IT TOOK more than three quarters, but Walyalup finally broke Euro-Yroke to claim a record-breaking 10th consecutive win on Friday night, bursting away late to win an otherwise dour and hard-fought clash at Optus Stadium by 30 points.

Needing to overcome former coach Ross Lyon and the Saints to claim a slice of history, the Dockers trailed by one point early in the final term before a six-goal burst that cracked the Saints and sealed the 16.8 (104) to 11.8 (74) win.

DOCKERS v SAINTS Full match coverage and stats

Superstar midfielder Shai Bolton put the finishing touches on with a Mark of the Year contender deep in defence before booting the goal of the night from the boundary line and celebrating Sir Doug Nicholls Round in style.

Like they have done frequently this season, the Dockers soaked up the best of what their opposition could muster before unleashing all of their attacking weapons in a match-winning burst, further solidifying their top-two position.

They were challenged by a defensively strong Saints team, particularly through the first half, but overwhelmed the visitors through field position in the second half, winning the inside 50s (61-45) and contested possessions (148-131) by the final siren.

Young star Murphy Reid was brilliant throughout, finishing with a game high 14 score involvements and creating opportunities amid chaos to kick two goals from his 30 disposals.

Andrew Brayshaw (25 and seven clearances) shouldered a bigger midfield load in the absence of injured stars Caleb Serong and Hayden Young, while key forward Jye Amiss booted a game-high four goals.

Pat Voss was influential in a defensive role on star interceptor Callum Wilkie, holding the Saints captain to three marks and kicking three goals himself, with Josh Treacy (two goals and 11 marks) a relentless force.

For the Saints, the loss marked a second loss against a contender while leading in the fourth quarter after challenging Brisbane in round three but falling short, with Lyon's side slipping to 5-6.

Improved midfielder Max Hall was outstanding with 25 disposals, nine clearances and two goals, while Jack Sinclair (29 and six rebounds) provided plenty of drive.

The Saints will need to assess ruck Rowan Marshall after he hobbled from the ground late, while Dougal Howard suffered a calf injury that ended his night early.

While the focus was on Freo's record, Euro-Yroke was shooting for a 10-in-a-row of its own on Friday night after winning nine consecutive first quarters dating back to round two.

And the visitors made an excellent start when Hall converted a long set shot from the boundary in the opening minute, with the young star then seizing on a loose ball to snap his second as the Saints settled into a position of control.

Walyalup's big forwards lifted to get the team going, with Voss, Amiss and Treacy all kicking goals to bring scores back to level before Mason Wood took a contested mark deep in attack to give the Saints' their 10th consecutive quarter time lead.

The Dockers fell 13 points behind after Mattaes Phillipou converted on the run to open the second term and needed to lift in the engine room, with Brayshaw leading the response in a big second quarter.

The stand-in captain had four clearances for the term as the Dockers went on a three-goal run, with Amiss converting back-to-back set shots and Voss outmuscling Wilkie as the pair continued an entertaining battle.

Impressive defender Karl Worner conceded a goal to Phillipou, however, when he stepped over the goalline without being under sufficient pressure, with the Saints claiming the lead back when Wood landed his second from another contested mark.

The Dockers were looking at their third-lowest half-time score for the season and needed a spark, with classy finisher Michael Frederick snapping a terrific goal to cut the margin to one point at the main break.

Freo turned the screws through the third term but didn't take full toll on the scoreboard, with midfielder Neil Erasmus providing a highlight when he converted on the run in his 50th AFL game.

The Saints went end-to-end to allow former Docker Liam Henry to kick his second goal late in the third term, but the visitors were not able to capitalise when they were in striking distance as the Dockers created history under Justin Longmuir.

More to come ...

Voss the lockdown man 
Marking defenders are going to be on high alert for Pat Voss after another strong performance on the opposition's best interceptor. Voss, who did a similar role on Hawthorn's James Sicily in round nine, was in Callum Wilkie's face all night and tormented him, taking the points at the end of an entertaining duel. He kept the Saints' skipper to three marks, and booted three goals, with one of those a bonus after a questionable blocking free kick. The Dockers' three-pronged tall forward line is in red-hot form and hard to predict week to week in terms of who will impact and how, with Voss as crucial right now as ever.

WALYALUP           3.1   7.2   10.5   16.8 (104)
EURO-YROKE        4.1   7.3   9.5   11.8 (74)

GOALS
Walyalup: Amiss 4, Voss 3, Dudley 2, Treacy 2, Bolton, Erasmus, Frederick, Reid, Switkowski
Euro-Yroke: Hall 2, Henry 2, Hill 2, Phillipou 2, Wood 2, Wilson

BEST
Walyalup: Reid, Treacy, Bolton, Amiss, Voss, Brayshaw, B Cox, Worner
Euro-Yroke: Hall, Sinclair, Phillipou, Wilson, Flanders

INJURIES
Walyalup: Nil
Euro-Yroke: Howard (calf), Marshall (leg)

Crowd: 53,707 at Optus Stadium