Melbourne has continued their recent love affair with Optus Stadium with a commanding 46-point win over Fremantle.
At the ground where the Demons put pain to the Western Bulldogs with a 74-point Grand Final win just 10 months to go, Simon Goodwin’s men knocked the Dockers off their perch with the 85-39 victory.
Fresh off a loss to the Dogs in which Melbourne conceded 110 points for the first time in three years and after a week of some scrutiny, the Dees exploded out of the blocks and never looked back, responding when challenged in the opening time and squashing the fire out of Fremantle after the main break.
Given the margin, the sting went out of the clash early, the home crowd having precious little to cheer about in the final half.
With Melbourne bursting out of the blocks with the first three goals, 1988 Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy remarked on AFL Nation: "They look like the Melbourne of 2021".
"If Melbourne's pressure has been off recently, it's definitely on so far tonight" - Gerard Healy
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) July 29, 2022
"This is as good as they've looked defensively for at least a month" - Nathan Jones#AFLDockersDees
It was a performance that suggests once again that their top gear is the best in the competition, and one which Fremantle simply couldn’t match it with for long enough.
Bayley Fritsch booted another bag at Optus Stadium, backing up his six goals from last year’s Grand Final with another three on Friday night.
He was well supported by Charlie Spargo and Kysaiah Pickett, the small forwards combining for five majors from seven shots at goal. Meanwhile, the midfield was led by Christian Petracca (30 disposals) and Jack Viney (33 disposals ), while Angus Brayshaw also played midfield minutes off the back of his six-year contract extension with the Demons earlier this week.
On the flip side, Brayshaw’s brother Andrew brought the form for Fremantle that has him in Brownlow contention to be the Dockers’ best player with 30 disposals.
"This is a high quality game. Viney has been brilliant for Melbourne and I've liked Hayden Young at half back, he's having another really good game"
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) July 29, 2022
- Gerard Healy#AFLFreoDees
However, in an issue that has plagued Fremantle in recent weeks, once again they simply couldn’t score.
They’ve kicked just 12 goals in their last eight quarters and 21 in their last 12 in a problem that Justin Longmuir has just three games to fix before finals.
Curiously, of their six losses this year, four have been at home. There have been suggestions throughout the year that Fremantle would need to finish in the top two to do any damage in finals, but given their record at Optus Stadium in 2022, they may do better to play away from home in September.
Fremantle will back itself to beat the Eagles in the Derby and then GWS if it can triumph the Western Bulldogs next weekend, meaning top four is still a strong possibility for Longmuir’s men.
"It's been an incredible defensive performance. 45 inside 50s to 15. It signifies Melbourne at their absolute best"
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) July 29, 2022
- Nathan Jones#AFLFreoDees
However, there’s every chance they finish Round 20 in seventh on the ladder, a dismal result for a club just weeks ago considered chief among finals contenders.
The narrative couldn’t be more different for Melbourne though, after re-announcing its credentials with the dominant defensive performance.
Goodwin’s men had a brutal four-week stretch to end the season, and they’ve passed the first test with flying colours.
If they can win two (or three) of their final trio of games against Collingwood, Carlton and Brisbane, expect Melbourne to become outright premiership favourites once again.
FULL SCORE
Fremantle: 2.2, 3.4, 4.5, 5.9. (39)
Melbourne: 4.3, 7.7, 10.11, 12.13. (85)
GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 2, Frederick 2, Logue
Melbourne: Fritsch 3, Pickett 2, Spargo 2, Melksham, Weideman, Langdon, Jordan
BEST
Fremantle: Brayshaw, Aish, Young, Ryan, Mundy
Melbourne: Viney, Petracca, Brayshaw, Gawn, Fritsch
INJURIES
Fremantle: N/A
Melbourne: N/A