FORGOTTEN Fremantle forward Cam McCarthy re-emerged on Sunday, booting a career-best five goals to spearhead a stunning 82-point win over North Melbourne at Optus Stadium. 

With the Dockers under pressure off field and undermanned on it, they played with speed and flair not seen for years to win their first season opener since 2015 in a canter, 21.15 (141) to 9.5 (59). 

DOCKERS GO LARGE Full match coverage and stats

With winners all over the ground, McCarthy was the star, booting four first-half goals as the Dockers made their move and finishing with a running goal from outside 50m to announce his return. 

The 23-year-old got his chance after big-name recruit Jesse Hogan was made unavailable as he tackles a mental health issue, and he benefited from a new-look game plan that cut the Roos to pieces. 

By the final siren, the Dockers had kicked 10 second-half goals to three in a perfect start to the season, raising question marks about the Roos' potential to improve on last year's 12-win season. 

GAMEBREAKER Super Cam's big bag

It was the club's highest score since 2013, and biggest win since beating the Brisbane Lions by 83 points in 2016. 

Speedster Bradley Hill was critical in the Dockers' new run-and-gun style, finishing with 28 possessions and a goal, while Michael Walters booted three goals and was dangerous moving between the midfield and forward.  

'HE LOOKED IMMACULATE' Ross full of praise for five-goal hero

Darcy Tucker's early shutdown job on All Australian Shaun Higgins was a highlight, with the midfielder keeping his man to 10 first-half possessions when the game was alive while booting two goals himself. 

Captain Nat Fyfe had a long spell on the bench in the final term but finished with a team-high 32 possessions, 10 clearances, and eight inside 50s playing with a large guard to protect his right elbow. 

ANALYSIS Rebuild over? Now for the respect

North Melbourne lost luckless defender Ed Vickers-Willis to a suspected ACL injury in the first quarter and never recovered, with the backline under siege.  

Brad Scott's men could not break through Fremantle's defensive clamp, rushing to handball and turning the ball over repeatedly as the Dockers won the inside 50 count 68-47. 

'DYSFUNCTIONAL FORWARD LINE' A host of issues for North to fix

Debutant Bailey Scott was the only shining light for the visitors, with the father-son selection playing with poise beyond his teenage years to finish with 21 possessions and two goals in an accomplished debut. 

The young Roo upstaged his senior teammates, with Higgins beaten despite winning 26 possessions and Jack Ziebell (12 possessions and one goal) and Ben Brown (two goals) unable to have an impact in attack. 

North's day could be further soured by a potential Match Review worry for Ben Cunnington, who appeared to strike Nathan Wilson in the stomach off the ball late in the final quarter. 

MEDICAL ROOM
Fremantle: Small forward Hayden Ballantyne will have scans to determine the severity of a hamstring injury, with the Dockers escaping with no other concerns.  

North Melbourne: Luckless defender Ed Vickers-Willis suffered what the Kangaroos feared was an ACL injury late in the first quarter. He will require scans after his left knee buckled in a marking contest but the Kangaroos feared the worst. 

NEXT UP
The Dockers travel to take on a Gold Coast team that showed plenty of fight in a one-point loss to St Kilda. North Melbourne hosts the much-improved Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.       

FREMANTLE                   5.4   11.9   16.13   21.15 (141)
NORTH MELBOURNE      2.0    6.0     7.2         9.5 (59)

GOALS
Fremantle: McCarthy 5, Walters 3, Tucker 2, Schultz 2, Lobb 2, Ryan, Fyfe, Hill, Mundy, Ballantyne, Colyer, Taberner
North Melbourne: Brown 2, Scott 2, Davies-Uniacke, Goldstein, Turner, Ziebell, Higgins

BEST 
Fremantle: McCarthy, Fyfe, Tucker, Hill, Walters, Pearce
North Melbourne: Macmillan, Scott, Goldstein, Cunnington, Polec

INJURIES 
Fremantle: Ballantyne (hamstring), Conca (finger)
North Melbourne: Vickers-Willis (knee)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Power, Mollison 

Official crowd: 40,033 at Optus Stadium