Australian Football

Match Report

West Coast has consolidated its place in the top two on the ladder with a thumping win over Gold Coast at Subiaco on Saturday night. The Eagles won the first two quarters easily and then blew the Suns away with an outstanding third term, in which they kicked an amazing 12 goals without a miss, to lead by 102 points at the last change before easing off to claim victory by 92 points at the end.

The first quarter was a relatively quiet affair, with each team registering only one goal in the first 15 minutes, Matt Priddis for the Eagles and Harley Bennell for the Suns, and half way through the term it was West Coast leading 1.2 to 1.1. West Coast's defence got right on top after that, the Lions failing to trouble the scorers again before quarter time, while Josh Hill and Josh Kennedy registered majors to give the Eagles a 14-point lead at the first break. 

Continuing their defensive supremacy in the second quarter, the Eagles allowed Gold Coast only a solitary behind in the term, while adding four goals of their own. Three of those majors were kicked by young Elliot Yeo, in just his 20th match for West Coast, with another youngster, Callum Sinclair (playing his sixth game), kicking the other. At the long break, the Eagles led by 40 points, 7.6.48 to 1.2.8.

For West Coast, the third term was one for the ages. The Eagles scored the first three goals of the term, two of those going to Kennedy and one to Jamie Cripps, before Brandon Matera replied with one for Gold Coast. That was to be the Suns' only bright spot for the term, as West Coast went on the rampage over the next 25 minutes, kicking another nine straight goals to make it 12.0 for the quarter. Mark LeCras kicked three of those majors, with Kennedy also kicking his third for the term in the onslaught. When the siren sounded for three-quarter time, the Eagles held sway by a massive 102 points.

With only respect to play for in the final term, the Suns to their credit didn't do a bad job of it. After Josh Hill kicked his third to put the Eagles 108 points clear, Gold Coast kicked four in a row, via Charlie Dixon, Dion Prestia, Michael Rischitelli and Matera to cut the margin back to 86 points. But it was far too little, far too late and Yeo chipped in for his fourth in the last seconds of the match to give West Coast victory by 92 points and second place on the ladder after seven rounds.

Reigning Brownlow Medallist Matt Priddis was brilliant for the Eagles, with 39 possessions and seven tackles, while Yeo (four goals, 29 disposals) and Chris Masten (43 touches and eight marks) were also fine players. For the Suns, Bennell (23 touches and a goal), Mitch Hallahan (11 tackles, 24 disposals) and Tom Nicholls (31 hitouts, 12 possessions) tried hard all night.

Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Melbourne to take on St Kilda at Docklands on Saturday while the Suns will return home to host Collingwood at Carrara on the same day, in search of their second win of the season.

GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy, Yeo 4; LeCras, Hill 3; Priddis 2; Cripps, Shuey, Gaff, Sinclair, McInnes
Gold Coast: Matera 2; Bennell, Dixon, Prestia, Rischitelli

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
West Coast: M Priddis, E Yeo, C Masten, L Shuey, S Hurn, S Wellingham
Gold Coast: H Bennell, M Hallahan, A Raines, D Prestia, M Rischitelli.

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Priddis, Yeo, Hurn, Masten, Gaff, Shuey, Wellingham
Gold Coast: Bennell, Nicholls, Rischitelli, Prestia, Miller, Hallahan

INJURIES
West Coast: Jeremy McGovern (corked calf) replaced in selected side by Jackson Nelson, Sheppard (knee)
Gold Coast: Luke Russell (illness) replaced in selected side by Mitch Hallahan, Tom Lynch (calf) replaced in selected side by Greg Broughton, Bennell (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Mark Hutchings replaced Josh Kennedy in the third quarter
Gold Coast: Aaron Hall replaced Sean Lemmens in the third quarter

UMPIRES: Margetts, B Ryan, H Ryan

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Matthew Campbell, Gerard Healy, Tony Shaw, Cameron Mooney