Brave Sir Robin
Cancelled
- Jun 27, 2008
- 4,277
- 4,985
- AFL Club
- West Coast
You can summarise the whole article as "Nice win on the weekend, let's see if you can do it again this week".
Pretty easy game to play week to week if you ask me.
Autopsy Positives and Negatives Vs Bulldogs
Pretty easy game to play week to week if you ask me.
Exactly, also who is drinking bathwater? No one has come out spruiking that either side is going places just yet.
Anyone know who he's alluding to in the below snippet?
Remember the old Whispers In The Sky controversy? Is it happening again? I’m hearing stories of a confidante of a current AFL coach revealing on a plane that his contracted mate could be looking to relocate...and is open to offers from other clubs next year.
Remember the old Whispers In The Sky controversy? Is it happening again? I’m hearing stories of a confidante of a current AFL coach revealing on a plane that his contracted mate could be looking to relocate...and is open to offers from other clubs next year.
I dunno but whoever that was isn’t much of a confidante!
https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/a...rinking-your-bathwater-just-yet-ng-b88794378z
The biggest plus for me for the Eagles on the weekend was that fact that their gun midfielders like Luke Shuey and Andrew Gaff didn’t really shine. Gaff had plenty of the footy but didn’t do a lot with it.
Shuey i agree with... But Gaff was one of the best players lol
The biggest plus for me for the Eagles on the weekend was that fact that their gun midfielders like Luke Shuey and Andrew Gaff didn’t really shine. Gaff had plenty of the footy but didn’t do a lot with it.
Shuey i agree with... But Gaff was one of the best players lol
Talking about a coach? I think it will be the Bulldogs coach that is maybe wanting a fresh place to coach.
Yep. We are bona fide Vaniglia now!
Matera92
Brownlow Medallist
Poor Braddles, your bitterness sustains us.
I think sooner rather than later,Venables is going to tear a game apart.
mate look at waterman, i thought his face was going to explode he was smiling so hard starting at 2:15.
thats great to see
Thanks for the sketchers then mate
Thanks for the sketchers then mate
Worth ringing Etihad, someone might have handed them in.
On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
I'm happy to say i did ring Etihad on the Tuesday after the game, and to my shock someone had handed them in to security and i got them back.
Humanity FTW!
- Jun 2, 2006
- 4,352
- 2,656
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Other Teams
- Charlton FC
That's because no one wanted them and also the reason they were so cheap.
Report for this game will be uploaded sometime tonight after today's game.
Bad week. Kid in hospital (doing alright now however).
Bad week. Kid in hospital (doing alright now however).
Simmo is that you?
But seriously sorry to hear that and I hope things are going better
random lurker
formulates infinity
- Dec 4, 2017
- 159
- 283
- AFL Club
- West Coast
Bumping this for Dylan82's report, btw I hope your kid's getting better!
Thanks - they're doing much better, report will be coming up soon.
Easter. The melancholic celebration of death, rebirth and the orgiastic absurdity of consuming confected eggs associated with a placental mammal.
A time when families and friends organise in gluttonous competition for the sickly sweet prize of the highest glucose blood sera levels with glorious rewards of indigestion, fat deposition and reduced lifespan.
A time when one is expected to help clean up the mess from hosting numbers of people that you would otherwise try to avoid. A time when one is expected to help keep the kids in check when they go into cataclysmic meltdowns that leave sugar-induced fallout throughout the environment.
A time when one does none of that because the football is playing on a Sunday afternoon instead.
OVERVIEW
Yes, it was Round 2 already and the club had embarked on its first venture east into Mordor Victoria on a quest not to be the fools of April 1st.
In opposition were the [Greater] Western [Melbourne] Bulldogs – only in such a contrived VFL-tac-on such as this would a team based on the east of the continent be able to brand themselves as “Western”. I regularly find Luddites up here in denialist Queensland that think they are a WA team because of the name. You don’t have the “Western Giants” from NSW do you? “Western” Bulldogs… pffft – GWM Bulldogs maybe – or better yet ***** Footscray.
Seriously, the next time I hear a fool up here that goes “Oh, you’re from WA, you must be happy about the Bulldogs then…” I will be forced to throat punch them.
Thankfully my assault upon populations north of the Murray may remain unfulfilled. That is because the Bulldogs, after creating history in winning the Premiership from 7th in 2016 are seemingly hell-bent on creating more history through winning a wooden spoon after a premiership faster than any other club.
Despite pre-season rumours to the contrary, this Bulldogs team is a shadow of the side that finished 2016 so emphatically and were effortlessly swept aside in Round 1 to the tune of 14 goals by their GW rivals in the national capital.
