EXCITING newcomers Rhys Palmer and Chris Mayne say the club's 14-point win in the Western Derby is the perfect launching pad for the Dockers' 2008 premiership challenge.

Both Palmer and Mayne – each playing just their second AFL game – confessed to some nerves in the build-up to the match but played important roles in the Dockers' victory.

Palmer suffered a nasty head wound early in the game which required 20 staples but returned to rack up 24 quality possessions and challenge for the Ross Glendinning Medal.

Mayne built on his solid debut last week with superb defensive pressure in Fremantle's forward line and had a hand in several of the Dockers' goals.

Palmer surprisingly revealed he had turned to good mate and West Coast rival Chris Masten on the eve of the Derby to help take his mind off the intense build-up to the game.

"Me and him had a bit of a hang date," Palmer said. "I wasn't sure whether he was playing or not and he wasn't giving too much up."

"He just came over for a bit and just chilled out. It felt a bit weird but we didn't talk about the footy too much. It was good to hang out with him."

Mayne said he also felt the burden of expectations.

"It was incredibly exciting. I woke up and I was very nervous and I just started thinking about the game," Mayne said.

"But my dad got my mind off it for a bit so that made me relax and as soon as I got to the ground and did the warm up I slowly got rid of the butterflies.

"When I got out there, just seeing the crowd was probably one of the scariest bits about it. The West Coast crowd just erupted every time the Eagles did something and I knew we'd be fighting a pretty big battle against both their team plus the crowd."

The youngsters both said the club's new players had been welcomed into the side and were desperate for more success.

"For me it was good to start the game on the ground," Palmer said. "It makes you feel a bit more wanted and I had a job to do so it was good to get in and get involved.

"It's the first time we've won this year and it's a big game that we've won so hopefully we can carry this form through."

Mayne said the Dockers' rookies were already making their presence felt but understood the need to keep improving. 

"We're just trying to do our part in the team and trying to make our mark so that the team knows that we're here and we're fair dinkum and we're ready to play," Mayne said.

"We want to win – that's why you play footy. [You could see on ] all of the guys' faces – when we had that win today it was just awesome to see and we want more of that."