Fremantle have secured the minor premiership for just the second time in club history after beating Adelaide by 24 points in a historic night at Optus Stadium.

The passionate Dockers fans took longer than they would have liked to get to the ground because of problems with the trains, but the trip home would have been well and truly worth celebrating after their team won 16.16 (112) to 13.10 (88).

The win was Fremantle’s 19th of the season and guarantees they will finish on top of the ladder regardless of what happens against Carlton in Victoria next weekend.

This game was tense. Adelaide’s top six chances were on the line too and they fought valiantly before the Dockers broke them in the final term. Fremantle kicked five goals in the last quarter to stamp their class on the contest.

Jye Amiss kicked five goals, Shai Bolton was all class, Isaiah Dudley kept creating magic and Caleb Serong just kept winning the footy.

This win was full of character. The Crows stunned Fremantle early after booting three of the first four goals to open up a 12-point lead. They were winning the clearances 8-3, the Dockers were fumbling and the crowd was on edge.

Then the game changed. Fremantle’s big names started getting their hands on the footy.

Bolton had nine possessions for the term including one where he brilliantly kept the ball alive when it looked certain to go across the boundary line, then he took two bounces before finding Amiss for a goal.

Amiss booted three goals for the quarter and hit the post with another set shot from the top of the goal square.

Hayden Young also had nine touches, while Caleb Serong had seven and kicked one goal. But Izak Rankine produced 14 possessions and looked dangerous whenever he touched the ball.

Fremantle led by 13 points and the crowd felt content again.

Adelaide kicked the opening goal of the second term and Fremantle responded by increasing their physicality.

Brennan Cox destroyed Jordan Dawson in a marking contest. Josh Treacy laid a huge smother on the wing. Andrew Brayshaw wiped out Brayden Cook with a brilliant tackle. Pat Voss smashed Mark Keane, then laid successive tackles on Rory Laird which drove him into the ground.

There wasn’t much space inside 50 for Fremantle to work with because the Crows kept pushing numbers back. Isaiah Dudley kicked a goal but Adelaide made the most of their space inside their own forward line to set up Josh Rachele for a major.

Then it took some strength from Brayshaw to get back to his feet after slipping and flick the ball to Bolton to set up a goal for Michael Frederick.

They didn’t get reward for effort though because Adelaide kicked another goal and trailed by only five points at the long break.

It felt like the Dockers were working relentlessly to get their scoring chances only to watch Adelaide seize their chances as soon as they opened up.

The Crows kicked the first two goals of the third quarter and suddenly the Dockers had some problems.

But Fremantle kept working. They had the majority of the ball in their forward line, they ran, they chased, they tackled, they flew for marks and they finally got some rewards.

Amiss kicked his fourth major and when Treacy kicked another moments later, they led by six points.

But as had been the case, Adelaide replied through something small. Oscar McDonald gave up a soft free kick to Riley Thilthorpe and all of Fremantle’s work amounted to nothing when he kicked truly because scores were level again.

Now mistakes started creeping into Fremantle’s game. Fumbles and bad decisions put the under pressure and Adelaide made them pay with a goal.

The Dockers were looking for inspiration and they found it with run. Serong inspired his team with a brilliant goal and Fremantle had the courage to ignore Adelaide’s pressue and just keep handballing and just keep running. Andrew Brayshaw put them back in front and now they had reward for effort and a clear blueprint to follow and the Crows had to adjust.

Fremantle had the chance to stab a dagger into Adelaide late in the quarter but the Crows defended grandly and slammed those openings shut.

The home team led by seven points with one quarter to play. It was tense. And when Rankine won a free kick at a boundary throw in close to goal, it got really tense. He missed and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

That relief didn’t last for long because Thilthorpe quickly levelled the scores.

One thing is certain though. If you keep getting the ball inside 50, you will eventually get rewarded. Treacy missed with his long range shot, but the Crows paid a high price when Rory Laird missed Keane with a handpass. The defender tackled Michael Frederick high and he was deadly accurate.

The next goal would be huge. The 55,010 in attendance all knew it.

Fremantle kept belting the ball inside 50 and weight of numbers eventually prevailed as Amiss kicked his fifth. When Dudley produced some magic for his third goal, Fremantle had the break they needed. And then they well and truly slammed the door shut.