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Antonio sizzles as Dockers beat Eagles

3 minute read

Fremantle veterans Ebony Antonio and Kiara Bowers have shared best-on-field honours in the Dockers' 28-point AFLW western derby win over West Coast.

Ebony Antonio has booted three goals in a match-winning effort to help lift Fremantle to a 28-point AFLW win over West Coast.

In windy conditions on Saturday in front of 5533 fans at Fremantle Oval, West Coast booted two goals in the third term to close the margin to five points.

But the Dockers came home with a bang, posting 3.5 to 0.0 in the final term from an inside 50m count that read 16-0 to improve their western derby record to 4-0.

Fremantle midfielder Kiara Bowers tallied 24 disposals and 14 tackles, while new skipper Hayley Miller also starred with two goals from 16 possessions.

But it was Antonio who was the true difference, especially when the game was there to be won.

She finished with 3.1 from 12 disposals to share the western derby best-afield medal with Bowers, who has now won the award four times from four games.

"It's awesome to get the win," Antonio told channel 7 after the game.

"We go on the road for three weeks, so to get the win in front of this crowd is fantastic."

Antonio's star display started in the dying moments of the opening term when she booted a goal-of-the-year contender.

The 30-year-old scooped up the ball along the boundary and burnt off her chasing opponent before nailing a banana goal from the pocket.

The Eagles controlled much of the play in the second term, but it was Fremantle who landed the all-important blows on the scoreboard.

Miller soccered through a goal, before Antonio booted her second when she cleanly trapped a bouncing ball to snap truly.

West Coast finally booted their first goal of the match when captain Emma Swanson found herself open in the goalsquare in the opening minute of the third term.

And when former Giant Aimee Schmidt snapped truly in her debut for West Coast, the margin had been whittled back to five points at the final change.

West Coast entered the final quarter with all the momentum, but Fremantle had the breeze and the in-form Antonio up their sleeves.

Antonio sparked the final-quarter demolition when she slammed the ball on her boot from a tight angle while surrounded by Eagles players to give Fremantle breathing space.

A short time later, she almost nailed a goal from 75m when her kick inside 50m bounced over the pack and rolled through for a behind.

Gaby O'Sullivan and Miller added the icing on the cake with goals to ensure the final margin blew out.