COVID-hit Fremantle have flaunted their enviable depth with a crushing 78-point AFL win over North Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
The Dockers entered Friday night's match missing six players due to health and safety protocols, including key forward Rory Lobb and defender Griffin Logue.
With injured pair Nat Fyfe and Matt Taberner also sidelined, the match represented a test of the Dockers' reserves, especially up forward where teenagers Jye Amiss and Josh Treacy were their focal points.
Fremantle put any doubts to bed early by booting the first five goals of the match to set up the 15.12. (102) to 3.6 (24) win in front of 37,040 fans.
The final inside 50m stat read 67-32 in favour of Fremantle, with North Melbourne held to just two goals for most of the match before kicking their third with under five minutes remaining.
Fremantle's sixth win on the trot improved their record to 7-1, and they will start hot favourites in the next fortnight when they take on Gold Coast (away) and Collingwood (home).
The Kangaroos (1-7) face a battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
Fremantle forward Sam Switkowski was subbed off in the final quarter with concussion after copping a knee to the head as Jason Horne-Francis flew for a mark.
North Melbourne defender Ben McKay, who starred with five contested marks, limped off in the third quarter after Josh Treacy fell onto his right knee.
McKay was in huge pain while he was assessed on the bench, and he's set to be sent off for scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Fremantle big man Sean Darcy (17 disposals, 41 hitouts, four clearances, one goal) won the ruck battle against Todd Goldstein, while Will Brodie (37 disposals) and Andrew Brayshaw (34 disposals, 10 clearances) cleaned up at ground level.
Prized Kangaroos No.1 draft pick Horne-Francis finished with a team-high seven clearances, but Fremantle were clear winners in the midfield battle (48 clearances to 31) on the back of silver spoon service from Darcy.
Fremantle debutant Amiss made a dream start to the game when he shook off Aidan Corr to take a contested mark before kicking truly from 35m to post his maiden goal.
Two goals to Bailey Banfield - including a spectacular checkside - heaped more pain on the hapless Kangaroos.
A spectacular mark-of-the-year contender from Cameron Zurhaar early in the second quarter got North Melbourne on the goalsheet as the visitors launched the briefest of fightbacks.
It was all Fremantle from that point on, with the crowd unleashing a Mexican wave to add some excitement to the night.
Amiss, the first top-10 key forward drafted by Fremantle since Matthew Pavlich in 1999, finished with two goals and five marks in a promising debut.
