Australian Football

Match Report

The final match for the weekend sees us head down Port Road to the Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval for the Battle of the Birds between the Eagles and the Magpies. From Round 4 of the 2009 up to the last match in Round 13 last year, the Eagles have dominated all but one match from the previous 12 encounters. That one loss was on opening weekend in 2012 at Thebarton, the beginning of the Eagles' premiership hangover. But the other games either side were all Eagles victories, that last game resulting in an 11-point win at Alberton. The Eagles were undefeated up to this point, but the ominous signs of a Magpies re-emergence were very clear last week and were about to become even clearer.

A first quarter blitz would shell-shock the home fans, the Magpies booting 6.6 to a single goal to take a 36-point lead at quarter-time. The Eagles would reduce the gap by half-time, kicking 3.1 to 2.2 in the second term to bring the deficit back to 31 points by the break. Despite the Eagles lifting their efforts and their intensity, the Magpies didn't stay grounded for long when play resumed. The third term would become a shootout in the goal column, both sides bagging four goals. Inaccuracy prevented the Magpies really breaking the game apart, an additional six behinds to the Eagles' one miss would see the deficit return to the six-goal gap seen at quarter-time. The Magpies would run away with it in the end, the Eagles going to sleep and only managing one behind while the visitors added 3.5 to leave Woodville with a 58-point win. The question now is, can everyone else adapt to the seemingly more 'Power-ful' line-up the Magpies can access? Eagles coach Mick Godden thinks so, even though 16 full-timers fronted up for Port. The Magpies named Kane Mitchell as their best on ground, while the Eagles named Luke Jarrad as their best.