Fremantle have soared to a club record 10th consecutive win after coming from behind to post a 30-point victory over a plucky St Kilda in front of 53,707 fans at Optus Stadium.
The Saints, led by former Dockers coach Ross Lyon, threatened to be party poopers after hitting the lead early in the final quarter of Friday night's match when Darcy Wilson nailed a goal on the run.
The Saints regain the lead in style!#AFLFreoSaints pic.twitter.com/Eg9IjnqvT3
— AFL (@AFL) May 22, 2026
But just like they have done so many times this season, Fremantle lifted when it mattered most, drawing on their 'Wharfie Time' spirit to pile on the next six goals and secure the 16.8 (104) to 11.8 (74) win, securing their place in club history.
Josh Treacy kick-started the late charge with a mark low to the ground and a clutch set shot.
Murphy Reid followed it up with a goal on the run from 50m, and Fremantle had a handy 19-point lead when Isaiah Dudley snapped truly.
Jye Amiss snapped his fourth goal a short time later, and Shai Bolton put the icing on the cake when he kicked one from the boundary line.
Bolton, who moments earlier took a spectacular mark in defence, celebrated both the goal and Indigenous round by showing off an Indigenous dance.
"I'm really proud of the players," Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said.
"I was a little bit worried coming into the game. We had four of our eight leaders out ... playing a team that were pretty experienced,
"But I thought we had a lot of players step up and share the load, and eventually we got the job done."
Shai Bolton ARE YOU KIDDING?! 🤯#AFLFreoSaints pic.twitter.com/44OpP1WzYA
— AFL (@AFL) May 22, 2026
Lyon was the last person to guide Fremantle to nine wins in a row - in 2015 - and he played an early role in shaping some of the Dockers' current squad before leaving to take up his post at St Kilda.
But he didn't want to take any credit for the strength of Fremantle's list or their current hot form.
"Not one iota," Lyon said.
While Amiss led the way on the goal kicking front, fellow spearhead Treacy was an important link man with 11 marks and 2.2.
Fremantle forward Pat Voss (three goals) had an intriguing battle with Callum Wilkie (21 possessions, three marks), with the pair engaging in a series of wrestles as tempers threatened to boil over.
Reid continued his hot form on the way to 30 disposals and a goal, while Bolton racked up 25 disposals, four clearances, 633m gained and one goal.
St Kilda lost Dougal Howard to a calf injury in the third quarter, and ruckman Rowan Marshall limped off in the dying minutes of the match.
Max Hall (25 disposals, two goals) and Jack Sinclair (29 disposals, 644m gained) led the way for St Kilda, who slipped to a 5-6 record.
Hall got St Kilda off to a hot start with the opening two goals of the game, and Mason Wood ensured the Saints took a six-point lead into quarter time when he took a brave mark with the flight of the ball at the top of the goal square.
It marked the 10th straight game St Kilda had won the opening term, and Mattaes Phillipou's two goals during the second quarter meant the Saints held a one-point lead at halftime.
The Dockers turn defence into attack in a flash 💥@coles | #AFLFreoSaints pic.twitter.com/od8RZq3zkt
— AFL (@AFL) May 22, 2026
Fremantle spearhead Amiss had three goals to his name by half-time, with two of those coming via clutch long-range set shots in the second quarter.
The Dockers led by 10 points midway through the third quarter when Dudley's snap took a 90-degree turn in the goal square to bounce through for an important major.
But St Kilda were able to absorb Fremantle's weight of numbers and then hit the lead in the fourth, before the Dockers unleashed an avalanche of goals to secure a comfortable victory.
