Fremantle have come as close as any of the local teams to beating a top 4 side, after nearly snatching a rare victory, against the highly fancied Geelong Cats. Fremantle dominated all over the ground in the first quarter, taking screamings, running down opponents and kicking goals from ridiculous angles. They were equal parts brutal and brilliant as they threw every last bit of football talent they could muster at Geelong. They carried on their effort in the second quarter but a cavalier approach to moving the ball around across the face of the opposition's goals eventually and repeatedly came unstuck. By half time there was a point the difference. The Dockers looked to have lost none of their endeavour after half time but they quickly lost Michael Barlow to a shoulder injury and that was the tipping point for the Cats. They ground the young and crippled Dockers down for the rest of the second half, holding out a late resurgence to be 11 points up when the final siren sounded.