Australian Football

Match Report

Not for the first time in 2014, the West Coast Eagles have been left to rue poor kicking for goal after they succumbed to Fremantle in the 39th Western Derby at Subiaco on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles finished the match with more scoring shots but lost the game by 19 points, 7.12.54 to 11.7.73. The second term was the killer for West Coast. Starting the quarter 13 points adrift after the Dockers had kicked four goals to two in the first term, the Eagles did very well to restrict Ross Lyon's me to just 1.1. But with nine scoring shots of their own, the Eagles could only manage a lamentable 1.8, leaving them still seven points behind at the long break.

The Dockers made them pay for their wastefulness in the third quarter. After the Eagles kicked the first two of the term via Jack Darling and third-gamer Simon Tunbridge to give themselves a five-point lead, Fremantle kicked the remaining four goals, through Nat Fyfe, Ryan Crowley, Zac Clarke and Hayden Ballantyne to take a 19-point lead into the last change of ends.

Fremantle put the result beyond doubt with the first two majors of the last quarter - to Clarke and Lachie Neale - before Darling and Matt Rosa brought the final difference back to 19 points with the last two goals of the game.

Neale was outstanding for the Dockers, with 32 disposals and a goal, as were Ballantyne (two goals, 17 possessions) and Nat Fyfe (26 touches and a goal). For the Eagles Mark Hutchings (24 disposals, five tackles) played a fine game and Matt Priddis (24 touches, six tackles) and Matt Rosa (21 possessions, seven tackles) were also very good.

The win arrested a mini-slump for the Dockers, who had lost two in a row to Sydney and North Melbourne. In sixth place with a 4-3 record, they will take on Port Adelaide in Adelaide and Geelong at home before having a bye in round 10. On the other hand, West Coast - which probably cost itself wins against Port Adelaide and Carlton with poor kicking for goal - is in free-fall, having now lost four in a row after winning its first three. The Eagles will look to get back on the winners list when they host GWS next Sunday before having a week off in round nine.

GOALS
West Coast: Cripps, Darling 2; Kennedy, Tunbridge, Rosa
Fremantle: Clarke 3; Ballantyne 2; de Boer, Mayne, Barlow, Fyfe, Crowley, Neale

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
West Coast: Hutchings, Hurn, Rosa, Priddis, Sheppard, Mackenzie
Fremantle: Neale, Fyfe, Ballantyne, Sandilands, Duffield, Mundy

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Selwood, Darling, Hutchings, Mackenzie, Priddis
Fremantle: Neale, Ballantyne, Fyfe, de Boer, Mundy, Clarke, Sandilands, McPharlin

INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Fremantle: Dawson (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Will Schofield replaced Scott Lycett in the third quarter
Fremantle: Nick Suban replaced Zac Dawson at half-time

UMPIRES: Farmer, Hosking, Pannell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Jason Dunstall, Gerard Healy, David King