The win could come at a cost, however, after half-back Cooper Simpson suffered an AC joint injury and captain Alex Pearce collided with forward Darcy Byrne-Jones in an incident that will draw match review scrutiny.
The Walyalup saw off a high-pressure start from Yartapuulti and an avalanche of inside 50s, keeping the game tight through their efficiency before getting on a roll after half-time to win 15.10 (100) to 7.9 (51).
Jackson was a force in the ruck, controlling the stoppages with 38 hitouts and then impacting at ground level with 21 disposals, eight clearances, six inside 50s and an excellent goal.
His impact kept the midfield competitive through the first half and allowed Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw to work through opposition attention and then emerge as influential players in the second half.
Serong was curtailed by Willem Drew in the first half but was outstanding after the main break, finishing with a team-high 29 disposals (18 contested) and 12 clearances.
First-year forward Murphy Reid was all class in the front half, finishing with four goals and 18 disposals, with his full range of kicks on display again as he continues an excellent debut season.
The win moves the ninth-placed Walyalup to 6-5 ahead of a road trip to take on Gold Coast next Saturday before a bye and then three consecutive matches at Optus Stadium that could set their season up against North Melbourne, Essendon and St Kilda.
Yartapuulti meanwhile, are now floundering at 4-7 and in 15th spot following another poor second half as they failed to match Walyalup’s intensity in the second half.
Yartapuulti played the wet conditions well early and brought a high-pressure game to Optus Stadium, getting numbers to the contest and dominating field position in the first quarter.
When Simpson left the field in the opening minutes after a heavy collision with Logan Evans, Walyalup were on the back foot and struggling to contain hot forward Mitch Georgiades, whose two early goals gave his team a 10-point lead.
Walyalup had limited opportunities, but classy forward pair Isaiah Dudley and Reid kicked back-to-back goals late in the term to give the team a three-point lead at the first break.
There was plenty of pressure on Walyalup’s backline as the midfield match-ups went in Yartapuulti’s favour, but the group held up well as the team continued to make the most of fewer opportunities, with Matt Johnson and Michael Frederick kicking excellent goals out of front-half stoppages.
The home side made its move in the third term and punished some ill-discipline from Yartapuulti, who gave away two 50m penalties that directly resulted in goals to Sam Switkowski and then Pearce among a run of four unanswered goals.
Reid booted his third off the ground in the goalsquare after Dudley placed the ball perfectly in his path, while Jackson was rewarded for his outstanding work-rate when he marked in the pocket after a tangle with Dante Visentini and converted a brilliant set shot.
Pat Voss extended the lead to 38 points in the opening minute of the final quarter with a set shot from 50m, with late goals to Dudley and Shai Bolton a perfect chance for Walyalup to celebrate Sir Doug Nicholls Round as the club remains undefeated as Walyalup.
