Ebony Antonio has booted three goals in a match-winning effort to help lift Fremantle to a 28-point AFLW win over West Coast.

In windy conditions on Saturday in front of 5,533 fans at Fremantle Oval, West Coast booted two goals in the third term to close the margin to five points.

But the Dockers came home with a bang, posting 3.5 to 0.0 in the final term from an inside 50m count that read 16-0 to improve their western derby record to 4-0.

Fremantle midfielder Kiara Bowers tallied 24 disposals and 14 tackles, while new skipper Hayley Miller also starred with two goals from 16 possessions.

But it was Antonio who was the true difference, especially when the game was there to be won.

She finished with 3.1 from 12 disposals to share the western derby best-afield medal with Bowers, who has now won the award four times from four games.

"It's awesome to get the win," Antonio told Channel 7 after the game.

Antonio's star display started in the dying moments of the opening term when she booted a goal-of-the-year contender.

The 30-year-old scooped up the ball along the boundary and burnt off her chasing opponent before nailing a banana goal from the pocket.

The Eagles controlled much of the play in the second term, but it was Fremantle who landed the all-important blows on the scoreboard.

Miller soccered through a goal before Antonio booted her second when she cleanly trapped a bouncing ball to snap truly.

West Coast finally booted their first goal of the match when captain Emma Swanson found herself open in the goalsquare in the opening minute of the third term.

And when former Giant Aimee Schmidt snapped truly in her debut for West Coast, the margin had been whittled back to five points at the final change.

West Coast entered the final quarter with all the momentum, but Fremantle had the breeze and the in-form Antonio up their sleeves.

Antonio sparked the final-quarter demolition when she slammed the ball on her boot from a tight angle while surrounded by Eagles players to give Fremantle breathing space.

A short time later, she almost nailed a goal from 75m when her kick inside 50m bounced over the pack and rolled through for a behind.

Gaby O'Sullivan and Miller added the icing on the cake with goals to ensure the final margin blew out.

North Melbourne survive major scare to beat Geelong

Meanwhile, North Melbourne came from behind to avoid a major upset and beat much-improved Geelong by eight points in their AFLW opener.

The Cats kept the Kangaroos scoreless through the second term and well into the third on Saturday at Arden Street Oval, before North kicked the last three goals of the match to win 4.2 (26) to 2.6 (18).

Midfielder Ashleigh Riddell starred for North with 35 disposals and seven tackles.

It was a bruising match, with Geelong's Chloe Scheer forced off the field in the third term with an accidental head knock.

The Kangaroos' Kim Rennie also landed heavily and hit her head when she flew for a mark late in the match.

After a few minutes, she was able to walk off the field, while Geelong captain Meg McDonald missed part of the last quarter with a leg problem.

In round one last year, North walloped Geelong by 62 points — it was the Cats' biggest loss and their lowest score.

The Cats were a vastly different proposition on Saturday, taking it up to North with relentless pressure.

Kangaroos captain Emma Kearney was forced to miss her first AFLW game after she fell ill with COVID-19.

But teammate Jenna Bruton kicked the first goal of the game late in the opening term and North kept the Cats scoreless to hold an eight-point lead at quarter time.

Geelong scored the only two behinds in a bruising second term, with their defence holding firm under massive pressure.

Goals to Phoebe McWilliams and Julia Crockett-Grills in the third term gave the Cats an eight-point break and they were smelling blood.

But Daisy Bateman kicked a crucial goal close to three-quarter time to blunt Geelong's challenge.

Mia King and Kaitlyn Ashmore, who was forced off the field earlier in the game with an ankle injury, then goaled in the last term to seal the win.

Amy McDonald impressed for the Cats, and Georgie Prespakis, in her AFLW debut, also was among their best with 20 disposals.

AAP