Player incidents off-field; the departure of key players; the solidarity that was such a hallmark of this successful Bulldogs team is no longer apparent. The farcical situation with Redpath (club forgot that he was still suspended as B team scratch matches don’t count) typifies all is not well down at the E.J.Whitten Oval. Indeed, they have been the winners of the cricketing ball-tampering scandal; through not having the media blowtorch cast over them when it otherwise would have been. They will get their time however.
With this mind, the Bulldogs probably were the best possible opponent to be facing in Melbourne after our positive, albeit unrewarded, showing against Sydney in Round 1.
There were questions over both teams however. Would the Bulldogs lift and rediscover their resolve in front of home support? They had gone 5-0 at Docklands during the first half of last season, but just 2-4 since then. Furthermore, they had now lost four in a row after the debacle against the Giants. On the other hand, would the Eagles perform in Victoria?
West Coast had beaten the Bulldogs at Docklands in 2017, but lost at that venue against them in 2016 and 2015.
The Bulldogs remained the favourite with the betting agencies, but the Eagles had shortened significantly during the week to bring it back to near evens.
For mine this was a match I expected us to win.
SELECTION AND KEY MATCH-UPS
After the positive effort against the Swans, only minor changes could be expected to the squad selection to face the Bulldogs. Naitanui had no adverse signs after his first contest in 19 months and each of the debutants showed enough to retain their places. Cole was given another run with East Perth and thus Nelson kept his spot. Just a single change was made; Rioli being declared fit and becoming our fourth debutant in just two weeks at the expense of Schofield. The change of a small, skilful forward in place of a key defender was an encouraging sign of the attacking intent the club would take into this match. Ultimately the biggest change ended up in the coaching box – with Simpson returning to Perth to be alongside his hospitalised daughter Jamie Graham would be calling the shots for the first time in an AFL match.
As for the Bulldogs, they had made four changes to the squad that were humiliated in Round 1, with Liberatore and Crozier ruled out by injury and Biggs and Roberts dropped. In their place came in last year’s pick 16 Richards for his debut, Webb, Daniel and Lin Jong in his first match since suffering an ACL in Round 13 2017.
After the baffling experiment in Round 1 of playing Wood as a forward and its disastrous [not unexpected] result [playing GWS with Trengove and a debutant as your only key defenders] it was expected that Wood would return to the Bulldogs defensive six to assist their contested marking deficiencies. The problem however being that Wood is not key-sized at 187cm and does nothing to address that Trengove was never a defender until last week and that Naughton had only played a single game.
At the other end things were equally shambolic for the Bulldogs, with three game ruckman English being named as their only key forward target. McGovern and Barrass, still smarting from a beating by Buddy, loomed as a factor that the Bulldogs would not be able to have an answer to.
The only area of concern was the midfield; however Liberatore’s absence combined with overwhelming ruck advantage from Naitanui and Lycett was expected to bring this back into favour for the Eagles.
THE MATCH
Well it is confirmed. The Bulldogs are currently a basketcase.
They offered next to no pressure on the ball and match played like a three hour training session of our structures, rather than a competitive game with 4 points on the line.
As can be seen above, this was a very open match with little pressure applied to ball-carriers or their execution. Once the ball was won at the contest, it was going forward without much involvement from the opposition.
Thankfully then we thoroughly outcompeted the Bulldogs in almost all areas:
An unanswered nine goal run between the first and third quarters blew open an unassailable lead and the match was over as a result.
The second quarter is arguably the best quarter of football this team has played since the grand final season in 2015. They were simply unstoppable.
+21 in contested possessions for a quarter. Considering our midfield weaknesses that is an amazing statistic.
Also a look at the top contested possession winners for the team that quarter shows this was a cohesive effort rather than the brilliance of individuals.
The top 5 contested possession winners for the Eagles in the second quarter equalled the total of the entire Bulldogs side.
With the contested ball so comprehensively won, the mismatches in the respective squads at both ends of the ground assured that this would be a sizeable victory.
Indeed, according to AFL Official Player Ratings 10 of the top 14 players on the ground were Eagles.
Any win in Victoria is good. To win by over 50 points is fantastic. This was our largest victory in Victoria since Round 8, 2015 against St Kilda.
But the margin wasn’t the biggest positive to take from this match. The approach was. This was a team performance. We travelled interstate and belted the opposition in the midfield despite the majority of our prime movers not having standout matches. The confidence and enthusiasm from the new faces shows and it has spread through the rest of the team. We are playing expansive football with attacking intent – 31 goals in two games without Kennedy; not many would have expected that.
TACTICS
The Bulldogs tried to deploy the high zone they prefer and used so well in the run-in to their premiership in 2016, but simply did not apply enough pressure to stop West Coast waltzing through it repeatedly.
On the other hand, the Eagles’ structures functioned near flawlessly in both causing the opposition to turn the ball over and use it to impact the scoreboard. 98 of our total 121 points were scored from intercept possessions in this match.
