FREMANTLE put a forgettable first quarter behind it to eventually complete a comfortable victory over Melbourne at Subiaco Oval on Sunday afternoon.
The home team triumphed by 46 points in the end after the Demons kicked the first six goals of the game and looked like they were going to run away with it early.
Fremantle was off the pace in the first quarter, but the home side kicked 16 of the last 20 goals to lodge it's third win of the season and leave Melbourne stranded on the bottom of the ladder.
Captain Matthew Pavlich was brilliant for the victors with 28 possessions, nine marks and five goals. Fellow forward Luke McPharlin also finished with three goals, 17 touches and seven marks.
Byron Schammer started on the ball and played his best game of the season to finish with 27 disposals and a goal and Garrick Ibbotson continued his breakout season across half back with 17 touches and a goal.
Brock O'Brien also showed some quality in his nine possessions and lovely running goal before twinging a hamstring in the second quarter.
Melbourne struggled to get anything happening beyond the five-minute mark of the second quarter, but Chris Johnson was tried all day in notching up 25 possessions.
Acting captain Cameron Bruce (27 touches), Simon Buckley (24), and Matthew Bate (23 and two goals) also stood out, but ultimately Melbourne's work rate and skill level was found wanting as the match progressed.
Fremantle's first quarter was highlighted by a poor skills and some embarrassing mistakes that led to Melbourne's five-goal to nil opening.
Things looked like getting worse in the second when Melbourne ruckman Mark Jamar marked and kicked truly, but the home team finally came to life, mounting a tremendous fight back to go into half time level pegging with the Dees.
Schammer through the middle, O'Brien across half back and Chris Mayne across half forward all led the way in the revival, as Fremantle kicked the last five goals of the quarter. Captain Pavlich booted two, with Ibbotson, Schammer and Josh Carr snaring one apiece.
Veteran Shaun McManus nailed a goal in the opening minute of the third quarter to give Fremantle its first lead of the match, and it would never be headed.
Even though Brad Miller kicked his second for Melbourne minutes later to bring scores back level, O'Brien, McPharlin, Aaron Sandilands and two more to Pavlich saw Fremantle take a commanding 34-point lead into the last term.
Goals to Chris Tarrant and Brett Peake to start the final quarter enabled Fremantle take a game-high 46-point lead and effectively end the match as a contest, before Matthew Bate got one back for Melbourne.
Before the redheaded Demon kicked his second at the 23-minute mark, McPharlin added his second and third goals, and Pavlich his fifth, to give Fremantle a 59-piont lead.
Late goals to Bate and Michael Newton brought the final margin back to 46, but the Fremantle faithful went home more than happy with their side's effort.
FREMANTLE 0.2 5.9 11.15 16.18 (114)
MELBOURNE 5.1 6.3 7.5 10.8 (68)
Goals
Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich 5, Luke McPharlin 3, Garrick Ibbotson, Byron Schammer, Josh Carr, Shaun McManus, Brock O'Brien, Aaron Sandilands, Chris Tarrant, Brett Peake
Melbourne: Cale Morton 2, Brad Miller 2, Matthew Bate 2, Michael Newton 2, Paul Johnson, Mark Jamar
Best
Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich, Byron Schammer, Garrick Ibbotson, Ryan Crowley, Luke McPharlin, Shaun McManus.
Melbourne: Chris Johnson, Paul Wheatley, Simon Buckley, Cameron Bruce, Matthew Bate, Nathan Jones.
Injuries
Fremantle: Brock O'Brien (hamstring)
Melbourne: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Kennedy, Hendrie, Avon
Official crowd: 31,638 at Subiaco Oval
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.
