Australian Football

Match Report

The fate of the GWS Giants now belongs in their own hands after they held off West Coast in a hard-fought slog at the Sydney Showground in Saturday's twilight game. The sides were separated by only a point at the last change, the Giants narrowly ahead, before the home side kicked four goals to one in the final term to win by 21 points. For the Eagles, the result had the opposite effect, their finals fate now in the hands of others, even if they can defeat top side Adelaide at Subiaco next Sunday.

An early goal to the Coleman Medal frontrunner Josh Kennedy gave West Coast an early advantage, but a strong mark and goal to Brett Deledio had scores level after five minutes. Goals proved impossible to come by over the next quarter of an hour before Jonathon Patton broke through for the Giants' second goal as the quarter entered time on. Drew Petrie responded almost immediately for West Coast, levelling the scores again, and a follow-up major from Jamie Cripps had the visitors in front by six points at the first change.

West Coast had a chance to extend its lead within 90 seconds of the second term starting, with Jamie Cripps marking within range but his shot missed, and not long after Deledio marked but did not miss and the margin was back to a point. Deledio's goal was the first of four in a row for GWS, with Toby Greene kicking two and Lachie Whitfield one, setting up a 20-point lead for the home side.

But the tide turned suddenly in time on, the Eagles kicking three goals within four minutes - one each to Kennedy, Luke Partington and Matt Priddis - to close the deficit to two points. The Giants broke the run with a goal to Nathan Wilson before Kennedy had a chance to cut the margin back to two with a late snap, but his shot missed, and GWS led by seven points at the long break.

The match was a stalemate for the first 10 minutes of the third quarter, each side managing just one behind, but the Eagles, kicking with the aid of a slight breeze, eventually found a goal through Matt Priddis to cut the margin to one point. He followed up with a behind, albeit seven minutes later, and when Kennedy marked and kicked his third at the 23-minute mark, West Coast held a six-point lead. But a rushed behind and a goal to Dylan Shiel had GWS back in front by a point heading into the final turn.

Tom Scully kicked an early final-term major to increase the Giants' lead to seven, but the Eagles fought on tenaciously from there, and when the next goal finally came at the 18-minute mark, it was to them through Kennedy, whose fourth brought the margin back to a solitary point. But GWS responded almost immediately, with Greene dribbling through his third, and the Giants finally exerted their authority on the match over the final minutes, goals to Shane Mumford and Josh Kelly seeing them home by 21.

Josh Kelly played another outstanding game for the victors, collecting 43 disposals, taking three marks and bouncing back from an accidental knock by Eagle Kennedy that saw him assisted from the field to kick the goal that sealed the match. For the Eagles, Priddis (31 possessions, seven tackle) and Elliot Yeo (30 touches, eight marks) were solid four-quarter contributors.

The Giants now have a top-two place theirs for the taking. If they can defeat Geelong at Kardinia Park next Saturday night, they will finish second and earn a home final. Should they lose, they might well find themselves heading to the same venue to face the Cats again in week one of the finals. For West Coast, the loss saw it slip to ninth, and it will need to defeat top side Adelaide and rely on Essendon losing (or winning by a far smaller margin than the Eagles) to sneak back into the top eight.

GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Greene 3; Deledio 2; Patton, Whitfield, Wilson, Shiel, Kelly, Mumford, Scully
West Coast: Kennedy 4; Priddis 2; Petrie, Cripps, Partington

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Greater Western Sydney: Kelly, Whitfield, Wilson, Ward, Haynes, Corr
West Coast: Yeo, Priddis, Hutchings, Shuey, Redden, Kennedy

BEST - THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Greater Western Sydney: Kelly, Ward, Mumford, Wilson, Whitfield, Tomlinson, Greene
West Coast: Priddis, Yeo, Kennedy, Redden, Mitchell, Sheed

INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
West Coast: Nil

UMPIRES: Schmitt, Williamson, Ryan

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