In a battle of captains in the 60th Western Derby, Fremantle’s Alex Pearce ‘mauled’ West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen — and the Eagles’ spearhead forward looked a player impacted by trade rumblings off the field.

Allen managed four disposals and a mark as he was completely blanketed by Pearce, who logged five intercepts and three intercept marks in the Dockers’ convincing 38-point win.

Out-of-contract Allen’s name has come up in movement rumours early in the season, with the likes of Brisbane and Hawthorn reportedly preparing to lob offers at the goalkicker at season’s end.

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“He (Pearce) destroyed their captain today, Oscar Allen. He just shut him down. He made him look inept,” dual flag-winner David King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“He looked at times like he didn’t want to compete, Oscar Allen. He’s the captain of that football club … this was a mauling.”

Allen was ultimately swung into defence by first-year coach Andrew McQualter, with King explaining he didn’t endorse that magnet move.

“It went for 100 minutes before the captain was thrown down back, which is a topic for another discussion. I don’t reckon you ever do that to your captain,” he said.

“I don’t reckon you ever lower his status in the group by doing that.”

The 26-year-old key target managed one possession to three-quarter-time.

Allen has kicked just three goals in three games this season — coming off a campaign hampered by a serious knee injury — but he is just a year and a bit removed from a sparkling 53-goal season in 2023.

“I think you’ve got to keep this guy at the front of your pack. At a club that’s not going to win too many games in the short term, you need him to be bought-in to what you’re doing,” King continued.

“I don’t know if full back was a good move today by McQualter. But he’s the coach. If you’re not performing as a forward, we need you down back — I understand the logic behind it — I just think it provides a real sticky situation going forward.”

“I get your point, but you need to do more than that,” dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna said, backing McQualter’s magnet move.

“As a coach, you’ve probably got to do something with a player that had three kicks for the afternoon. He’s your leader … your leader, on a big day like (Sunday) had to do more.

“I would’ve moved him out of the forward-line, yeah, whether it was a wing, whether it was the ruck, whether it was the backline. I’ve got no problem with it.”

Chief Herald Sun football reporter Jay Clark called the trade rumours circling Allen the “elephant in the room” of the wider discussion.

“They’re going to lose him; that’s the way it looks,” he told First Crack. “And West Coast might get Pick 2 or Pick 3 for him, but looking at body language today, I don’t know, he just looked like a guy who might be thinking about his future at another club.

“We know Brisbane and Hawthorn are both interested in him, so he is going to be a big story as the season progresses.”