With neither team considered likely to make the finals, pride was the only thing on the line when Fremantle and West Coast met in the first Carlton Draught Derby of 2009.

In 2008, Fremantle finished 14^th and the Eagles 15^th and 2009 had started just as badly. Heading into the derby, the two teams had just three wins between them.

Then-teenager Matt de Boer joined fellow first-year players Stephen Hill, Nick Suban and Greg Broughton in the Fremantle team for the clash, while West Coast included youngsters Chris Masten, Mitch Brown, Eric Mackenzie, and current captain Shannon Hurn.

This week, de Boer recalled his excitement in the lead up to the derby, having been told on the Thursday night that he would make his AFL debut in Matthew Pavlich’s 200^th AFL game.

He collected seven possessions and kicked a crucial third-quarter goal in the 13.9 (87) to 9.20 (74) Fremantle victory.

“We were at training and when the coach flipped the board around I saw my name on there – I was ecstatic,” de Boer said.

“I’d grown up living in WA so I knew all about the rivalry and I was happy to be debuting in a heated game.”

When he came off the bench, de Boer lined up on attacking West Coast defender David Wirrpanda.

“I remember playing the first 10 minutes and then getting really exhausted quickly and worrying about whether my fitness was okay for this (AFL) level,” de Boer said.

“But then I got my second wind and was fine from there and was just trying to contribute where I could.

“I ended up kicking a goal with my first kick, which was great.

“Winning the game and being in the middle of the circle after walking off with Pav was a great experience.”

A light-hearted De Boer said his debut was overshadowed by Pav’s milestone.

“And then my 50^th game was Pav’s 250^th, so he continued to overshadow me – which wasn’t ideal,” he joked.

Trailing by 23-points at half-time during that 2009 Carlton Draught Derby, Fremantle turned it around in the last quarter to snatch a 13-point victory.

They may also have had lady luck on their side. West Coast kicked an abysmal 1.7 in the final term, while Freo piled on five goals.

Fremantle stalwarts Paul Hasleby, Paul Duffield and Byron Schammer were instrumental in the fightback, collecting more than 30 possessions apiece.

In stark contrast to the two struggling teams of 2009, Fremantle and West Coast will play for much higher stakes when they face off this Sunday.

Sitting atop the AFL ladder, Fremantle will be looking to tighten its grip on its first minor premiership, while the second-placed Eagles risk dropping to third if they lose.

And, finals aside, the game also gives Fremantle the chance to square the ledger.

The Freo Dockers have claimed the last six derbies and a victory this weekend would make it 21 wins apiece from the 42 western derbies played since Fremantle entered the competition in 1995.