One of the biggest tactical changes so far this season for West Coast has been the use of Hurn on the counteroffensive.
There has been a clear emphasis on Hurn being the outlet for the defensive switch this season. Playing as the defensive spare, the rest of the defence are working to create the space on the fat side for the captain to lead into and receive in positions where his elite disposal can be damaging to the opposition.
Furthermore, as the spare he has the freedom to follow-up on his kick and function as an additional wing on that side of the ground. It has been exceptionally effective in the first two Rounds this season:
Expect to see him getting some extra opposition attention soon if this keeps up.
An additional tweak to our structure appears to be in our use of the wings. Yes, they are back on the jumpers and they are finally back on the field now too. In fact, it looks like we have taken a page from the Beveridge playbook and are effectively playing four wingers [Masten and Redden/Gaff in the classical sense with Duggan and Jetta acting as “wingbacks” pushing up the ground aggressively from defensive starting positions]. In conjunction with Hurn operating as a fifth “wing” on the fat side of the ground we suddenly appear to have multiple options to keep the ball moving in wide areas.
The other structural advantage stems from the squad selection for this match. By omitting a key defender in Schofield in favour of an additional attacking small in Rioli it allowed greater rotation of the forwards which provided two major benefits: the forwards were fresher and able to apply greater amounts of forward pressure to create opposition turnover opportunities; and with greater forward pressure being applied, it allowed for a stay-at-home position anchored in the goal square to be occupied in anticipation of the attacking transition from the turnover. This was one of the main reasons why we were able to get numbers behind the Bulldogs defence so rapidly in this match and be able to exploit it so effectively.
The Bulldogs offered little and the paucity of their spine meant there was very little they could do in order to change the game.
Four points in the bank on the road and no injuries – that’s about as good as it gets for this time of the season.
PLAYER PERFORMANCES
#1. Liam Ryan: Belongs at this level. Rarely does a new recruit have this kind of impact so soon. His likeable approach is rubbing off and lifting those around him. Was particularly impressed with his workrate; presented all the way to half back on several occasions to provide an outlet and was equal first on the ground for repeat sprint efforts. Questions over whether he can develop his defensive side have been silenced again as well as indicated by 3 tackles inside forward 50 – more than any other player on the ground. Provided a level of hardness at half forward that we have been lacking in recent times, gaining the third-highest number of contested possessions for the team and even getting a centre clearance to his name. 14 disposals [9 contested], 6 marks, 9 score involvements, 115 supercoach points, 3.3 goals. Could have easily kicked six – only negative would be his set shot kicking [now 0.7 from set shots this season]. Would be guaranteed the Rising Star nomination if he were not overage. Took a mark of the year contender (there will be many more no doubt) and one of the goals of the round. Could be the player we hoped J.Hill would become. In just two matches he has already become one the most watchable players in the competition. A genuine star in the making.
#2. Mark Lecras: Followed up his Round 1 performance with another impressive outing that showed his willingness to work hard off the ball as well as with it. Decision-making and execution were elite, with over 90% efficiency of disposal. Won 6 contested possessions and now has laid 14 tackles in his first two matches. 16 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 396 metres gained, 9 score involvements and 2 goals. A great start to the season so far.
#3. Andrew Gaff: Led all players on ground for contested possessions with 13. Probably one of the last things we would have expected to see this year and is a credit to the work he has undertaken this season to develop that area of his game. A complete on-ball performance. 27 disposals [13 contested] at above 85% efficiency, 5 clearances, 3 rebound 50s, 4 inside 50s, 6 intercepts, 9 score involvements and a goal. As is customary, he covered more distance than anyone else on the ground as well [16.0km]. One of the best games he has played for the club. Gaff being able to operate as a successful on-ball midfielder adds a completely new dimension to the team.
#4. Dominic Sheed: A good inside performance without excelling. 10 contested possessions, 5 clearances and 6 score involvements. Was let down by efficiency of disposal at 61%. Still has a habit of rushing his kicks, which affects his ability to hit targets. If he can address that, he will be in the top 20 midfielders in the competition by the end of this season.
#5. Bradley Sheppard: Keeps on doing what he does. Shuts down his opponent, helps his team-mates and distributes well. 14 disposals [at 100% efficiency], 6 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 6 one-percenters and 4 intercepts. Surely one of the most underrated defenders in the league.
#6. Elliot Yeo: Another good game, starting to get some consistency running through the midfield. Was massive in the second quarter [8 disposals, 5 contested, 1 clearance, 2 inside 50s, 2 goal assists] and was a major reason why we blew the game open in that term. Ended with 20 disposals [at 90% efficiency] 7 tackles, 10 score involvements and 447 metres gained. His form will be key to how much success we have this season.
