West Coast reminded Fremantle who is the king in the west but the young Dockers showed the Eagles' crown is a bit shaky in a combative Western Derby on Saturday night.

The Eagles got home by 13 points, 10.9 (69) to 7.14 (56) in a match where Fremantle had control for long periods in front of a home and away record crowd of 58,219 at Optus Stadium.

DERBY DELIGHT FOR EAGLES Full match coverage and stats

However, familiar issues with haphazard ball movement, shoddy skills and questionable decision making prevented the Dockers taking advantage of their dominance around the ball.

They kicked just one goal to half-time with a malfunctioning forward set-up still coming to terms with big changes in personnel in the off season.

In contrast, West Coast was far more efficient at the other end and cleaner with the ball all night when it mattered.

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With Andrew Gaff running riot and their key forwards making the most of their chances, the Eagles sprinted away to a 26-point quarter-time lead and were never headed.

Gaff's first Derby since he punched Andrew Brayshaw and received an eight-match ban was a roaring success.

Brayshaw tackles Gaff during the last term. Picture: AFL Photos

Eagles fans' pointed cheers managed to drown out the Docker boos and in the blink of an eye Gaff had 10 first-quarter possessions and the Eagles had five goals on the board to nil. 

By the end of the match he had 35 to go with the 35 on his return against Collingwood in round three.

He was shaded for best afield honours by skipper Shannon Hurn, who won the Glendinning-Allan Medal.

Dockers veteran and acting captain David Mundy (36 possessions) was huge at the coalface and comfortably Freo's best player in the absence of skipper Nat Fyfe.

The opening term was even in most facets of the game, except the one that counts – the scoreboard.

DOCKER IN DOUBT Freo sweating on another concussion

Both teams had 13 inside 50s but the slick, efficient Eagles nailed 5.1 while Fremantle butchered its ball movement heading forward and a couple of set shots to be 0.5 at the first change.

The Dockers raised their bar in the second quarter, enjoying more than their fair share of the ball but managed just 1.9 to half-time.

They lost Joel Hamling to concussion in the second term but their defence stood firm and held the Eagles to just the one goal as well, meaning they were still close enough.

And while it didn’t quite click after the long break, the Dockers chugged into gear through sheer will.

Jesse Hogan’s first goal for the club was followed by two in a row to Cam McCarthy to get the underdog within nine points.

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But Reece Conca’s turnover deep in defence, which led to an Oscar Allen goal from his intercept mark was a hammer blow just seven seconds before the final break.

And while West Coast never quite put Fremantle away it proved to be just a bit too much in a low-scoring affair despite two goals to Michael Walters.

The victory makes it eight Western Derbies in a row to the Eagles and takes the overall ledger to 29-20 in West Coast’s favour.

MEDICAL ROOM
West Coast: The Eagles lost Lewis Jetta to hamstring tightness before the bounce and brought in defender Josh Rotham for just his second AFL game. Oscar Allen was dazed after a final-term collision with Josh Kennedy.

Fremantle: Already battling without Nat Fyfe, the Dockers lost key defender Joel Hamling before half-time to concussion as well. Nathan Wilson left the field in the last term with a sore hamstring and faces scans.

NEXT UP
West Coast will be hoping to make it a really Good Friday next week when it hosts Port Adelaide at Optus Stadium. Fremantle heads to the nation's capital to face the flying Giants fresh off their historic victory at Geelong on Saturday.

WEST COAST   5.1   6.3    8.5    10.9 (69)
FREMANTLE     0.5    1.9   4.12  7.14 (56)

GOALS
West Coast: Darling 3, Kennedy 3, Petruccelle 2, Ryan, Allen
Fremantle: McCarthy 2, Taberner 2, Walters 2, Hogan

BEST 
West Coast: Hurn, Sheppard, Redden, Gaff, Yeo, Darling
Fremantle: Mundy, Langdon, Pearce, Taberner, Hill, Matera 

INJURIES 
West Coast: Jetta (hamstring tightness) replaced in the selected side by Rotham
Fremantle: Hamling (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Chamberlain, Hay, Williamson

Official crowd: 58,219 at Optus Stadium

Glendinning-Allan Medal Votes

Jason Dunstall (Fox Sports)
3 votes – Hurn
2 votes – Mundy
1 vote – Gaff  

Bridget Lacy (The West Australian)
3 votes – Hurn
2 votes – Mundy
1 vote – Redden
 
Glen Jakovich (6PR)
3 votes – Sheppard
2 votes – Redden
1 vote – Mundy
 
Total votes 
6 – Shannon Hurn (WC)
5 – David Mundy (Frem)
3 – Jack Redden (WC)
3 – Brad Sheppard (WC)
1 – Andrew Gaff (WC)