Fremantle delivered a ruthless 50-point win over Melbourne at Optus Stadium, rocketing back into the top four with one of its best performances of the season and leaving the Demons in a scrap to play finals.

Fremantle made a statement in front of their home crowd with a 17.14 (116) to 10.6 (66) win that included periods of utter dominance for the second time this season against the 2021 premiers, kicking their second-highest score of the year.

They had every aspect of their game in order with a full-strength 23 but will now sweat on the fitness of captain Alex Pearce after the key defender was substituted following heavy contact to the left forearm that he recently fractured. 

The Demons chose not to select a bona fide ruckman in the absence of injured skipper Max Gawn and were punished at the coalface as Freo produced a stoppage clinic that formed the bedrock for their win, winning the clearances 47-15.

Their forwards feasted as a result, with Josh Treacy producing another dominant performance opposed to Steven May with three goals and a career-high 12 marks, while Michael Walters and Jye Amiss each kicked four goals. 

Midfield trio Andrew Brayshaw (41 disposals and six inside 50s), Caleb Serong (36 and six clearances) and Hayden Young (28 and 11 inside 50s) were outstanding, while Sean Darcy returned from concussion to control the stoppages with 34 hitouts and eight clearances himself. 

It was perhaps Fremantle's rapid, clean ball movement and an ability to repeatedly get players free over the top of Melbourne's defence that stood out, however, with their pace and willingness to run impossible for the Demons to match.

Their lead stretched to 67 points during the final quarter before a run of three late goals for the Demons cut the margin to 50 points in a match that felt more one-sided than the scoreboard reflected at times. 

Fremantle were prepared for a different challenge against Melbourne after Simon Goodwin reverted to a more familiar game style following his team's 92-point loss in round 12, turning the Demons into the best-contested ball team in the AFL since that alarming performance.

Fremantle could not have been more ready, however, winning the first 14 clearances of the game and winning the contested ball 40-29 in the first quarter as it overwhelmed the visitors with its defensive pressure. 

Brayshaw set the tone with an early chase-down tackle, while breakout star Treacy, Amiss and Sam Sturt all hit the scoreboard early as Freo built a 21-point lead at the first change. 

Midfielder Jack Viney finally delivered a clearance for the Demons at the start of the second term and it led to the team's first goal, through wingman Caleb Windsor, before the game quickly settled back into a pattern of purple dominance.

Freo regularly worked the ball from inside to outside with handball chains and dominated field position, with Treacy outmarking Jake Lever in the goalsquare, Jackson converting a checkside set shot on the boundary, and Walters marking uncontested inside 50 as the lead built.

For all their dominance, however, skill errors crept in and created opportunities for the Demons to counter, with Jacob van Rooyen booting back-to-back goals and limiting the half-time margin to 30 points after Walters converted after the siren.

If inaccuracy and missed opportunities made Justin Longmuir feel uneasy at the main break, the coach could relax somewhat after another ruthless patch to start the third quarter as Freo kicked four quick goals through polished counter attacks. 

Where its clearance dominance had been on show through the first half, now it was Freo's fast feet and overlap run that was exposing the Demons as the lead swelled to a game-high 53 points and any hope of a comeback was soon extinguished. 

Melbourne fought hard through the remainder of the third and capitalised on a period of ascendency with three quick goals, but its only other run came in red time of the final term as Freo celebrated the Starlight Purple Haze game, proudly supported by South32 in style. 

FREMANTLE           3.5     7.9     11.11     17.14 (116)  
MELBOURNE          0.2     3.3       6.5         10.6 (66)  

GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 4, Amiss 4, Treacy 3, Sturt 3, Serong, Jackson, Clark
Melbourne: van Rooyen 2, Chandler 2, Windsor, Turner, Petty, Melksham, Langdon, Billings

BEST
Fremantle: Brayshaw, Treacy, Serong, Darcy, Young, Walters, Clark
Melbourne: van Rooyen, May, McVee, Rivers

INJURIES
Fremantle: Pearce (arm)
Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: James Aish (replaced Alex Pearce in the third quarter)
Melbourne: Jack Billings (replaced Koltyn Tholstrup in the third quarter)

Crowd: 42,215 at Optus Stadium