WEST Coast has taken bragging rights in the historic first Western Derby at Optus Stadium and stamped itself as a serious finals contender after continuing its run of dominance over Fremantle on Sunday.
After a storm of controversy and bickering about the Ross Glendinning Medal in the build-up, the contest lived up to the billing as a ferocious and absorbing affair, with the Eagles just holding off the Dockers in a 13.11 (89) to 12.9 (81) triumph.
DERBY THRILLER: Full match coverage and stats
It was the Eagles' sixth-straight win over their bitter crosstown rivals, with the victory consolidating their position in second spot on the ladder.
In a quirky post-script after Fremantle lobbied to have a club great's name added to the Glendinning Medal, the award was shared by players from opposing sides for the first time, with Eagles skipper Shannon Hurn and Dockers ball magnet Lachie Neale splitting the judge's votes.
MEDAL-GATE: Five talking points
Hurn was rock-solid across half-back, finishing with 30 disposals, while Neale kept Fremantle in the hunt with 35 touches.
The Dockers were left to rue a knee injury suffered by star goalkicker Michael Walters in the first quarter, with Ross Lyon's men unable to find a reliable avenue to goal.
WATCH: Walters' knee pain
At the other end, West Coast spearhead Josh Kennedy and sidekick Jack Darling both slotted three majors, capitalising on the Eagles' inside 50 dominance (55-45).
"I thought the Eagles early played the territory game, they got it in and they were really hard at the ball (with) really strong tackling," Dockers coach Ross Lyon said post-match.
"Our efficiency getting it out wasn't great - which can happen - but we overplayed where we just needed to take some territory (and) take the one-on-ones out."
Fittingly for the first Derby at Optus Stadium, neither team gained a telling ascendancy throughout a seesawing match, with the four points hanging in the balance until the final minute.
The Eagles led by 20 points into time-on of the final quarter when Kennedy slotted his third after a tough duel with Alex Pearce.
But the Dockers, willed on by a state record sporting crowd of 56,521, refused to give up.
Hayden Ballantyne and Darcy Tucker's late majors gave Freo hope, but the Eagles held on in the tense final stages for their fifth win in a row this season, ending the Dockers' unbeaten streak at WA football's new home.
WATCH: Tucker's cracking goal
Sunday's match was hot off the field – with the mercury topping 30 degrees – and just as fiery on it, with tempers flaring throughout the contest.
The Eagles drew first blood when Kennedy created history by eclipsing dual premiership hero Peter Sumich's 514-goal record.
WATCH: Kennedy breaks club record
But the Dockers started to take risks and it paid off as they scored from every one of seven inside 50s for the term and a burst of four unanswered goals gave Ross Lyon's men a deserved 20-point edge at the first change.
In-form Eagle Jack Darling swung the match with three majors as West Coast put the foot down in a five-goal-to-one second term, hitting the front by eight points at the long break.
Both sides traded blows in the third term, but the Eagles' burst of three quick goals after the final change gave them just enough breathing space, which they carried to the end.
"I thought we played a pretty game, collectively. I thought Freo threw everything at us," coach Adam Simpson said post-match.
"Early we had dominance with field position and supply but we couldn't finish off and every time it went up the other end we got scored against.
"At quarter-time, whilst we weren't in front on the scoreboard, there were some numbers that we're suggesting if we kept going we'd get back into the game.
"We held our nerve a little bit, then in the second quarter we got rewarded, then in the second half it flipped a bit and became a bit of a grind.
"It was a fight all day in the end and we came out on top."
Simpson lauded his midfield, with Jack Redden (34 disposals, one goal) providing excellent support for stars Luke Shuey (27, one goal) and Andrew Gaff (32), while Elliot Yeo quelled Nat Fyfe (27) after the superstar Docker's outstanding start.
WATCH: Shuey's long bomb
Ed Langdon provided plenty of run to spark Freo, while Luke Ryan was superb across half-back.
West Coast's ruck duo Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett, who played arguably his best game, again commanded the air against man mountain Aaron Sandilands, as the Eagles edged out their overall derby lead 27-20.
MEDICAL ROOM
Fremantle: Michael Walters was hobbled late in the opening term and his day was over when he limped to the rooms at quarter-time, clearly troubled by his left knee – the same leg he injured when he suffered a season-ending posterior cruciate ligament issue in round 18 last year. Walters appears to have escaped with a low-grade medial strain and might only be sidelined for a month. Alex Pearce came off in the first quarter for treatment on his lower right leg but returned after having strapping applied. Luke Ryan came off early in the last quarter with an apparent wrist injury after Shannon Hurn kicked the ball clear.
West Coast: Elliot Yeo and Tom Cole came off with the blood rule in the second quarter. Lewis Jetta hurt his calf and is doubtful for the clash with the Power.
NEXT UP
The Eagles have the chance to stay home and recuperate from a bruising encounter before taking on Port Adelaide next Saturday afternoon as they prepare for a testing month, while Fremantle will take some confidence to the MCG against Richmond after beating the reigning premier at the home of football in an after-the-siren epic last year.
WATCH: Is Masten in trouble for this?
FREMANTLE 4.3 5.4 9.7 12.9 (81)
WEST COAST 1.1 6.6 10.7 13.11 (89)
GOALS
Fremantle: McCarthy 2, Langdon 2, Ballantyne 2, Tucker 2, Walters, Matera, Mundy, Brayshaw
West Coast: Darling 3, Kennedy 3, Waterman 2, LeCras, Shuey, Redden, Sheed, Yeo
BEST
Fremantle: Neale, Langdon, Blakely, Ryan, Hill, Fyfe
West Coast: Hurn, Lycett, Gaff, Darling, McGovern, Redden
INJURIES
Fremantle: Walters (left knee)
West Coast: Jetta (calf)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Dalgleish, Wallace
Official crowd: 56,521
Ross Glendinning Medal
Total votes
6 - Shannon Hurn, Lachie Neale
3 - Andrew Gaff
2 - Scott Lycett
1 - Jack Redden
Jonathan Brown (Fox Sports)
Shannon Hurn, Lachie Neale, Andrew Gaff
Paul Hasleby (Croc Media / 6PR)
Lachie Neale, Andrew Gaff, Jack Redden
Travis King (AFL Media)
Shannon Hurn, Scott Lycett, Lachie Neale
