West Coast’s season of promise is at risk of becoming a derby final nightmare after the Eagles’ top-four AFL hopes were dealt a painful blow at the hands of Fremantle on Saturday.
Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich was the hero with eight goals as Fremantle notched their fifth win on the trot with the ruthless 17.11 (113) to 6.12 (48) rout of West Coast.
The Eagles (12-6) were sitting pretty inside the top four a month ago, but now find themselves a game adrift of fourth spot following recent heavy losses to Sydney, Adelaide and Fremantle.
In contrast, Fremantle (11-7) are hitting peak form at the right end of the season, with the Dockers remaining just percentage adrift of eighth spot following a run of wins against Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, GWS, Port Adelaide and West Coast.
Fremantle and West Coast have never faced off in a final before.
But with the Eagles now likely to finish either fifth or sixth and the Dockers firming for either seventh or eighth spot, a western derby elimination final is well and truly on the cards.
That would be a nightmare scenario for West Coast, who would not only lose their home ground advantage, but also carry in the scars from Saturday’s derby loss.
The Eagles take on Geelong in Perth on Friday night before rounding out their season with games against Port Adelaide (away), Collingwood (home) and Hawthorn (away).
And if the tough draw wasn’t enough to worry about for Eagles coach John Worsfold, he also has to frantically search for answers as to why his midfield group have dropped off so dramatically in recent weeks.
“It’s a trend over a month now that we’re strongly aware of,” Worsfold said after his team lost the clearance count 49-36 to Fremantle.
“We’ve changed a couple of things and they haven’t worked, so we have to address that.
“It’s hard to say exactly what it is.
“If the guys in there aren’t performing at the level we require them to, then we’ll have to look at other options.
“When your intensity’s not there, then you’re vulnerable.
“It was terrible really (against Fremantle).
“I think our players are accountable to each other on that regard.”
Fremantle’s 11th win of the season could come at a major cost, with Pavlich, defender Luke McPharlin and midfielder Matt de Boer likely to be scrutinised by the match review panel ahead of Saturday’s clash with Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
McPharlin was reported for his high bump on Jack Darling and de Boer went into the book for his attempted trip on Daniel Kerr, but it’s Pavlich’s swinging arm hit on Mitch Brown that will be of most concern.
Pavlich wasn’t facing Brown when he collected the Eagles defender with the back of his arm, but the AFL has made an effort to clamp down on no-look hits in recent years.
Brown was left momentarily dazed in the incident.
