Fremantle upset Melbourne in AFL thriller

Fremantle have snatched their second AFL upset in as many weeks, downing Melbourne by two points in a thrilling encounter at the MCG.

Brady Grey of the Dockers (left) and Tom McDonald of the Demons

Fremantle have again defied the odds, downing Melbourne by two points in an AFL thriller. (AAP)

Fremantle again defied the odds, downing Melbourne by two points in an AFL thriller on Saturday afternoon at the MCG.

The Demons led by three points in the dying minutes after skipper Jack Viney took a strong contested mark and kicked truly.

But Dockers recruit Cam McCarthy put the dagger through Melbourne hearts when he gambled at the back of a pack to kick a close-range goal and snatch a 16.10 (106) to 15.14 (104) victory.

It completed a remarkable turnaround for Fremantle, who trailed by 27 points late in the first half but booted eight unanswered goals in the third quarter.

Melbourne fought back with goals to Viney, Christian Petracca and Jeff Garlett, but the Dockers held on to improve their record in 2017 to 2-2.

After recording just four wins last season, Ross Lyon's men were thrashed in the opening rounds by Geelong and Port Adelaide and looked doomed for another long year.

Lyon responded by bringing in a group of youngsters, who repaid him with a stunning win over the Western Bulldogs, and the unchanged line-up was inspired against the Demons.

"I thought our ability to score when we needed to was strong. We always looked dangerous," Lyon said.

"It's nice to get the reward. If you can get the four points, that helps to fuel your belief. We feel our belief in ourselves is growing in what we're looking to do."

Melbourne were without three key players - suspended duo Jesse Hogan and Jordan Lewis and ruckman Max Gawn, been sidelined by a serious hamstring injury.

But it was their lack of poise which let them down, particularly during the pivotal third quarter.

"Being able to add that composure to the group is really important for where we want to go," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

"In the third quarter, Fremantle were fantastic and we were under a lot of pressure. We need to be better at being able to handle that because we're going to get that in other games throughout the year."

Young midfield stars Clayton Oliver and Petracca were influential early as the Demons took a 21-point lead at halftime but the Dockers' big guns weren't far behind.

Barely seen in the early going, Nat Fyfe showed his superstar quality with a sensational performance after quarter-time.

The 2015 Brownlow medallist was instrumental around the ground, finishing with 25 disposals, six marks and a goal.

Lyon's decision to play Lachie Neale in the forward line also proved a masterstroke, the ball magnet booting four majors to go with his 22 disposals.

With Gawn unavailable, the Demons called in Jake Spencer for his first game since round 22 in 2015.

The 203cm Spencer competed hard but was out of his depth against Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands, who all too often gave his midfielders first use at the stoppages.


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Source: AAP



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