Paul Medhurst kicked nine for his best haul ever, after just 13 in the eight games so far this season, while Paul Hasleby, fresh from signing a new deal that takes him through to the end of the 2007 season, gathered 31 possessions, including 11 in a blistering first term.
But the Lions, already missing a swag of players including suspended pair Jonathan Brown and Jamie Charman, were further rocked during the game by injuries to Clark Keating (yet another shoulder) and full-back Mal Michael.
Medhurst’s haul was the second best return by a Docker since Tony Modra kicked 10 against Melbourne in round 10 1999.
Jeff Farmer, also the target of criticism in the last few weeks, kicked three goals and got it 18 times.
For the Dockers, it was a case of steadily building as they inexorably drew away from the Lions increasing their lead at every break, but really opening it up in the third when they kicked five goals to one.
Matthew Pavlich fought a tough duel with Brad Scott, and skipper Peter Bell and Shaun Hart both ran themselves into the ground.
The win takes the port team to six wins and three losses for the season, equal with the Lions who are chasing their fourth straight premiership.
For the Lions, Luke Power once again demonstrated what a quality player he is with 29 disposals and Jason Akermanis was damaging with 31 touches.
Brad Scott did well on Pavlich, while Martin Pike was good with three goals.
The Lions’ shocking luck with injuries at Subiaco continued when they lost ruckman Clark Keating in the first term with a shoulder injury which forced Daniel Bradshaw to forsake the goal-square and ruck for most of the match, and Mal Michael to a thigh injury.
The Lions took the ball forward first, but only got a point and Medhurst made them pay with a free at the other end within a minute.
Power was the recipient of a great handball from Hart and he goaled from 45 metres, but Fremantle then put on three in a row to jump out to a 20 point break, but then rookie Daniel Pratt kicked a goal with his second kick in league football, and at the first break Fremantle led by 14 points.
Two goals to the Dockers inside three minutes got them out to a 48 to 22 lead, but Brisbane replied with a couple of its own, the second a magnificent shot from Johnson, who slotted it from about 40 metres out in the right pocket off his right boot, landing it on the goal line and bouncing it through.
Three more to each side saw the Lions hanging in there with just a 15-point deficit at half-time.
Fremantle completely dominated the third term, kicking five straight before Pike kicked one on the siren for the Lions’ first, and the Dockers led by 43 points at the last break.
Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews refused to use injuries as an excuse, saying the Dockers were just too good.
“If you get beaten in the forward line, midfield and defence you lose,” he said. “We had players there, but they played better than us in all the areas of the ground that matter.
He added that Brisbane’s ruck woes were exposed by the Dockers.
“That is stating the obvious,” he said. “We were badly beaten in the hit-outs and the clearances and our stocks of recognised ruckmen are a bit depleted at this point.”
Next weekend, the Lions head home for an ‘away’ game against Melbourne at the Gabba, while Fremantle travel to Telstra Dome to take on the Bombers.
Fremantle: 5.6 10.8 15.14 20.17 (137)
Brisbane: 3.4 8.5 9.7 11.12 (78)
Goals: Fremantle: Medhurst 9, Farmer 3, Waterhouse, Bell 2, Longmuir, Hasleby, Polak, Pavlich
Brisbane: Power, Pike 3, Pratt, Adcock, Akermanis, Johnson, Voss
Best: Fremantle: Medhurst, Hasleby, Bell, Pavlich, Farmer
Brisbane: Akermanis, Power, Hart, Pike, B Scott
Injuries: Fremantle:
Brisbane: Keating (shoulder), Michael (thigh)
Changes: Fremantle: Waterhouse in for Sandilands
Brisbane: Pratt in for McRae
Reports:
Umpires: Rosebury, Allen, Margetts
Crowd: 32,575 at Subiaco Oval
