AFLW 2025: Fremantle Dockers claim battle of wills against West Coast Eagles in western derby success

Fremantle may have entered their clash with bitter crosstown foes West Coast having never lost to them and being the bookies’ favourites, but their form was as poor as it’s ever been. Since beating Port Adelaide in round one, the Dockers have copped a 70-point hiding, backed by a 100-point embarrassment and then a 25-point defeat. West Coast were up and about after starting 3-1, their best-ever opening to campaign, and the narrative was the blue and gold had never had a better chance to score their first derby victory. The footy gods didn’t play ball with the weather, dishing out storms and blanketing rain for the teams to fight through, making it a pure contest of wills. And Fremantle’s desire for victory had been smoldering for four weeks. Going against the breeze in the first quarter, the women in purple held their nerve as the Eagles pushed. The home side only had four inside 50s to 11 but they made their’s count with a goal. The Dockers made the contest physical, wearing a just as brutal response from a young Eagles looking to establish themselves as WA’s AFLW force. Fremantle grabbed another major against the tide in the second and looked steely heading into the break having kept the peppy Eagles goalless for the half. It could never stay that way and the young Eagles fired their shots in the third to take the momentum and the lead away from the home team. The contest got even more fiery as hearts were worn on sleeves by both sides. But having the breeze for the last quarter proved decisive, Fremantle’s old heads staying the course amid the physical contest. Fittingly, it was a clever goal from former skipper Hayley Miller that proved the knockout blow. The veteran was first back to a ball that caught a Fremantle breeze, smartly soccering through a goal from the square to leave the Eagles to wait another year for derby revenge.