Collingwood survived a major scare from an emotion-charged Fremantle, locked in a top-four spot and kept hopes of hosting a qualifying final alive with a nailbiting nine-point victory at Optus Stadium on Saturday.

Trailing the fired-up Freo Dockers by 15 points midway through the second term and with scores level at the final change, the Magpies were staring at the prospect of a cutthroat elimination final.

But as they have done all season in the face of adversity, Nathan Buckley's injury-hit men found a way.

Mature-age rookie Brody Mihocek was the hero, booting two clutch goals midway through the final term to put the Pies in front by four points.

Brennan Cox had the chance to wrestle back the lead for Freo with three minutes remaining but hooked his 50m set shot out on the full.

Collingwood swept the ball forward and Josh Thomas to kick the sealer from a Nathan Wilson turnover with less than two minutes to play.

Freo will be kicking themselves after booting 1.5 in the final term and falling to a 11.10 (76) to 9.13 (67) defeat.

Collingwood made hard work of seeing off the under-pressure Dockers, who were coming off a 133-point defeat to Geelong last round.

A response was expected following the huge defeat and, despite a slow start, Fremantle lifted considerably for champion defender Michael Johnson's farewell game.

Including last round's debacle, Fremantle had conceded 26 unanswered goals after Collingwood piled on three unanswered majors in the opening five minutes on Saturday.

But the home side clicked into gear and produced some of the best football played by a team in purple for months.

A five-goal burst before quarter-time – highlighted by Sam Switkowski's first goal and an audacious Matt Taberner soccer – turned the contest on its head.

The Dockers dominated the second term and were keeping the ball off the Pies, the No.1 possession team in the competition, but couldn't put the score on the board.

Steadying late goals from Scott Pendlebury and NAB AFL Rising Star favourite Jaidyn Stephenson reduced the margin to just three points at the long break.

The third quarter was an arm-wrestle and the Dockers looked good things when veteran Hayden Ballantyne ran into an open goal for his fourth major early in the final term, but the Pies stormed home for a crucial triumph.

Midfield stars Steele Sidebottom (31 disposals) and Pendlebury (30, one goal) were influential all game and Mihocek finished with three majors.

Brodie Grundy (24 disposals, 34 hit-outs) had Freo youngster Sean Darcy's (35 hit-outs) measure around the ground but they fought an even battle in the ruck, with Freo just edging clearances (36-32).

Bradley Hill (35 disposals, 10 inside 50s) played his best game for the season for the Dockers, Taylin Duman (24) showed plenty in defence alongside Joel Hamling and Lachie Neale (34, one goal) rounded out an excellent campaign, but it wasn't enough to get Freo home.

Speaking after the game, coach Ross Lyon was pleased the Dockers dug in to send Johnson off with a fighting effort, on a day when retired defender Lee Spurr was also farewelled at the ground.

"I haven't thought about it in too much regard to last week, if you keep looking backwards it's not good but … I didn't think last week was typical of our year," Lyon said.

"When you've got retiring players, you want the effort to be commensurate with the esteem you hold them in.

"It's not about whether you win or lose, but we certainly ticked that box with our effort."

FREMANTLE             5.2   6.6   8.8   9.13 (67)

COLLINGWOOD       3.2   6.3   8.8   11.10 (76) 

GOALS

Fremantle: Ballantyne 4, Fyfe, Mundy, Taberner, Neale, Switkowski
Collingwood: Mihocek 3, Stephenson 2, Pendlebury, Adams, Phillips, Thomas, Crisp, Cox 

BEST

Fremantle: Hamling, Neale, B.Hill, Duman, Langdon, Ballantyne
Collingwood: Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Adams, Maynard, Grundy 

INJURIES

Fremantle: TBC
Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott (knee)

Umpires: O'Gorman, Nicholls, Hay

Official crowd: 41,320 at Optus Stadium