Dockers rally to reel in Roos with nine-goal blitz

STAR duo Luke Jackson and Andrew Brayshaw have sparked a dramatic turnaround as Fremantle extended their winning start to the season with a 26-point victory over North Melbourne.

Trailing by 32 points midway through the second term, the Dockers rattled off nine consecutive goals in a spirited fightback and held firm late in the match to clinch the 15.12 (102) to 11.10 (76) victory at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

KANGAROOS v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats

Fremantle has consecutive wins to open a campaign for the first time since 2015, when it claimed the minor premiership.

North is 0-2 ahead of its Good Friday feature match against Carlton.

Jackson (24 disposals, seven clearances, two goals) and Brayshaw (27, four, one) breathed life into the Dockers when they desperately needed it before half-time.

They were also important contributors after the main break, as Fremantle kicked the first seven goals in a third-quarter onslaught to take a stranglehold on the contest.

Caleb Serong (35 disposals, eight clearances), Jordan Clark (28 touches) and Hayden Young (21) all played significant roles, while Matt Taberner and Michael Frederick (two goals each) joined Jackson in kicking multiple majors.

Ex-captain Nat Fyfe (19 disposals, one goal) was also influential before he was substituted out of the game at three-quarter time.

North midfielders Luke Davies-Uniacke (30 disposals, nine clearances) and Tom Powell (28, eight) had a big say in their side's early dominance but were overwhelmed by Fremantle's spread of contributors.

Harry Sheezel was busy with 35 disposals for North, while Powell, Paul Curtis and Cameron Zurhaar finished with two goals each.

Six days after facing a 25-point first-quarter deficit against Brisbane in their season opener, the Dockers again found themselves on the back foot early.

North dominated territory in the first term and its two-goal lead at quarter-time should have been greater on the back of a 20-7 inside-50 count.

The buffer swelled to 32 points, with Davies-Uniacke and Powell leading the way at the contest, driving the Kangaroos to a 22-14 advantage in clearances in the first half.

But the Dockers kicked three of the last four goals before the main break to get back within 17 points.

They would have been even closer if not for Kallan Dawson's desperate stretch on the goal line to touch a shot by Serong a few seconds before the siren.

Two Taberner goals to start the second half got the Dockers back within a kick and they hit the front for the first time when Jackson booted his second from the goal line after a 50m penalty against Luke McDonald.

Nine consecutive majors gave Fremantle a 29-point lead during the third quarter and they resisted the Kangaroos' attempts to swing the match back in their favour as time ticked away.

Powell goes pow-pow
Powell has been a slow burn since being drafted with pick No.13 in the 2020 draft, steadily becoming a staple of North's improving side in recent seasons. While he was impressive in round one, the 22-year-old enjoyed a breakout game in in the Roos' fighting loss against the Dockers, collecting a career-high 28 disposals at 86 per cent efficiency and another career-high eight clearances to go with his two goals. Working alongside some of the Roos' established guns in the midfield, Powell was pivotal in establishing his side's early dominance in the game and looks set for a big year as the Roos look to improve on their three-win 2023 season. 

Dockers' defence under fire early
Fremantle's decimated backline was put to the test early as the Kangaroos penetrated their forward-50 time and time again. Missing Oscar McDonald (knee), Brennan Cox (hamstring) and Karl Worner (concussion) after a brutal round one clash, Freo's undermanned defence was forced to hold up against an influx of forward 50 entries in the opening half, with the Roos leading the inside 50 differential by 13 at half-time. Staring at a 32-point deficit, James Aish (21 touches, nine marks), Jordan Clark (28 touches, seven marks) and Luke Ryan (22, seven) took control down back to help swing the game in the Dockers' favour in the second half.

NORTH MELBOURNE      4.1     8.4     9.5        11.10 (76)
FREMANTLE                    2.1     5.5     12.10     15.12 (102)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Curtis 2, Powell 2, Zurhaar 2, Larkey, Scott, Simpkin, Stephenson, Wardlaw
Fremantle: Banfield 2, Frederick 2, Jackson 2, Taberner 2, Amiss, Brayshaw, Fyfe, Sharp, Switkowski, Treacy, Walters

BEST
North Melbourne: Powell, Sheezel, Wardlaw, Davies-Uniacke, Xerri, Fisher
Fremantle: Jackson, Serong, Brayshaw, Switkowski, Clark, Young

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Eddie Ford (replaced Charlie Lazzaro at three-quarter time)
Fremantle: Jaeger O'Meara (replaced Nat Fyfe at three-quarter time)

Crowd: 17,589 at Marvel Stadium