They denied Collingwood a place in the top four - and could have cost themselves a third round draft choice - but Fremantle and their fans did not seem to care after handsomely beating the Magpies to end a miserable 2008 on a Friday night high.

Running out to a 12.8 (80) to 8.8 (56) victory after leading at every change, the Dockers farewelled Mark Johnson in style - and saw the best of Jeff Farmer with three goals in what could also be his last games in Dockers colours.

With Josh Carr also said to be leaving, Collingwood's double chance also disappeared, with the loss possible confining them to eighth place - and definitely putting them on the back foot going into September.

And while the sixth win was a huge short term fillip for the Dockers - particularly in the absence of captain Matthew Pavlich - it takes them above Port Adelaide on the ladder, and may cost them a chance of drafting WA tyro Nicholas Naitanui later in the year.

After kicking five straight goals in a dominant first quarter, Collingwood's Leon Davis was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping his side in the contest in the first half - including a late, late contender for goal of the year.

But with Rhys Palmer confirming his status as the best young player in the 2008 competition with a performance of first day, rather than last round, intensity, the Pies could not match the Dockers run - perhaps the most worrying aspect for Mick Malthouse.

With Palmer starting on the bench, Collingwood actually began like a house on fire, while Fremantle were still looking for their hoses, with two sighters before John Anthony's opening goal.

But that bright start proved to be a false dawn for the visitors, who found themselves under finals-like pressure a week early from a team planning flights to holiday destinations, not playing venues.

After Johnson marked his last game with Freo's first meaningful action, his tackle and handball to Paul Duffield led to the Dockers' first - and Farmer followed suit soon after.

Josh Carr got in on the good starts from those about to depart, converting on his left side for a third straight goal.

Young guns Hinkley and Palmer then combined, and with the fires starting to burn in the Dockers midfield - and the alarms ringing in the Pies coaching box - Palmer's raking handball found Kepler Bradley whose unerring finish topped a purple patch from the men in purple.

Palmer's ten first term touches matched Davis's - but the starkest different were the 12 clearances won by the Dockers to just two from the Pies, neatly dividing into the sixth successive week Fremantle have won a first term

The problem over that period, as it has been all season, was converting winning positions into points - and as Collingwood redressed the clearance balance, so the 5.0 to 1.4 first quarter score began to equalise.

Dane Swan and Shannon Cox spoiled early chances, but when Marty Clarke scrambled one through, the Irishman placed the second quarter firmly in the balance.

The lack of Pavlich left Fremantle without their plan A and B - but plan C still involved looking for their leading forward.

When he wasn't there though, the Dockers were still able to find targets out wide, with Des Headland and Farmer converting from opposite pocket.

Dominating the middle part of the term as they had the first, Byron Schammer had two chances from an identical spot missing them both.

And then Davis made his last minute bid for a car, dispossessing Headland, scooping up the loose ball in one hand and spinning and converting from the boundary line to extraordinary effect.

The quality and tenacity of the goal lifted the Pies to greater efforts, but no more scores, and Freo's 14 point lead should have been more - and the skills after half time should definitely have been better.

With kicking of an alarmingly poor from both side - save for Goldsack's snap for his first and Collingwood's fifth - the third term descended into a morass of errors and fumbles, with even Davis finding the tenth row of the stands rather than a teammate.

With Bradley one of the offenders, dropping a mark over the boundary and then suffering an unfortunately comic injury in a ruck contest, it was the former Bomber and his team who profited from Josh Fraser's fumble in the goalsquare.

When Schammer converted after Mayne's tap, the Magpies top four aspirations were hanging by a thread - which may have snapped had Mayne converted after another Palmer pass.

But after he missed, it was the Dockers defenders left desperately trying to clear their lines, unsuccessfully as it turned out to allow Travis Cloke to find his range and keep Collingwood in with a slight chance.

That was extinguished almost immediately by Farmer, whose vintage boundary line major was celebrated in typical fashion - with arms raised slowly to the sky.

And although Collingwood's demise came slowly it was inevitable - with the Dockers careers of Farmer and Carr now the issues for Mark Harvey, and the form of his side the problem of Malthouse.

FREMANTLE 5.0 7.1 9.7 12.8 (80)
COLLINGWOOD 1.4 4.5 6.6 8.8 (56)
Goals: Fremantle: J Farmer 3, K Bradley 3, P Duffield, J Carr, R Palmer, D Headland, B Schammer, A Campbell Collingwood: T Cloke 2, J Anthony 2, M Clarke, J Fraser, L Davis, T Goldsack
Best: Fremantle: Palmer, Farmer, McPharlin, Mayne, Bradley, Hayden
Collingwood: Davis, Pendlebury, Fraser, Cox
Umpires: C Donlon, B Rosebury, S Ryan
Crowd: 35,106 at Subiaco Oval, Perth

WAtoday.com.au