The home side applied an astonishing pressure barrage and ran the besieged Bombers off their feet to take a 36-point lead at half-time.
Essendon’s midfielders were being comprehensively beaten.
But that all changed in a third term in which the Bombers kicked five goals to none to get back into the match.
Skipper Jobe Watson didn’t have a clearance among his seven first-half disposals.
He ended up with 21 touches and three clearances, and had eight important contested possessions in the second half.
Brendon Goddard also lifted from a lull to amass 15 crucial disposals in the second half.
Overall, the Bombers overturned an 83-86 contested possession deficit at the half, into a 181-174 advantage at the final siren.
Lyon said Essendon improved on the basic areas of the game in the third quarter, and that allowed them to get back into a game they’d looked out of.
“They started winning the ball and turning around the contested ball,” Lyon said.
“That was the basics of it, they won the ball, and they spread really well.”
Fremantle won the highly-regarded clearance count by awhopping 60-37, but it didn’t translate to a win on the all-importantscoreboard.
Lyon said there were a number of indicators in the third quarter that let the Bombers back in it, including Freo’s usually water-tight back six.
“The difference has been a lapse in the intensity of run and spread in the third,” he said.
“And we didn’t defend that well in the third quarter as a back six and we didn’t take our opportunities when we needed to.
“You can’t lapse and we lapsed.”
But the senior coach said Freo would learn from its mistakes and move on ahead of Hawthorn in Tasmania next week.
“We understand that the playing group have worked really hard and they let a golden opportunity slip, so we need to learn our lessons,” he said.
“All credit to the victor, they persisted and won.
“There was a lot to like and a fair bit to learn from and, obviously, bitter disappointment.
“The players are hurting and I’m hurting, and we are in it together.”
