WEST Coast has sent Fremantle's season into free-fall after the Eagles claimed a hard-fought 33-point victory in Western Derby 43 at Domain Stadium on Saturday night. 

The Eagles held off a brave and undermanned Dockers side to win 12.20 (92) to 8.11 (59) in wet conditions in Perth. 

Full match coverage and stats

It is the Dockers' worst start to a season under Ross Lyon and the first time they have lost the first three games of a season since 2009.

The insult of a third straight loss was compounded by a significant injury to Aaron Sandilands.

The Dockers' reigning best and fairest was sent to hospital at half-time with a collapsed lung after copping a knee in the ribcage from Nic Naitanui in a marking contest.

Lyon wears the blame

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon confirmed Sandilands's injury and also said skipper David Mundy, who was ruled out before the match with a calf injury, would miss several weeks.

"It's really courageous how he got up," Lyon said of Sandilands.

"It was a big contest. It was a result of a turnover. He got put out of position. It's really disappointing. It's not ideal, but you win them and you wear them."

Five talking points: West Coast v Fremantle

Eagles midfielder Matt Priddis was outstanding with 31 disposals (18 contested) in his 200th game and claimed his second Ross Glendinning Medal.

Jack Darling's three goals were vital on a night when the Eagles kicked poorly in front of goal. Lewis Jetta gathered 17 disposals and kicked at 92 per cent efficiency. He also kicked two important goals.

Lachie Neale and Nat Fyfe fought bravely for the Dockers collecting 26 disposals each. Matthew Pavlich kicked three goals, including a brilliant checkside in the last quarter to give the Dockers hope.

How the fans saw it: Eagles v Dockers

But Sandilands' injury was a turning point in the match. The Dockers led by nine points when the ruckman left the ground. He had 11 hit-outs in the first term to Naitanui's three and the Dockers had control in the early clearances and led at quarter-time.

Thereafter youngster Alex Pearce, rucking for just the second time in his short career, had to carry the load with the support of midfielders Michael Barlow and Matt de Boer.

The Eagles midfield took control on the back of Naitanui and Scott Lycett's aerial dominance. The Eagles won the clearances 30-20 after quarter-time and had 63 inside 50s to 37. The Eagles could have won by more had they not missed so many opportunities in front of goal.

Gamebreaker: Matthew Priddis lights it up in game 200

The Dockers gave the Eagles a fright in the last quarter. They trailed by 19 points at three-quarter time but after the Eagles kicked four straight behinds from four entries at the start of the last quarter, the Dockers kicked three consecutive goals to cut the margin to five points.

But costly turnovers hurt them for much of the night and Lyon questioned his coaching and playing group in the aftermath as to why they had repeatedly committed skill and execution errors in the first three rounds.

"To get within five points after we'd butchered so much and made so many mistakes, I was really proud of the way they fought on," Lyon said.

"We just need to fix those things I've identified."

West Coast coach Adam Simpson was happy with the win, but said his team's inaccuracy could have proved costly.

"We definitely could have converted a bit better," Simpson said.

"We like to give our forwards plenty of supply. Normally if you get over 60 inside 50s, we normally go pretty well.

"The fact we didn't finish off is disappointing, but I think, in general, we grinded it out pretty well."

MEDICAL ROOM
West Coast: Jamie Cripps hurt his right knee laying a tackle in the second quarter. He had trouble putting weight on his left leg when he walked along the boundary line shortly afterwards but he returned in the second half and played with a compression bandage on his knee. Brad Sheppard copped two heavy knocks to the head but played out the game. Josh Kennedy and Luke Shuey suffered cuts to the head.

Fremantle: Sandilands was taken to hospital and Lyon confirmed he had suffered a punctured lung and some rib damage. There is no time frame on the injury but he looks set to spend an extended period on the sidelines. Alex Pearce had his forehead split open

NEXT UP
West Coast has another six-day break before hosting an under-siege Richmond at Domain Stadium. Fremantle travel to Etihad Stadium next Sunday to face North Melbourne.

WEST COAST   2.1  4.7   7.11   12.20  (92)
FREMANTLE     3.3  3.7   4.10    8.11  (59)

GOALS
West Coast: Darling 3, Jetta 2, Lycett 2, Cripps, Shuey, Hill, Mackenzie, Kennedy.
Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Walters 2, Fyfe, Langdon, Ballantyne

BEST
West Coast: Priddis, Darling, Gaff, Shuey, Hurn, Naitanui, Yeo, Jetta
Fremantle: Hill, Fyfe, Neale, Pavlich, Ibbotson, Barlow

INJURIES
West Coast: Cripps (thigh)
Fremantle: Sandilands (ribs/lung)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Foot, Farmer, Rosebury

Official crowd: 40,555 at Domain Stadium