West Coast swept aside the Fitzroy Lions with an easy 66
point win at the Western Oval. Fitzroy were held to just two behinds after
half-time, unable to break through the Eagles hardened defence in wet and heavy
conditions.
On a cold, wintry afternoon where a crowd of just 5,334
braved the conditions, Chris Lewis provided the shine with 16 disposals and
three first half goals, as well as having a hand in several others. Peter
Sumich also finished with three goals as he continued to build his match
fitness from consecutive hamstring injuries.
The Eagles strong performance came despite missing several
key players. Brett Heady was never a chance of lining up after dislocating his
shoulder the week before against Richmond, while Chris Mainwaring (hamstring)
and Chris Waterman (foot) were ruled out during the week.
John Worsfold was given an extra week to recover from his
groin problem, as was Tony Evans who had a back complaint. The Eagles
consequently made four changes at the selection table, with Michael Brennan
returning from injury, and fringe players Matt Clape, Brendan Krummel and Paul Symmons
all earning call-ups.
Damien Hampson was initially dropped, alongside injured trio
Heady, Mainwaring and Waterman, but earned a reprieve ahead of the opening
bounce when David Hynes pulled out.
Krummel’s selection marked his first Eagles appearance in
over a year, but it didn’t come without controversy. After being named in the
Eagles squad on Thursday night, Krummel became the centre of an investigation
over an incident from the previous weeks WAFL derby between East Fremantle and
South Fremantle.
Young Bulldog Owen Woods was collected behind the play,
suffering a broken jaw in several places, and South Fremantle officials pointed
the finger at Krummel. The Bulldogs lodged an official complaint with the WAFL
and demanded that Krummel be charged, with Woods expected to miss the remainder
of the season after undergoing surgery.
However, the WAFL tribunal were unable to determine whether
there would be a case to answer, leaving Krummel free to play with West Coast. Krummel,
for his part, said that he knew nothing of the incident.
The Lions dropped four players in response to their narrow
loss to Brisbane the week before, with Tom Kavanagh, Danny Morton, James Manson
and Nick Mitchell all losing their place. Rick Lyon, Brett Cook, Trent Cummings
and Mark Zanotti were the four inclusions, but Zanotti and Cummings then became
late withdrawals ahead of the match. Their spots were in turn taken by David
Bain and Marcus Seecamp.
Brendan Krummel returned to the Eagles line-up for the first time in over a year
Despite the wet conditions, Malthouse started three talls in
the Eagles forward line, as he looked to expose the depleted Fitzroy defence.
Ashley McIntosh and Jason Ball took their spots across half forward, with Peter
Sumich taking his regular spot in the goal square.
Fitzroy had first use of the wind, but the Eagles got first
blood when Lewis soccered home from the goal square. The Lions held on for much
of the quarter, but a three goal burst in time-on put West Coast out to a 17
point lead at the first change and there was never any coming back for the
Lions from there.
The Eagles would extend their lead to 26 by the major break, then leading by 47 at three quarter time and finally running out 66 point winners as Fitzroy failed to register a second-half major. In fact, the Lions remained scoreless after half-time until the dying minutes of the last term when they kicked consecutive behinds.
When the game was there to be won, Lewis was a cut above most
others on the field, proving a constant danger and giving Fitzroy defender
Steven Stretch the run-around. Peter Matera added the flashes of brilliance,
getting the better of Michael Dunstan on the wing, while down back the Eagles
defence proved impenetrable.
Michael Brennan held Darren Wheildon to just one goal, while
Guy McKenna, Glen Jakovich and Mitchell White all shut out their opponents in a
complete display.
The win further enhanced this Eagles group with the club not
always renowned for their performances in the wet. However, the win over
Fitzroy was the fourth win in wet weather after victories over St Kilda,
Essendon and Richmond in recent weeks, all of which were played in the rain.
The performance impressed Fitzroy coach Robert Shaw,
declaring West Coast as ‘the best team I have seen in those conditions’.
Eagles coach Mick Malthouse acknowledged that the conditions
suited the more developed Eagles against a young Fitzroy outfit. “Jarrod Molloy
is a good marking player so the conditions didn’t suit him. Chris Johnson has
great pace but is still finding his way.”
“We had a lot of experienced players in the midfield.”
Shaw though was far more circumspect over the difference
between the two sides. “They played the percentages and followed the basic
principles a lot better than us.”
“And they did it for longer and more often.”
