It seems like only yesterday that Fremantle were getting their immunisations for the trip east to play Port Adelaide at Dank Park. But, as they say, time flies when you're getting done and Fremantle will get a chance to gain some revenge on the teal queens with a return match at Subiaco Oval this weekend. Last time around, Fremantle struggled to find 22 players who were fit enough to make the trip east but played with so much heart and showed so much fight that most at the ground agreed they were the real winners of the game, despite the differing opinion of the goal umpires, the AFL record books and a hundred and fifty year old scoring system.

Down to the last 21 players on their list (after Adam Campbell was Ko'd in the first quarter), taking the most feared trip in the AFL to play the side that most experts at the time had earmarked as the only challenger to Geelong and St Kilda for the flag, the Dockers got out to a 3 goal lead in the first quarter and held the lead for most of the day before the drought breaking rains swept through Adelaide and gave the Power one advantage too many. Port crept ahead and, while they put up one hell of a fight, Fremantle were too buggered to do anything about it, losing - if you're the sort of person who measures victory by points for and against - by 4 goals. Paul Duffield was impressive with 29 touches while Kane Cornes picked up 34 cheap positions on the wing. David Rodan kicked 3 goals for Port but Fremantle shared things around more with Pavlich, Mundy and Thornton all kicking a couple. Duffield, Chris Tarrant and Nic Suban picked up the Clinton Wolf Medal votes in controversial circumstances.

Fremantle visited Port Adelaide last year in Round 17. The Dockers season had ended 12 weeks earlier and most of their squad were either holidaying at the Olympics or recovering from some sort of surgery, including their captain, Matthew Pavlich. With that sort of dead wood on the sidelines, the rest of the side were free to run amok at AAMI Stadium. In a stunning display of football, the Dockers kicked 6 unanswered goals in the first quarter to blow the Power away and send nearly all 12 of their supporters heading for their cars to beat the traffic. Port came back in the second quarter and jagged their way into the lead in the third but Fremantle unleashed once again kicking 6 of the next 7 for the quarter and fighting on against a howling gale in the last quarter for a 28 point victory 15.11 (101) to 20.9 (129).

A young (and now crippled) Rhys Palmer had the most touches for Fremantle with 31 disposals while Kane Cornes picked up 39 cheap possessions (most of which were handballs to himself). Warren Tredrea and Matthew Westoff's dad kicked 4 goals each for Port. A now crippled Mark Johnson kicked 3 goals for Fremantle with the 15 other goal kickers for Fremantle getting them up to the twenty goal mark.

Many people felt that Fremantle made a mistake when they'd battled Port Adelaide in Round 10 by not resting enough of their players. Fremantle got away to a flyer, they kicked 5 goals in the first quarter to Port's 2 and looked well in control - until the second quarter where they didn't score a goal and missed 6 times. They picked up the pace in the third and hit the front thanks to their large behind count but it was Port Adelaide who showed all the arse in the last quarter, kicking another 6 goals and beating the Dockers by 28 points. Chad's brother Kane had 31 touches for Port Adelaide and Rhys Palmer starred with the ball for Fremantle. Daniel Motlop kicked 5 teal goals and, in an indication of how they went in front of the sticks, Aaron Sanidlands top scored for Freo with 2. The Clinton Wold Medal votes went to Sanidlands and Palmer, with Luke McPharlin picking up the single.

The game was by far Fremantle's first misadventure with Port Adeliade. Twice in 2007 the Power thwarted Fremantle's plans of success, rolling them in the last quarter in Round 1 and putting the Dockers entire season on the rocks and then again in Round 22 as they made a last gasped attempt to sneak into the finals.

Port Adelaide were, however, kind enough to offer Fremantle a leg up into the finals in 2006. Weary from a long season and tense entering their first finals campaign since 2003, the Dockers invited Port Adelaide over to Perth for what turned out to be a slightly lighter run than your average intra-club scratch match - albeit one where the home team was unfairly stacked with good players. It was Fremantle's 9th win in a row and their biggest for the season. 79 points was the margin when Port finally decided to walk off the ground. Jeff Farmer kicked 6 goals, Matthew Pavlich a lazy 5 and Tony Thurstans top scored for the Power with 2. Brett Peake had a career high 29 touches and ran a similar number of kilometres. Kane Cornes had the most of it for Port Adelaide, getting rid of the ball 35 times as he seagulled it up around the ground. Brett Peake picked up the 3 Clinton Wolf medal votes in controversial circumstances, with Jeff Farmer and Ryan Crowley rounding out the placings. The umpires almost got it spot on but threw Aaron Sandilands in for the 1 vote.

That was Fremantle's second win over Port Adelaide for the season. Earlier in the year they'd been sent over to Footy Park in during the Dockers AFL sanctioned caravan trip around Australia. Despite the travel schedule, the once impenetrable fortress of Football Park became Fremantle's playground, handing out a 5 goal shellacking to Port. Luke McPharlin kicked 3 goals for Freo and Brendon Lade 4 goals for the Power. Paul Hasleby racked up 16 kicks and 15 handballs, Matthew Pavlich took 15 marks and Josh Carr only gave away 3 free kicks for his 27 possession, 2 goal game. Kane Cornes got rid of the ball 26 times for Port. Mundy, Johnson and Hasleby didn't feature in the Brownlow despite picking up the 3-2-1 in the Clinton Wolf. Josh Carr picked up top votes in the Brownlow. Brendon Lade somehow snuck in for the 2 and Pav picked up the 1.

It was a nice winning streak of two games in a row for Fremantle but, thanks to a patch of good form at the start of the century, it's been Port Adelaide who have had the wood over Fremantle in the past. From 19 games, Port have won 13 and Fremantle just 6. It took the Dockers 4 years to beat Port Adelaide, another 4 to do it again but just 2 to do it the next time. Drawing the logical conclusion, that the next win should take 1 year and Fremantle are due for a victory this weekend.

Last week Port Adelaide caught Hawthorn hung over again and had a three goal win in the dewy late afternoon at Dank Park. Travis Boak had a lot of the ball and Robert Gray kicked 4 goals. It was a much needed win for Port after a month where they lost to Adelaide, bottom of the ladder side Melbourne and barely beat the West Coast Eagles. They've won one game away from home this season and lost to the Eagles by 50 points the last time they were in Perth. So far this season they have won 9 games and are sitting at the bottom of the eight.

Fremantle are coming off a stirring loss to the Western Bulldogs on the difficult surface of Tesltra Dome and will return home to the scene of their triumph against the evil side they share a home venue with. The Dockers are currently on 4 wins for the season and are just 5 wins outside the top eight.