We should all know by now to expect the unexpected in a western derby!
That was definitely the case again in derby 42. West Coast Eagles defeated Fremantle Dockers by 24 points in an absolutely absorbing game at Domain Stadium.
The boys absolutely belted it out in the rooms tonight!!! #goeagles pic.twitter.com/dxow5RDd19
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) August 16, 2015
Today’s victory extends West Coast’s derby win tally to 22, after having lost the last 6. This is the first time WCE have kicked over 100 points in a derby since early 2007.
Fremantle were firm favourites going into this game however when the game was there to be won early, West Coast were clearly the better side. They kicked 7 goals to Fremantle’s 1 in the first quarter and Freo spent the remainder of the game trying to reduce the margin.
The purple army watched on in shock and silence as West Coast burst out of the gates early and ambushed a flat-looking Fremantle. West Coast were dominating the clearances and their ball movement was superb. Matt Priddis set up a lot of the play through the midfield and Fremantle couldn’t come up with an answer.
The Dockers went into the 4th quarter trailing by 38 points and needed to lift in a big way to try and close the gap. They managed to dry up West Coast’s dominance but still failed to make an impact on the scoreboard. They were inaccurate in front of goal and lost genuine opportunities due to silly mistakes.
When it was all but over, the Dockers were able to get their act together and at one stage managed to reduce the margin to 17 points. Brownlow Medal favourite Nat Fyfe showed us some of his usual brilliance and Aaron Sandilands ‘stood tall’ and impressed in the ruck. Unfortunately their run came too late in the game and the final siren cut their comeback short. West Coast’s Jack Darling sealed the deal with an impressive late goal in the 4th quarter.
To Fremantle’s credit, they won all of the stats for the game except for the free kick count and the all-important scoreboard… It’s interesting that the stats don’t really represent the result, however WCE got the job done where it mattered.
Jamie Cripps left the ground with a possible broken jaw after a big elbow from Freo’s defender Alex Silvagni, who was reported on the spot and will no doubt be spending a few weeks on the sidelines.
Hilly with the Ross Glendnning Medal grin!!!! #goeagles pic.twitter.com/O9Rqnm2fZh
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) August 16, 2015
Eagle Josh Hill was a surprising Ross Glendinning medallist with 4 important goals and 20 possessions. Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling kicked 2 goals each and Matt Rosa was West Coast’s top possession getter with 24.
Michael Walters kicked 4 goals for Fremantle and skipper Matt Pavlich kicked 2. Stephen Hill and David Mundy finished on 28 possessions each, Nat Fyfe not far behind with 26.
Today’s result doesn’t really affect the Dockers but it was a vital win for West Coast. It keeps them in second position on the ladder which all but ensures a home game in the first week of finals.
