Fremantle and Sydney laid it all on the line in a classic home and away match before the Freo Dockers stamped their authority in a powerful fourth quarter to win by 38 points at Optus Stadium.
In the biggest and most anticipated match of the season so far, the away side produced a ferocious contest for three quarters that was a final in every way bar name.
But the Freo Dockers showed why they have been the ladder leaders for two months, soaking up the Swans' challenge and defying a five-day break to produce a scintillating nine-goal final quarter to win 15.21 (111) to 10.13 (73).
It was an incredible turnaround from Fremantle, who went goalless in the first half for the third time in their history but kicked 100 points in the second half, with goals raining down on Optus Stadium in the club's Annual Starlight Purple Haze Game, proudly presented by South32.
They trailed by two points early in the final term after Sydney superstar Charlie Curnow kicked his fifth goal, but the game turned for good after inspirational captain Alex Pearce ran with the flight and took an incredible goal-saving mark in defence.
From there, Fremantle kicked seven unanswered goals in a 14-minute burst that would have left the competition withering, opening up a 43-point lead when the game had looked destined to go down to the wire.
Star forward Josh Treacy kicked two of his four goals during the burst, while Michael Frederick was electric with a pair of his own. Mason Cox put the finishing touches on his best performance as a Freo Docker with a critical mark and goal.
Pat Voss and Jye Amiss also finished with two goals each, while midfielders Andrew Brayshaw (25 disposals and nine inside 50s), Caleb Serong (28 and seven clearances) and Murphy Reid (28 and five entries) were instrumental in the second-half fightback after the Dockers trailed by as much as 25 points.
For the Swans, Curnow looked unstoppable at stages and kicked brilliantly for his bag of five, while Errol Gulden's class stood out all night with 30 disposals and seven inside 50s.
Sydney coach Dean Cox spoke in the build-up about the importance of centre ball-ups early in the game and making sure Freo didn't control terms through field position and their tall forwards.
He would have been thrilled with his players' ability to apply enough pressure to blunt Freo's weapons from the outset, utilising their own to kick the first three goals of the game and race to a 19-point lead at the first break.
The battle between Luke Jackson and Brodie Grundy typified the match, with both big men throwing themselves at everything in a physical clash between two players contending for an All-Australian ruck spot.
It was Freo's midfielders who worked their way on top in the second quarter, led by Reid with 10 disposals for the term, but a run of six behinds for the quarter meant they gained no ground.
Sydney, meanwhile, drew on its class late with Gulden turning neatly on the wing and delivering a long inside 50 to Papley, who converted from long range to set the half-time margin at 22 points.
Following the main break defender Jordan Clark kicked Freo's first major for the game with a long-running goal in the opening minute that sparked a shootout.
The key forwards from both teams asserted themselves on the contest, with Curnow sublime in a three-goal quarter that put him back in front in the Coleman Medal race.
Treacy and Voss got going for Freo, however, with Bolton slicing through traffic to kick a brilliant running goal from 50m after some earlier wayward attempts, with the Swans' lead cut to three points at the final break.
It all looked set for a grandstand finish, but in the end Fremantle didn't even need Wharfie Time to get the job done in a blistering finish that further cemented them as the team to beat in 2026.
FREMANTLE 0.5 0.11 6.16 15.21 (111)
SYDNEY 3.6 4.9 7.12 10.13 (73)
GOALS
Fremantle: Treacy 4, Voss 2, Frederick 2, Bolton 2, Amiss 2, McVee, Cox, Clark
Sydney: Curnow 5, Papley 2, Lloyd 2, Hanily
BEST
Fremantle: Pearce, Treacy, Brayshaw, Reid, Clark, Serong, Bolton
Sydney: Curnow, Gulden, Warner, Grundy, Mills, Papley
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Sydney: Nil
Crowd: 55,966 at Optus Stadium
