton and Kysaiah Pickett, and their respective understudies Isaiah Dudley and Latrelle Pickett, spent a long time in the middle of Optus Stadium pre-game chatting and kicking amongst themselves. They all shaped as key players in the anticipated clash, but it was Freo's pairing that stood tallest. Bolton did his damage in the midfield as an onball replacement for Hayden Young before pushing forward, while Dudley did maximum damage with three goals in the third quarter. Kysaiah Pickett's second-quarter goal was a thing of beauty, crumbing cleanly and then stepping through traffic to snap, but his cousin Latrelle had a quiet night after an exciting debut, going goalless. 

Serong tag orchestrates Brayshaw bounceback 
Held to 14 disposals against Geelong last week, Andrew Brayshaw matched that in the opening quarter alone on Saturday before charging home to finish with 39 – his most since round 23, 2024. The courageous midfielder has learned to work in with Caleb Serong to adjust when his fellow vice-captain is being tagged, and the Dockers lost nothing as a result when Serong was clamped by young Demon Koltyn Tholstrup and held to six first-half disposals and 16 overall. The Dockers won the clearances (34-29) but did most of their damage on turnover, with Brayshaw influential in transition with a massive 23 handball receives and 32 uncontested possessions. 

Theatrical Pony walks the line 
It's hard to keep your eyes off Patrick Voss when he's in the type of mood he was in on Saturday night, standing up for teammates, getting physical with opponents and even lifting them over his shoulder as he did with Ed Langdon in the final quarter as he walked the wingman over the boundary line in the pocket. Voss zeroed in on Koltyn Tholstrup during the first half as the young Demon went about his work on Serong, and celebrated his own goal and those of teammates with great passion. He walks a fine line though and got in the face of Melbourne defender Harrison Petty at quarter-time and taunted the Demon before players broke away.

FREMANTLE                      7.7   9.11   16.13   17.16 (118)
MELBOURNE                    1.1   5.4   6.6   10.10 (70) 

GOALS 
Fremantle: Treacy 4, Dudley 3, Bolton 2, Reid 2, Brayshaw, Jackson, Johnson, Serong, Switkowski, Voss  
Melbourne: Sharp 3, Chandler 2, Fritsch 2, Langdon 2, Mihocek, K Pickett, Sparrow 

BEST
Fremantle: Bolton, Treacy, Brayshaw, Dudley, Pearce, Ryan,  
Melbourne: Gawn, Salem, Tholstrup, Langdon, Steele 

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil 
Melbourne: Turner (hand)  

LATE CHANGES 
Fremantle: Brandon Walker (soreness) replaced in the selected side by Luke Ryan  
Melbourne: Nil 

Crowd: 44,736 at Optus Stadium