FREMANTLE has survived a gritty Essendon and the loss of two of its biggest stars, with big-name recruit Eden Zanker standing up to seal a 15-point win against the Bombers at Cockburn ARC Oval on Sunday.
The Dockers lost star ruck Mim Strom pre-game due to shoulder soreness, while dual All-Australian defender Emma O'Driscoll was sidelined minutes into the game with an ankle injury.
DOCKERS v BOMBERS Full match coverage and stats
The team steadied, however, to secure its first ever win at the club's Cockburn home ground, moving to 3-2 and winning 5.7 (37) to 3.4 (22) after Zanker marked late in the game and converted her set shot.
It was a physical contest and both teams paid a price, with Essendon also losing Daria Bannister during the third quarter to a quad issue, while Bess Keaney copped a head knock during the desperate final term after a heavy bump from Bella Smith that will at least be assessed by the Match Review Office.
Midfielder Kiara Bowers was the star for Fremantle, finishing with 26 disposals (17 contested), nine tackles and five clearances, and relishing the contested style of the game, with Gabby Newton (22 and six clearances) also excellent.
Experienced forwards Gabby O'Sullivan and Hayley Miller each stood up at crucial moments to provide a spark, while Holly Egan was terrific in defence with her intercepting and one-on-one work.
Essendon jet Madison Prespakis carried a massive workload for the Bombers and finished with a game-high 34 disposals and 501m gained, with ruck Steph Wales capitalising on the absence of Strom to finish with 26 hitouts.
"At times you can get bogged down in who is and who isn't playing, but for us it was who was next in, and I think the girls did a terrific job," Fremantle coach Lisa Webb said, confirming that Strom was expected to play in next week's clash against the Western Bulldogs.
"Emma going down early, no worries, next player up. Mim not getting up for this game, it's easy to be distracted by that but I never thought our players were and that's what I'm most proud of.
"At times it wasn't pretty, that's for sure. But we ground it out and got it done."
Connection in the forward half was a major issue for both teams in the opening quarter, with the combined 12 inside 50s for both teams resulting in only two behinds for Fremantle in a goalless quarter.
It was a quarter played largely between the arcs as the interceptors on both sides got to work, with Egan and Ange Stannett starring early for Freo with a combined eight intercepts, and Prespakis dominating in the midfield for the Bombers with 10 disposals.
The pressure being applied from both teams was the standout trait of the game, and it took until the five-minute mark of the second term for the first goal to be kicked as third-gamer Noa McNaughton snapped with class from a tight ankle.
Megan Kauffman benefited from a 50m penalty under the stand rule to kick a goal in her 50th game to open a 15-point lead, with the Bombers needing to sort out their ball-movement to get a foothold in the game.
Former Docker Steph Cain provided a spark with her run and dare, and Bonnie Toogood stood up to take contested mark and then convert from a tight angle, cutting the margin at half time to seven points.
The margin was back out to 15 after Bowers laid a crunching tackle to set up a goal for Miller, but Essendon showed grit to respond and produce its best period of the game.
The visitors' attack on the ball and pressure lifted, and scoring opportunities resulted, with Maggie Johnstone and Nalu Brothwell both kicking running goals to cut the margin to two points.
O'Sullivan was crucial for the Dockers after a quiet first half that netted just one disposal, racking up seven disposals (six contested) and drawing a free kick inside 50 in the final minute to kick a crucial goal.
The Bombers looked dangerous early in the fourth, particularly when chaining handballs from half-back, but they missed their opportunities that could have turned the game.
The Dockers, meanwhile, showed composure and an ability to lock the ball in their forward half, with Zanker kicking the only goal of the quarter with her strength in the contest.
Zanker's flexibility on show
While it was her marking power inside 50 and accurate set-shot kicking that sealed the game late for Fremantle, Eden Zanker provided plenty of value around the ground for the Dockers. The former Demon lifted after a quiet first half and took a game-high six marks, providing support in the ruck and then moving behind the ball at crucial times to intercept the ball. While the goals haven't flowed this year, Zanker looks to be building with a new team and took her moment late on Sunday.
Freo ramps up pressure meter to secure win
The game looked like being there for the taking in the fourth quarter if Essendon was good enough, but Fremantle's desperation played as big a role as anything in securing the win. While possession was relatively even, the Dockers laid a massive 25 tackles to the Bombers' 13 in the final term, with Bella Smith laying a big tackle to win a holding the ball free kick immediately after her crunching bump on Bess Keaney. Small forward Noa McNaughton was also critical, laying four tackles for the quarter as the Dockers put everything on the line.
Next up
Fremantle remains at home next week to take on the Western Bulldogs at Cockburn ARC Oval on Saturday, having beaten the Bulldogs by 14 points when the teams clashed at Fremantle Oval in 2024. Essendon faces Gold Coast at Windy Hill on Sunday and remains in search of its first win for the season.
FREMANTLE 0.2 2.3 4.5 5.7 (37)
ESSENDON 0.0 1.2 3.3 3.4 (22)
GOALS
Fremantle: Kauffman, McNaughton, Miller, O'Sullivan, Zanker
Essendon: Toogood, Johnstone, Brothwell
BEST
Fremantle: Bowers, Newton, Egan, Verrier, Kauffman, O'Sullivan, Healy
Essendon: Prespakis, Wales, Cain, Toogood, Gaylor
INJURIES
Fremantle: O'Driscoll (ankle)
Essendon: Bannister (quad), Keaney (head knock)
LATE CHANGES
Fremantle: Mim Strom (soreness) replaced in the selected side by Tunisha Kikoak
Essendon: Nil
Crowd: 1858 at Cockburn ARC Oval