#7. Chris Masten: A good game – doing all he was tasked to do and some more. Playing the role of “first-responder” [the player that gets back first to aid the defence in stopping opposition counterattacks] well, equalling the highest amount of sprint efforts on the ground, whilst still covering almost 15km. 5 intercepts again this week show the reward for his efforts to get back. 20 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 7 score involvements and 2 goal assists is a welcome display with the ball as well.
#8. Jack Redden: A somewhat confusing match. Not terrible [it is hard for that to happen when you win by 9 goals] by any means but certainly not an inspiring performance. 17 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 clearances. Seemed to play much of game as a false wing, attempting to become a +1 off the back of stoppages that would offload to team-mates on the move; hence why he was the only member of the squad to have more handballs than kicks. After repeated failures as a stoppage player in JLT2 and Round 1 this may be the next attempt to find a damaging role for him in the team.
#9. Nicholas Naitanui: Dominated the ruck and made his presence felt during the second quarter as we assumed control of the game. Caused many Bulldogs turnovers through the inferred pressure that he creates. 6 score involvements from 8 disposals [7 contested]. Showed that his ability to take hanging marks has not been lost. Still being strictly managed for time in his second game back.
#13. Luke Shuey: A quieter than average game, spending much it going head-to-head with Bontempelli and nullifying each other. Still had 18 disposals [8 contested] and 6 clearances. Just 4 score involvements and less than 200 metres gained are way down on what we have come to expect however. Speaks volumes about the result when he can be subdued and we still win by 51 points.
#14. Liam Duggan: This could have been a very good game, however he was let down by poor decisions and execution. Covered more ground than anyone apart from Gaff and repeatedly offered an option to keep the ball moving forward. Was solid in defence yet had an equal team high for inside 50s and missed 3 very gettable shots on goal. If he had converted those opportunities, his match takes on an entirely different complexion.
#15. Jamie Cripps: A great match. Took advantage of the relaxed pressure from the Bulldogs and sliced them up. 16 disposals [at over 90% efficiency], 6 marks, 12 score involvements, 3 goal assists and a goal. Some of his field kicking this season so far has been superb.
#18. Daniel Venables: A very encouraging second game. Was willing to take the game on at every opportunity, which culminated in some errors and turnovers, but that is to be expected at this stage. Operated almost exclusively in the forward line and took more marks inside forward 50 than anyone else in the team aside from Darling. Acceleration and one-touch quality were evident. 12 disposals [5 contested], 7 marks, 3.1 goals. Still reckon there are a lot of parallels between him and when Dangerfield first started out at Adelaide.
#20. Jeremy McGovern: A commanding return to form after the horror show in Round 1 against Franklin. Spent his match defending much smaller opponents and picked off attacks to launch counteroffensives at will. 14 disposals, 8 marks [3 contested], 10 one-percenters, 7 rebound 50s and 8 intercepts.
#23. Lewis Jetta: Had his kicking boots on this week and had a better performance as a result. Made the worst start possible by completely missing an easy tackle to concede the first goal. In fact this awful attempt ended up being the closest he came to laying a tackle all match – against better sides he will need to stick these. Looking at home in the backline however, forming a formidable tandem with Hurn coming out of defence that will pose headaches to the opposition. 23 disposals [at 82% efficiency], 5 contested possessions, 8 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 377 metres gained and 7 score involvements. Had a centre clearance during the first quarter as well.
#25. Shannon Hurn: A best on ground performance from the captain, in what is becoming an exceptional start to the season. His statistics have already been covered above. I expect that he will not be granted the same amount of latitude playing against Geelong in Round 3.
#27. Jack Darling: Expected to carry the weight up forward in Kennedy’s absence and is doing it with aplomb. Granted, his opponent was an 18 year old playing his second game – but you still need to make the most of opportunity and he took it with both hands, being the dominant key forward on the ground. 16 disposals, 11 marks [4 contested], 9 score involvements, 2 goal assists, 4.0 goals. The 11 marks equals his career-best. A fantastic start to the season – the club needed him to step up and he is doing just that.
#29. Scott Lycett: Had a great match. I know I have been very critical of him recently but he played his role very well. Is at his best when he is being a big, angry man and imposes himself physically on the opposition. 15 disposals [11 contested], 21 hitouts, 5 marks [2 inside 50], 6 tackles, 5 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 6 score involvements, 2.1 goals. When he plays like this he is the perfect foil for Naitanui.
#30. Jackson Nelson: Another player who I have probably been overly harsh upon recently. Playing an important role in defence; he successfully fulfilled a dual responsibility of being a lockdown on opposition small forwards in addition to the “goalkeeper” on the last line. Disposal was much improved this week, executing at 81% efficiency.
#37. Tom Barrass: Undersized opponents and high looping balls coming in – that meant only one thing; feeding time for the Barracuda. Dominated the Bulldogs forwards and was a major reason behind why despite only having 4 more inside 50s, we won by over 50 points. 14 disposals, 6 marks [2 contested], 8 one-percenters, 7 intercepts, 2 rebound 50s.
