Harley Reid helped off the ground as Fremantle win Western Derby 61 by 49 points

Fremantle got the points on Saturday afternoon – but will Justin Longmuir’s side live to regret how the fiery Western Derby, headline again by Harley Reid, played out?

Fremantle has no choice but to keep winning games.

The Dockers continue to waste chances to improve on a percentage that threatens to cost them a spot in the finals.

They got the win against West Coast in the 61st Western Derby on Saturday at Optus Stadium, the 49-point victory its third consecutive win and ninth from its past 10 outings.

But the 18.18 (126) to 12.5 (77) scoreline might come back to haunt them.

Fremantle wasted another opportunity to improve its percentage, which is worse than all the sides they are jostling for positions on the ladder against.

Of the top nine sides, only Brisbane has a worse percentage than Fremantle, but the Lions have drawn a game, so it won’t be an issue for them.

There are scenarios where 15 wins will be needed to play finals and if that happens, trouble looms for Fremantle.

Hayden Young was the star on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Kane/Getty Images

West Coast has a big concern of its own, with the bottom-of-the-table Eagles a chance to be without star young midfielder Harley Reid for some, or all, of the remaining four games of the season.

Reid needed help from Optus Stadium after he was crunched in a tackle late in the final term.

An ankle injury ended his game, one where he was watched closely by Dockers veteran Jaeger O’Meara, on 15 disposals, two goals and three clearances.

Finding a second win for the season, against Melbourne, Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs or Sydney, in the run home, would be much tougher without Reid.

McQualter said it’s getting tougher to cover injured players and won’t be any easier if Reid can’t suit up.

“He’s hurt his ankle, I probably don’t have much more information than that,” McQualter said.

“You can see Harley put no weight on it as he was coming off, and then he was able to walk, walk off.

“It’s a challenge, but we’ve got what we’ve got. We’ve got an incredibly young midfield, and we are learning a lot.

“Even today, Brady Hough played on Caleb Serong at stoppage, and Brady is going to be a much better player for that experience.

“So, today we made a lot of changes in that space. We changed personnel, we changed structure.

“They got clearly, not just the clearance game, but the efficiency of their clearance. They scored 18 times from stoppage, which is a monster number.

“We’ve got to somehow not be as leaky in that space and keep trying to close the gap.”

Harley Reid kicks his first goal of the Western Derby

But the young star was helped off the ground late. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

It started so well

The Dockers showed no signs of mental fatigue that some suggested its players might have after training back-to-back wins against Hawthorn and Collingwood.

They produced their best first quarter for the season, 6.4, on Saturday and led by 28 points at quarter-time.

Fremantle’s percentage had improved from 108.9 to 110.8.

But the Dockers were wayward after that.

They should have been 10 goals ahead at half-time but led by just 22 points.

The Dockers had 16 inside-50 entries in each of the first two quarters but managed just 1.6 in the second quarter. West Coast kicked 3.0 to win the term.

A career-high four goals from Michael Frederick gave Fremantle a spark, but West Coast kicked three of the last four goals of the game, leaving the Dockers percentage at 111.7.

Western Bulldogs are ninth with a percentage of 132.6, eighth-placed Gold Coast improved its to 119.5 on Saturday. Geelong (128.2), Hawthorn (119.9) and Greater Western Sydney (118.4) are also who the Dockers appear most likely to compete against for a top eight spot.

There were spot fires everywhere at Optus Stadium

And plenty of highlights, including this one from Shai Bolton

Downsizing before the bounce

The Eagles copped a blow minutes before the first bounce when key defender Harry Edwards pulled out of the match with a hamstring injury.

After Tom Barrass left for Hawthorn and with Jeremy McGovern having injury issues that have forced him to retire, Edwards has been a shining light for West Coast.

His absence left the Eagles defence small and inexperienced.

Yet Josh Treacy, Jye Amiss and Patrick Voss failed to capitalise in the first half, adding just 1.2 of the Dockers 7.10 scoreline.

That improved to 6.5 by game’s end, with Voss and Amiss kicking three goals apiece.

Liam Ryan takes a huge mark. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos

Re-finding some touch in the middle

Eagles fans would have loved seeing Tim Kelly find some form.

After signing a two-year contract extension at the start of this season, Kelly hasn’t had a good year.

This is a guy who averaged mid-20 possessions a game over two seasons at Geelong and his first five at West Coast.

But he’s struggled in 2025, averaging 15 touches a game over 15 outings, and often being kept out of the midfield.

He was back in among things on Saturday, with a team-high 26 possessions and two goals. It’s just the second time he has reached the 20-mark this season and only had more (29) in round 2 against Brisbane.

If Reid does stay at the Eagles, he’s going to need some allies in the midfield.

West Coast hopes Elliot Yeo can return in 2026 to be one of them.

An in-form Kelly will also be on the Eagles wish list.

Scoreboard

FREMANTLE 6.4 7.10 10.16 18.18 (126)

WEST COAST 2.0 5.0 7.4 12.5 (77)

BEST

Dockers: Young, Brayshaw, Bolton, Frederick, Reid, Jackson.

Eagles: Baker, Kelly, Hough, Ginbey, McCarthy, H Reid.

GOALS

Dockers: Frederick 4, Amiss 3, Young 3, Voss 3, Dudley, Jackson, Bolton, Reid, Switkowski.

Eagles: Kelly 2, Cripps 2, Baker 2, H Reid 2, Brockman, Ryan, Dewar, Hewett.

INJURIES Dockers: Nil. Eagles: H Edwards (hamstring) replaced in selected side. H Reid (leg).

54,384 at Optus Stadium.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES

3 Hayden Young (FRE)

2 Andrew Brayshaw (FRE)

1 Liam Baker (WCE)

Originally published as Harley Reid helped off the ground as Fremantle win Western Derby 61 by 49 points