An inspired West Coast has delivered one of the great upsets in RAC Derby history, blindsiding a stunned Fremantle on Saturday night with a 37-point win.
In a thrilling performance that followed his Rising Star nomination, Harley Reid electrified the Optus Stadium crowd with three goals, 19 disposals and seven clearances, starring alongside Glendinning-Allan medallist Elliot Yeo in his first Derby.
On the back of their magnetic 19-year-old and midfield dynamo Yeo, the Eagles produced their best performance in years and climbed to 14th on the ladder, playing with a ruthless edge to prevail 16.9 (105) to 10.8 (68) in a memorable Derby 58.
Leading by 64 points at the last change, the young team conceded six goals to two in the final term when the win was secured, claiming back-to-back victories for the first time since 2021 and ending the Dockers’ five-game winning run in Derbies.
It was a brutal result for the Dockers, who had returned from an extended Adelaide road trip that netted back-to-back losses by a combined 13 points, now slipping to 3-3 after winning their opening three matches of the season.