While Lewis and Matera were the polish up forward and around
the wings, Dean Kemp and Don Pyke provided the grunt through the midfield. Kemp
finished with 28 disposals and a goal while Pyke had 30 through the centre.
Ashley McIntosh had 18 disposals, four marks and booted 2.2 across half
forward, while Glen Jakovich collected 20 touches across half back.
Paul Roos was clearly the best player for Fitzroy, gathering
31 disposals and booting a goal in an intriguing battle with Craig Turley
through the middle. Jim Wynd also found plenty of the ball, finishing with 29
disposals and joined Roos as one of the Lions’ three goal kickers.
The win saw West Coast hold their one game advantage over
the Blues, who defeated an inaccurate Hawthorn by 32 points at Princes Park.
The Blues, in turn, held their position in second ahead of North Melbourne,
with the Kangaroos coming from behind to defeat Footscray by 20 points in a
Friday night classic.
Richmond became the benefactors of the losses suffered by
the Hawks and the Bulldogs, climbing into the top four after their straight
forward win over Sydney. Melbourne were the other big movers, storming into the
top eight for the first time since Round
13. The Demons thumped a faltering Essendon by 77 points, lifting them from
ninth to fifth on the ladder as they passed a number of clubs – including the
Bombers – with a superior percentage.
Melbourne led a group of five teams who all had nine wins as
the race for the bottom half of the top eight continued to tighten. The Cats
rose to sixth after they thrashed Adelaide, with Hawthorn and Footscray filling
out the rest of the finals positions. The Magpies slipped to ninth due to
having the bye.
While West Coast were all but guaranteed finals and
strengthened their position on a top two finish and two home finals, the
fallout for Fitzroy was substantial.
Robert Shaw resigned as coach in the days following the Eagles defeat, although he agreed to coach out the remainder of the season as the Lions continued to be the centrepiece of merger discussions. Speculation suggested that a deal with either Brisbane or Melbourne was imminent, leading Fremantle to claim they should be given first right to Fitzroy players as part of their inaugural 1995 squad.
The comments angered president Dyson Hore-Lacy, who had
already been vocal about the Dockers’ attempts to lure Paul Roos west with a ‘substantial’
offer, which included the captaincy. Hore-Lacy remained resolute about
Fitzroy’s future, declaring the club wouldn’t hold back from launching legal
action against any AFL club who tried to poach their players while under
contract.
Hore-Lacy also scoffed at the idea the club would head
interstate, saying a merger with the Bears would be ‘like taking the last chair
on the Titanic.’
West Coast bounced back from their narrow loss to Adelaide
with an eight goal win over Richmond, which ended the Tigers’ six game winning
streak.
Richmond arrived in Perth as one of the form teams of the competition, rising to fifth on the ladder on the back of a mid-season revival that had the Tiger faithful dreaming of a first finals appearance since 1982. But they were no match for one of the premiership favourites on their home turf.
However, it was that home turf which once again hit the headlines after Richmond coach John Northey blasted the surface for not being up to scratch. A fortnight after Mick Malthouse was critical over the poor standard of the ground, Northey labelled the surface ‘absolutely pathetic’.
“It’s no good having tremendous facilities and the ground
being as poor as it is… to me this is an absolute disgrace.”
Northey’s comments were echoed by Malthouse who reiterated
his thoughts after the last Eagles home game. “We’ve been a victim of our home
ground in many respects. When it is like it is at the moment… we have modified
our training while we wait and see how the ground comes up.”
The ongoing discussion prompted the General Manager at Subiaco
Football Club Alan White to reveal they had presented an offer to the WAFC to
subsidise the resurfacing costs of the ground, in exchange for an extension of
their current lease at Subiaco until 2011. However, White claimed that WAFC
Chief Executive Jeff Ovens rejected the offer.
The WAFC said they needed $700,000 to repair the drainage at
the ground, but with West Coast not scheduled to play at the ground again until
the final round, and with any home finals set to be staged at the WACA due to capacity
concerns, the hope was that the ground would recover on its own.
While the deterioration of the ground and who was
responsible continued to be debated, what couldn’t be questioned was the gap between
the two sides. West Coast controlled the contest from midway through the first
quarter and only poor kicking on goal prevented the final margin from being far
greater.
The Eagles made four changes to the team that lost to
Adelaide, with three players forced out with injury. Michael Brennan damaged a
hamstring, John Worsfold was ruled out with a groin and then Tony Evans was
pulled on the morning of the game with a back concern. Brett Spinks was dropped
after a poor showing against the Crows.
