A lively Fremantle outfit has edged out Adelaide by a mere three points in what was an enthralling contest at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The lead changed at every term with the Crows leading by 12 points at half-time, yet the Dockers managed to persevere past their interstate adversaries in the tense final quarter.
Adelaide were left to rue their missed opportunities in front of goal, registering 2.5 in the final term, despite the ball locked in their forward half for a significant portion of the term.
It was the Dockers' young stars who were prolific, with Brennan Cox booting four pivotal goals for the home side, while Adam Cerra (30 disposals) and Ed Langdon (25) were steadfast throughout the entire match.
Despite their undermanned midfield - with Nat Fyfe the most notable absentee - the Dockers nonetheless surprised with a five-goal opening term to catch the Crows off-guard.
Using the swirling conditions to their advantage, it didn't take long for Bailey Banfield - free of his tagging duties - to put through the first of the game in the opening two minutes.
The Dockers were on fire early on, but as was Eddie Betts, who burst past a ruck contest in the forward pocket to jag the only first quarter major for the Crows.
As the Fremantle midfield continued to hone their attack, Hayden Ballantyne and Brennan Cox ended up as the scoring beneficiaries to give their side a handy buffer midway through the term.
Brimming with confidence, the Dockers stood marked against Crows and punished their tardiness with a spectacular passage of play which was capped off by a Tommy Sheridan major from the half-forward flank.
With Darcy Tucker making it five Fremantle majors from 13 entries, the home side took a comfortable 22-point lead at quarter-time.
But the Fremantle ascendancy wasn't to last, with the Crows responding with six unanswered goals to steal the lead.
Most pleasing for the Crows in the second term was undoubtedly the emergence of their tall targets up forward, with Josh Jenkins and Taylor Walker booting three of their side's six.
Jenkins restored some faith in the travelling Crows, booting the first major of the quarter from a long set shot to begin what would be an Adelaide onslaught.
As Bryce Gibbs and Wayne Milera continued to rack up disposals through the middle of the ground and enhance their side's sleek ball movement, the Crows sensed the Dockers were vulnerable and capitalised accordingly.
With Richard Douglas and Sam Gibson adding their names to the scoresheet to make it three in a row for the Crows, the 22-point quarter-time margin began to dissipate after some Fremantle indecisiveness down in defence.
As the visitors continued to fatigue their opposition and negate their pressure acts, another Jenkins long bomb put the Crows up by a solitary point at the halfway point of the term.
The momentum sliding heavily in Adelaide's favour, the forwards looked set to blow the game right open, with Betts and the returning Taylor Walker putting through pivotal majors to gain the lead for the first time of the match.
Explosive Eddie nearly made it a third remarkable major moments later with another dynamic burst from a stoppage, yet the Optus Stadium crowd were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief as the ball cannoned into the upright.
Fremantle nonetheless showed some mojo in the quarter's dying stages, with Connor Blakely nearly slotting a Goal of the Year contender from the pocket and Ed Langdon nullifying a potential seventh Adelaide major with a steely rundown tackle on Jake Kelly.
With two straight kicks separating the two sides at half-time, the Dockers were set on channelling their spark to snatch back the lead.
And that they did, with their unanswered four-goal quarter allowing Freo to claw back the lead and once again put the Crows on the back foot.
It started off perfectly for the Dockers, with Cox squeezing through the first of the term, despite Adelaide playing with an extra man down in defence.
With just a six-point differential, the intensity ramped up in the third term, resulting in scoring opportunities for the Dockers and Crows going amiss early on.
But it was Fremantle who adjusted first and subsequently thrived, piling on the remaining three majors of the quarter and dominating the contested ball.
Most pivotal however was their tackling pressure, with Freo accumulating 23 tackles for the term; Luke Ryan of whom led the way with a total of six by three-quarter time.
Alex Pearce too starred down back, often being the one to clear the ball from defence and find safe hands with tall target, Michael Apeness.
Fremantle similarly found themselves with ample space when launching their attacks from the back end of the ground, with Brandon Matera speeding off along the wing and taking three bounces before unselfishly giving Cox his second.
The home side nearly found themselves free again through Michael Walters, yet Tom Doedee spoiled the party with a dedicated rundown tackle to prevent them from reclaiming the advantage.
But the Crow's effort was for nil, as Walters quickly made amends; his zippy foot skills giving Langdon his second, before Sheridan followed up to make it four in a row for Fremantle.
With the Dockers up by 11 points at three-quarter time, the stage was well and truly set for a massive finish.
Although Fremantle registered the first six inside 50s of the quarter, an inability to convert proved to be costly, with a huge Hugh Greenwood hangar putting the first major on the board.
Betts continued to look dangerous up forward, putting through two successive behinds to cut the margin back to a crucial five points.
His agonising misses however ended up being detrimental, with the Crows unable to lay a foundation to begin a final quarter resurgence.
The task wasn't made any easier for Adelaide, with Cox booting his third to push the margin back out to 12 points only moments after Luke Brown was taken from the field with an ankle injury.
Fremantle too had their own injuries down back, with Joel Hamling and Pearce colliding in a brave marking contest, the latter of whom was taken from the field and watched the remainder of the game from the sidelines.
