Fremantle Dockers Smother Adelaide Crows for Third Straight AFL Win

• Fremantle Dockers overcame their own scrappy handling to extend their unbeaten start
• Adelaide Crows were stunned in the 50-metre circle by an outstanding Fremantle defence
• Optus Stadium recorded the biggest non-derby crowd, with over 50,000 through the gates

A clinical Fremantle Dockers extended their unbeaten start to the AFL season in Perth on Good Friday.

Justin Longmuir's side welcomed the Adelaide Crows, who kept pace, but ultimately failed to break down the hosts.

The early exchanges had the Crows edging a sluggish Fremantle thanks to a few timely spoils and a bomb from Chris Burgess from outside the 50.

The first quarter ended with a few handbags after a frantic passage of play saw Fremantle unable to pull the trigger, going into the break 17-14 down.

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Football

The stingy defending continued in the second half, with the team tied at two goals each and Adelaide edging it on behinds.

Michael Walters was guilty of wasting Fremantle's best chances, but redeemed himself as he snapped one between the sticks with five minutes to go in the quarter.

That gave the hosts the impetus they needed, and they dominated the final stages of the half with Jye Amiss adding another six-pointer.

Longmuir called for more composure in the second half but the game remained tight. Burgess missed a close-range effort from a tight angle before Lachlan Scholl scored Adelaide's fourth to make it a two-point game.

Amiss was the beneficiary of the Crows failing to play out their goal area, as he pounced on loose play to give them a ten-point lead at the end of the third quarter.

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Michael Frederick helps in Dockers' win

The visitors had the ascendancy in the opening minutes of the final quarter but Jake Soligo only earned a behind when he looked certain to reduce the gap to three.

The miss would prove decisive, as Bailey Banfield made the Crows pay after finding himself in space following a Michael Frederick assist.

The Crows kept pushing but Fremantle allowed no significant space in the 50, delivering the knockout punch with eight minutes left on the clock via Josh Treacy.

The hosts exploited the space left by the Crows' lack of fight, Matt Taberner and Frederick adding two more goals. At nine goals to four, plus 15 behinds to the Crows' 10, Fremantle ran out 69-34 victors.

The rules of Aussie Rules

Sports Brief earlier compiled an article explaining the rules and origins of the Australian Football League.

Aussie Rules has been played for over 100 years and features 18 players aside on an oval or cricket field.

Collingwood, Essendon, and Carlton are the most successful, having each won the Premiership 16 times.