1. It was a tough watch as the Eagles struggled to get any flow into their game and that was evident through the inside 50 count that saw Fremantle lead the penetration of the attacking arc 55-46. But it was also the quality of the entries that was relevant, with many Eagles sorties scrambled kicks forward, reflected by the fact that they managed just six marks inside the zone compared with Fremantle’s 15 and scoring efficiency at 26% compared to 49%. The result was the club’s lowest derby score in history.

2. It has been a challenging start to the season with the game on game changes making it difficult to get any continuity, the result of both an extended injury list and the impact of players going into AFL health and safety protocols. But there could be a silver lining through supplementary selection period players Hugh Dixon and Patrick Naish. Both have shown good signs, with Naish gathering 22 possessions and three marks on a wing while Dixon had 10 possessions, two marks and six hit-outs playing forward and supporting Nic Naitanui in the ruck.

06:50

Rd 3 highlights v Dockers

West Coast host the RAC Derby against Fremantle in round three at Optus Stadium

3. It was a performance that was short of Nic Naitanui at his sublime best, but he still wielded an influence and led the way in the game with 18 contested possessions, ahead of Fremantle’s Will Brodie (16). He also had seven clearances (one behind Brodie), 14 ground ball gets and 34 hit-outs, 21 more than his main rival Lloyd Meeks.

4. Had it not been for the defensive efforts of long-time stars Shannon Hurn and Jeremy McGovern the situation would have been desperate much earlier in the game. They marshalled the troops in the back half and led from the front, taking 23 marks between them, 13 of which were intercepts that stymied Fremantle advances. Hurn was clearly the club’s best player while McGovern also gained 412 metres with his possessions, even more astonishing given the reticence of Fremantle to bomb the ball long in his direction.

11:03

Simpson post-match v Dockers

Adam Simpson addresses his side's loss to Fremantle in the RAC Derby

5. The trend in the modern game is that a high percentage of games are won by the team that leads the contested possession count. That was not the case in this RAC Derby with the Eagles nine to the good in this category. Unfortunately, there were down by seven in clearances, minus 23 in ground ball gathers and minus 24 in handballs received – clear indications that Fremantle was able to generate more run and energy from behind the ball.