THERE were only three questions to be answered at half-time in yesterday's Fremantle-North Melbourne clash at a warm Subiaco Oval.

First, and most importantly for the sanity of the Dockers' long-suffering supporters, was their 38-point lead big enough to break an eight-game losing streak that had included five successive last-quarter chokes?

Secondly, just how many goals would Fremantle's skipper Matthew Pavlich kick? He already had four at half-time.

And third, could Pavlich, who has become so renowned for hitting the post that the local newspaper dubbed him Postman Pav, avoid hitting the woodwork?

The Dockers answered the first question in style, romping to a long-awaited victory, 18.12 (120) to 9.13 (67). Not even another sloppy last quarter when they were outscored six goals to five could wipe the gloss off this one.

Pavlich kicked eight goals and if he was dominant before the main break, he became even more so after it, at one point booting six of the seven goals kicked in the match between the 23-minute mark of the second term and the two-minute mark of the last quarter.

And yes, he managed to miss the post — although he certainly didn't miss the hapless Kangaroos, having 17 possessions, taking eight marks and kicking 8.2.

He had a barrage of support — strongest of all from maligned small forward Jeff Farmer, who was as prolific in the midfield as Pavlich was in front of goal. Farmer gathered a career-high 27 possessions and finished his work with two goals.

At the other end, Luke McPharlin was so dominant in a key defensive post that North was held goalless in two quarters.

A 29-possession effort from Kangaroo star Brent Harvey, 26 from Adam Simpson and an encouraging effort from Gavin Urquhart would not take much of the edge off the bitterness of defeat for the Roos, whose top-eight claims took a hammering ahead of a clash with Hawthorn.

The Dockers jumped North in the opening minutes of the match, getting the first goal two minutes in via a Chris Tarrant snap before Pavlich imposed himself on the match.

By quarter-time Pavlich had two goals against North's best defender, Michael Firrito, and the Dockers had a 29-point lead, while the Kangaroos had been held goalless in an opening quarter for the first time this year.

Byron Schammer, recalled to the team after being dropped last week, was an unlikely source of the Dockers' inspiration, gathering 10 first-quarter touches, while former first-round draft pick Ryley Dunn, delisted at the end of last year only to be returned to the main list this week, also had an impact, delivering to Pavlich twice and laying a strong tackle.

Aaron Sandilands again dominated the hitouts but, unlike other weeks, the Dockers were able to gather their share of his hitouts at ground level, with Peter Bell and Josh Carr playing strongly and North's midfielders nullified.

Things didn't get any better for Dean Laidley's team at the start of the second term, with ruckman Hamish McIntosh clutching at his right knee after the opening bounce and being assisted from the field — leaving the Roos with only 21 men early on a warm afternoon.

And yet, after the Dockers squandered a couple of early scoring opportunities, North managed a mini-revival of sorts, with small forwards Lindsay Thomas and Matt Campbell kicking three of the first four goals of the term to reduce Fremantle's lead to a manageable 20 points.

Enter Pavlich again. After a previously wasteful Rhys Palmer kicked straight on the run, Pavlich kicked the last two goals of the first half to take his tally to four and blow the Dockers lead back out to a comfortable 38 points.

He then snuffed out any slim hopes North might have had for another Docker choke by kicking three of the first four goals of the third term.

The three-quarter time lead was 61 points and not even Fremantle was likely to blow that.

FREMANTLE 5.3 9.8 13.11 18.12 (120)
NORTH MELBOURNE 0.4 3.6 3.10 9.13 (67)

GOALS Fremantle: Pavlich 8, Tarrant 2, Farmer 2, Mundy, Palmer, Bell, Ibbotson, Mayne, Johnson. North Melbourne: Thomas 2, Petrie, Lower, Brown, Harding, Campbell, Power, Harvey.

BEST Fremantle: Pavlich, McPharlin, Farmer, Crowley, Schammer, Sandilands. North Melbourne: Harvey, Wells, Petrie, Urquhart.

INJURIES North Melbourne: Grant (rested) replaced in selected side by Brown. McIntosh (knee).

UMPIRES McBurney, Fila, Meredith.

CROWD 34,105 at Subiaco Oval.

THE UPSHOT For Fremantle, an eight-game losing streak is over. The second win of the season for the Dockers also gives them local bragging rights as they clawed their way past West Coast into 14th on the ladder. For North, a disaster. The Roos looked the most vulnerable of the teams in the eight entering the round and the 53-point loss, combined with a knee injury to Hamish McIntosh, have hardly helped their cause.

TALKING POINT Fremantle was outscored in the last quarter yet again, but the 61-point buffer the Dockers carried into the final change was enough to get them over the line in comfort.

HOT AND COLD Some key late misses this season have caused some to wonder about Matthew Pavlich's status as one of the game's superstars, but he had his kicking boots on against North Melbourne, producing 8.2 in a dominant display.