A week after kicking 0.4 in a shock western derby loss to West Coast, Banfield kicked two clutch goals in the dying minutes on Saturday night to secure the 14.11 (95) to 10.11 (71) win in front of 45,931 fans.
The result snapped a run of three straight losses for the Dockers, and improved their season record to 4-3.
Banfield finished the match with three goals from 22 disposals.
The Bulldogs trailed by just six points with a little over four minutes remaining.
Banfield's 45m set shot gave Fremantle a 12-point buffer.
Then with less than two minutes remaining, Banfield nailed a tough 50m shot near the boundary line to secure the victory, with Michael Walters' late goal adding icing on the cake.
Banfield goes BANG to seal the deal!— AFL (@AFL) #AFLFreoDogs pic.twitter.com/9KRG7caYEsApril 27, 2024
Fremantle veteran Nat Fyfe wound back the clock with 37 disposals, seven clearances and a goal, while Caleb Serong (37 disposals, 17 clearances) was also a monster in the middle.
Dockers debutant Cooper Simpson, who was subbed into the game in the second quarter, showed flashes of brilliance and finished with three score assists.
Fremantle spearhead Josh Treacy was superb with three goals from eight marks.
Bulldogs utility Bailey Dale continued his resurgence with 30 disposals and two goals, while Sam Darcy kicked three goals.
Liam Jones was a spoiling machine in defence for the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs forward Rhylee West could be in trouble for a high shepherd that struck Brandon Walker in the head, resulting in the Dockers defender being assessed in the change rooms for concussion.
The Bulldogs suffered a blow before the match when midfielder Tom Liberatore, who was due to return from concussion, was ruled out through illness.
The loss was compounded when forward Cody Weightman appeared to dislocate his left elbow again when he landed hard from a marking contest in the first quarter.
Fremantle also lost a player in the opening term, with Josh Draper suffering a game-ending hamstring injury.
The Dockers' midfielders feasted early as the Bulldogs struggled to cover the late loss of Liberatore.
Fyfe racked up a career-high 15 possessions in the first quarter - 12 of which were handballs - while Serong (13 disposals) and Andrew Brayshaw (13) were also prolific.
Former Docker Rory Lobb was booed every time he touched the ball, but he produced a fine moment early in the match with a strong contested mark.
Treacy's goal after the quarter-time siren gave the Dockers an eight-point edge, and the second term was an arm wrestle as momentum ebbed and flowed.
Dale kicked two goals for the term to reduce the margin to three points at half-time.
The Bulldogs controlled large portions of the third quarter, but their wobbles in front of goal proved costly.
Adam Treloar kicked two behinds and another that went out of bounds, but the worst miss of the lot was that from captain Marcus Bontempelli, who sprayed his set shot from just 10m out.
The Bulldogs had 1.7 to their name for the term before Darcy took a strong mark just seconds before the siren before kicking truly.
The match was on a knife's edge in the last quarter before Banfield broke the Bulldogs' spirits with two late goals.
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