Australian Football

Match Report

Saturday night's clash at Subiaco was the proverbial 'eight-point' game. A win to the Eagles would put them 10 points clear of the Hawks, with a top-two place virtually sewn up but the opposite result would see Hawthorn within two and breathing down their necks. Unfortunately for the Eagles it was the latter result which came to pass. On a cold and wet night, West Coast looked good and led early but, during and between wild weather which saw rain blowing horizontally across the ground, the Hawks fought back in the second and third terms before getting on top in the last to sneak home by 14 points. 

Taking advantage of their first use of the wind and rain, the Eagles opened up with two early goals to Luke Shuey and Jack Darling to take an early 13-point lead. Billy Hartung put the Hawks on the board with his first at the 11-minute mark, but another brace of West Coast goals - to Darling and Josh Kennedy - saw the Eagles take a three-goal advantage going into time-on. Luke Breust scored Hawthorn's second at the 24-minute mark but Jamie Cripps responded for the Eagles who took an 18-point lead into quarter time. 

With the weather blowing their way in the second term, the Hawks bounced right back. Goals didn't come often but the first three went Hawthorn's way through Grant Birchall, Shaun Burgoyne and Paul Puopolo to level the scores before a last-minute goal to Kennedy after mark in the goal square saw West Coast take a one-goal lead into the long break.

The Eagles opened the third quarter strongly with the win once more at their backs. Cripps and Mark Hutchings registered majors and West Coast were once again three goals clear half way through the term. But the Hawks began to work their way back into the match as the rain and wind died off temporarily. A goal to Jonathon Ceglar was answered by Eagle Kennedy but the Hawks got the next two through Breust and Hartung and at the last change of ends they were only four points adrift of West Coast. 

Hawthorn attacked heavily early in the final term but the reward in the first five minutes was only behinds to Taylor Duryea and Cyril Rioli. But a goal to Liam Shiels at the eight-minute mark put the Hawks ahead and another to Rioli four minutes later saw their lead extended to 10. The Eagles did not lie down, though and majors to Matt Rosa and Kennedy saw them regain the lead at the 17-minute mark. Breust and Burgoyne responded to put Hawthorn nine points clear before Kennedy had a chance to cut the margin to under a goal with a set shot at the 24-minute mark. He missed and Jarryd Roughead sealed a 14-point win for Hawthorn with a goal four minutes later. 

Sam Mitchell had a great game for the Hawks, with 36 disposals and five marks, as did Shiels (17 tackles, 21 possessions) and Grant Birchall (22 touches and a goal). For the Eagles, Shuey (27 possessions, eight tackles) and Andrew Gaff (35 touches, four marks) were among the best.

Another tough match looms for the Eagles next Sunday. They will take on top side Fremantle at Subiaco. Hawthorn will take on Geelong at the MCG on Saturday night. A win to the Hawks and a loss to the Eagles will see Hawthorn move into the top two at West Coast's expense. 

GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 4; Darling, Cripps 2; Shuey, Hutchings, Rosa
Hawthorn: Breust 3; Hartung, Burgoyne 2; Birchall, Puopolo, Cegler, Rioli, Shiels, Roughead

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Gaff, Priddis, Shuey, Kennedy, Schofield
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Birchall, Hartung, Shiels, Burgoyne

BEST - WATODAY.COM..AU
West Coast: L Shuey, A Gaff, M Priddis, J Kennedy, S Lycett, J McGovern
Hawthorn: S Mitchell, L Shiels, L Bruest, J Lewis, C Rioli, G Birchall

INJURIES
West Coast: Sinclair (knee) replaced in selected side by Hutchings, McGovern (hamstring)
Hawthorn: Lake (general soreness) replaced in selection side by Suckling.

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Matt Rosa replaced Dom Sheed at three-quarter time.
Hawthorn: Taylor Duryea replaced Jonathon Cegler three-quarter time.

REPORTS: Mark LeCras for rough conduct on James Frawley in the second quarter.

UMPIRES: Margetts, Hocking, Meredith

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Brian Taylor, Luke Darcy, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling