Australian Football

Match Report

It took until round 18, and it was between two supposedly mismatch teams, but 2015 has produced its first drawn match, as the two Coasts, West and Gold, finished on 83 points apiece at Carrara on Saturday night. Not for the first time in the last couple of seasons, the West Coast Eagles were left to rue poor kicking for goal, having finished with 11.17, as opposed to the Suns' 12.11. Neither side could break away at any stage, with the margin no more than a goal at each change of ends. 

West Coast's goal-kicking woes began early, with the Eagles kicking five behinds through five different players in the first 15 minutes. At the other end of the ground, Gold Coast's two shots at goal yielded 1.1 in the same period, a goal to Kolodjashnij giving the Suns a two-point lead. Mark LeCras finally kicked straight for West Coast at the 16-minute mark, after which each team added one further goal for the term as the Eagles took a four-point lead into quarter time. 

The Eagles' woes in front of goal continued early in the second term, with Nic Naitanui and LeCras missing to take West Coast to 2.8. The Suns levelled the scores with a goal to Tom Lynch at the six-minute mark, but Josh Kennedy responded within a minute to put Eagles back in front. Each team scored two further goals for the quarter, West Coast's lead an even goal at the long break.

Jack Martin levelled the match again with a goal after one minute in the third term, but Jack Darling restored West Coast's one-goal buffer with his first barely a minute later. The Suns then had their most dominant period of the match, adding 2.3 over the next 21 minutes, with goals to Andrew Boston and Lynch, while holding the Eagles to just one behind to take an eight-point lead. Kennedy's second late in the term cut the margin it three at the final change. 

Despite the Suns taking a lead into the last term, the expectation was that the Eagles would click into gear and run away with the match. Elliot Yep lent weight to that theory with a goal after just 22 seconds, but Charlie Dixon's first goal three minutes later put the Suns back in front. The lead changed hands again with Darling's second giving West Coast a four-point lead after five minutes but Gold Coast then had another period of control, and goals to Brandon Matera and Aaron Hall saw the Suns 10 points clear after 12 minutes. Majors to Callum Sinclair and Shannon Hurn saw the Eagles reclaim the lead, after which they had several chances to seal the match. However, Mark Hutchings. Darling, Matt Priddis and Dom Sheed all missed and when Tom Lynch marked and goal with under a minute remaining, scores were level. Neither side could break away from the last centre bounce and the siren sounded with scores tied.

Lunch (four goals) and Hall (24 possessions, seven tackles) were standouts for the Suns, while West Coast's best included Priddis (34 touches and seven tackles) and Luke Shuey (33 disposals, four marks).

The draw was enough to keep West Coast six points clear of third-placed Hawthorn, with the Eagles and Hawks to meet at Subiaco on Saturday. Gold Coast, still 17th on the ladder with just two and a half wins, will meet bottom-placed Brisbane at the Gabba on the same day. 

GOALS
Gold Coast: Lynch 4; Bennell, Boston, Dixon, Hall, Kolodjashnij, Matera, Martin, Russell
West Coast: Kennedy, Sheed, Darling 2; Ellis, Hurn, LeCras, Yeo, Sinclair

BEST - BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU
Gold Coast: Lynch, Hall, Matera, Miller, Bennell, May
West Coast: Priddis, Shuey, Gaff, Sheed, Schofield, Sinclair

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Gold Coast: Lynch, Miller, Bennell, Harbrow, May, Nicholls, Martin
West Coast: Priddis, Sheed, Gaff, Shuey, Schofield

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Thompson (ankle)
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Andrew Boston replaced Rory Thompson at half-time.
West Coast: Scott Selwood replaced Josh Hill at three-quarter time.

UMPIRES: Hay, Meredith, Ryan

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Matthew Campbell, Brad Johnson, Alastair Lynch, Barry Hall