Liam Duggan and Tim Kelly were the only sources of optimism after another poor outing. ELIZA REILLY delivers her distinctions, passes and fails.
A car crash held up several Eagles’ passage to Optus Stadium on Friday night and things didn’t get much better on-field for West Coast.
A nine-goal second term to Gold Coast, eight of which were consecutive, all but ended West Coast’s hopes of a home victory as the Suns romped their way to a 70-point win. And there’s no respite in sight for the Eagles after two more players suffered collision injuries.
Here is West Coast’s report card for round nine.
Distinctions
Liam Duggan: It’s been widely assumed that Oscar Allen is next in line to take over as captain once Luke Shuey steps down, likely at the end of this season. But Allen could have competition in Liam Duggan. Tipped as a future AFL captain back when he was drafted, Duggan assumed the role for the first time on Friday night. It was the fulfilment of a prophecy of sorts after the 26-year-old was the butt of a captain’s day joke earlier this year, flying to Melbourne and standing in for Shuey. Duggan played the part of stand-in skipper well, finishing with a game-high 32 disposals and 662 metres gained and standing tall when his team were under siege from the Suns.
Tim Kelly: Is quietly compiling a very strong season and would certainly be leading the club’s John Worsfold Medal count after nine rounds. In the absence of some key movers, Kelly is making West Coast’s midfield his own. Was dynamic at stoppages against a star-studded Gold Coast midfield, finishing with seven clearances, second only to Noah Anderson. A whopping 17 of his 26 disposals were also contested, with Kelly getting his hands dirty when his teammates wouldn’t. Led West Coast’s third quarter resurgence.
Passes
Reuben Ginbey: Outstanding for a first-year player. In a team that is continually belted at stoppages, Ginbey can hold his head high. Entered the final quarter on 15 tackles, within three of the all-time AFL record, but could only manage one more to finish on a still incredible 16 for the game. Also had 33 pressure acts and five clearances. He was given the licence to run free and hunt the footy after a few weeks of standing the opposition’s best midfielder. The only caveat is whether Ginbey stands out because his teammates are failing to apply anywhere near the same amount of pressure.
Jack Petruccelle and Greg Clark: The pair sparked the Eagles in the third quarter after being given more significant roles in the midfield. Petruccelle kicked a crafty running goal out of the midfield after his pace was injected into centre bounces. While Clark kicked a goal of his own to go with and assisted another from seven disposals in the third quarter. The pair’s influence waned but the Eagles could do worse than continue to expose them to the contest.
Fails
Health: There’s no respite in sight for the wounded Eagles as the club’s casualty ward continues to grow to unprecedented numbers. Jack Darling will be out indefinitely after fracturing his arm. The maligned forward bravely tried to play on but even when he was uninjured earlier in the game, he struggled to have an impact. Jamaine Jones was also subbed out of the game after suffering a broken nose. Two more collision injuries to add to a seemingly never ending list.
That second quarter: West Coast’s weekly fade-out occurred in the second quarter against Gold Coast and it was devastating. The Suns piled on four goals in a blink of an eye and finished the quarter with eight unanswered. In one of the more dominant quarters on record this year, the Suns won inside 50s 17-5, clearances 14-3 and contested possession 43-16 which yielded 13 scoring shots.
The focus this week
Whatever the opposite of a blockbuster is, that’s what awaits West Coast when they face Hawthorn in Tasmania next Sunday. It could very well be the battle for the wooden spoon and, by extension, touted number one draft pick Harley Reid. The Hawks are down on confidence after two consecutive smashings but look set to start favourites.
For West Coast, Rhett Bazzo, Noah Long and Jack Williams may be set to resume while the talk is Jeremy McGovern may return sooner than first thought from hamstring surgery. In the WAFL, Campbell Chesser made a successful return from a knee injury while Zane Trew had a team-high 32 disposals in a derby of sorts against Peel Thunder.
