Australian Football

Match Report

West Coast is now only one game outside of the top eight after it scored a dogged 26-point win over an improved Brisbane Lions at the 'Gabba on Saturday. After winning only one of their first five matches, the Eagles have now won two in a row and are poised to make an assault on the top eight. West Coast has also had its fair share of injury troubles, but the return of Nic Naitanui and Sharrod Wellingham has seen the side moving closer towards a full-strength outfit.

Brisbane, which has won only two games for the season and been criticised for lacking intensity at times this season, put on a solid display and was well in the hunt until the last few minutes of the match. The Lions were level with the Eagles at three-quarter time, 9.9 (63) to 10.3 (63) and could have been ahead had it not been for a very accurate display from West Coast.

When the final quarter began, Josh Kennedy's shot at the one-minute mark hit the post, giving the Eagles the lead by a solitary point. But Brisbane veteran Simon Black, playing his first game of 2013 (although 315th of his career), kicked a goal on the run from 30 to restore a five-point lead for the Lions. Nic Naitanui returned the lead to Eagles at the six-minute mark, but two minutes later Brisbane sneaked back ahead via a free kick to Jordan Lisle.

A dubious mark to Mark LeCras was converted at the 10 minute mark, putting West Coast back in front by a point and when Josh Hill goaled three minutes later the Eagles led by 8. Still the Lions would not be denied. A rushed behind was followed by a goal to co-captain Jonathan Brown to Brisbane once again to within a point of the Eagles as the last term entered time on. West Coast finally managed to break free of the Lions in the match's last 10 minutes, through goals to Brad Dalziell, Matt Rosa, Hill and Jack Darling.

West Coast's best included Matt Priddis (29 disposals) and Eric Mackenzie, who played a wonderful game in defence, while Pearce Hanley (31 possessions) and Matthew Leuenberger (33 hitouts, 16 touches, 1 goal) were excellent for the Lions.

Brisbane now have a very tough match in round eight, an away encounter against Essendon who dropped their first match against Geelong on Friday. The Eagles can press for a spot in the top eight when they take on North Melbourne (who like West Coast have a 3-4 record) at Subiaco.

GOALS
Brisbane: Golby, Bewick, Brown 2; Redden, Zorko, McGrath, Leuenberger, Black, Lisle
West Coast: Kennedy 4; Lecras 3; Sheppard, Naitanui, Hill 2; Shuey, Dalziell, Rosa, Darling

BEST - BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU
Brisbane: Leuenberger, Hanley, Rockliff, Moloney, Golby, Clarke
West Coast: Priddis, McKenzie, Kennedy, Hurn, Selwood, Naitanui

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Brisbane: Hanley, Leuenberger, Rockliff, Moloney, Raines, Clarke
West Coast: Priddis, MacKenzie, Selwood, Kennedy, Glass, Naitanui, Hurn

COACHES' COMMENTS
Michael Voss (Bris): Whenever you put effort in like that it always hurts but that's what we do. That's why we turn up every week, to make sure that we put everything on the line. And when you put it on the line, you can only put yourself in a position to win the game. We put ourselves in a position to win the game [today] and we didn't. In the end, a few simple errors and a bit of efficiency and that game's a different story.

John Worsfold (WCo): I wasn't worried [at three quarter time]. I was excited about what the players wanted to show in the last 30 minutes. We played at a pretty good intensity throughout the whole game. Neither side really got any big breaks on each other and most goals were pretty hard-fought. We've got to play with intensity for the full 120 minutes because you don't know when the break will come.

SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Simon Black on for Ryan Lester in the third quarter
West Coast: Bradd Dalziell on for Mitchell Brown in the fourth quarter

UMPIRES: Bannister, Leppard and Schmitt