Forward Matt Taberner booted four goals and Caleb Serong starred in the midfield with 24 disposals and nine clearances to lift the Dockers to the 10.1 (61) to 7.7 (49) win in front of 20,912 fans on Sunday.

The result saw Collingwood drop to 10th on the ladder with four wins and a draw from nine games.

The Magpies were horrible in last week's 66-point loss to West Coast, and their error-riddled display against the Dockers will raise further alarm bells.

The biggest concern was the contested possession battle, which Fremantle won 151-115.

"Around the ball they were hungrier to win it and hungrier to attack us when we won it," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said.

"We got smacked in contested possession and out-tackled.

"We've lacked a bit of an edge in the last couple of weeks. The last two games we haven't been as aggressive in there as we usually are."

Buckley believes the contested possession issue can be fixed with a tougher mental approach heading into Thursday's clash with Sydney at the Gabba.

Fremantle (3-6) rose to 16th with their gutsiest win of the season.

The Magpies managed just two goals from 25 inside 50s in the first half as Fremantle's depleted defence stood firm.

Collingwood produced a three-goal spurt to end the third-quarter to take a four-point lead, but Fremantle prevailed in a frantic final term.

Magpies vice-captain Steele Sidebottom (25 disposals, two goals) was quiet early before bursting to life in his first match back after serving his four-match ban for breaking COVID-19 protocols.

Brayden Maynard (24 disposals) and Adam Treloar (30 disposals, eight clearances) tried their best to lift the Magpies, but the visitors' inefficiency going forward cost them dearly.

The Dockers won the clearance battle 45-30, with David Mundy (10 clearances), Serong (9), and Nat Fyfe (8) all prominent.

Alarm bells were ringing for Collingwood when Fyfe's goal late in the third quarter extended the margin to 14 points.

But goals to Will Hoskin-Elliott, Steele Sidebottom and Jaidyn Stephenson within the space of three minutes gave the Magpies a four-point edge at the final change.

Two goals to Taberner early in the final term saw the momentum swing again as Fremantle shot out to a 13-point lead.

Although the Magpies closed the gap to six points with three minutes to go, they couldn't muster another goal to level the scores and at least force a draw.

"We had too many passengers last week, and we were after 22 committed guys to their role in the contest, and I thought we got that," Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said.

Australian Associated Press