West Coast tested Fremantle early but the Dockers’ powerful second half drove them to a 70-point win in Western Derby No.63 on Friday night.
The Dockers led by eight points at the main break in an entertaining Derby but rattled home with 11 of the last 12 goals in the second half to win 16.16 (112) to 6.6 (42) in their fifth straight win against their cross-town rivals.
Fremantle set a new club record for a home-and-away crowd at Optus Stadium, with 56,616 on hand to see Murphy Reid win his first Glendinning-Allan Medal as best afield with 26 disposals, eight score involvements and a goal.
West Coast superstar Harley Reid (30 and 12 clearances) was terrific and took it up to a deep Freo midfield, while mid-season recruit Marcus Herbert (36 and eight marks) was important in the Eagles' early challenge with his poise and ball-use.
The Eagles could not sustain their pressure or contest work to challenge the Dockers in the second half, however, falling away badly after the main break as the Dockers' class and maturity took hold.
It was an even performance from the Dockers, however, who ground the Eagles down, with key forward Jye Amiss capitalising in attack with five goals and eight marks.
Midfielder Matt Johnson was the anchor throughout in a four-quarter performance, winning a team-high 29 disposals, while star onballers Caleb Serong (26 and seven clearances) and Andrew Brayshaw (25 and seven tackles) continued to build.
Fremantle did enter Friday night with a couple of vulnerabilities, having lost four of its past five opening quarters, and with a need to improve its work at stoppages after being shown up against Port Adelaide in the first half last week.
It didn't address either in the opening quarter, however, conceding early centre clearances to the Eagles and falling behind after a high-octane start that saw West Coast take the game on and kick early goals through Hamish Davis and Tom Cole.
The Dockers had their chances but were not clinical, with Michael Frederick marking close to goal after a brilliant kick inside 50 from a red-hot Johnson but rushing and missing his shot, with Freo trailing by one point at the first break.
West Coast continued to surge early in the second, driven by the calm and efficient game of Herbert, and their pressure remained high as Milan Murdock put them seven points clear with an early snap.
Their errors and missed tackles were punished by the Dockers, however, as Amiss got free over the top repeatedly and kicked three straight goals, with Frederick setting up the last of them with a brilliant collect and side step in the middle of the ground.
West Coast continued to control the ball well when in possession, taking 28 uncontested marks for the term, with Harley Reid working himself into the game with 10 possessions and four clearances for the quarter.
After a late goal for Jack Williams, the margin at half time was eight points and the Eagles were well and truly in the contest, keeping the prospect of an unthinkable upset alive.
But Jake Waterman kicked the Eagles' only goal of the second half when he got free out the back to convert from the goalsquare in the third term, with Fremantle slamming on six unanswered goals in the final quarter to make a statement in their 10th Derby win out of the past 11.
West Coast has a nine-day break before travelling to face Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.
FREMANTLE 2.6 5.10 10.12 16.16 (112)
WEST COAST 3.1 5.2 6.4 6.6 (42)
GOALS
Fremantle: Amiss 5, O'Driscoll 2, Cox, Jackson, Voss, Treacy, Reid, Frederick, Dudley, Switkowski, Bolton
West Coast: J.Williams 2, Murdock, Davis, Cole, Waterman
BEST
Fremantle: Johnson, Reid, Amiss, Serong, Brayshaw, O'Driscoll
West Coast: Reid, Herbert, McCarthy, Hough, Kelly, Cole
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
West Coast: Francou (cut knee)
Crowd: 56,616 at Optus Stadium
