Australian Football

Match Report

The race for the 2015 AFL premiership got a little more interesting on Sunday, with second-placed West Coast knocking off top side Fremantle in the year's second Western Derby at Subiaco. This match was to a significant degree, a mirror of the first Derby. In their earlier meeting, the Dockers blew West Coast away with a nine-goal-to-nil first term and then held off a Eagles comeback over the next three quarters. On Sunday it was West Coast the jumped out of the blocks with a seven-goal-to-one opening quarter, with Fremantle working its way back into the match but falling short.

Right from the first minute it was clear the Eagles had 'come to play'. Josh Kennedy had scored their first goal before that minute was up, and Mark Hutchings, Luke Shuey and Scott Lycett had all kicked majors before the quarter was halfway done. Josh Hill and Jack Darling added two more before the Dockers finally kicked their first goal via David Mundy. Elliot Yeo closed out the term with his first and it was the Eagles by 35 at quarter time.

The second term was more of a dour affair. Fremantle tightened its defence up and the Eagles were restricted to one goal for the quarter, although that was perhaps more ti do with West Coast's poor kicking for goal than the Dockers defensive work. Not for the first time this season, the Eagles missed several gettable shots, Jamie Cripps, Hill (twice), Dom Sheed and Kennedy all missing before Matt Rosa brought up the major. At the other, the Dockers could only manage 1.3 themselves, the goal going to Michael Walters at the 10-minute mark, and West Coast was still 37 points to the good at the long break.

Fremantle began to hit the scoreboard more regularly in the third quarter, but the Eagles were able to match the Dockers goal-wise. Walters, Chris Mayne and Matthew Pavlich all kicked goals during the quarter, but Kennedy, Hill and Callum Sinclair did the same for West Coast and when the teams turned for home, the Eagles were still 38 points ahead and looking comfortable.

Needing to make up a lot of ground, the Dockers gave their fans a rare sight in the final quarter, sacrificing dour defence for a running, free-flowing game. It was a risky move but it paid early dividends as Fremantle kicked four of the first five goals of the quarter, with Walters kicking his third and fourth, to draw within 18 points. But the Dockers' attacking formation left the defence vulnerable and the Eagles finished off the match with three of the last five goals to secure a four-goal win and maintain their hold on second place on the ladder.

West Coast's best included Josh Hill (four goals, 20 disposals), Andrew Gaff (23 touches) and Matt Rosa (24 possessions and a goal). The Dockers were well served by Stephen Hill (28 possessions, seven marks), Mundy (28 disposals, seven tackles) and Nat Fyfe (26 touches, seven marks). 

Another big game awaits the Eagles next Sunday as they take on the Bulldogs, who defeated them at Docklands in round one. The Dockers, meanwhile, will themselves travel to Docklands next Sunday to take on seventh-placed North Melbourne.

GOALS
Fremantle: Walters 4; Pavlich 2; Mundy, Mayne, Sheridan, Griffin, Hill
West Coast: Hill 4; Kennedy, Darling 2; Hutchings, Shuey, Lycett, Yeo, Rosa, Sinclair, McGinnity

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
Fremantle: S Hill, Mundy, Fyfe, Sandilands, Walters, Sheridan
West Coast: J Hill, Shuey, Rosa, Gaff, Hurn, Kennedy

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Fremantle: Hill, Sandilands, Mundy, Fyfe, Walters, Sheridan
West Coast: Hill, Gaff, Sheppard, Hurn, Rosa, Hutchings, Priddis

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
West Coast: Schofield (left hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Fremantle: Hayden Crozier replaced Michael Barlow in the third quarter
West Coast: Patrick McGinnity replaced Will Schofield in the third quarter

REPORTS: Alex Silvagni (Fremantle) for striking Jamie Cripps (West Coast) in the second quarter

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Ryan, Jeffery

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Jonathan Brown, David King