Fremantle has christened new home Optus Stadium with a first-up win and raised some early doubts about Essendon's credibility as a top-four contender with a rousing 16-point victory on Saturday night.
Superstar skipper Nat Fyfe led from the front on a marquee occasion, as the Fremantle Dockers delivered on their promise to light up WA's world-class football venue with an entertaining brand of football.
Freo topped the ton for the first time since beating the Bombers at Subiaco Oval 17 games ago and ran out 16.10 (106) to 14.6 (90) winners.
After storming home against Adelaide in round one, Essendon was close enough if good enough trailing by 22 points at the final change.
But John Worsfold's men couldn't conjure another stirring comeback.
Ed Langdon's second major to open the fourth quarter made Essendon's already difficult task even tougher and when impressive first-gamer Adam Cerra (nine disposals) slotted his second Freo had the game by the scruff of the neck.
Three late goals limited the scoreboard damage for the Bombers but they will count this as a missed opportunity.
For Freo, this performance was the perfect response to a turnover-laden 50-point loss to Port Adelaide in the season opener.
Fremantle's ball movement was slick, especially from half-back through Nathan Wilson (23 disposals), Connor Blakely (30) and Luke Ryan (22), while Fyfe (29, one goal) powered an engine room that held sway for most of the contest.
Confident-looking spearhead Matt Taberner was the major beneficiary of Freo's attacking mindset, slotting four goals, one short of his career-best.
At the other end, Essendon's three-pronged tall forward line was blunted, although unheralded James Stewart (two goals) tried hard.
Young defender Alex Pearce held Essendon star Joe Daniher goalless, while Joel Hamling was rock-solid on his return.
Key playmaker Stephen Hill (26 disposals, one goal) also got through unscathed in his first match in 2018 after quad and calf trouble.
Michael Hurley (25 possessions), recruit Devon Smith (20, one goal), Dyson Heppell (24, one) and Darcy Parish (22) fought hard for the Bombers but key off-season acquisition Jake Stringer had only nine touches on a quiet night.
In front of a 49,021-strong crowd – about 4,500 fewer than for West Coast's first home game – Freo started in white-hot touch.
Taberner brought the Purple Army to life with a superb finish from the pocket inside 20 seconds and Freo's fanbase was in full voice when David Mundy sharked Michael Hurley's spilled marking attempt.
Fremantle were controlling clearances on the back of Aaron Sandilands' influence but the Bombers soon steadied.
Essendon snatched the lead with a quick-fire burst of four majors before Cam McCarthy gave the home side a slender two-point lead at quarter-time.
The sides kept exchanging blows throughout the second stanza, with the Dons refusing to let the home team run away with the contest, only trailing by eight points at the long break.
But the Bombers never hit the front after half-time as they slumped to a seventh-straight loss in Perth, while Freo's four first-year players – Andrew Brayshaw, Bailey Banfield, Mitch Crowden and Cerra – plus recruits Brandon Matera and Wilson toasted their first triumph in purple.
MEDICAL ROOM
Fremantle: Big man Aaron Sandilands came off briefly in the third term with a blood nose but otherwise Fremantle appeared to have a clean bill of health. Bradley Hill looked in all sorts of trouble when he lay prone on the far wing in the final term but managed to jog off under his own steam before going to the rooms with an apparent problem with his already strapped left knee. Hill returned to play out the match.
Essendon: Adam Saad hobbled off the ground late in the third quarter with an apparent left knee injury but returned to play out the final term.
NEXT UP
The Freo Dockers are back at Optus Stadium in seven days for an 'away' game against the in-form Suns, while Essendon has a clash with under pressure Etihad Stadium co-tenant the Western Bulldogs next Sunday afternoon.
FREMANTLE 4.2 8.4 12.8 16.10 (106)
ESSENDON 4.0 7.2 9.4 14.6 (90)
GOALS
Fremantle: Taberner 4, Mundy 2, Cerra 2, Langdon 2, Fyfe, McCarthy, Ballantyne, Walters, Matera, S.Hill
Essendon: Begley 2, Stewart 2, Green 2, Bellchambers 2, Smith, Hooker, Heppell, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Langford, McKenna
BEST
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Wilson, Blakely, Taberner, Ryan, Hamling
Fremantle: Hurley, Smith, Merrett, Parish, Green, Heppell
INJURIES
Fremantle: B.Hill (knee)
Essendon: Saad (leg)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dean Margetts, Nick Foot, Jeff Dalgleish
Crowd: 49,021 at Optus Stadium
