Fremantle coach Mark Harvey described Aaron Sandilands as "a tower of strength" after the ruckman's match-winning effort in the Dockers' five-point AFL western derby triumph on Saturday.

Sandilands, returning from a two-week injury layoff, proved the difference between the two sides, with his expert taps in the ruck and work around the ground earning him the Ross Glendinning medal and lifting Fremantle to their fifth straight derby triumph.

The 211cm giant finished with 30 possessions (half of them contested), 31 hit-outs, eight clearances and a goal as the Dockers won the crucial clearance count 45-32.

"We were watching him at the five or 10-minute mark in the coaches' box and he was blowing like the north wind and we thought 'is he all right?' but as the game wore on naturally we saw him have an influence on the play," Harvey said.

"(Dean) Cox wasn't in the side (for West Coast) so I think he made the most of it.

"I think when you look at the last quarter and you see the dominance of clearances, he had an enormous influence in that.

"I think there was nine hard ball gets as well.

"He was a tower of strength today."

Sandilands' dominance helped skipper Matthew Pavlich (36 possessions), Paul Hasleby (33) and Stephen Hill (24) take command in the midfield battle.

West Coast were again left to rue their poor conversion in front of goal, with their wasteful 8.18 costing them the match.

Ashley Hansen and Andrew Embley both missed sitters when the game was up for grabs, while on numerous occasions Eagles players chose to shoot from tough angles instead of set up teammates in better positions.

While Josh Kennedy and Mark LeCras have cemented their positions up forward, Eagles coach John Worsfold said he was scouring the list for other reliable goal-scoring options.

"We've given (Patrick) McGinnity a go up there and we've played a few other players through there over the last couple of weeks," Worsfold said.

"We are still looking to see who it is (that's going to give us stability down there).

"If they are on our list they are hiding pretty well at the moment.

"That real quick, balanced, poised player, who doesn't necessarily get a lot of possessions but when they do they either kick a goal or set one up, we don't have the extra one at the moment."

Worsfold said rookie-listed forward Callum Wilson, who has regularly kicked big bags of goals in the WAFL this season, would come under strong consideration for a call-up.

Fremantle expect to know by Monday the extent of Tim Ruffles' knee injury.

The 18-year-old was stretchered off late in the match after his left knee buckled and initial tests indicated he had suffered a dreaded tear of his anterior cruciate ligament.

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