Nat Fyfe has tuned-up for a round one showdown with Geelong champion Patrick Dangerfield by inspiring Fremantle to a 21-point pre-season triumph over Carlton.
But injuries suffered by gun forward Hayden Ballantyne, who walked slowly off the ground in the third quarter with a left hamstring issue, and defender Cam Sutcliffe (ankle) soured Freo's 2.12.14 (104) to 0.12.11 (83) victory at Domain Stadium.
"Cam will be fine, he'll be slow early in the week and then he'll get going," coach Ross Lyon said.
"Hayden is disappointing, he was really humming along and looking cherry-ripe.
"We need the scans, so I don't want to pre-empt anything, but he's saying it feels like a relatively normal hamstring, so (probably) three-to-four weeks."
In his third game back from a broken leg, Fyfe saved his best JLT Community Series performance for last, while recruit Cam McCarthy starred with a bag of six goals.
The Blues' defeat consigned them to a winless pre-season, however Patrick Cripps (26 disposals) gave fans a reason to smile in his second match returning from a stress reaction in his back.
Star onballer Bryce Gibbs (27), veteran half-back Kade Simpson (32), Sam Docherty (30) and skipper Marc Murphy (27) also found plenty of the ball 13 days out from the season-opener against Richmond at the MCG.
But it was Fyfe who stole the show on Friday night, booting a supergoal and six-pointer from 38 touches – 16 contested - with seven marks and five clearances.
It was the perfect warm-up for round one, when the new Freo skipper and 2015 Brownlow medallist will renew his rivalry with Dangerfield – the top Cat who assumed Fyfe's mantle as the game's best player last year.
Fyfe led a Fremantle midfield which capitalised on an armchair ride from giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who had a mortgage on the hit-outs (37) in his battle with Matthew Kreuzer.
Doig medallist Lachie Neale (37 disposals), Stephen Hill (32) and David Mundy (28) all cashed-in and drove the promising win.
Up forward, McCarthy fed off the midfield supply, with goalsneak Michael Walters and big man Jonathan Griffin also dangerous.
After copping flak for a disappointing four-goal effort against St Kilda, the feisty Blues had more bite in attack.
Jacob Weitering offered a strong aerial presence, while classy recruit Jarrod Pickett was lively with three majors, putting his hand up for a round one debut after an injury-riddled two seasons at Greater Western Sydney.
Although Fremantle had enough answers for the persistent Blues – with draftee Griffin Logue icing the cake on debut by banging through a supergoal in the final term - their injuries are a worry for Ross Lyon ahead of round one.
FREMANTLE 0.4.3 1.7.7 1.10.12 2.12.14 (104)
CARLTON 0.2.2 0.6.7 0.10.8 0.12.11 (83)
SUPERGOALS
Fremantle: Fyfe, Logue
Carlton: Nil
GOALS
Fremantle: McCarthy 6, Griffin, Fyfe, Kersten, Walters, Pearce, Ballantyne,
Carlton: Pickett 3, Wright, Rowe, Gibbs, Weitering, J.Silvagni, Lamb, Kreuzer, Thomas, Palmer
BEST
Fremantle: Fyfe, McCarthy, S.Hill, Sandilands, Neale, Mundy
Carlton: Cripps, Kerridge, Simpson, Docherty, Weitering, Murphy
INJURIES
Fremantle: Sutcliffe (ankle), Ballantyne (hamstring)
Carlton: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Stevic, Williamson, Power
Official crowd: 6639 at Domain Stadium
