FREMANTLE have once again given up a healthy lead to subside to a sickening loss, going down 14.11 (95) to 13.13 (91) to Essendon at Subiaco Oval.

Despite the inside knowledge of former Bombers Dean Solomon, coach Mark Harvey and 200 gamer Mark Johnson - and the loss of Dustin Fletcher with a broken hand - Essendon won their third game in a row and kept their finals chances alive.

And Fremantle will again rue their inability to capitalise on a 20-point lead held in the second term, and the loss of hamstring victims Roger Hayden and Ryley Dunn, and Ryan Crowley with a suspected punctured lung.

After Dockers young gun Chris Mayne dominated the opening stages - and Matthew Pavlich kicked three of his six goals in nine second-quarter minutes - the Dockers opened up a three goal lead and some breathing space.

But as so often this year, the breathing of the Dockers' young midfield became heavier as the game wore on, allowing the Matthew Knights' Baby Bombers to claw their way back.

With David Hille again proving his step up in class is more permanent than temporary, and Mark McVeigh and Leroy Jetta pulling the strings, the loss of Hayden and Dunn limited Harvey's interchange options. But after weathering an Essendon storm after halftime, the Dockers had the chance to take the lead through Pavlich late in the third term - but he sprayed his shot wide.

Four minutes later, the Bombers were three goals up, after Adam Ramanauskas, Scott Lucas and Sam Lonergan all pounced.

But Pavlich refused to be bowed, kicking three in the last to take the game to wire.

With 83 seconds left, Chris Tarrant's ice cool finish brought the Dockers within a kick - with a frantic finish typified by a shuddering clash between Byron Schammer and Adam McPhee which allowed the Bombers to sneak home.

With Luke McPharlin failing to recover from his rib injury, Josh Head was drafted in to make his debut in Johnson's 200th AFL game - 194 of them having been played in Bomber's colours. Jay Neagle was missing from the red and black outfit.

Fremantle and Robbie Warnock in particular got the early jump, although scruffy foot skills where it mattered cost the Dockers a significant early lead.

Three points could easily have been four times that, and after McVeigh showed what experience and an accurate radar can do, Chris Tarrant topped his teammates errors by hitting the post from barely 15m.

Mayne's duel with late replacement Damien Peverill and Ramanauskas was clearly being won by the Docker with the distinctive mane, with seven possessions, four marks, four inside 50s the standout first term performance.

But a conversion rate of just two goals from seven shots allowed the Bombers to lead by three points at the first break - despite Aaron Sandilands' 13 hitouts to his two.

With Hayden's day ended early, Fletcher had delayed the impact of Pavlich for one term - but could do nothing about him in the second.

With Sandilands' posted forward, the multiple All-Australian suddenly became a 192cm ruck rover, with two bursts from goalsquare taps bringing two goals in two minutes.

When Mayne added to the tally and Head's range of kicking set up Pavlich for a third, the Dockers found themselves some daylight.

But Hille, on the back of form not bettered in his career, again lifted his side back into the contest with more contested possessions than any teammate to halftime, and two vital goals.

A one point deficit quickly became a lead early in the third when Brent Stanton converted - and with Crowley off clutching his ribs, the impetus was all Essendon's.

Solomon put his former loyalties behind him to convert and bring the arrears to just two, and when Pavlich marked 35m out it seemed the Dockers could take a lead into three quarter time for the umpteenth time this year.

However, Pavlich pushed his shot wide and less than four minutes later, the Bombers' lead increased as Ramanauskas from a left hand pocket, Lucas after Jetta's vision and Lonergan all made the Dockers pay.

Just when it seemed over, Pavlich's early conversion in the last term gave his team a glimmer of hope.

In the frantic final minutes the game was in the balance - but when Schammer and McPhee collided, the Bomber man rose first, and his team was able to hang on.

ESSENDON 3.2 7.5 11.9 14.11 (95)
FREMANTLE  2.5 7.6 8.9 13.13 (91)

GOALS Essendon: Hille 2, Ramanauskas 2, Lucas 2, Stanton 2, McPhee, Lloyd, McVeigh, Lonergan, Lovett, Reimers. Fremantle: Pavlich 6, Mayne 2, Tarrant 2, Hinkley, Carr, Solomon.

BEST Essendon: McVeigh, Watson, Stanton, Lovett, Lovett-Murray. Fremantle: Pavlich, Sandilands, Mayne, Grover, Bell.

UMPIRES S McBurney, S Stewart, M Nicholls.

CROWD 34,239 at Subiaco Oval.