#44. William Rioli: A long-awaited debut that did not disappoint. He is a Rioli, after-all. Needs to improve his fitness substantially [just 4 disposals after quarter time] but showed more than enough to have a positive impact on the team and retain his place. A very smart footballer who is more impactful than the sum of his possessions. First quarter was electric [4 disposals, 2 contested, 2 marks, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal assist, 0.1 goals]. Unfortunately nerves got the better of him on his shot for goal. Very exciting seeing him and Ryan in combination.
#45. Jake Waterman: Built upon his promising debut with an even more impressive showing here. Worked incredibly hard getting up the ground, presenting over and over again. Hands were strong, made good decisions and execution was quality. 13 disposals [at 84% efficiency], 4 marks, 4 inside 50s, 5 score involvements, 1 goal assist, 2.0 goals. If he keeps this up it will make for some tough decisions when Kennedy returns.
So a very good team performance, culminating in our best result in Victoria in three years, albeit against a team that currently appears to be the worst in the league.
The newcomers all look the goods; the team is re-energised and are enjoying their football and we are suddenly one the most entertaining teams in the competition to watch.
Importantly we also got through the match without any injury concerns and should be able to have a few chocolate eggs and field an unchanged squad to take on Geelong in front of near 60,000 next Sunday in what will be a much sterner test of our abilities.
A time when families and friends organise in gluttonous competition for the sickly sweet prize of the highest glucose blood sera levels with glorious rewards of indigestion, fat deposition and reduced lifespan.
A time when one is expected to help clean up the mess from hosting numbers of people that you would otherwise try to avoid. A time when one is expected to help keep the kids in check when they go into cataclysmic meltdowns that leave sugar-induced fallout throughout the environment.
A time when one does none of that because the football is playing on a Sunday afternoon instead.
OVERVIEW
Yes, it was Round 2 already and the club had embarked on its first venture east into Mordor Victoria on a quest not to be the fools of April 1st.
In opposition were the [Greater] Western [Melbourne] Bulldogs – only in such a contrived VFL-tac-on such as this would a team based on the east of the continent be able to brand themselves as “Western”. I regularly find Luddites up here in denialist Queensland that think they are a WA team because of the name. You don’t have the “Western Giants” from NSW do you? “Western” Bulldogs… pffft – GWM Bulldogs maybe – or better yet ***** Footscray.
Seriously, the next time I hear a fool up here that goes “Oh, you’re from WA, you must be happy about the Bulldogs then…” I will be forced to throat punch them.
Thankfully my assault upon populations north of the Murray may remain unfulfilled. That is because the Bulldogs, after creating history in winning the Premiership from 7th in 2016 are seemingly hell-bent on creating more history through winning a wooden spoon after a premiership faster than any other club.
Despite pre-season rumours to the contrary, this Bulldogs team is a shadow of the side that finished 2016 so emphatically and were effortlessly swept aside in Round 1 to the tune of 14 goals by their GW rivals in the national capital.
Player incidents off-field; the departure of key players; the solidarity that was such a hallmark of this successful Bulldogs team is no longer apparent. The farcical situation with Redpath (club forgot that he was still suspended as B team scratch matches don’t count) typifies all is not well down at the E.J.Whitten Oval. Indeed, they have been the winners of the cricketing ball-tampering scandal; through not having the media blowtorch cast over them when it otherwise would have been. They will get their time however.
With this mind, the Bulldogs probably were the best possible opponent to be facing in Melbourne after our positive, albeit unrewarded, showing against Sydney in Round 1.
There were questions over both teams however. Would the Bulldogs lift and rediscover their resolve in front of home support? They had gone 5-0 at Docklands during the first half of last season, but just 2-4 since then. Furthermore, they had now lost four in a row after the debacle against the Giants. On the other hand, would the Eagles perform in Victoria?
West Coast had beaten the Bulldogs at Docklands in 2017, but lost at that venue against them in 2016 and 2015.
The Bulldogs remained the favourite with the betting agencies, but the Eagles had shortened significantly during the week to bring it back to near evens.
For mine this was a match I expected us to win.
SELECTION AND KEY MATCH-UPS
After the positive effort against the Swans, only minor changes could be expected to the squad selection to face the Bulldogs. Naitanui had no adverse signs after his first contest in 19 months and each of the debutants showed enough to retain their places. Cole was given another run with East Perth and thus Nelson kept his spot. Just a single change was made; Rioli being declared fit and becoming our fourth debutant in just two weeks at the expense of Schofield. The change of a small, skilful forward in place of a key defender was an encouraging sign of the attacking intent the club would take into this match. Ultimately the biggest change ended up in the coaching box – with Simpson returning to Perth to be alongside his hospitalised daughter Jamie Graham would be calling the shots for the first time in an AFL match.
