Fremantle are red-hot. They beat Essendon 16.8 (104) to 8.13 (61) at the MCG on Saturday, running their winning streak to nine and recording their first-ever win over Essendon at the ground. The Dockers led from the start in wet conditions, kicking five of the first six goals and taking a 52-point lead into half-time. Patrick Voss finished with five goals, four of them in the second quarter, as Fremantle dominated contested possessions and inside 50s through the first half. If you need the next fixtures and viewing details: the AFL lists Round 16 from Thursday June 25, with Fremantle at Gold Coast on Sunday June 28 at 5.10pm and Essendon at North Melbourne the same day at 3.15pm. Every match airs on FOX FOOTY and Kayo Sports offers an ad-break free feed by subscription.

If you are choosing whether to book the MCG, switch on the TV, or just follow the ladder, here is the one thing that decides it for most fans: Fremantle are running hot and Essendon are not. The Dockers completed a nine-match winning streak with a full 43-point victory, and that form tells you more about whether the trip or the broadcast is worth your time than any late hope for an Essendon reply.

How the match went, quarter by quarter

Fremantle set the tone early in difficult, wet conditions. They kicked five of the game’s first six goals and by half-time led 9.8 (62) to 3.4 (10), a 52-point advantage. Fremantle controlled contested possessions and inside-50s by comfortable margins in the first half, which removed any doubt before the last change. The Dockers led from the outset and never let the momentum slip.

Forward Patrick Voss was the headline performer. He finished with five goals and six score involvements, including four goals in the second quarter. The West reported that Voss became the first Fremantle player since Matthew Pavlich in 2007 to kick four goals in a single quarter at the MCG. Voss addressed the charged atmosphere after the game, saying, “There’s a good vibe around the group at the moment, so much fun to be a part of, we all feel like we’re contributing and playing our roles,” Patrick Voss told Fox Footy. Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson described Voss as “taunting them” after one celebration, and four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis praised Fremantle’s balance and midfield spread at half-time.

There were clear subplots in the crowd and on the field. Voss was delisted by Essendon at the end of 2023 and his celebrations in front of Essendon supporters drew visible reactions from the crowd and opposition players. Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir led a side that handled the day without some senior names and still produced a cohesive performance across forward and midfield lines.

Injuries, selections and what the result means

Pre-match selections and injury news had suggested the contest might be tighter. Fremantle captain Alex Pearce and midfielder Hayden Young were listed as absent for the trip to Melbourne. Fremantle’s football executive Joe Brierty said Hayden Young entered concussion protocols after a training incident and missed the fixtures against Essendon and St Kilda, giving Young a short break from match play while he recovered.

Mastheads

Commentary in the lead-up pitched that enforced absence as potentially beneficial, an opportunity to manage a high-minute player through a long season, similar to managed rests used by other clubs.

Despite those absences, the Dockers’ depth showed. Some analysts argued the enforced rest was a silver lining that could restore freshness later in the campaign. Others said the continued wins owe more to Fremantle’s depth than to scheduling luck. Fremantle insiders pointed to team balance and midfield spread as the primary drivers of the victory.

For Essendon, the scoreline and broader context are sobering. The Bombers have managed just one win this season and sit near the bottom of the ladder. The AFL’s mid-season fixture update kept Essendon out of Thursday and Friday night slots in Rounds 16-22 according to the published game times, a scheduling outcome that reflects the club’s low ladder position. Critics have pointed to structural issues in both attack and defence and suggested a single coaching tweak is unlikely to fix them quickly. Brad Scott’s record against Fremantle now stands at two wins and 12 losses overall, a tally that stretches back to his time at North Melbourne as well as at Essendon.

Thing is, there is also historical perspective here. The win extended Fremantle’s unbeaten run to nine matches, matching the club’s best-ever winning streaks from 2015 and 2006.

The combination of streak-matching history and Voss’s MCG quarter places this result in a sequence that puts real pressure on the top of the ladder. Media coverage framed Fremantle’s run as a team built to absorb absences and keep winning, not a side that depends on a single star.

If you plan to follow the season, note the practical details. The AFL’s Round 16 list shows Fremantle scheduled to play Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday June 28 at 5.10pm and Essendon to play North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday June 28 at 3.15pm. For live viewing, Fox Sports notes every match airs on FOX FOOTY, and Kayo Sports offers an ad-break free feed by subscription. Check the AFL fixture release for confirmed start times before you make travel plans.

So where does that leave supporters deciding whether to commit? If you are Fremantle-aligned, the trip to Optus Stadium for the June 28 game looks like a safe play. If you follow Essendon, this season asks for patience. The ladder position has immediate consequences for fixtures and exposure, and the club’s single win suggests the calendar won't hand the Bombers easy chances to rebuild momentum in prime-time slots.

Related Articles

Next concrete dates are Round 16 starting Thursday June 25. Fremantle play Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday June 28 at 5.10pm and Essendon face North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday June 28 at 3.15pm. All matches air on FOX FOOTY and Kayo Sports offers an ad-break free feed by subscription, so check the AFL fixture release for confirmed start times before you make plans.

This article was created with AI assistance.