FREMANTLE has stunned Port Adelaide at Subiaco Oval, dismissing the Power by 42 points on Sunday afternoon.

The home side kicked six straight goals in the first term to race to a five-goal lead, and were barely challenged thereafter, running away in the second half to record an emphatic 17.14 (116) to 11.8 (74) victory, just their fifth of the season.

Fremantle, which recorded just the second win in its last 12 games, Greg Broughton had 37 possessions, while Chris Mayne kicked four goals. The home side improved their Subiaco Oval record this season to 4-7 with the victory, which sees them remain in 15th place on the ladder.

Port Adelaide, which hangs on to eighth place by half a game despite the disappointing loss, Shaun Burgoyne and Kane Cornes each managed 29 possessions. The 9-10 Power have now alternated wins and losses in their last seven games since round 13.

Port Adelaide showed a marked improvement in intensity in the early stages of the third term, but could only manage a solitary goal to Burgoyne after a superb tackle deep inside the Power's attacking 50. Fremantle managed to weather the early Port storm, which fizzled soon after it started. Broughton, who had 21 first-half possessions, kept the home side rolling when he booted the first goal of his AFL career at the four-minute mark, and when Antoni Grover and Des Headland added goals soon after, the home side had a 10-goal lead and had enjoyed the last seven scoring shots.

Burgoyne nailed a set shot with two minutes to play for the Power, but it was Fremantle who turned for home with a comprehensive advantage, leading 15.11 (101) to 6.5 (41) with a quarter to play after Brett Peake booted a goal after the siren.

With Fremantle holding a commanding 60-point margin with a term to play, the fourth quarter was played with little intensity. Port Adelaide managed consecutive goals for the first time in the match at the eight-minute mark, when Brendon Lade kicked truly following a ruck contest infringement after Robbie Gray had booted the Power's first goal of the final stanza after four minutes.

For the quarter, Port Adelaide added five goals to two to make the final margin a little more respectable.

Earlier, six unanswered goals from the home side gave Fremantle a 30-point lead at quarter-time, and they went on with it in the second term, going to half time with a commanding 11.7 (73) to 4.4 (28) lead.

Fremantle conceded the first goal of the game, but belied their 15th place on the ladder for the rest of the opening quarter, storming to a 7.2 (44) to 2.2 (14) lead at the first change.

After Port Adelaide goalsneak Gray, fresh from a four-goal haul against Hawthorn last week, got scoring underway with a clever snap after four minutes, Fremantle's Paul Hasleby answered 60 seconds later for his side's first. With Stephen Hill enjoying a prolific first 10 minutes out wide, Fremantle's Jay van Berlo booted the home side's second of the game for the first lead change of the afternoon.

Fremantle then put the foot down, Headland making it three straight for the home side when he received a free kick after being pushed in the back in a marking contest. When Clancee Pearce booted his first for the match after a goal line scramble, Fremantle had four goals in eight minutes and had raced away to an 18-point lead.

Nick Suban, Grover and Kepler Bradley all added their names to the scoresheet before the quarter was over, and despite a late goal to Warren Tredrea, the Power didn't look like a side with thoughts of a finals berth for much of the opening 30 minutes.

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams predictably took no prisoners in his quarter-time speech with his side down by 30 points, but things didn't improve much in the second quarter. Danyle Pearce brightened the mood of his coach with an easy snap from 15m after just two minutes, but the home side hit back almost immediately, Mayne strolling into an open goal at the eight-minute mark and adding a second from a set shot within 90 seconds to pad Fremantle's lead to 38 points.

Mayne booted three for the term, and Headland's second capped a super first half for the home side.

Next week, Fremantle travels to Melbourne to play the Demons at the MCG on Sunday, while Port Adelaide is at home to Carlton, also on Sunday afternoon.

Fremantle         7.2    11.7    15.11   17.14 (116)
Port Adelaide   2.2    4.4      6.5       11.8 (74)

GOALS
Fremantle: Mayne 4, Headland 3, Grover 2, Bradley, Broughton, Hasleby, Pavlich, Peake, Pearce, Suban, van Berlo
Port Adelaide: S Burgoyne, Gray, Tredrea, Cassisi, Hartlett, Lade, Pearce, Salter

BEST
Fremantle: Broughton, Hill, de Boer, Duffield, Mayne, Headland, Hasleby
Port Adelaide: S Burgoyne, Pearce, K Cornes, Gray

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Port Adelaide: Surjan (corked thigh)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Farmer, Grun, Meredith

Official crowd: 30,029 at Subiaco Oval
 
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.