Round 16 of the AFL wasn’t a great weekend for the teams of the West.

Fremantle Dockers lost an important match-up with the Western Bulldogs which could prove costly as Fremantle still sit outside of the top eight.

The West Coast Eagles lost again — they did, however, make a game of it, producing a thriller at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Western Bulldogs v Fremantle Dockers

Western Bulldogs 16.6 (102) v Fremantle Dockers 11.7 (73)

Fremantle needed to win against the Western Bulldogs. The win would have closed the gap between them and the Bulldogs, tieing with them on 32 points for the season. The loss has meant that Fremantle now sit eight points and two games behind the Western Bulldogs which are now sixth on the ladder.

Despite a significant advantage in disposals for the game, the Western Bulldogs played smarter, not harder, as they overpowered Fremantle in clearances despite Sean Darcy winning 50 hit outs for the game.

Watch: Western Bulldogs v Fremantle Highlights

The Good

Jye Amiss had an impressive day in attack for Fremantle kicking four straight goals. Still, it was Caleb Serong who continued his strong form with another impressive Best on Ground performance for Fremantle with 38 disposals and 10 clearances.

The Bad

In a continuing trend, Fremantle again was beaten out of the gates with the Bulldogs scoring 18 points before Fremantle hit the scoreboard with a goal from Walters 18 minutes into the first quarter.

Luke Jackson had a down game and was unable to make an impact on any level with only eight disposals and one behind for the day. When he is on, Fremantle will often win, but when he is off, this limits Fremantle’s opportunities when rebounding out of the backline and up forward.

Once the Bulldogs started the fire in the fourth quarter kicking five unanswered goals, there didn’t seem to be any answers from Fremantle to stop the Bulldogs from taking over and putting the game out of reach.

West Coast Eagles v St Kilda Saints

West Coast Eagles 12.5 (77) v St Kilda Saints 12.13 (85)

After the worst loss in the club’s history last week, the football world was no doubt curious to see how West Coast would respond. But, it’s fair to say that even despite their inconsistent form over the last five weeks, no one would have predicted West Coast to come out firing and maintain a lead right up until the last quarter against a St Kilda team with aspirations to go deep into September.

While we won’t know what was said behind closed doors during the week, West Coast came out on Sunday a different side. They ambushed a seemingly surprised St Kilda as they mounted a 31-point lead midway through the second quarter. West Coast wasn’t able to hold on as St Kilda clawed their way back and won by eight points in a thriller at Optus Stadium.

Watch: West Coast Eagles v St Kilda Highlights

The Good

West Coast showed fight and spirit for the first time in a number of weeks.

Oscar Allen and mid-season draft recruit, Ryan Maric, were able to kick multiple goals each against an experienced St Kilda defence, providing a glimpse of the future potential for the West Coast forward line.

Without their usual bull, Tim Kelly, in the centre, West Coast were still able to compete with St Kilda only losing clearances by six for the match.

The Bad

Experience wins over youth. Despite the spirited way West Coast played and the significant lead into the second quarter, West Coast will continue to lose close games as the younger players continue to get experience at the AFL level.

Up Next

• Brisbane Lions (3) v West Coast Eagles (18) @ Gabba
• Fremantle Dockers (11) v Carlton Blues (14) @ Optus Stadium

Feature image: Matt Turner / AAP