Fremantle Dockers beat West Coast Eagles in western derby as Hayden Young wins Glendinning-Allan Medal

Derby 61 was a battle of ruthless v resilient.

Every derby has an underlying theme which is different to the game and only the most one-eyed West Coast fan would have truly thought they could upset Fremantle. So the Dockers’ 18.18 (126) to 12.5 (77) victory was no shock.

Hayden Young won the Glendinning-Allan Medal in a stunning game where he kicked three goals from 23 disposals and seven clearances.

Dockers fans were always hoping for a thumping win to get the percentage boost they need to jump up the ladder. But in a year where the wooden spoon is heading West Coast’s way, their fans would have loved nothing more than to either upset the Dockers or have them reflecting on a win with a tinge of disappointment.

Fremantle had the chance to blow the Eagles off the park and while nobody will sneeze at a 49-point win, West Coast fans would have been content that their players kept fighting and were resilient instead of letting their rivals maximise their dominance around the ground..

Every derby mixes bluff and bravado with brilliance.

Pat Voss roughed up Harley Reid before the first bounce in a reminder that the derby is more than a game. But the Eagles had their sights on Caleb Serong as Brady Hough homed in on him.

The Dockers had an ideal chance to start well but Luke Jackson was denied what looked like a clear mark and then Jamie Cripps took a grab of his own and nailed the shot to give West Coast the first goal. But Fremantle’s desire to apply pressure was clear as Josh Treacy ran down Reuben Ginbey.

There was plenty happening off the ball. Jaeger O’Meara scuffled with Reid and quickly had to contend with Liam Baker, Matt Owies and Liam Ryan flying the flag. Voss flattened Reid moments later and there were doubts about whether the Dockers were focused.

Serong didn’t touch the ball until 21 minutes into the game but Young and Andrew Brayshaw were dominating as Fremantle controlled the clearances.

Young had an extraordinary term with 10 disposals, five clearances and two goals. That included a rare right foot snap. Welcome back to playing a full game of footy.

Brayshaw had 11 possessions and Fremantle led the clearances 14-7.

Michael Frederick had two goals and it all looked set for a massive Fremantle win as they piled on six goals to two to lead by 28 points at quarter-time.

The game was set up for what everyone expected. Could Fremantle be ruthless or would West Coast be resilient and keep their heads under pressure?

The Dockers kicked 1.6 in the second term and that included two set shots to Caleb Serong and Nathan O’Driscoll after they received free kicks after missing snaps for goal. So they kicked only one goal from nine shots.

Fremantle won the inside 50s 16-9 for the term but didn’t get bang for buck. Their only goal came when Frederick pounced on a loose ball four minutes into the quarter.

From that moment on, they were blazing away and couldn’t find targets close to goal. We all know what happens when a team dominates and can’t turn that control into scores — the opposition makes you pay.

Reid showed his class with a brilliant running goal, Tim Kelly nailed a set shot from a free kick and suddenly the Eagles had life.

Ryan Maric stood under a high ball and got smashed. Liam Baker produced a great tackle on Jordan Clark and there were obvious signs of life.

And when Baker just got through a Brayshaw tackle, then received a free kick for a trip, Cripps took advantage and West Coast had three goals for the quarter.

The Dockers had 17 scoring shots to West Coast’s five, but the Eagles were kicking straight and that meant the margin was only 22 points.

Fremantle’s yips continued after half-time as they kicked three points and one out of bounds on the full in the first five minutes.

Then the Dockers stuffed up a kick across goal, Baker won a free kick directly in front for holding the ball, the Eagles had four goals in a row and resilience was riding high with enthusiasm.

Now, instead of being ruthless, the Dockers had to focus on avoiding it being a derby they’d regret.

This was where Fremantle stayed calm. Amiss and Voss both took marks inside 50 and both kicked truly. Suddenly Dockers fans could breathe again.

Murphy Reid was having a quarter to remember as he constantly put teammates into space and set up scores.

By three-quarter-time, he had 10 score involvements from 18 disposals.

Young kicked his third goal of the day to give Fremantle a 35-point lead but again the Eagles showed fight. Kelly kicked a goal on the siren and the margin was five goals at the final change.

Fremantle’s leaders pulled the team together before the coaches had the chance to speak to them and demanded more.

The players responded. Luke Jackson kicked the opening goal of the term inside the first 90 seconds to continue the trend of Dockers’ ruckmen having an impact during final quarters in recent weeks.

Then Bolton dribbled through another goal just over one minute later and now the Dockers had the chance to build percentage again. They’d already improved their percentage by about three points so every goal was going to matter for the rest of the game.

Some Amiss desperation spoilt what looked set to be a mark inside 50 to Jamie Cripps. When percentage matters, those bits of play are key.

Then Murphy Reid stepped up again to send the ball inside 50 and Frederick kicked his fourth goal before Voss extended the margin to 54 points and gave them the chance to charge home.

But the side story to this derby remained as the Eagles stayed resilient, kicking three more goals before Voss nailed a major on the final siren. That’s why the derby isn’t a normal game. The result was never really in doubt but everyone understood the subtext.