GREAT NEWS: Fremantle overcomes the Eagles to advance to the double chance finals.

That’s what the Dockers were eventually able to demonstrate in a brutal, aggressive, and extremely entertaining Western Derby.

However, they weren’t given the whole runaround. Throughout the first half, they were forced to take a lot of hits from West Coast, and the purple men had to rebound from several strikes in order to secure four points and, more importantly, move up to third place on the standings, which strengthened their position in the top four.

This year, the Eagles displayed a toughened edge that was uncommon to witness. With a goal of challenging their cross-town opponents and building a 20-point lead in the second term, there was pressure.

Harley Reid, a young shot, was his opponents’ worst nightmare, constantly getting in their faces and under their skins.

His opponent Andy Brayshaw refused to give an inch, in what hopefully will be a match-up witnessed in Derbies for the next decade.

While West Coast brought the rage in the opening hour, they weren’t able to maintain it. The longer the contest went, the more Fremantle’s maturity, class and poise took charge.

It was their time to flex their muscles.

They survived the storm and took the lead thanks to a strong second half that included a pivotal five-minute stretch that changed the course of the match.

Treacy, Amiss, and Jackson, Fremantle’s three towering players, formed as a possible threat to an Eagles defense without Jeremy McGovern.

Josh Treacy, who scored his first goal of the game after grabbing a long-ball from Hayden Young, is having an incredible season.

A little more than sixty seconds later, Michael Fredrick scored from a half-back transition as a result of Fremantle’s ability to win the match, breakaway from the stoppage, and move the ball quickly.

The third and last sequence resulted from the ensuing center bounce, which Treacy converted after Luke Jackson’s agility combined with Nat Fyfe.