With just six seconds remaining, Fremantle forward Ryan Murphy ensured his side would return to the same venue next Saturday night for a semi-final clash against St Kilda after he sealed the match-winner.
The final score saw Fremantle 1.12.13 (94) defeat the Kangaroos 0.13.1 (90) - its first win in Melbourne since round four, 2007.
After trailing by 22 points early in the final term, North Melbourne hit back with three in a row to pinch the lead at the 22-minute mark. The momentum was with the Roos, but when misses from Ed Lower (twice) and Ben Warren followed, the door was still ajar for Fremantle.
A quick play out of defence allowed Fremantle to take the ball the length of the field, creating space for Murphy who ran into an open goal.
Although Fremantle coach Mark Harvey didn't want to get carried away with his side's early season form, he was pleased to win away from home.
"It's been a while [since we won in Victoria], so from a morale and self-belief point-of-view … hopefully it holds us in good stead," he said.
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said it would have been a "travesty" had Fremantle lost.
"We didn't deserve to win the game. The result was fair to Fremantle and they outplayed us for most of the day," he said.
Scott said the intensity that was so evident in North's last-round victory against Geelong was missing in Sunday evening's clash.
"Unfortunately we can't turn it on and off like a tap; we've just got to get out there and practice it and keep educating," he said.
Although the West Australian team was wasteful in the first quarter, kicking seven behinds, it was an otherwise impressive performance without skipper Matthew Pavlich, who remained in the west.
Chris Mayne jagged a game-high five goals and rookie Michael Barlow backed up his 29-disposal first-game with 27 touches.
"He's got good poise and he's a guy who doesn't panic too much … he's got a few tricks, which can get him out of trouble. He's a pretty level-headed country boy from Shepparton," Harvey said of Barlow.
Garrick Ibbotson (who kicked the only nine-pointer during the first term), Michael Johnson (two goals), Clancee Pearce (21 disposals) and Hayden Ballantyne (10 tackles) were also among Fremantle's best.
North Melbourne skipper Brent Harvey was outstanding with a team-best 25 disposals, with youngster Sam Wright good in defence. Big men David Hale (three goals) and Drew Petrie (two) were the Roos' only multiple goalkickers.
Ryan Bastinac (14 touches) was also good on debut.
"He came in today and was one of the few players I thought who handled the ball very cleanly," Scott said.
Harvey confirmed Pavlich and Paul Hasleby were rested, and said Des Headland is a week or two away with a hamstring injury.
But the coach could not confirm the severity or otherwise of injuries picked up by David Mundy (groin) and Antoni Grover (knee) against the Roos.
"Mundy, I don't think is significant, but Grover has got a medial, so the extent of that mightn't be known until Tuesday," Harvey said.
Adam McPhee, Kepler Bradley and Byron Schammer will all come into consideration for the semi-final.
The winner of the Fremantle and St Kilda clash will play the victor of Port Adelaide and Western Bulldogs in the NAB Cup grand final on March 13. The venue is still to be determined.
North Melbourne 0.2.2 0.6.5 0.9.8 0.13.12 (90)
Fremantle 1.1.7 1.6.7 1.9.11 1.12.13 (94)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Nine-point goals: Nil Goals: Hale 3, Petrie 2, Adams, Anthony, Goldstein, Harding, Harvey, Lower, McIntosh, Warren
Fremantle: Nine-point goals: Ibbotson Goals: Mayne 5, Johnson 2, Murphy 2, Ballantyne, Fyfe, Grover
BEST
North Melbourne: Harvey, Swallow, Wright, Pratt, Hale, Bastinac, Anthony
Fremantle: Ibbotson, Mayne, Johnson, Barlow, Ballantyne, Pearce, de Boer
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Fremantle: Grover (knee), Mundy (groin)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Vozzo, Margetts, B.Ryan, McInerney
Official crowd: 7,877 at Etihad Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
