A desperate West Coast has fallen agonisingly short of breaking its AFLW RAC Derby drought in an eight-point loss at Fremantle Community Bank Oval on Sunday.
In a hard-fought, physical Derby, the Eagles surged during the third quarter but couldn't break down the Dockers' defensive wall in the final stanza, falling to a 4.3 (27) to 2.7 (19) defeat.
The Eagles would not have lost any fans after playing the better football through the third quarter and cutting the margin to just two points as they looked to gain a foothold in a growing rivalry.
Young star Ella Roberts won the Derby Medal in a losing cause after a fantastic performance, starting forward and moving into the midfield to finish with a game-high 24 disposals and five clearances.
The Dockers' weight of opportunities proved the difference, winning the inside 50 count 38-22 and applying ferocious forward pressure to lock the ball in their half for long periods.
Gabby O'Sullivan (14 tackles) and Ange Stannett (nine) were outstanding on that front, while defender Laura Pugh (19 disposals and five rebounds) was a rock in defence. In a low-scoring game, Aine Tighe's two goals proved critical.
West Coast made a competitive start as it looked to break its Derby duck, with the pre-game withdrawal of Fremantle star and four-time Derby medallist Kiara Bowers due to knee soreness providing a boost for the underdogs.
The pressure applied from both teams resulted in a scrappy opening and few clean attacking chances, with Tighe booting the only goal of the opening quarter while the Freo defenders did a good job intercepting at the other end.
The second quarter opened up somewhat, despite heavy rain falling in Fremantle for a brief period, with Ebony Antonio crumbing in attack to extend the Dockers' lead.
Roberts grew in prominence for the Eagles and worked up the ground, but the Eagles couldn't convert their opportunities and had kicked six behinds from their 15 forward entries as half time approached.
A nine-point deficit was manageable, but Tighe's ability to dribble through a skilful goal with only a handful of seconds gave the Dockers momentum and a 15-point lead at the main break.
It took a pair of former Dockers to get the Eagles on the board, with Kellie Gibson and then Amy Franklin, who crossed to enemy lines in the off-season, booting back-to-back goals to cut the margin to two points late in the third.
A goal for Freo's late inclusion Makaela Tuhakaraina, however, kept the Eagles and proved crucial in a low-scoring finish to the game.
FREMANTLE 1.2 3.3 4.3 4.3 (27)
WEST COAST 0.3 0.6 2.7 2.7 (19)
GOALS
Fremantle: Tighe 2, Antonio, Tuhakaraina
West Coast: Franklin, Gibson
BEST
Fremantle: Pugh, Stannett, Tighe, Strom, O'Sullivan, O'Driscoll
West Coast: Roberts, Swanson, McCarthy, Hooker, Lewis
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
West Coast: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Fremantle: Kiara Bowers (knee soreness) replaced by Makaela Tuhakaraina
West Coast: Nil
Crowd: TBC at Fremantle Community Bank Oval
