Fremantle v West Coast Rd 20

Saturday, July 26 – 4.15 PM AEST – Venue: Optus Stadium

Fremantle has the class all over the ground and will be far too good for the Eagles, who have been very disappointing this year. Their fans were booing them at half time last week as it was obvious they were going to lose a game they were expected to win against the Tigers.

Serong and Brayshaw will get plenty of the ball and the dual rucks in Jackson and Darcy is working well, with Jackson playing as an on-baller late in games.

Treacy, Voss and Switkowski will get plenty of opportunity to dominate this match.

Fremantle by 37 points

There’s something undeniably electric about an AFL Derby at Optus Stadium it’s the kind of fixture that demands attention, and when Fremantle lock horns with West Coast in Round 20, it’s not just about the rivalry it’s about momentum, pride, and momentum does matter.

Fremantle arrive with clear energy across every line: midfielders like Serong and Brayshaw are proving to be pivotal in establishing control, while the dual-ruck setup of Jackson and Darcy continues to offer them unique flexibility. Watching Jackson occasionally drift forward and become an extra on-ball presence is a tactical move that’s become quietly brilliant.

Meanwhile, West Coast haven’t quite found their rhythm this season. Their inconsistency has frustrated even their own supporters last match, fans were audible with dismay as they realised this was not the comeback they hoped for. That crowd reaction says a lot. It speaks to the psychological edge right now Fremantle seem to be in touch, in rhythm, and perhaps growing in belief week on week.

When putting together AFL Betting Tips, it’s these less obvious details that often swing the pendulum the way Freo structure their mids, the inside craft from Brayshaw, the contest work from Serong, and the body language of the groups running in the same jumper. Those are the undercurrents readers and fans want to sense rather than stats alone.

From an AFL Prediction standpoint: given recent output and match‐ups at Optus, Fremantle look poised even if they don’t go full 37 points, that level of confidence and connection across the roster makes them hard to see dropping this.

For anyone reading AFL Tips, it might be worth noting: look beyond form lines on the spreadsheet. Watch where the stoppage work is controlled, where second efforts are happening, and how each outfit responds when momentum shifts.

Ultimately, this Derby feels… quiet yet assured. Fremantle’s calm confidence counterpoints West Coast’s disruptively loud mistakes. In a battle often decided by intensity rather than spark, that subtle tone of control might just be the defining difference.