AFLW western derby: Unpacking the demise of Fremantle and the rise of West Coast as Eagles eye history-making win

There’s never been a bigger AFLW western derby. As West Coast attempts to snap a seven-game losing streak, Eliza Reilly reveals the reasons for Fremantle’s dramatic decline this season.

There’s never been a bigger AFLW western derby.

A month into the 2025 season, West Coast are one of the most improved teams in the competition following a 3-1 start.

While the Dockers are languishing 1-3 at the bottom of the ladder after suffering history-making defeats against last year’s grand finalists, North Melbourne and Brisbane.

After being comprehensively beaten by their big sister in the first seven derbies, this weekend presents West Coast’s best opportunity to make history.

Fremantle has had the wood over West Coast, winning seven straight western derbies. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The little sister always grows up eventually.

“It’s a big occasion. It’s so unique in states like this, where you have two teams and the rivalry,” Eagles coach Daisy Pearce said.

“They (the players) have played a lot of footy against each other and with each other, so all of that presents a unique challenge, but an exciting opportunity as well.”

The stakes have never been higher.

“It’ll be a great one,” Fremantle coach Lisa Webb said. “We always have big games, even last year was a massive game as well.”

Will it be the start of a new era? Or another false dawn?

THE DEMISE OF FREMANTLE 

No club epitomises the current gap between the top and mid-tier clubs quite like Fremantle.

Without captain Ange Stannett (ACL), key forward Aine Tighe (knee), and star midfielder Kiara Bowers (pregnancy), the Dockers squeezed everything out of their list last year and finished 5th on the ladder, bowing out to Adelaide in a semi-final.

With Bowers and Stannett back this season, 2025 felt like the last dance for Fremantle.

Instead, it’s turned into a walking nightmare.

In the first month of the season, the Dockers have lost to Brisbane by 70 points and North Melbourne by 100 points, the latter the biggest margin in AFLW history.

Of the four teams to kick 100+ points so far this year, two of them have been against Fremantle.

There are shades of West Coast men’s dramatic fall from grace in the way the Dockers’ season is unfolding.

After winning the premiership in 2018, the Eagles topped up with existing talent, ignored the draft and refused to admit they needed a rebuild. Now, they’re asking for a priority pick.

Against Sydney on Sunday, the Dockers fielded nine players aged 28 or older. It was 10 the week before against North.

Fremantle traded several draft picks in 2023, including pick six, to secure Gabby Newton, Aishling McCarthy and Ash Brazill. Their only live selection in the draft that year was Holly Ifould at pick 49 who made her debut against the Swans.

Some pundits are already calling for Fremantle to ‘play the kids.’ But the reality is the Dockers have none.

First-round pick Georgie Brisbane was dropped for the game against North in a bemusing decision.

Fremantle has been one of the most disappointing teams so far this season. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Second-round pick Holly Egan is out for the year with an ACL. The verdict is out on Evie Parker, while Indi Strom, the sister of Mim, has played every game despite being viewed as a speculative pick by opposition recruiters.

The Dockers also signed hockey player Matilda Banfield as a rookie earlier this year, a decision that was believed to have raised eyebrows internally.

And while Fremantle has plenty of top-end talent like Gabby Newton, Bowers, McCarthy and Strom, the Dockers’ lack of depth and ageing list is an issue. Too many players have gone backwards and not enough have improved.

Fremantle has also been adversely impacted by West Coast’s stranglehold on the state-based draft between 2019 and 2023, getting first dibs on the likes of Bella Lewis, Charlotte Thomas and Ella Roberts, the three pillars of the Eagles’ side.

Speaking after the club’s loss to North Melbourne, Stannett said the Dockers spent the whole pre-season speaking about being a top-four side.

“No,” Stannett said when asked if she thought the gap between Fremantle and last year’s grand finalists was significant. “I still don’t think it is.

“We didn’t show up with our best footy, so of course, a good side is going to make us hurt. It’ll be a different story if we can execute our game plan consistently across four quarters.

“We want to respect these sides. We don’t want to fear them.”

Fremantle’s ageing list is catching up with it this year. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Fremantle’s rooms didn’t feel like those of a club that had just endured the biggest loss in AFLW history. Players were smiling and laughing with their families.