As for the Bulldogs, they had made four changes to the squad that were humiliated in Round 1, with Liberatore and Crozier ruled out by injury and Biggs and Roberts dropped. In their place came in last year’s pick 16 Richards for his debut, Webb, Daniel and Lin Jong in his first match since suffering an ACL in Round 13 2017.
After the baffling experiment in Round 1 of playing Wood as a forward and its disastrous [not unexpected] result [playing GWS with Trengove and a debutant as your only key defenders] it was expected that Wood would return to the Bulldogs defensive six to assist their contested marking deficiencies. The problem however being that Wood is not key-sized at 187cm and does nothing to address that Trengove was never a defender until last week and that Naughton had only played a single game.
At the other end things were equally shambolic for the Bulldogs, with three game ruckman English being named as their only key forward target. McGovern and Barrass, still smarting from a beating by Buddy, loomed as a factor that the Bulldogs would not be able to have an answer to.
The only area of concern was the midfield; however Liberatore’s absence combined with overwhelming ruck advantage from Naitanui and Lycett was expected to bring this back into favour for the Eagles.
THE MATCH
Well it is confirmed. The Bulldogs are currently a basketcase.
They offered next to no pressure on the ball and match played like a three hour training session of our structures, rather than a competitive game with 4 points on the line.
As can be seen above, this was a very open match with little pressure applied to ball-carriers or their execution. Once the ball was won at the contest, it was going forward without much involvement from the opposition.
Thankfully then we thoroughly outcompeted the Bulldogs in almost all areas:
An unanswered nine goal run between the first and third quarters blew open an unassailable lead and the match was over as a result.
The second quarter is arguably the best quarter of football this team has played since the grand final season in 2015. They were simply unstoppable.
+21 in contested possessions for a quarter. Considering our midfield weaknesses that is an amazing statistic.
Also a look at the top contested possession winners for the team that quarter shows this was a cohesive effort rather than the brilliance of individuals.
The top 5 contested possession winners for the Eagles in the second quarter equalled the total of the entire Bulldogs side.
With the contested ball so comprehensively won, the mismatches in the respective squads at both ends of the ground assured that this would be a sizeable victory.
Indeed, according to AFL Official Player Ratings 10 of the top 14 players on the ground were Eagles.
Any win in Victoria is good. To win by over 50 points is fantastic. This was our largest victory in Victoria since Round 8, 2015 against St Kilda.
But the margin wasn’t the biggest positive to take from this match. The approach was. This was a team performance. We travelled interstate and belted the opposition in the midfield despite the majority of our prime movers not having standout matches. The confidence and enthusiasm from the new faces shows and it has spread through the rest of the team. We are playing expansive football with attacking intent – 31 goals in two games without Kennedy; not many would have expected that.
TACTICS
The Bulldogs tried to deploy the high zone they prefer and used so well in the run-in to their premiership in 2016, but simply did not apply enough pressure to stop West Coast waltzing through it repeatedly.
On the other hand, the Eagles’ structures functioned near flawlessly in both causing the opposition to turn the ball over and use it to impact the scoreboard. 98 of our total 121 points were scored from intercept possessions in this match.
One of the biggest tactical changes so far this season for West Coast has been the use of Hurn on the counteroffensive.
There has been a clear emphasis on Hurn being the outlet for the defensive switch this season. Playing as the defensive spare, the rest of the defence are working to create the space on the fat side for the captain to lead into and receive in positions where his elite disposal can be damaging to the opposition.
Furthermore, as the spare he has the freedom to follow-up on his kick and function as an additional wing on that side of the ground. It has been exceptionally effective in the first two Rounds this season:
Expect to see him getting some extra opposition attention soon if this keeps up.
An additional tweak to our structure appears to be in our use of the wings. Yes, they are back on the jumpers and they are finally back on the field now too. In fact, it looks like we have taken a page from the Beveridge playbook and are effectively playing four wingers [Masten and Redden/Gaff in the classical sense with Duggan and Jetta acting as “wingbacks” pushing up the ground aggressively from defensive starting positions]. In conjunction with Hurn operating as a fifth “wing” on the fat side of the ground we suddenly appear to have multiple options to keep the ball moving in wide areas.
The other structural advantage stems from the squad selection for this match. By omitting a key defender in Schofield in favour of an additional attacking small in Rioli it allowed greater rotation of the forwards which provided two major benefits: the forwards were fresher and able to apply greater amounts of forward pressure to create opposition turnover opportunities; and with greater forward pressure being applied, it allowed for a stay-at-home position anchored in the goal square to be occupied in anticipation of the attacking transition from the turnover. This was one of the main reasons why we were able to get numbers behind the Bulldogs defence so rapidly in this match and be able to exploit it so effectively.
