Freo pays price for inability to kick goals

FREMANTLE’S wonky goalkicking proved costly as West Coast posted a crucial 30-point victory in yesterday’s western derby at Domain Stadium in Perth.

The Eagles booted the first five goals of the match to set up the 11.8 (74) to 5.14 (44) win in front of a 38,722 pro-Dockers crowd.

Fremantle dominated most of the key statistics, winning the inside-50m battle 57-46 and the clearances 40-28.

But their inability to convert a host of golden chances came back to haunt them.

At one point in the third quarter, they had 2.13 to their name as West Coast opened up a 29-point lead.

Brothers Stephen and Bradley Hill combined for 0.5, while Connor Blakely, David Mundy, Michael Walters, and Brennan Cox were also guilty of costly misses.

The Dockers closed the margin to 16 points early in the final quarter, but the Eagles sealed the deal with late goals to Jack Darling and Dom Sheed.

Eagles skipper Shannon Hurn (34 disposals) won the Ross Glendinning Medal as best afield.

West Coast’s fifth straight derby triumph lifted them into eighth spot on the ladder – a win and percentage adrift of fourth spot.

Dockers midfielder Stephen Hill popped his heavily-strapped left shoulder during a fourth-quarter scuffle with Mark LeCras, but he was able to return to the field.

West Coast suffered a big blow before the match when Elliot Yeo was ruled out with a leg injury.

Yeo restricted star Dockers midfielder Nat Fyfe to just 19 disposals in the last derby.

Fyfe made the most of Yeo’s absence to rack up 13 disposals and five clearances in the first quarter.

But the Dockers failed to register a single goal from their 16 inside-50s. Shane Kersten finally broke the run of six straight behinds with a goal at the 14-minute mark of the second term.