Sunday 27 May 2018
Etihad Stadium 11:10 am (WST)
West Coast have the chance to put some demons behind them when they travel to take on Hawthorn on Sunday. Sure, the game is at Etihad and not at the MCG, but our record against Hawthorn in Victoria/Tasmania is not great. We have beaten the Hawks once outside of WA since 1997 and that was 2005 in Launceston, so the omens for this week aren’t great. The only other game the two sides have played at Etihad was 5 years ago and was a high scoring affair with the Hawks winning 19.9 to 16.7.
Some highlights in the past
Nic’s second game
Season Form
West Coast go into the game with terrific form having lost only the first game of the year and on the back of a massive win against Richmond. Hawthorn have had a mixed year so far and lost to bottom side Brisbane last week. Typically, it seems, we get to play a team immediately after a demoralising loss. Expect Hawthorn to come out determined not to give an inch. I expect that they will try to close us down and be more defensive than usual.
The Coaches - Clarkson v Simpson
One thing we know is that Clarkson will have studied West Coast’s games this year and identified the key weaknesses which he thinks Hawthorn can exploit. Recognized as the best coach in the business Clarkson has quickly returned Hawthorn to the top eight/four by astute trading and player development. A knock on him is that he seems to look for issues to complain about after a loss. Hopefully that is the case next week.
Simpson is a product of the Hawthorn coaching system and learnt at the feet of the master. The big question is whether he can match him on game day. Simpson seems more confident and assured in his role this year. He has got his side working as a team with terrific spirit and group determination. A lot of this has come from the new players injected into the side. In addition, the change in game plan to one of kicking accurately and tackling harder has paid dividends.
The Rioli factor
Cyril Rioli seems to enjoy playing against the Eagles. This year, however, we have the Rioli factor in our favour. Willie has shown he has great talent and is our x-factor in this game. Expect him to clock up more than 14kms, kick superbly and tackle fiercely (with duty of care).
Key contests
Prediction
A comparison of the two teams’ average stats this season make for interesting reading. West Coast have more kicks and fewer handballs, take more marks, score more goals, similar inside 50s, fewer clangers, more contested marks, and have similar contested possessions and clearances. At face value the teams look evenly balanced statistically, but ladder position says the Eagles are a better team. At this stage we don’t know if Yeo and Shuey will play, or if O’Meara will be there for Hawthorn. The Eagles are playing exciting, aggressive football but come up against a team who have had their measure in Melbourne. If this was at the MCG it would still be hard to pick the Eagles but as it’s at Etihad it’s the Eagles to win by around 30 pts. Its time!
Etihad Stadium 11:10 am (WST)
West Coast have the chance to put some demons behind them when they travel to take on Hawthorn on Sunday. Sure, the game is at Etihad and not at the MCG, but our record against Hawthorn in Victoria/Tasmania is not great. We have beaten the Hawks once outside of WA since 1997 and that was 2005 in Launceston, so the omens for this week aren’t great. The only other game the two sides have played at Etihad was 5 years ago and was a high scoring affair with the Hawks winning 19.9 to 16.7.
Some highlights in the past
Woosha on Brereton
Nic’s second game
Season Form
West Coast go into the game with terrific form having lost only the first game of the year and on the back of a massive win against Richmond. Hawthorn have had a mixed year so far and lost to bottom side Brisbane last week. Typically, it seems, we get to play a team immediately after a demoralising loss. Expect Hawthorn to come out determined not to give an inch. I expect that they will try to close us down and be more defensive than usual.
The Coaches - Clarkson v Simpson
One thing we know is that Clarkson will have studied West Coast’s games this year and identified the key weaknesses which he thinks Hawthorn can exploit. Recognized as the best coach in the business Clarkson has quickly returned Hawthorn to the top eight/four by astute trading and player development. A knock on him is that he seems to look for issues to complain about after a loss. Hopefully that is the case next week.
Simpson is a product of the Hawthorn coaching system and learnt at the feet of the master. The big question is whether he can match him on game day. Simpson seems more confident and assured in his role this year. He has got his side working as a team with terrific spirit and group determination. A lot of this has come from the new players injected into the side. In addition, the change in game plan to one of kicking accurately and tackling harder has paid dividends.
The Rioli factor
Cyril Rioli seems to enjoy playing against the Eagles. This year, however, we have the Rioli factor in our favour. Willie has shown he has great talent and is our x-factor in this game. Expect him to clock up more than 14kms, kick superbly and tackle fiercely (with duty of care).
Key contests
Ruck: Its debatable whether this will be a contest give McEvoy averages 30 hit outs a game and the rest about 7. Nic and Lycett (av. 54) will dominate the hit outs and the key for the Eagles will be or the midfield to take advantage of that dominance. Lycett is playing well around the ground and Nic is demolishing any opposition player that he gets his hands on.
Mitchell v Hutchings: Tom Mitchell has been racking up the touches for Hawthorn this year averaging 34 a game. He also leads their tackle count. If he is going to be tagged, then you would think Hutchings would get the job. If you restrict Mitchell, you stop Hawthorn to a large extent.
WCE defence V Hawthorn attack: Breust and Gunston are the Hawks’ leading goal kickers. They both spend plenty of time up the ground but still get forward to score those goals. West Coast’s defence is one of the best going around, especially if teams bomb it in. Roughead adds some height up forward and is a class player. Those three players are the leading inside 50 contested marks, so the Eagles’ defence know who they have to stop. McEvoy also drifts down there to add a bit of height, but that's about all.
Hawthorn defence V WCE attack: Trying to stop Kennedy, Darling and Lecras is a tough job. The Hawks are conceding 90 points a game. The Eagles are scoring just over 100pts a game. It will take a special effort for those numbers to be reversed on Sunday.
Sicily v WCE: Sicily has been turned into a defender this year and is doing a good job. Rapidly becoming the player to most dislike in the Hawks side, Sicily is a good mark and effective player. I would expect him to primarily focus on Waterman while also being the spare player at the back at times.
Prediction
A comparison of the two teams’ average stats this season make for interesting reading. West Coast have more kicks and fewer handballs, take more marks, score more goals, similar inside 50s, fewer clangers, more contested marks, and have similar contested possessions and clearances. At face value the teams look evenly balanced statistically, but ladder position says the Eagles are a better team. At this stage we don’t know if Yeo and Shuey will play, or if O’Meara will be there for Hawthorn. The Eagles are playing exciting, aggressive football but come up against a team who have had their measure in Melbourne. If this was at the MCG it would still be hard to pick the Eagles but as it’s at Etihad it’s the Eagles to win by around 30 pts. Its time!
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