Shane Bond and David Hynes returned from injury, while Mitchell
White was selected for his first senior game of the year, after recurring groin
problems had kept the premiership forward sidelined since pre-season. Damien
Hampson was then selected for his first game in over a year when he came in as
the late replacement for Evans.
The Tigers has their own injury concerns entering the game
losing Mark Neeld (knee) and Stuart Edwrds (groin) at selection. Paul Bulless
and Tony Free were the two inclusions.
After being humbled by Shaun Rehn the week before, Eagles duo
Ryan Turnbull and Jason Ball responded in fine fashion. Turnbull was dominant in
the ruck against Tiger counterpart Greg Dear, so much so, that David Hynes
rarely got off the bench as Turnbull provided the Eagles midfield with first
use from the ruck knock.
Turnbull had 23 hit-outs to go with 14 disposals and four marks
as he showed his versatility around the ground. After spending parts of the
year either in the ruck and in defence, Ball played primarily out of his
favoured position at centre-half-forward in the absence of Brett Spinks. Ball
produced the best performance of his 10-game career with 23 disposals and ten
marks.
Ball’s showing at half-forward also created plenty of
opportunities for full-forward Peter Sumich, who had his best return for the
year. Sumich finished with 6.5 from 11 kicks and six marks and most pleasingly showed
no concerns with his questionable hamstring opposed to Tiger full-back Scott
Turner.
The Tigers had the better start with Matthew Richardson proving
too much for Ashley McIntosh to boot the opening two goals. Brendan Gale was
similarly getting the better of Glen Jakovich picking up five marks in the
first 14 minutes of the game.
However, with Turnbull getting the ascendancy at the
stoppages, the Eagles soon had the momentum of the game through the likes of
Craig Turley, Dean Kemp and Peter Wilson. Turley, in particular, started
strongly in his customary ruck-rover position, getting the better of Paul
Broderick with seven first-quarter possessions.
Sumich and Peter Wilson got West Coast on the board but wayward
kicking allowed Richmond to hold a one point lead at the first change. Shane
Bond and Sumich kicked early goals to put West Coast in front, but held only an
11 point lead at the main break following further inaccuracy in front of goal.
After half-time, the Eagles got reward for their dominance
with a nine goal to three second half bringing about a 48 point win.
Eagles coach Mick Malthouse was happy enough with the win,
although admitted that he felt his side should have been better in front of
goal considering their statistical advantage. “By our tally we had 70 or 80 more
kicks and 60 more handpasses. I think we really should have done better than win
by seven or eight goals.”
The Eagles had 78 more kicks and 26 more handpasses, resulting
in 13 more scoring shots.
Chris Mainwaring finished with 31 disposals to lead the
Eagles, with Dean Kemp (29), Craig Turley (23) and Peter Wilson (18) all prominent.
Stand-in captain Guy McKenna marshalled the Eagles defence with David Hart restricting
Nick Daffy to just eight disposals.
Brendan Gale was the Tigers’ best player, clearly getting
the better of Glen Jakovich at centre half forward, but the dominance of
Turnbull forced Richmond to move Gale into the ruck, depriving them of a key
target ahead of the ball. Matthew Richardson booted four goals from limited
chances and Duncan Kellaway was defiant in defence, having the better of Brett
Heady and then Chris Lewis.
Heady would be the one low point out of the match for West
Coast, dislocating a shoulder during the third term.
The win meant West Coast moved back to one game clear at the
top of the ladder after Carlton fell to Geelong by 36 points at Waverley Park.
The Cats charged to a five goal lead at the first change and held sway for the
remainder of the afternoon to record their eighth win of the season and stay in
touch with the top eight.
North Melbourne took a hold of third place when they ran
away from the fourth-placed Hawks. The Kangaroos led by just four points at
three-quarter time after a tight struggle, but six goals to just one point in
the last term saw North Melbourne record a comfortable 40 point win. Despite
the loss, Hawthorn stayed in fourth spot but they were joined on points by Footscray
who were the big movers of the weekend.
The Bulldogs were too good for the Mapgies, recording their
fifth win in six games to rise from eighth on the ladder to fifth bypassing the
Magpies, Tigers and Bombers, who suffered a shock loss to lowly St Kilda. Tony
Lockett booted six goals for the Saints who produced a remarkable display of accuracy
to finish with 18.2 in a ten point win.
