Western Derby LXI recap: Fremantle Dockers out to avoid any finals spoilers from West Coast underdogs
Fremantle are looking to continue their march towards finals as West Coast hope to spoil their party by causing the biggest upset in western derby history.
The two teams could not be more polar opposites when it comes to form, with Fremantle coming off one of their best-ever wins and having won eight of their past-nine.
The Eagles are coming off one of their most dispiriting losses and are set for a second wooden spoon in three years, and are facing the prospect of a one-win season.
But the derby rarely cares about the ladder with the Dockers on high alert to avoid any Eagles spoilers.
Follow all the action live.
Dudley’s back!
Fremantle turn the pressure up with the tackles and find a little chaos going forward, much to the liking of Dudley.
The small forward returns to the team this week and gets his side’s opening goal with the perfect crumb across the front of the pack.
Meanwhile, O’Meara and Harley Reid are scuffling everywhere with Baker now getting involved.
FRE 7, WCE 6
Stitches
As Brayshaw did for the Dockers last week, Eagle Tom McCarthy will wear a lid to protect stiches in his scalp.
The defender copped a cut last week.
West Coast have started strongly around the ground but the Dockers already have four intercept marks.
When the Eagles finally penetrated the 50, Cripps took a great contested mark and converted the set shot.
FRE 0, WCE 6
Voss the boss!
Pat Voss has gone hard after Harley Reid before the ball is even bounced!
As the players made their way to starting positions he slammed into the 20-year-old multiple times.
However, the young gun gets the first clearance as the Eagles go forward early.
FRE 0, WCE 0
Eagles make a very late change
Sandy Brock is out there with Harry Edwards going down to the rooms in the final warm ups. Looks like a hamstring issue.
More to come
Warm-ups
Tim Kelly and Liam Ryan are both warming up in the midfield group. Will they start in the centre as Eagles try and find some way to combat the Dockers’ class?
Hayden Young is back
It will be his first full game back from injury after playing a crucial role as a sub in the final quarter of the Dockers’ win over Collingwood.
Smoky for the Glendinning-Allan?
Who says these sides have to hate each other?
AFLW pre-season underway
While we wait for the men the Eagles’ and Dockers’ AFLW teams had a pre-season hit-out this morning with the Dockers running out impressive 23-point winners.
Contract talk
With the Eagles having another rotten season much of the talk about them is what to do with Harely Reid with reports of a $20 million 10-year deal for the young star.
The Eagles have plenty of money to burn but it would still be a huge undertaking given the number of holes they have to fill on their list.
Fremantle great Paul Hasleby breaks down whether the cost is worth the risk.
No late changes
Neil Erasmus is the sub for Freo while Tyrell Dewar will start on the bench for the Eagles.
