Forgotten forward Cam McCarthy silenced his knockers with a five-goal haul in Fremantle's 82-point AFL win over North Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
McCarthy struggled in his first two years at Fremantle, and had fallen so far down the pecking order over summer that he wasn't even selected for any of the club's JLT pre-season games.
But Jesse Hogan's alcohol slip-up and a hamstring injury to Brennan Cox opened the door for McCarthy to earn a surprise recall against the Kangaroos.
The former Giant made the most of his chance, booting four first-half goals to help set up the 21.15 (141) to 9.5 (59) win in front of 40,033 fans.
North Melbourne's loss was compounded by a suspected ACL injury to Ed Vickers-Willis, with the defender's left knee twisting slightly in a first-quarter tackle.
Vickers-Willis suffered a season-ending posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee last year after crashing into a goal post in round seven, and coach Brad Scott was fearing the worst with the latest setback.
"The early prognosis isn't good," Scott said.
"He ran into the goal post last year and did a PCL, now a suspected ACL. He's had two shoulder reconstructions. It's a brutal game sometimes.
"You feel for them. We've got to support him as best as we can. But clearly we've got a lot of things to do over the next seven days."
Fremantle also suffered a blow, with veteran goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne injuring his hamstring in the second half.
Kangaroos midfielder Ben Cunnington is set to come under scrutiny for an off-the-ball stomach punch that floored Nathan Wilson in the last quarter.
McCarthy was joined by Rory Lobb and Matt Taberner in a three-pronged attack for the Dockers, and he shone the brightest of the lot.
The 23-year-old exploded in the second term, booting three goals to tear the game wide open.
The Dockers had only cracked the 100-point mark six times during the previous two seasons.
But they reached that mark late in the third quarter when McCarthy kicked a booming goal from 50m.
McCarthy finished the match with five goals, 20 disposals and five marks, while Taberner (18 disposals, nine marks) was an important link man.
"He's chosen to work really hard with some challenges of not getting picked," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said of McCarthy's pre-season.
"And he looked immaculate - weights, skin folds, fitness - and today he was able to execute that, so he's got reward for effort, as the group has today.
"But we know one swallow doesn't make a summer, so we'll move on really quick."
Fyfe (32 disposals, 10 clearances, one goal) showed no ill effects from his recent elbow surgery, and was rested for long periods in the second half when the game was already in the bag.
Fremantle won the inside-50m count 68-47 and clearances 40-27.
