The Demons managed just two behinds in the opening quarter and Freo ran out 47-point winners, 1.13.10 (97) to 2.4.8 (50).
The Dees unveiled top-two draft picks Tom Scully and Jack Trengove in the Sunday night clash, but the pair had little impact.
It was a bad night generally for first-round draft picks, with prized Fremantle youngsters Anthony Morabito and Stephen Hill also quiet.
Melbourne’s star draftees ran onto the field together six minutes into the opening quarter, but finished with just 26 possessions between them. Exciting forward Liam Jurrah was also well held, finishing goalless.
“It was their first game,” coach Dean Bailey said of Scully and Trengove. “It was good to see them out there and we’ve got to make sure we put some game time [into them], and manage them well through the pre-season and into the season.
“As long as we manage them well and they improve, they’ll be a chance (for round one).”
Among the positives for Bailey was former Brisbane Lion Joel Macdonald, who proved a valuable pre-season draft acquisition. Defenders Jared Rivers and James Frawley also held firm on a tough night.
"I thought Joel was good - I thought he won probably three or four really good 50-50 balls, which was really good,” Bailey said.
Jack Grimes finished with a humble 12 possessions but was a regular fixture in Bailey’s centre square rotations and didn’t look out of place after moving up the ground from defence.
Fremantle burst out of the blocks to kick the first five goals and didn’t look back. When Pearce kicked a super goal on the half-time siren the home side was 24 points clear.
Another four straight goals to open the third built a match-winning 48-point lead, consigning Melbourne to the NAB Challenge series.
Fremantle 0.4.4 1.6.6 1.10.9 1.13.10 (97)
Melbourne 0.0.2 2.1.3 2.2.5 2.4.8 (50)
GOALS
Fremantle: Nine-point goals: Pearce Goals: Johnson 3, Pavlich 3, Ballantyne 2, Headland 2, Mayne, Pearce, Sandilands
Melbourne: Nine-point goals: Green, Davey Goals: Miller 2, Morton, Petterd
BEST
Fremantle: Mundy, Barlow, Hayden, Duffield, Grover, Pearce
Melbourne: Macdonald, Jones, Rivers, Frawley, Grimes
INJURIES
Fremantle: McPhee (ankle), Bradley (hip), Schammer (ankle)
Melbourne: Spencer (cork)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Dalgleish, McInerny, Keating
Official crowd: 11,031 at Subiaco Oval
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