The Dockers have always been a team that has bounced back after losses. Against the Kangaroos, they looked like a team lacking spirit and fight. That’s an attitude problem.

“There is disappointment,” Stannett said. “We’re a group that cares a lot.

“You never want to get too high or too low, whether you win or lose.”

It was only three years ago that Fremantle beat North Melbourne by 38 points in a qualifying final at Arden Street.

At the peak of their powers, the Dockers were one of the fittest teams in the competition, led by world-renowned strength and conditioning guru Kate Starre. If players didn’t hit a specific 2km time, they weren’t allowed to play.

Now, Fremantle is staring down the barrel of a long and arduous rebuild.

THE RISE OF WEST COAST

The sight of Daisy Pearce getting a round of applause from the West Coast faithful as she made her way down to the bench late in the final term against Port epitomises how the AFLW icon has transformed the club.

The Eagles AFLW program didn’t get the respect it deserved in its infancy and the club churned through three coaches in five seasons before Pearce was appointed in 2024.

West Coast is one of only two clubs to have never played finals before. But Pearce could be on the verge of changing that.

Fair to say the West Coast faithful are stoked with that one. Round of applause for coach Daisy Pearce as she makes her way down to the bench. pic.twitter.com/aDyEVeCnrw

— Eliza Reilly (@ByElizaReilly) September 7, 2025

Last season was all about the players rediscovering their love for football and strengthening their bond after a tumultuous few seasons.

This year, the Eagles decided it was time to get serious and see how far they could climb.

Like many clubs, West Coast scheduled non-compulsory training sessions in the early months of the year before pre-season started and the buy-in was huge.

The Eagles also poached Sam Batterton from Melbourne to be the club’s new head of high performance and the proof has been in the pudding.

Daisy Pearce has transformed West Coast this season. (Photo by Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

West Coast are fitter and stronger than they’ve ever been. In their last two games, the Eagles have kicked five goals in the final quarter to storm past St Kilda and last year’s preliminary finalist, Port Adelaide.

“We can come back from anywhere,” co-captain Bella Lewis said. “It’s built belief that we can match it with the next best teams.

“I think we’ve been successful because we’re trusting the process. Every game is a new game. We’re just trying to play four consistent quarters of footy so it’s been good.”

West Coast has prioritised its team defence, but the biggest beneficiary has been the forward line. The Eagles have gone from ranking 16th in time in forward half last year to 5th this year.

Then there’s Ella Roberts.

Former captain Emma Swanson declared the 20-year-old the best player in the competition after her heroics against the Saints. And by the end of the season, she might be proven right.

The prodigious talent has already won games off her own boot this year, and she’s previously been named best on ground in a losing derby.

The AFLW is her oyster.

WHERE THE GAME WILL BE WON 

Sunday’s clash looms as the ultimate intersection of control and chaos.

West Coast has shown they can be extremely dangerous when they go coast-to-coast.

And Fremantle has looked its most vulnerable when teams put speed on the ball in transition, evidenced by its poor points from turnover differential (18th) and defensive 50 to inside 50 against (15th).

The Dockers will want to focus on defensive improvement, like they did against Sydney and dominate the contest and put numbers behind the ball. Whereas the Eagles want to go quick inside 50 and lock the ball in their front half.

Can West Coast claim its first derby win on Sunday? (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

The battle around the ball will have a massive say on the result, given the Dockers are one of the league’s best clearance teams while the Eagles are currently sitting second in contested possession.

The potential match winner is last year’s derby medallist and reining All-Australian ruck Mim Strom.

The 23-year-old was best afield with 15 disposals, three clearances, six marks, seven tackles and 48 hitouts last season.

But the Eagles have spent the last fortnight preparing, pursuing a two-ruck strategy with Liz McGrath and Sarah Lakay.

The pair effectively nullified Rising Star Matilda Scholz in West Coast’s win over Port Adelaide and they’ll have to do it again with Strom.

But it’s all set to come down to who can get the game on their terms around the ground.

Originally published as AFLW western derby: Unpacking the demise of Fremantle and the rise of West Coast as Eagles eye history-making win