It truly was a game of two starkly different halves with West Coast's 23-point half time lead no barrier to Fremantle, which turned every aspect of the game on its head to win its sixth derby of the past seven.
Paul Hasleby was heroic for Fremantle with 35 possessions and was awarded the Ross Glendinning Medal as best afield, while Byron Schammer (30) and Stephen Hill (21) played massive midfield roles to drive their team to its second straight win, 13.9 (87) to 9.20 (74).
West Coast was dominant in the first half but didn't capitalise on its opportunities and should have taken a decisive lead into half time. They were without stars Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr for much of the second half leaving Matt Priddis (26) to fight the midfield battle admirably.
Chris Tarrant was solid down back for Fremantle, playing on Mark LeCras, while Paul Duffield (34) gave his side plenty of drive.
The taggers did their jobs early for both sides, with Adam Selwood holding Matthew Pavlich and Ryan Crowley blanketing Kerr. However, Crowley left the game before half time with an ankle injury and Kerr failed to run the game out with cramp.
It was left to young Eagle Chris Masten to make the early running, snapping the opening goal after just a minute.
Fremantle replied instantly through Scott Thornton before a defensive mistake from Dean Solomon gifted a goal to Eagle Adam Hunter.
After a hesitant start to his career, Hill was taking the game on at every opportunity and his first goal was a beauty.
In Fremantle's cleanest passage of play for the first half, Garrick Ibbotson, Matt de Boer – who debuted with distinction – and Schammer shot the ball through the corridor to Hill, who kicked truly on the run form 50m out.
But the Eagles entered the first break 10 points up after goals to Brent Staker and Ben McKinley.
West Coast clamped down in second as ruckman Cox dominated around the ground and LeCras hit the scoreboard with two goals.
The Eagles were suffocating their opponents with their zone and holding the ball inside their forward half. They tackled harder, clearly won the contested football and went inside 50m 13 times for the quarter.
But for all their chances they kicked just 2.7 for the term and took a 23-point lead into half time that should have been much greater.
Fremantle had been let off the hook and grabbed the second chance with both hands in the third. Schammer and Hasleby were superb in the middle, winning every ball that came their way.
Everything West Coast had done well in the second term, Fremantle did better in the third. They took their chances, too. Ryan Murphy and David Mundy kicked goals, while Hill continued to attack at every chance.
Andrew Embley snagged two goals in a row to maintain West Coast's lead, but when de Boer stole a contested ball deep in Freo's forward line and goaled, the momentum had well and truly shifted.
Kerr had just two touches for the term, while Cox had three. Sandilands made his opponent pay with a late goal late cut the Eagles lead to just one straight kick at the final change.
While West Coast needed their stars to lift to hold off Fremantle's charge it was Pavlich who came to the party booting a sensational goal to put his side one point down.
Brett Jones, who had a dirty day, gave away a 50m penalty to put Hill in range. He kicked truly to take his team into the lead for the first time. At the other end, Ashley Hansen and debutant Adam Cockie missed chances.
A chain of handballs found Brett Peake in space for a great goal, before Sandilands sealed the gutsy win.
West Coast 4.6 6.13 8.13 9.20 (74)
Fremantle 3.2 4.2 8.7 13.9 (87)
GOALS
West Coast: Embley, LeCras 2, Hunter, Hurn, McKinley, Masten, Staker
Fremantle: Hill, Sandilands, Thornton 2, Crowley, de Boer, Mundy, Murphy, Pavlich, Peake
BEST
West Coast: Priddis, Selwood, Mackenzie, Wirrpanda, Cox
Fremantle: Hasleby, Hill, Schammer, Duffield, Tarrant, Dodd, Sandilands
INJURIES
West Coast: Kerr (cramp)
Fremantle: Crowley (ankle)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Vozzo, Nicholls, Hendrie
Official crowd: 41,654 at Subiaco Oval
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.