The Bulldogs offered little and the paucity of their spine meant there was very little they could do in order to change the game.
Four points in the bank on the road and no injuries – that’s about as good as it gets for this time of the season.
PLAYER PERFORMANCES
#1. Liam Ryan: Belongs at this level. Rarely does a new recruit have this kind of impact so soon. His likeable approach is rubbing off and lifting those around him. Was particularly impressed with his workrate; presented all the way to half back on several occasions to provide an outlet and was equal first on the ground for repeat sprint efforts. Questions over whether he can develop his defensive side have been silenced again as well as indicated by 3 tackles inside forward 50 – more than any other player on the ground. Provided a level of hardness at half forward that we have been lacking in recent times, gaining the third-highest number of contested possessions for the team and even getting a centre clearance to his name. 14 disposals [9 contested], 6 marks, 9 score involvements, 115 supercoach points, 3.3 goals. Could have easily kicked six – only negative would be his set shot kicking [now 0.7 from set shots this season]. Would be guaranteed the Rising Star nomination if he were not overage. Took a mark of the year contender (there will be many more no doubt) and one of the goals of the round. Could be the player we hoped J.Hill would become. In just two matches he has already become one the most watchable players in the competition. A genuine star in the making.
#2. Mark Lecras: Followed up his Round 1 performance with another impressive outing that showed his willingness to work hard off the ball as well as with it. Decision-making and execution were elite, with over 90% efficiency of disposal. Won 6 contested possessions and now has laid 14 tackles in his first two matches. 16 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 396 metres gained, 9 score involvements and 2 goals. A great start to the season so far.
#3. Andrew Gaff: Led all players on ground for contested possessions with 13. Probably one of the last things we would have expected to see this year and is a credit to the work he has undertaken this season to develop that area of his game. A complete on-ball performance. 27 disposals [13 contested] at above 85% efficiency, 5 clearances, 3 rebound 50s, 4 inside 50s, 6 intercepts, 9 score involvements and a goal. As is customary, he covered more distance than anyone else on the ground as well [16.0km]. One of the best games he has played for the club. Gaff being able to operate as a successful on-ball midfielder adds a completely new dimension to the team.
#4. Dominic Sheed: A good inside performance without excelling. 10 contested possessions, 5 clearances and 6 score involvements. Was let down by efficiency of disposal at 61%. Still has a habit of rushing his kicks, which affects his ability to hit targets. If he can address that, he will be in the top 20 midfielders in the competition by the end of this season.
#5. Bradley Sheppard: Keeps on doing what he does. Shuts down his opponent, helps his team-mates and distributes well. 14 disposals [at 100% efficiency], 6 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 6 one-percenters and 4 intercepts. Surely one of the most underrated defenders in the league.
#6. Elliot Yeo: Another good game, starting to get some consistency running through the midfield. Was massive in the second quarter [8 disposals, 5 contested, 1 clearance, 2 inside 50s, 2 goal assists] and was a major reason why we blew the game open in that term. Ended with 20 disposals [at 90% efficiency] 7 tackles, 10 score involvements and 447 metres gained. His form will be key to how much success we have this season.
#7. Chris Masten: A good game – doing all he was tasked to do and some more. Playing the role of “first-responder” [the player that gets back first to aid the defence in stopping opposition counterattacks] well, equalling the highest amount of sprint efforts on the ground, whilst still covering almost 15km. 5 intercepts again this week show the reward for his efforts to get back. 20 disposals, 4 inside 50s, 7 score involvements and 2 goal assists is a welcome display with the ball as well.
#8. Jack Redden: A somewhat confusing match. Not terrible [it is hard for that to happen when you win by 9 goals] by any means but certainly not an inspiring performance. 17 disposals, 4 tackles, 3 clearances. Seemed to play much of game as a false wing, attempting to become a +1 off the back of stoppages that would offload to team-mates on the move; hence why he was the only member of the squad to have more handballs than kicks. After repeated failures as a stoppage player in JLT2 and Round 1 this may be the next attempt to find a damaging role for him in the team.
#9. Nicholas Naitanui: Dominated the ruck and made his presence felt during the second quarter as we assumed control of the game. Caused many Bulldogs turnovers through the inferred pressure that he creates. 6 score involvements from 8 disposals [7 contested]. Showed that his ability to take hanging marks has not been lost. Still being strictly managed for time in his second game back.
#13. Luke Shuey: A quieter than average game, spending much it going head-to-head with Bontempelli and nullifying each other. Still had 18 disposals [8 contested] and 6 clearances. Just 4 score involvements and less than 200 metres gained are way down on what we have come to expect however. Speaks volumes about the result when he can be subdued and we still win by 51 points.
