FREMANTLE 3.2 5.6 7.7 9.10 (64)
WEST COAST 2.2 7.5 12.7 17.8 (110)
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Kennedy stands tall
Seven goals from Josh Kennedy has inspired West Coast to a 46-point win over Fremantle.
GOALS
Fremantle: Yarran 2, Sheridan 2, Pavlich 2, Ballantyne, Apeness, Walters
West Coast: Kennedy 7, Hill 3, LeCras 3, Hurn, Naitanui, Tunbridge, Gaff.
BEST
West Coast: Kennedy, Priddis, Hurn, Masten, Shuey, McGovern.
Fremantle: Sheridan, Hill, Mundy, Silvagni, Neale, Mayne.
UMPIRES: Margetts, Kamolins, Fleer.
CROWD: 36,215 at Domain Stadium
Josh Kennedy's seven goals in West Coast's 46-point win over Fremantle at Domain Stadium has all-but sealed the Eagles a place in the top eight.
It may also have earned him consecutive Coleman Medal victories. The West Coast forward started the day on 60 goals for the season, one goal behind Sydney's Lance Franklin and the Gold Coast's Tom Lynch.
He joined level with the pack after just six minutes, and took the lead seven minutes later.
Those two goals kept his side in the contest while the Dockers had momentum. Then his four goals - from just before half-time to the half-way point of the third term - were pivotal in the Eagles getting over the Dockers and remaining in sixth spot on the AFL ladder, where they started the weekend.
They are three wins ahead of the ninth-placed St Kilda with three rounds to go. And although the Eagles have a tough run home, they also have an advantage of more than 30 per cent over the Saints, that will surely be enough.
However, the Eagles need to find something extra over the remaining three weeks if they are to have an impact this September.
The 17.8 (110) to 9.10 (64) result against the Dockers may have been their sixth win in seven games, but they have been far from impressive for a long time.
A tough run home for West Coast includes games against top-four sides GWS, Hawthorn and Adelaide - keeping in mind that fact that eighth-placed North Melbourne remains the only side in the eight that West Coast has beaten this season (in round 16).
For the first quarter and a half against the 16th-placed Dockers on Sunday, they looked the second best side on the ground, as Fremantle opened up a 15-point lead on the back of some fiere contested possession work.
They managed to stop the run of Andrew Gaff, with a tag by Tim Sheridan, and Alex Silvagni led a defence that was able to limit the influence of Eagles forwards Jack Darling and Mark LeCras.
Fremantle has only itself to blame for not getting further ahead.
West Coast captain Shannon Hurn kicked the first goal of the second term courtesy of a 50m penalty from Michael Walters, who pointed at and abused an umpire when called for "holding the ball" when he clearly thought he should have been awarded the free kick.
Chris Maybe and Matthew Pavlich then both missed very kickable shots on goals and ruckman Zac Clarke failed to score anything after receiving a handball in the goal square.
True to form, West Coast then gained momentum and kicked 4.3 to 0.1 in the remainder of the half to lead by 11 points at the main break.
In the second half, the Eagles were able to settle and slowly build their lead. They limited Fremantle's scoring opportunities and kicked 10 goals to the Dockers four after half-time.
Matt Priddis was again outstanding, with 33 possessions, while Chris Masten had one of his better games for the season, also with 33.
Nic Naiutanui also played in his first game since round 12 because of Achilles issues and while he spent a lot of the game on the sidelines, seemed to have gotten through unscathed.
His ability to get through the final three rounds and gain some match fitness, will be crucial to the Eagles chances of progressing through the finals.
Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands also had a successful return to action on Sunday, for his first game since the last Derby, in round three, when he broke two ribs and punched a lung in a marking contest with Naitanui.
There remains some goal-kicking interest for the Dockers this season, with Matthew Pavlich able to become just the third player to reach 350 games and 700 goals in a career when he retires at the end of the season. Bernie Quinlan and Kevin Bartlett are the other two to have achieved the feat.
The Dockers veteran booted two on Sunday to take his career total to 697 goals. He has three games left to kick three goals, with some doubt as to whether he will travel to Spotless Stadium in round 22 to play GWS.