Coach Justin Longmuir is demanding flag favourites Fremantle "keep our foot down" after a scratchy 28-point triumph against Port Adelaide.
Longmuir's Dockers are three wins clear atop the ladder after their 15.13 (103) to 11.9 (75) victory at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Freo trailed by two goals at halftime but then booted five majors to none in 13 minutes to start the third quarter in a game-breaking burst.
"We have got to improve on our footy on what you saw today," Longmuir said.
"We're still striving to be a team that can play anywhere against anyone, and clearly we're not the finished product with what we put out there today.
"You sit still in this game and you allow teams to catch up, so we've just got to keep our foot down, look at areas to improve."
Fremantle's Jye Amiss booted four goals and fellow forwards Josh Treacy and Michael Frederick kicked three apiece.
On-baller Andrew Brayshaw (30 disposals) was a standout, and Caleb Serong (28, eight clearances) and Luke Ryan (21) were also influential.
But the Dockers have concern over veteran Jaeger O'Meara, who didn't return after injuring an ankle in the third quarter.
Jaeger O'Meara has been ruled out for the rest of the game.#AFLPowerFreo pic.twitter.com/DQzwsK7MOp
— AFL (@AFL) July 18, 2026
Port have 13 players out injured and were missing their top four: captain Connor Rozee, vice-captain Zak Butters and spearhead Mitch Georgiades (all injured), and Jason Horne-Francis (suspended).
The 15th-placed Power couldn't maintain their early rage despite the feats of Joe Richards (31 disposals, one goal, eight tackles), Aliir Aliir (13 marks), Jase Burgoyne (24 touches) and Ollie Wines (30 possessions).
Port's Mitch Zadow, in just his fourth AFL game, booted three goals, and Dante Visentini and Corey Durdin scored two each.
Coach Josh Carr said there were many lessons for his players to take from the game, then added: "I hate talking about it.
"It's easy for us as coaches to sit here and we talk about the process and lessons ... but in the end, we want to win.''
The unfancied Power, propelled by a 12-2 centre-clearance dominance, led 8.6 to 6.6 at halftime and were given a standing ovation from their 28,727-strong home crowd.
But the delight rapidly disappeared when Fremantle arrested their centre-clearance woes and hit top gear in the third term.
The Dockers midfield took control and big guns Treacy and Amiss fired as the visitors logged 6.2 to 1.1 for the quarter.
The onslaught turned Freo's 12-point halftime deficit into a 19-point buffer at three-quarter time.
Fremantle, now with 16 wins and only two losses, closed out victory with three goals to two in the final term.
