FREMANTLE has survived an almighty scare to remain undefeated on top of the NAB AFLW ladder after a narrow six-point win over the Western Bulldogs at VU Whitten Oval on Tuesday night.

The Dogs fought hard all night, but were ultimately felled 2.7 (19) to 3.7 (25) in a tough, tight contest that was broken open by a spectacular game-winning goal from Ebony Antonio.

Bulldogs supporters shared their appreciation as they came off the ground with a rousing chorus of applause, knowing the difficult month their side has experienced.

Amy Franklin had a handy debut, kicking two goals in quick succession in the second quarter to get the Dockers on the board, ending the game with two marks and five possessions – all contested.

The Dogs went to work on how Fremantle wanted to work the ball in attack. Celine Moody dropped back behind the ball and limited the aerial game of the Dockers' tall forwards. This, combined with elite ground-level pressure, forced Fremantle wide when it did take shots on goal.

The Dogs also looked very dangerous around forward stoppages, peppering the goals but ultimately not able to convert enough shots to cause the upset.

BULLDOGS v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats

With a strong wind, the ball spent much of its time at the Barkly Street end of the ground, but all three of the Dockers' goals came against the grain at the opposite end.

Kiara Bowers starred for Fremantle with 20 disposals and 12 tackles, while Kirsty Lamb shook off a knock that saw her leave the ground to end the game with 15 disposals and eight clearances.

Pressure gauge
Fremantle won its last match by applying immense pressure to the Pies and from that, dominated territory. The Western Bulldogs were prepared for this and played tight on their direct opponents, not allowing space or time for the Dockers when they won the ball. The tackle count might have fallen 74-44 Fremantle's way, but the Dogs used speed to close off the outside options the Dockers usually find with ease.

Antonio's matchwinner
It's not the first time Ebony Antonio has kicked a crucial goal at VU Whitten Oval against the Dogs. Late in the game when there was just one point in it, Antonio found herself one-out inside 50 for one of the Dockers' cleanest entries of the night, but dropped the mark due to some close checking from Sarah Hartwig. Once the ball hit the deck, Antonio's experience came to the fore. Hartwig lost her feet, Antonio didn't, and she would go on to kick the matchwinner from 40, curling the ball beautifully.

Quick hands
After a 20-day layoff, the Dogs were understandably rusty against the Giants. Against Fremantle, there was no sign of those fumbles as the home side used quick hands and clever one-percenters to keep the ball moving when in possession.

What's next?
The Bulldogs will stay at home and prepare for another short turnaround to face Richmond at VU Whitten Oval on Sunday, while Fremantle will travel to Tasmania to face North Melbourne.

WESTERN BULLDOGS     0.1     2.4     2.4     2.7     (19)
FREMANTLE                     0.3     2.4     2.7     3.7     (25)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Toogood, Lamb
Fremantle: Franklin 2, Antonio

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Lamb, Blackburn, Moody, Bennetts, Brown
Fremantle: E.Antonio, Miller, O'Driscoll, O'Sullivan, Verrier

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: Lagioia (concussion)
Fremantle: Sergeant (head knock)

LATE CHANGES 
Western Bulldogs: Bailey Hunt replaced in selected side by Annabel Strahan (soreness)
Fremantle: Nil

Reports: Nil

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