Fremantle forward Cam McCarthy re-emerged on Sunday, booting a career-best five goals to spearhead a stunning 82-point win over North Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
With the Dockers under pressure off field and undermanned on it, they played with speed and flair not seen for years to win their first season opener since 2015 in a canter, 21.15 (141) to 9.5 (59).
North Melbourne lost luckless defender Ed Vickers-Willis to a suspected ACL injury in the first quarter and never recovered, with the backline under siege.
Brad Scott's men could not break through Fremantle's defensive clamp, rushing to handball and turning the ball over repeatedly as the Dockers won the inside 50 count 68-47.
Debutant Bailey Scott was the only shining light for the visitors, with the father-son selection playing with poise beyond his teenage years to finish with 21 possessions and two goals in an accomplished debut.
The young Roo upstaged his senior teammates, with Higgins beaten despite winning 26 possessions and Jack Ziebell (12 possessions and one goal) and Ben Brown (two goals) unable to have an impact in attack.
North's day could be further soured by a potential Match Review worry for Ben Cunnington, who appeared to strike Nathan Wilson in the stomach off the ball late in the final quarter.
MEDICAL ROOM
Fremantle: TBC
North Melbourne: Luckless defender Ed Vickers-Willis suffered what the Kangaroos feared was an ACL injury late in the first quarter. He will require scans after his left knee buckled in a marking contest but the Kangaroos feared the worst.
NEXT UP
The Dockers travel to take on a Gold Coast team that showed plenty of fight in a one-point loss to St Kilda. North Melbourne hosts the much-improved Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
FREMANTLE 5.4 11.9 16.13 21.15 (141)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.0 6.0 7.2 9.5 (59)
GOALS
Fremantle: McCarthy 5, Walters 3, Tucker 2, Schultz 2, Lobb 2, Ryan, Fyfe, Hill, Mundy, Ballantyne, Colyer, Taberner
North Melbourne: Brown 2, Scott 2, Davies-Uniacke, Goldstein, Turner, Ziebell, Higgins
BEST
Fremantle: McCarthy, Tucker, Hill, Fyfe, Walters, Pearce
North Melbourne: Macmillan, Scott, Goldstein, Cunnington, Polec
INJURIES
Fremantle: Conca (finger)
North Melbourne: Vickers-Willis (knee)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Power, Mollison
Official crowd: 40,033 at Optus Stadium