As Betts was again presented with a golden opportunity to give Adelaide a much-needed major, his kick shied away to the right to take his tally to 2.6, while Darcy Fogarty, Walker and Greenwood similarly missed in rapid succession.
With the game poised to go either way, the Crows were nonetheless unable to pounce upon the opportunities presented to them.
A Walters brain-fade in the final two minutes almost ended up being the difference, with his undisciplined strike on Kelly and subsequent 50m penalty following a headbutt on Doedee resulting in the ball being locked in Adelaide's forward half for the remainder of the game.
Just nine points separated the two sides prior to the incident, but the Dockers managed to hold on in what was a nail-biting finish.
Myles Poholke managed to score a goal after the siren, but it came too little, too late, as the Dockers ended the game as remarkable three-point victors.
Fremantle will hit the road next Saturday to take on a refreshed Carlton at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, while Adelaide too will be heading down to Melbourne when they take on Hawthorn at the MCG for a Saturday night blockbuster.
FREMANTLE 5.2 5.6 9.8 10.11 (71)
ADELAIDE 1.4 7.6 7.9 9.14 (68)
GOALS
Fremantle: Cox 4, Sheridan 2, Banfield, Ballantyne, Tucker, Langdon
Adelaide: Betts 2, Jenkins 2, Douglas, Poholke, Gibson, Greenwood, Walker
BEST
Fremantle: Cox, Cerra, Brayshaw, Langdon, Pearce, Ryan, Hamling
Adelaide: Gibbs, Crouch, Gibson, Seedsman, Doedee, Douglas
INJURIES
Fremantle: Duman (back, replaced in the selected side by Ryan Nyhuis), Pearce (thumb)
Adelaide: Brown (ankle)
TALKING POINTS
1. YOUNG DOCKERS GET THE JOB DONE
Coming up against last year's minor premiers with a squad absent of Nat Fyfe and Aaron Sandilands, the chances were slim for the Dockers to pull off a miraculous win.
But against all odds, the relatively inexperienced Dockers challenged the Crows from the get-go, coming back from a 12-point half-time deficit to notch up their fifth win of the season.
Most remarkable is the fact that 13 of Fremantle's 22 had played less than 45 games.
Adam Cerra was sublime in his 12th AFL match, racking up 30 disposals, four tackles and six marks, while Brennan Cox booted four pivotal majors to gift his side a narrow victory.
Alex Pearce too was sensational, playing out the game with broken thumb, while Tommy Sheridan, Stefan Giro and Ed Langdon all pieced together impressive performances.
Not a bad talent pool right there.
2. COX SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY
Axing Cam McCarthy was a massive move from the Dockers coming into this week, yet the decision paid dividends with Brennan Cox starring up forward with four goals.
A massive presence up forward, the Freo big man proved to be more than a handful for the Adelaide defence, who were unable to negate his marking prowess all over the ground.
Finishing with 19 touches, seven marks and five tackles to go alongside his bag of four, Cox was easily one of Fremantle's best and stood up to the plate in the absence of big stars.
The 19-year-old in just his sixth game of the season looks set to be a mainstay in the Dockers' forward line, particularly given the likely loss of Michael Walters over the coming weeks.
3. WALTERS IN HOT WATER
Brennan Cox will need to elevate his standout performance from this week into Saturday's clash against Carlton, with the Fremantle forward line likely to be without Michael Walters for some time.
The 27-year-old is set to come under MRO scrutiny after striking Jake Kelly in the stomach, before headbutting Tom Doedee in retaliation to the free kick paid against him.
Walters' actions failed to please Ross Lyon, who removed the Freo forward from the field immediately after.
With the incident taking place with just two minutes left on the clock and the Crows just nine points behind, Walters was lucky his team's defence stood tall in the game's dying seconds.
4. ANOTHER ADELAIDE INJURY
Adelaide's injury list appears to be getting longer and longer with each passing week, and today proved to be no exception.
Defender Luke Brown joins several other star defenders on the sidelines - including Rory Laird and Brodie Smith - with a left ankle injury sustained in the final quarter.
Although the extent of the injury is yet to be fully determined, Brown finished the game with ice on his ankle and was later spotted on crutches.
Another reliable defender down, the question is who's left to fill the defensive holes?
5. DOCKERS' STREAK SNAPPED, CROWS' JUST BEGINNING
Fremantle's win against the Crows ended what was a three-game losing streak, keeping their paper-thin finals aspirations alive for another round.
It was the Dockers' first win at Optus Stadium since round eight, making amends for their humiliating loss against North Melbourne last month.
Although there was reason to rejoice for Fremantle, the visiting Crows weren't quite in the mood for such celebration.
Adelaide's first outing at the new venue could be disastrous as the season reaches its climax, with the loss today making it three consecutive losses for the Crows.
With injuries galore and another tricky game against Hawthorn at the MCG next week, it could be a month to forget for Adelaide, who now sit a game outside the top-eight.
The Hawks too sit on 24 points, with Saturday night a must-win game for either side to keep their finals hopes alive for season 2018.
They're teetering on the edge, and it won't take much for Adelaide to fall.
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