Goals: Fremantle: M Pavlich 5 N Fyfe 3 M Walters 2 C Mayne C Pearce D Pearce M Taberner Z Clarke. Western Bulldogs: T Dickson 7 S Crameri 2 T Boyd 2 B Dale L Dahlhaus M Bontempelli.

Umpires: Matt Stevic, Jeff Dalgleish, Leigh Fisher

Official Crowd: 18,170 at Etihad Stadium

A radical restructuring of their ruck set-up inspired a comeback of huge character by the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, but Fremantle clung on to remain unbeaten as Nat Fyfe's continued dominance was soured by a report for tripping.

The Dockers ran out 13-point winners after kicking the first five goals of the game but were made to work every step of the way as the Dogs - backing themselves to go one-on-one with the competition's benchmark, and surging the ball forward where Tory Dickson kicked a career-best seven goals - levelled the scores late in the last quarter after Fremantle had led by 34 points early in the second.

A Fyfe point with two and a half minutes left led to a behind before Michael Walters took a slips catch of a mark in a packed forward 50 to give the Dockers a lead that captain Matthew Pavlich made a matchwinning one by screwing home his fifth goal from deep in the pocket.

Fyfe's name went in the book late in the third quarter when he threw out his right leg as Koby Stevens changed direction and went to go around him. The contact was intentional but low, is likely to result in a fine but not rule the Brownlow favourite out of contention for the game's highest individual honour after a rule change at the end of the 2014 season.

The Bulldogs had gone goalless for the last 27 minutes of their historic loss to St Kilda eight days earlier, and after 14 minutes found themselves five goals down and unable to win the ball let alone move it forward. A serious belting was in the offing.

Ayce Cordy has been Luke Beveridge's preferred ruckman, but the biggest man in the game gave him a most unpleasant start to Sunday afternoon. At quarter-time the hit-outs were 17-3 in Fremantle's favour; Aaron Sandilands had a dozen, Koby Stevens had third-man-upped his way to as many taps as Cordy and Tom Boyd.

By the time Boyd hung onto a mark 20 metres out to kick the Dogs first of the day they had conceded the last five goals one week and the first five the next. The Dockers had a staggering 61 more possessions to the first break, and were plus-21 on contested ball.

Drastic measures were required, and Beveridge responded. Brett Goodes, Marcus Bontempelli, Stewart Crameri, Lin Jong and Stevens all took their turn pretending to be ruckmen as Cordy took the centre bounces and headed forward. At the odd boundary throw-in they let Sandilands go up alone.

The tactic was tantamount to concession yet it threw the Dockers, who gave away free kicks at stoppages, lost their dominance of possession and watched the Dogs kick three in a row to surge back into the game.

Michael Johnson blanketed Jake Stringer and marked everything that came his way, Pavlich was a constant handful for Michael Talia, but Fyfe could bank another three votes after a 30-possession game that included 20 hard-won touches, 10 clearances, eight inside 50s and three goals.

The Bulldogs had trudged off defeated and deflated the previous week, but left Etihad Stadium with their heads held high, led by captain Bob Murphy whose 29 possessions were typically gilt-edged.