The class of Fremantle’s Benjamin Button lit up an empty Optus Stadium on Saturday night as the Dockers kept their mind on the job to dispatch hapless North Melbourne.

Veteran David Mundy kicked three goals to go with 30 disposals and eight clearances in a wet weather masterclass as Fremantle made it three straight wins for the first time under Justin Longmuir.

It was an effective and percentage-boosting outing from the Dockers, who are still yet to kick more goals than behinds in a game this season after the 51-point win, 14.15 (99) to 6.12 (48).

Captain Nat Fyfe was the major culprit on that front, following his 0.6 in Fremantle’s last home game with 0.4 in a game played on a dewy and slippery surface.

While the job remains ahead of the Dockers as they seek to end a six-year finals absence, they will be buoyed by their 4-2 record — having won four of their past five games heading into next Sunday’s western derby. Two years ago, they were also 4-2 at this point but before the season was done, the coach had been sacked.

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Spearhead Matt Taberner and in-form pocket rocket Lachie Schultz kicked four goals apiece, while Rising Star winner Caleb Serong had a career-high 35 disposals on a night Fremantle controlled the contested ball (157-126) and clearance (37-26) battles to underpin their win.

Captain Jack Ziebell was a shining light for the winless Roos, gathering a game-high 37 touches as a springboard from half-back.

The Kangaroos got two of the first three goals before the Dockers got to work to take control of the contest.

The home side kicked the next six goals, with Mundy starring in two of them to go with his 20-disposal, six-clearance first half.

Fyfe and Serong — who makes a habit of excelling in slippery conditions — were willing allies, with the trio amassing 56 touches and 15 clearances by the major break.

The Dockers kicked four goals to one in the second term to open up a comfortable half-time buffer nearing five goals, dominating the clearance battle 14-4 for the term.

Mundy’s influence was so profound he attracted Andrew Brayshaw’s tagger Kayne Turner during the second term, but the attention didn’t stop him.

When Turner gave away a free kick for holding and then a 50m penalty early in the third term, Mundy had three goals for just the third time in his stellar 338-game career.

NAT’S ANZAC TRIBUTE

With The Last Post sidelined due to Perth’s lockdown, Fyfe instead began the match with the first post.

The captain backed into a pack to drag down a terrific mark in the early going, then chose to snap around the corner rather than kick a drop punt as he slammed his shot into the goal post.

It was Fyfe’s eighth consecutive behind since his last goal against Greater Western Sydney in round two. Fyfe dashed clear from a stoppage late in the second term and sprayed his running drop punt well wide, before another running miss to the right in the third quarter.

Another miss in the last quarter made it 0.4 on the night, 11 straight behinds and 1.12 for the season.

Despite the lack of finishing, he was one of his team’s best in a physically commanding performance. Fyfe’s 34-disposal outing included a massive 23 contested possessions and seven clearances.

THE TREACY DILEMMA

Teenager Josh Treacy was barely sighted as he went goalless for the third time in three matches, setting up an intriguing western derby selection dilemma.

The likely absence of Jeremy McGovern might encourage the Dockers to load up with talls in attack, but Treacy’s barren run could prompt thoughts he would be better served by gaining some confidence at WAFL level.

While the conditions weren’t ideal for key forwards, the 18-year-old had just two touches to three-quarter time and finished with five disposals and two marks.