Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is nervously sweating on the fitness of Alex Pearce after the skipper re-injured his left arm during Sunday’s crushing 50-point win over Melbourne in Perth.
Melbourne posted a record-low three clearances in the first half as the Dockers powered to the 17.14 (116) to 10.6 (66) triumph in front of 42,215 fans at Optus Stadium.
The result lifted Fremantle (11-6-1) into fourth spot with five rounds remaining, while 10th-placed Melbourne (10-8) face a major fight to make the finals.
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But the win came at a big cost for the Dockers, with Pearce subbed off in the third term after copping a knock to his surgically-repaired left arm.
It was his first match back since fracturing his left forearm against Gold Coast four weeks ago.
Pearce, who wore an arm cast during the game as added protection, will now undergo scans to determine if he has suffered any fresh damage.
“Yeah (I’m) nervous,” Longmuir said.
“We’ll see what the scan says. He was sore when he came off. It’s not as sore now by all reports.
“We’ll get a scan and get the information to you.
“He’s probably a little bit nervous. He’s a little bit frustrated.
“He would have liked to have gotten through the game. Being the captain of the club and been in such good form all year, he wants to be out there competing with his brothers. Fingers crossed he’ll be out there next week.”
Fremantle’s Luke Jackson also failed to finish the game, but Longmuir said it was only a corked calf and nothing to be worried about.
Michael Walters and Jye Amiss kicked four goals apiece for the Dockers, while Josh Treacy was huge with three goals, 12 marks and 464m gained.
Andrew Brayshaw (41 disposals, four clearances, Caleb Serong (36 disposals, six clearances, one goal) and Hayden Young (28 disposals, eight clearances) were dominant in the midfield.
Sean Darcy (34 hitouts, eight clearances) feasted in the ruck as Fremantle won the overall clearance battle 47-15 and the hitouts 47-9.
Melbourne’s decision not to select a recognised ruckman in the absence of Max Gawn (ankle) backfired on them badly from the outset as Darcy monstered Harrison Petty and Jacob van Rooyen.
Fremantle won the clearance battle an astounding 14-0 in the first term, including 4-0 in the centre clearances.
The Dockers also won the inside 50m battle 21-6, hitouts 10-1, and marks inside 50m 7-1, with the dominance no doubt reviving memories of Melbourne’s 92-point loss to Fremantle in Alice Springs seven weeks ago.
Fremantle’s 23-2 lead at quarter time would have been far more damaging if not for the desperate defending of Steven May and the Dockers’ inaccuracy.
The clearance count read 15-0 early in the second term before Melbourne finally won one of their own – leading to a soccered goal from Caleb Windsor.
Fremantle quickly reasserted their dominance, and the scoreline was 43-8 and the clearances 20-1 when Walters kicked truly midway through the quarter.
The Dockers led the clearance count 24-3 at half-time.
It marked the first time a team had recorded less than five clearances in an opening half since Champion Data started recording the stat in 1999.
“We weren’t able to neutralise the area,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said of the clearance mauling.
“We obviously set up around the ball in a way that would give us a chance but we weren’t able to execute what we wanted to.
“We haven’t got a ruckman that will win the hit outs when Max doesn’t play. And clearly today, Fremantle were unbelievable around the ball.”