Walyalup (Fremantle) have punched their ticket for the AFLW finals and kept their slim chances of a top-four finish alive after downing GWS by 30 points at Henson Park.

The Dockers led from the opening minute and never relinquished their advantage, keeping the Giants comfortably at arm’s length throughout to prevail 7.13 (55) to 4.1 (25).

Naarm’s (Melbourne) defeat at the hands of Hawthorn on Thursday night meant the equation was simple for the Dockers: Win and you’re in.

And they took care of business as their defence easily handled the Giants forwards, while some impressive forward-half pressure early in the game set up the professional victory.

However, they will sweat over the fitness of key defensive cog Ash Brazill, after she was forced out of the game with ankle soreness late in the third term.

It was otherwise a happy day for the Dockers as they confirmed their return to the finals for the first time since 2022’s season six, and kept pace with the top four - albeit possessing a significantly lower percentage than their rivals near the pointy end of the table.

Coach Lisa Webb was proud of her players’ efforts against the Giants and said they would not rest on their laurels against the Bulldogs next weekend with a top four spot potentially up for grabs.

“I don’t look too much at the ladder at that top end, especially when it’s top four, because you just don’t know and to be honest, every week I look at the games and I really don’t know who’s going to win what,” she said.

“If we could get a double chance and be with our home fans in Perth, that would be incredible.”

Webb said removing Brazill from the game with a quarter to go was precautionary.

“We had a few moves in terms of backs that could play back, so we thought we might not risk it.

“She thinks she’s under 30, but she’s a little over 30, so we wanted to protect her a bit.

“She’s been holding down a really great role for us down back, but at the moment, we’re just seeing it as ankle soreness, but I haven’t gone into depth with medical yet.”

Aisling McCarthy again shone with 22 disposals and three goals, Emma O’Driscoll ate up loose balls and set a season-high for intercept possessions (12), while the likes of Orlagh Lally, Megan Kauffman and Gabby O’Sullivan were damaging in possession.

For the second week in a row, McCarthy nabbed the game’s opening goal, giving Walyalup a lead inside the opening 60 seconds.

The ex-Eagle continued her superb first season in purple with a monster first quarter which included nine disposals, four score involvements, three inside 50s and three tackles.

GWS were under constant duress inside their own 50 as the Dockers ramped up the pressure and while the Giants tried to play their way out of defence, they only succeeded in turning the ball over deep in their own territory.

After Tarni Evans kicked a goal against the run of play, Lally responded immediately with a well-taken major up the other end, before a second McCarthy goal following a Giants interchange infringement and ensuing 50m penalty helped the Dockers lead by 15 at the first change.

But Aliesha Newman reduced the margin for the Giants quickly after the restart, and then GWS’ two goal-kickers combined for a third, as Evans teed up Newman for a rapid-fire second as the margin was cut to five points in the blink of an eye.

It was Walyalup’s turn to weather the storm as they kicked into the wind, with the Giants stifling their ball movement and restricting looks inside 50.

Fortunately, some clean hands from Ebony Antonio set up Kauffman for a goal and some much-needed respite, and then Lally engulfed Meghan Gaffney in a bear hug deep inside 50, ripped the ball from her and then rifled through the middle of the sticks off balance.

With the lead out to 21 at half-time, Ariana Hetherington kicked her first career goal to nurse the buffer to 25 heading into the final quarter as the Dockers saw off the Giants’ challenge.

McCarthy dug deep into her bag to kick the goal of the game late as she won the ball tucked up against the boundary, walked the tightrope with limited space and then snapped truly, before Eilish O’Dowd grabbed a late consolation.