West Coast have given themselves a strong chance of playing off in the NAB Cup Grand Final after accounting for both Essendon and Fremantle in an intriguing tri-series encounter on Sunday night at Patersons Stadium.
Despite fielding an undermanned side against a similarly second-string Bombers outfit, the Eagles showed off their impressive pressure game to great effect against the Bombers in a 21-point, 0.9.3 (57) to 0.5.6 (36) result as the mercury hovered above 30 degrees for much of the encounter.
The weather had cooled somewhat by the time Fremantle marched onto the field under new coach Ross Lyon for the first time, but the Bombers still more than felt the heat as the Dockers applied a similar level of pressure in an impressive, 36-point, 1.7.5 (56) to 0.3.2 (20) result.
That game paved the way for an intriguing Western Derby encounter between West Coast and Fremantle.
But West Coast eventually prevailed in a solid 20-point win in a match played at an intensity level more akin to these side's regular season matches, as shown by a bruising bump from new Docker Zac Dawson on Eagles enforcer Jack Darling.
The Eagles may have dominated the opening half, earning 15 inside-50s to five during the 20-minute period, but they didn't make that advantage count on the scoreboard as they posted just the one goal through Gerrick Weedon.
But a Luke Shuey goal and two majors to Dean Cox early in the second period broke the Dockers' resistance and opened up an encounter that eventually saw the Eagles come out on top 0.4.6 (30) to 0.1.4 (10).
The Eagles may have lost sharpshooter Mark LeCras to a torn ACL earlier in the week, but West Coast fans will have taken heart from their side's impressive display and the fact fellow small forwards Weedon and Ashton Hams stepped up in his absence.
Weedon scored two goals against the Bombers and set the tone for West Coast's performance as he chased down Anthony Long in the first minute, earning a free kick that he converted with aplomb.
Weedon also scored against the Dockers as Ashton Hams posted two goals against Essendon before being somewhat inconspicuous in the second match.
Although it's still early in the summer, Lyon will be concerned by his side's inability to penetrate the Eagles' press in their second encounter.
Although the Dockers' defensive structures held firm against the West Coast forward pressure during the first half, as they simply refused to concede goals, Fremantle couldn't get the ball beyond the halfway mark against the Eagles, giving Lyon plenty to think about.
However, Fremantle fans may have found a new cult hero as young forward Lachie Neale, taken with selection No.58 in last year's National Draft, booted two goals against Essendon and more than lived up to his uncanny resemblance to Fremantle's other pesky forward Hayden Ballantyne.
The Bombers, however, won't be able to take much from a trip to Perth that all but ends their chances of playing off in the NAB Cup Grand Final for a second consecutive year, although they may have produced a find in small forward Corey Dell'olio.
Dell'olio may still be on rookie list but he did his chances of senior promotion - possibly as a replacement for long-term injury victims Scott Gumbleton and Brent Prismall - no harm whatsoever by scoring goals in both matches and looking dangerous around the ball.
Dell'olio should have scored two against the Eagles but was denied a second under controversial circumstances that the AFL will surely examine further.
Under pressure, Dell'olio jumped into the air to slot the ball home in the goal square, although the goal umpire adjudged it to have come off his knee.
However, with the AFL testing video goal umpiring once again in this competition, the powers that be will be concerned the video official missed the fact the ball actually came off Dell'olio's shin and should have registered as a major.
FREMANTLE: 0.1.5, 0.1.4 (10),
WEST COAST: 0.0.1, 0.4.6 (30)
SUPERGOALS: Fremantle Nil
West Coast: Nil
GOALS: Fremantle:Mellington
West Coast: Cox 2, Weedon, Shuey,
BEST: Fremantle: Crowley, Duffield, McPhee
Cox, Hurn, Shuey
INJURIES: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
UMPIRES: Margetts, Orr, O'Neill
CROWD: 27,581 at Patersons Stadium