#14. Liam Duggan: This could have been a very good game, however he was let down by poor decisions and execution. Covered more ground than anyone apart from Gaff and repeatedly offered an option to keep the ball moving forward. Was solid in defence yet had an equal team high for inside 50s and missed 3 very gettable shots on goal. If he had converted those opportunities, his match takes on an entirely different complexion.
#15. Jamie Cripps: A great match. Took advantage of the relaxed pressure from the Bulldogs and sliced them up. 16 disposals [at over 90% efficiency], 6 marks, 12 score involvements, 3 goal assists and a goal. Some of his field kicking this season so far has been superb.
#18. Daniel Venables: A very encouraging second game. Was willing to take the game on at every opportunity, which culminated in some errors and turnovers, but that is to be expected at this stage. Operated almost exclusively in the forward line and took more marks inside forward 50 than anyone else in the team aside from Darling. Acceleration and one-touch quality were evident. 12 disposals [5 contested], 7 marks, 3.1 goals. Still reckon there are a lot of parallels between him and when Dangerfield first started out at Adelaide.
#20. Jeremy McGovern: A commanding return to form after the horror show in Round 1 against Franklin. Spent his match defending much smaller opponents and picked off attacks to launch counteroffensives at will. 14 disposals, 8 marks [3 contested], 10 one-percenters, 7 rebound 50s and 8 intercepts.
#23. Lewis Jetta: Had his kicking boots on this week and had a better performance as a result. Made the worst start possible by completely missing an easy tackle to concede the first goal. In fact this awful attempt ended up being the closest he came to laying a tackle all match – against better sides he will need to stick these. Looking at home in the backline however, forming a formidable tandem with Hurn coming out of defence that will pose headaches to the opposition. 23 disposals [at 82% efficiency], 5 contested possessions, 8 marks, 5 rebound 50s, 377 metres gained and 7 score involvements. Had a centre clearance during the first quarter as well.
#25. Shannon Hurn: A best on ground performance from the captain, in what is becoming an exceptional start to the season. His statistics have already been covered above. I expect that he will not be granted the same amount of latitude playing against Geelong in Round 3.
#27. Jack Darling: Expected to carry the weight up forward in Kennedy’s absence and is doing it with aplomb. Granted, his opponent was an 18 year old playing his second game – but you still need to make the most of opportunity and he took it with both hands, being the dominant key forward on the ground. 16 disposals, 11 marks [4 contested], 9 score involvements, 2 goal assists, 4.0 goals. The 11 marks equals his career-best. A fantastic start to the season – the club needed him to step up and he is doing just that.
#29. Scott Lycett: Had a great match. I know I have been very critical of him recently but he played his role very well. Is at his best when he is being a big, angry man and imposes himself physically on the opposition. 15 disposals [11 contested], 21 hitouts, 5 marks [2 inside 50], 6 tackles, 5 clearances, 5 inside 50s, 6 score involvements, 2.1 goals. When he plays like this he is the perfect foil for Naitanui.
#30. Jackson Nelson: Another player who I have probably been overly harsh upon recently. Playing an important role in defence; he successfully fulfilled a dual responsibility of being a lockdown on opposition small forwards in addition to the “goalkeeper” on the last line. Disposal was much improved this week, executing at 81% efficiency.
#37. Tom Barrass: Undersized opponents and high looping balls coming in – that meant only one thing; feeding time for the Barracuda. Dominated the Bulldogs forwards and was a major reason behind why despite only having 4 more inside 50s, we won by over 50 points. 14 disposals, 6 marks [2 contested], 8 one-percenters, 7 intercepts, 2 rebound 50s.
#44. William Rioli: A long-awaited debut that did not disappoint. He is a Rioli, after-all. Needs to improve his fitness substantially [just 4 disposals after quarter time] but showed more than enough to have a positive impact on the team and retain his place. A very smart footballer who is more impactful than the sum of his possessions. First quarter was electric [4 disposals, 2 contested, 2 marks, 3 inside 50s, 1 goal assist, 0.1 goals]. Unfortunately nerves got the better of him on his shot for goal. Very exciting seeing him and Ryan in combination.
#45. Jake Waterman: Built upon his promising debut with an even more impressive showing here. Worked incredibly hard getting up the ground, presenting over and over again. Hands were strong, made good decisions and execution was quality. 13 disposals [at 84% efficiency], 4 marks, 4 inside 50s, 5 score involvements, 1 goal assist, 2.0 goals. If he keeps this up it will make for some tough decisions when Kennedy returns.
So a very good team performance, culminating in our best result in Victoria in three years, albeit against a team that currently appears to be the worst in the league.
The newcomers all look the goods; the team is re-energised and are enjoying their football and we are suddenly one the most entertaining teams in the competition to watch.
Importantly we also got through the match without any injury concerns and should be able to have a few chocolate eggs and field an unchanged squad to take on Geelong in front of near 60,000 next Sunday in what will be a much sterner test of our abilities.
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