Ryan Nyhuis has sealed a dream debut for Fremantle with two late goals that helped the Freo Dockers hold on for a heart-stopping four-point win over North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Nyhuis only came into the Freo Dockers' team when former skipper David Mundy was a late withdrawal with illness, but the 20-year-old defender was a revelation in attack, kicking four goals, the last of which at the 28-minute mark put Freo six points up.

Fremantle weren't home, however. A Jack Ziebell shot on goal two minutes later appeared to be going through before it was touched on the line, then in the dying seconds Todd Goldstein looked set to steal the win for North when he received a free kick 25m from goal after being held in a ruck contest.

Freo dodged a bullet when the Roos ruckman pulled his set shot to the right and hung on for a fighting 13.8 (86) to 12.10 (82) win that broke a five-game losing streak.

Entering Sunday's game, the Fremantle Dockers had not won since their round nine victory over Carlton at Domain Stadium.

And they started the game with four consecutive goals in the opening 14 minutes to jump to a 25-point lead.

Freo never led by more than that margin, and with Tommy Sheridan (leg) having been sidelined since half-time, looked in trouble when North cut its lead to nine points at three-quarter time.

North hit the lead for the first time at the 18-minute mark when Ben Brown snapped a clever goal, and appeared to be running away with the game when it had the next two scoring shots – behinds to Goldstein and Jack Ziebell.

But Nyhuis cut the Roos' seven-point lead to just one when he goaled on the run from 50m at the 25-minute mark before kicking the match-winner from 45m after marking strongly in front of Roo debutant Daniel Nielson.

Freo skipper Nat Fyfe (33 possessions, six marks and one goal) played one of his most influential games this season, and was well supported in the midfield by Connor Blakely (32 possession and seven inside 50s) and Lachie Neale (27 possessions and seven clearances).

Michael Walters (20 possessions, three goals and seven rebound 50s) was class personified, especially when he found his way into space, and Bradley Hill's run stretched North's defences.

Fremantle burst from the blocks at the start of the game, kicking four consecutive goals in the opening 14 minutes – two through Walters – to open up a 25-point lead.

Spearhead Ben Brown kicked North's only goal for the term after clunking a strong mark at the 16-minute mark. Neither team could manage another major before quarter-time, with Freo taking a 19-point lead into the first break.

Nyhuis extended Freo's lead to 25 points when he kicked his second goal inside the opening 30 seconds of the second quarter.

But with Brown providing a strong target in attack, North hit back with four of the next six goals – including a brilliant 35m left-foot dribble goal just inside the boundary by Shaun Higgins – to cut Freo's lead to 12 points at the 22-minute mark.

Late goals to Darcy Tucker – set up by a courageous Fyfe mark running back with the flight of the ball – and Brennan Cox stretched Freo's lead back to 25 points before North speedster Atley converted on the run in the dying seconds to reduce the half-time margin to 19 points.

MEDICAL ROOM
North Melbourne: TBC

Fremantle: Joel Hamling limped from the ground after a marking contest midway through the first quarter and received treatment on his right hip on the interchange bench. After going down to the rooms, Hamling returned at the start of the second quarter but was clearly restricted. The key defender played out the game but was switched from original opponent Ben Brown. Sheridan limped from the ground just before half-time with an apparent leg issue and played no further part in the match. Brady Grey left the ground just before three-quarter time with a shoulder injury but returned with the joint heavily strapped at the start of the final term.

NEXT UP
The Kangaroos have a six-day break before they travel to Adelaide Oval to take on Port Adelaide. It will be the first time the teams have clashed at the new home of South Australian football, but North has lost all four of its matches there against Adelaide. The Fremantle Dockers host West Coast at Domain Stadium next Sunday, when they will be looking to break a four-game losing streak in the Carlton Draught Derby.

NORTH MELBOURNE     1.2   6.3   8.4   12.10 (82)
FREMANTLE                  4.3   9.4   9.6   13.8 (86)   

GOALS
North Melbourne: Brown 4, Mullett 2, Mountford, Swallow, Atley, McDonald, Higgins, Ziebell 
Fremantle: Nyhuis 4, Walters 3, Kersten 2, Kersten 2, Fyfe, Cox

BEST 
North Melbourne: Brown, Higgins, Ziebell, Mullett, Atley
Fremantle: Fyfe, Nyhuis, Blakely, Walters, Neale, Tucker

INJURIES 
North Melbourne: Nil 
Fremantle: Grey (shoulder), Hamling (hip), Sheridan (leg)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Haussen, Hosking

Official crowd: 19,267 at Etihad Stadium