Clancee Pearce

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

No matter where each team is on the Ladder, the Western Derby is an exciting game, up for grabs every time it is played. Fremantle has had a lock on the contest over the past few seasons and, with both teams needing a win to consolidate Finals football, there was everything to play for in the 38th Derby at Patersons Stadium during Multicultural Round 16.

Fremantle got off to a flying start when Tendai Mzungu flew above the pack to haul in a great mark and kick the first goal. West Coast evened it up soon after when a poor kick in from a point gave Jack Darling a free kick on the 50 meter arc in the pocket. He booted a towering goal to register the Eagles’ first. From then on Fremantle dominated the quarter with some hard tackling and swarming around the contests. Chris Mayne kicked two goals and was ably supported by Michael Walters who kicked one of his own. It was starting to look ominous very early for West Coast until Josh Kennedy got a late one to keep them in the game. It was a scrambling, untidy quarter of football that had the Dockers up by 11 points when it ended.

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

Fremantle pulled off a win by the barest of margins in a tight Round 5 game at Patersons Stadium, courtesy of a goal by slippery small forward Hayden Ballantyne with seconds to play. The Dockers had much of the play for the whole game but, as has become their "bête noire" in recent weeks, they could not land the killer blow to their opponents until the last minute.

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

300 games: Jude Bolton (SYD) will play his 300th game this weekend in the Preliminary Final, making him the third player in club history to reach 300 games, joining Adam Goodes (317 games since 1999) and Michael O’Loughlin (303 games, 1995-2009).

Most Club Finals: Adam Goodes and

Rick Browner reporting from Patersons Stadium, Subiaco, Western Australia

Two teams representing the port towns of Perth and Adelaide met in Round 7 with much on the line. Port Adelaide Power has a good record at the “House of Pain”, Patersons Stadium, winning more than they have lost there against the Fremantle Dockers. The Dockers believe they are finalists this year and would be expected to flex some muscle against their struggling opponents, if only to show the competition that they are genuine contenders. Giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands was back from injury for the Dockers, while Danyle Pearce had been dropped due to lack of intent for Power. David Rodan was back after having previously suffered the same fate.

Two weeks ago at Patersons Stadium, the Fremantle Dockers played their first game against Geelong as if they were Grand Final material. In Round 3 against the Brisbane Lions they looked second rate. First blood went to the Lions with Todd Banfield awarded a free kick after Stephen Hill bamboozled himself and ran too far with the football. Brisbane was all over the more fancied home side which was hesitant in its disposals and not kicking truly when in possession of the ball. Both teams had a full court press on with their zones and the game resembled a chess match as each side tried to move the ball forward. Unfortunately it was not a Boris Spassky-Bobby Fisher level game but more like their unprepared understudies stepping into the spotlight.

Geelong won the 2011 Premiership and despite the loss of some key players to retirement, this is still a formidable side which plays well away. Nevertheless the Cats have had trouble with the Fremantle Dockers. Last year there was one nail-biting finish and the first quarter for 2012 showed that the fans were in for more of the same.