Finally, after years of pain, the hurt is over for West Coast’s AFLW team and the sweet release of cross-town bragging rights are headed to the Eagles after a 12-point win over Fremantle.

It was a question of experience vs exuberance, the seasoned campaigners up against the youthful upstarts from across the other side of the city.

And for the first time in history, it was Daisy Pearce’s Eagles who had something to crow about as they came from behind in the final quarter to triumph 5.9 (39) to 4.3 (27).

In one of the most gripping western derbies between the two outfits, the Eagles claimed their first derby win at the ninth time of asking after trailing at half-time and three-quarter time.

It is too early to say whether this is a changing of the guard or a false dawn, but West Coast came of age as the older Dockers threw everything at them in a fiery, exciting game which will live long in the memory of yellow and blue.

When Keely Skepper bagged her second goal of the game in the final term to give West Coast an 11-point lead, Eagles fans thought it was in the bag; as the clock continued to tick down and their young team continued to stand tall, they knew it was party time.

Ella Roberts was outstanding in midfield with 22 disposals, six tackles and five score involvements in a best-on-ground performance which earned her a second derby medal of her young career.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Riggs and Amy Franklin got better as the game went on, and the leadership of Emma Swanson and Charlie Thomas came to the fore later.

On the other side of the ledger, the bitter taste of a first derby defeat will be hard to stomach for Fremantle, their midfield of Aisling McCarthy, Gabby Newton and Kiara Bowers almost doing enough to get their team over the line.

But ‘almost’ was not enough on a day when West Coast’s young guns came of age, the final siren triggering an outpouring of emotion.

Hayley Miller’s 100th game ended slightly prematurely when the Fremantle forward suffered a fourth-quarter cork.

Within the broader context of their season, a loss does not leave the Dockers’ hopes of finals football in tatters as they hang on to eighth spot with four rounds to go.

But with three of Fremantle’s final four coming against fellow top eight sides, it will be a make-or-break last month, particularly given they are now seven points adrift of seventh.

And West Coast’s win allowed them to move level with Fremantle on 16 points, the Eagles jumping into 10th and separated only from eighth by percentage with two of their last four matches coming against top eight opposition.

On a bright day in Perth’s inner city, the on-field temperature elevated a few degrees upon the game’s start as Bowers stamped her mark on both proceedings and Bella Lewis as she brought her to ground, then shoved her on the floor to ignite a spot-fire early.

Fremantle struggled to break West Coast’s defensive set-up in their half and when they did get the ball forward, they were presented with muddy looks inside 50, resulting in dirty ball and unclean looks at goal.

It took almost eight minutes for the game’s opening goal, as Kellie Gibson’s pressure inside 50 forced Ash Brazill into a loose handball and Kayla Dalgleish pounced for the Eagles.

Fremantle registered their first score a few seconds shy of 13 minutes, but impressive rookie Noa McNaughton found the middle of the sticks not long after to narrow the margin.

But having looked more dangerous inside 50, it was the Eagles who pushed their lead to more than one score on the stroke of quarter time when Skepper finished with aplomb.

Any hopes of West Coast taking the lead and running with it looked fanciful as both teams struggled to establish a flow early in the second term.

But despite both teams wasting scoring opportunities and making a mess of their dinner, it was Fremantle’s experience which came to the fore as they began to turn the screws.

In a goal befitting of the game’s at-times scrappy nature, Matilda Banfield forced a bouncing ball over the line with a toe and then the Dockers kicked into their first lead of the game in the 15th minute of the second term when Orlagh Lally converted a free-kick.

As the game continued its trend of tight football and little sign of scoreboard momentum, Fremantle’s veterans used their experience and intelligence to manage the match.

Bowers, Megan Kauffman and Newton combined well to tee up McCarthy and the former Eagle floated her set-shot through for a goal.

But no sooner did it appear Fremantle might start to kick away, Roberts dragged her side back into the game kicking and screaming as she polished off some nice link-up play from Gibson and Franklin.

And with West Coast trailing by two points at the beginning of the final quarter, it was Franklin, the Eagles’ focal point in attack, who kept her footing when the ball hit the deck and held her nerve to level the scores early in the last period.

Just like they had begun the game, the Eagles began to get on top, but the Dockers were not ready to let their derby streak go quietly into the night.

Newton and McCarthy led an attempted fightback, but West Coast continued to stare the furnace in the face and walk towards the fire, embracing the heat and turning the temperature up themselves.

Despite an odd score review which saw a goal awarded then reversed after players had headed back to the centre square. it failed to dampen the mood or contest late as West Coast held their nerve.

SCOREBOARD

WEST COAST EAGLES 2.2 2.5 3.7 5.9 (39)

FREMANTLE 1.1 3.3 4.3 4.3 (27)

GOALS: WEST COAST: K Skepper 2 K Dalgleish E Roberts A Franklin. FREMANTLE: N McNaughton M Banfield O Lally A McCarthy.

BEST: WEST COAST: E Roberts C Riggs C Thomas A Franklin E Swanson J Rentsch. FREMANTLE: M Strom A McCarthy K Bowers M Kauffman G Newton A Healy.

Injuries: WEST COAST: M Russo (Hamstring). FREMANTLE: H Miller (hip).

Umpires: G Simmonds J Antulov J Armstrong J Orr.

Crowd: 5711 at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.