Australian Football

Match Report

West Coast has returned to the winners list after a thumping at the hand of Fremantle last week, thumping the hapless Brisbane Lions by 53 points at the Gabba on Saturday night. The victory puts the Eagles back inside the top eight and has kept the Lions firmly entrenched at the foot of the ladder.

The match belong to the Eagles from the very first minute, with Luke Shuey kicking West Coast's first goal after just 41 seconds. Youngster Harris Andrews responded for Brisbane four minutes later but the Eagles dominated the remainder of the quarter, with goals going to Josh Kennedy (two), first-gamer Fraser McInnes and Will Schofield. The Lions failed to score during that period, and West Coast took a 26-point lead into quarter-time, setting the tone for the match.

An early goal to Daniel McStay gave Brisbane hope in the second quarter but the Eagles regained the ascendency after that, Elliot Yeo, Jackson Nelson and Brad Sheppard all kicking goals to  take West Coast's lead out to 42 points as the term entered time on. Two late majors to Dayne Beams and Stefan Martin reduced the margin but the Eagles held a comfortable 28-point buffer at half time.

Any hope of a Brisbane comeback in the third term was frittered away with missed shots at goal, Dayne Zorjo and Lewis Taylor kicking three behinds between them in the first 17 minutes of the quarter while the Eagles added 3.2 with goals to Jamie Cripps, Josh Hill and Kennedy. Daniel Rich finally kicked a major at the 17-minute mark but this was answered by Mark LeCras just before three-quarter time and West Coast held a commanding 44-point lead at "orange time".

The Lions, looking to add respectability to their score in the last term, started the quarter well with goals to Josh Green and Daniel Rich but Matt Rosa and Hill erased those gains with majors at the 13 and 15-minute marks. The game opened up after that, Brisbane adding two further goals and West Coast three and when the final siren sounded the Eagles were triumphant by 53 points.

Sam Butler (12 marks, 28 disposals), Matt Priddis (28 possessions) and Jamie Cripps (11 tackles, 15 touches) were outstanding for the Eagles, while Brisbane's best included Zorko (20 possessions, four tackles) and Stefan Martin (36 hitouts, 20 disposals).

One of Brisbane's big concerns is that it has won just one of 16 quarters in the season, thus far, its last quarter the only real display of sustained competitiveness. The Lions will look to change that when they take on the only other side without a win this year, Gold Coast, at Carrara next Saturday. West Coast, meanwhile, will attempt to win two in a row for the first time in 2015 when it hosts GWS at Subiaco next Sunday.

GOALS
Brisbane: Green, Rich 2; Andrews, McStay, Christensen, D.Beams, Martin
West Coast: Hill, Kennedy 3; Butler 2; Nelson, Shuey, Cripps, McInnes, Sheppard, LeCras, Sheed, Yeo, Rosa

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Brisbane: Zorko, Martin, D. Beams, Cutler, Rich
West Coast: Butler, Priddis, Cripps, Gaff, Naitanui, Rosa

BEST - BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU
Brisbane: Zorko, Martin, Robertson, Beams
West Coast: Priddis, Butler, Gaff, Rosa, Naitanui, Cripps

INJURIES 
Brisbane Lions: Nil
West Coast: Shuey (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Josh Green replaced James Aish in the third quarter
West Coast: Liam Duggan replaced Luke Shuey in the third quarter

UMPIRES: O'Gorman, Findlay, Mitchell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Brad Johnson, Barry Hall