Fremantle has notched its third win of the season and moved a game clear of the dogfight to avoid the wooden spoon with a 46-point victory over fellow strugglers Melbourne at Subiaco Oval.

The Dockers were terrible early and trailed by 34 points five minutes into the second quarter before launching a remarkable comeback.

With Fremantle controlling the clearances courtesy of Aaron Sandilands' dominance in the ruck, the Dockers piled on 13 of the next 14 goals to seal the 16.8 (114) to 10.8 (68) win.

Matthew Pavlich was the hero with five goals, 28 possessions, five clearances and five score assists, but he had plenty of help.

The likes of Byron Schammer, Brock O'Brien, Chris Mayne, Garrick Ibbotson, Josh Head, Shaun McManus, Antoni Grover and Michael Johnson were also crucial in the turnaround.

Melbourne had few winners, although Chris Johnson, Paul Wheatley and Cameron Bruce found plenty of the ball.

Aaron Davey and Cale Morton (two goals) were explosive early but ineffectual once Fremantle gained control of the contest.

The win lifts Fremantle a game and percentage clear of Melbourne and West Coast at the foot of the ladder.

The Demons blew Fremantle apart in the opening term with a five-goal-to-nil onslaught but it was the Dockers' inability to hit targets that allowed Melbourne to dominate the scoreboard.

Time and again Fremantle would pump the ball into their forward 50m to a teammate grossly outnumbered, with Chris Tarrant's miss from 30m out and directly in front summing up the Dockers' misery.

But it was a different Dockers outfit that fronted up in the second term as the home side clicked into gear.

Pavlich kicked two goals for the term while 20-year-old O'Brien was terrific under the packs as Fremantle booted five unanswered goals to square up the scoreboard at halftime.

The Dockers sealed the win in the third quarter with six goals, including two to Pavlich, as Melbourne gave up the chase.

Schammer was everywhere while McManus, on the back of retirement rumours, willed his body to contest after contest, with his goal from the pocket thrilling a season-low Subiaco crowd of 31,638.

The last quarter became a cake walk as the Dockers did as they liked.

Luke McPharlin booted two goals for the term while even Tarrant joined the party with a major after posting a wayward three behinds in the first three quarters.

FREMANTLE 0.2 5.9 11.15 16.18 (114)
MELBOURNE 5.1 6.3 7.5 10.8 (68)

GOALS Fremantle: Pavlich 5, McPharlin 3, Peake, McManus, Ibbotson, Tarrant, Schammer, Sandilands, O'Brien, J Carr. Melbourne: Morton 2, Bate 2, Newton 2, Miller 2, P Johnson, Jamar.

BEST Fremantle: Pavlich, Sandilands, Schammer, Mayne, Michael Johnson. Melbourne: C Johnson, Davey, Miller, Morton, Bruce, Bate.

INJURIES Fremantle: O'Brien (hamstring).

UMPIRES Kennedy, Hendrie, Avon.

CROWD 31,638 at Subiaco Oval.

THE UPSHOT The Dockers, a game clear of local rival West Coast, head to Adelaide to take on Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday. The Power should be switched on after its victory over the Crows yesterday. Melbourne, after missing a chance to get off the bottom, is back at the MCG on Sunday against North Melbourne.

TALKING POINT Melbourne's Michael Newton kicked the goal of the day with a sensational banana snap in the first term after intercepting a Docker handball.

HOT AND COLD Fremantle was stone cold in the first quarter, but Matthew Pavlich was red hot for the rest of the match and helped dragged his team back into the contest.

AAP