Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has praised his team's growing maturity and problem-solving capabilities after their western derby win, but knows the toughest challenges are still to come.
The Dockers' top-four hopes looked set to receive a major blow after West Coast opened up a 19-point lead late in the first half of Saturday night's spiteful derby.
West Coast also stunned Fremantle in this year's first derby, but the Dockers were able to regroup this time around.
Eight consecutive goals from late in the second quarter to early in the fourth helped set up a 35-point win for the Dockers, who moved into third spot on the back of the result.
"I was really proud of the maturity we showed to be able to work through that, because if you go back to the first derby we weren't able to work through that," Longmuir said.
"I feel like we're growing every week.
"And that's the goal of the season and goal of footy isn't it? Just keep continually growing and learning from experiences - good and bad.
"I thought they were really connected. And when we're really connected we go into a problem-solving mode rather than fighting our own battle mode.
"At halftime, they were problem solving and working their way through it really well."
Fremantle (12-6-1) are just 2.3 per cent behind second-placed Brisbane with four rounds remaining.
A top-four, or even a top-two, spot for Fremantle is on the cards if they're good enough to take it.
But their run home is a tricky one, with games against finals contenders Essendon (MCG), Geelong (home), GWS (Giants Stadium) and Port Adelaide (home) to round out the regular season.
"The job's not done, we know that, and it doesn't get any easier," Longmuir said.
"There's going to be more pressure as the year builds and whichever team handles that sort of outcome-based pressure and ladder pressure will put themselves in a really good position."
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy copped two knocks to the head and one to the shoulder during the derby, but was able to play out the match.
Darcy finished with 48 hit-outs and five clearances in a big display, but Caleb Serong was the deserved winner of the Glendinning-Allan medal after tallying 32 disposals, 10 clearances, one goal and 525m gained.
It marked Serong's third Glendinning-Allan medal.
The 23-year-old has also tallied at least 20 possessions in 70 consecutive AFL games, equalling the record set by Western Bulldogs midfielder Jack Macrae.
