West Coast has claimed a hard-fought 33-point victory in Carlton Draught Derby 43 at Domain Stadium on Saturday night.
The Eagles held off a brave and undermanned Freo side to win 12.20 (92) to 8.11 (59) in wet conditions in Perth.
It is the first time the Freo Dockers have lost the first three games of a season since 2009.
The third straight loss was compounded by a potentially significant injury to Aaron Sandilands.
Freo's reigning best and fairest was sent to hospital at half-time with a suspected punctured lung after copping a knee in the ribcage from Nic Naitanui in a marking contest.
Sandilands suffers punctured lung
Eagles midfielder Matt Priddis was outstanding with 31 disposals (18 contested) in his 200th game and claimed his second Ross Glendinning Medal.
Jack Darling's three goals were vital on a night when the Eagles kicked poorly in front of goal. Lewis Jetta gathered 17 disposals and kicked at 92 per cent efficiency. He also kicked two important goals.
Lachie Neale and Nat Fyfe fought bravely for Freo collecting 26 disposals each. Matthew Pavlich kicked three goals, including a brilliant checkside in the last quarter to give Freo hope.
But Sandilands' injury was a turning point in the match. Fremantle led by nine points when the ruckman left the ground. He had 11 hit-outs in the first term to Naitanui's three and Freo had control in the early clearances and led at quarter-time.
Thereafter youngster Alex Pearce, rucking for just the second time in his short career, had to carry the load with the support of midfielders Michael Barlow and Matt de Boer.
The Eagles midfield took control on the back of Naitanui and Scott Lycett's aerial dominance. The Eagles won the clearances 30-20 after quarter-time and had 63 inside 50s to 37.
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Freo gave the Eagles a fright in the last quarter. They trailed by 19 points at three-quarter time but after the Eagles kicked four straight behinds from four entries at the start of the last quarter, Freo kicked three consecutive goals to cut the margin to five points.
But costly turnovers hurt them for much of the night and in the end they were overrun by the Eagles midfield.
MEDICAL ROOM
West Coast: Jamie Cripps hurt his right knee laying a tackle in the second quarter. He had trouble putting weight on his left leg when he walked along the boundary line shortly afterwards but he returned in the second half and played with a compression bandage on his knee. Brad Sheppard copped two heavy knocks to the head but played out the game. Josh Kennedy and Luke Shuey suffered cuts to the head.
Fremantle: Sandilands was taken to hospital with a suspected punctured lung after copping a knee in the ribs from Naitanui. Alex Pearce had his forehead split open.
NEXT UP
West Coast has another six-day break before hosting an under-siege Richmond at Domain Stadium. Fremantle travel to Etihad Stadium next Sunday to face North Melbourne.
WEST COAST 2.1 4.7 7.11 12.20 (92)
FREMANTLE 3.3 3.7 4.10 8.11 (59)
GOALS
West Coast: Darling 3, Jetta 2, Lycett 2, Cripps, Shuey, Hill, Mackenzie, Kennedy.
Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Walters 2, Fyfe, Langdon, Ballantyne
BEST
West Coast: Priddis, Darling, Gaff, Shuey, Hurn, Naitanui, Yeo, Jetta
Fremantle: Hill, Fyfe, Neale, Pavlich, Ibbotson, Barlow
INJURIES
West Coast: Cripps (thigh)
Fremantle: Sandilands (ribs/lung)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Foot, Farmer, Rosebury
Official crowd: 40,555 at Domain Stadium