The other surprising result of the weekend was Adelaide’s
defeat at home to Sydney. A week after they toppled the ladder-leading Eagles,
the Crows fell to the bottom of the ladder Swans by 12 points, all but ending
their finals aspirations. The loss ended a tumultuous week for the Crows who
stood down high-flying full forward Tony Modra after he missed a training
session during the week. The situation prompted growing rumours that Modra was
set to join new club Fremantle for their inaugural season in 1995.
Despite being a game clear of Carlton and three games clear of
third-placed North Melbourne, Eagles coach Mick Malthouse refused to entertain the
idea that West Coast had secured a top two position which guaranteed two home
finals.
“We are not even thinking about that,” a terse Malthouse
declared.
Adelaide kept their flagging finals hopes alive, while the
Eagles’ grip on top spot loosened slightly, after the Crows defeated West Coast
by four points at Football Park.
Peter Matera had a chance to win the game with only seconds
remaining in the game, but his running shot from deep in the pocket missed
narrowly, resulting in the Eagles’ fourth defeat of the season.
For the second time in five weeks, a third-gamer proved to
be the Eagles undoing. Matthew Kluzek gave Chris Waterman the run-around after
coming onto the ground during the second quarter when Nigel Smart limped off
with a hamstring strain. The small forward booted five of the Crows 12 goals
and proved a constant threat as part of a pacy Adelaide forward line.
The loss saw Carlton join West Coast at the top of the
ladder after the Blues beat Collingwood in a blockbuster clash at the MCG.
Carlton’s 43 point win saw them jump up to 12 wins from 16 games, level with
West Coast, although the Eagles remained top on percentage.
North Melbourne climbed back up to third when they easily
accounted for St Kilda, passing the Hawks who fell to Melbourne. Like Adelaide,
the Demons were able to stay in finals contention with the 38 point victory,
while Footscray moved back into the top eight – at the expense of Geelong – with
a 28 point win over the Cats.
Richmond climbed up to fifth on the ladder, on the back of
their sixth straight win, when they defeated the Bears at the GABBA and
Essendon moved to sixth on the ladder after they thrashed Fitzroy. The Magpies
dropped from fourth to seventh after their loss to Carlton.
Leading into the game, the Eagles were almost unbackable
favourites with the two clubs tracking different paths in 1994. While West
Coast had sat at the top of the table for much of the year, the Crows had
fallen well short of expectation after their preliminary final appearance in
1993.
West Coast made just one change, with Brett Spinks coming
back into the line-up after being a late withdrawal the week before. Tony Godden
was the player to make way. The Crows though made three changes in response to
the ten goal thumping from Carlton the week before.
Andrew Jarman was ruled out with a groin injury, while Rodney Maynard and Martin McKinnon were dropped. However, McKinnon would get a reprieve before the first bounce when Simon Tregenza was ruled out with illness. Wayne Weidemann, Nick Pesch and Jonathan Ross were all brought into the Adelaide line-up.
The Eagles would have their own pre-match drama when Guy
McKenna undertook a fitness test ahead of the game, after injuring an ankle at
training the day before. The half-back flanker passed and was able to take his
place.
The Crows got the early running with the opening two goals
in the game, but things started to go awry for the home side.
Jonathan Ross dislocated a kneecap inside the first 30
seconds of the game, with West Coast taking charge of the game, mostly through
the efforts of Don Pyke. The midfielder tallied 10 possessions (including a
goal) and had strong support from Peter Wilson and Guy McKenna.
The Eagles finished with the final four goals of the quarter
to take a 12 point lead into the first break. Tony Modra got the Crows on the board
early in the second term, but Peter Sumich quickly responded. Adelaide’s injuries
woes only worsened when Nigel Smart was forced out of the game, leaving the
Crows with just one player left on the bench halfway through the second term.
With the Eagles holding sway, Adelaide coach Graham Cornes
swung the board around and the momentum of the game changed. Chris McDermott was
moved to the uncustomary role of half-back while Mark Bickley was moved into
the middle onto Pyke.
Tony McGuinness broke free of the tag from Drew Banfield to provide some drive out of the middle, while Kluzek similarly got free to boot two second quarter goals. Adelaide stole a one point lead at the main break and then continued on in the third term on the back of Shaun Rehn’s dominance in the ruck.
Rehn completely outpointed Ryan Turnbull and Jason Ball in
the ruck and around the ground as the Eagles struggled to win the ball at the
stoppages. With Dean Kemp well held by Wayne Weidemann and Pyke and Mainwaring
both having little impact after strong starts, the Eagles forward line were
getting no supply.
Matt Kluzek booted a further two goals for the term as Adelaide kicked four goals to two to stretch out their lead to 11 points.
With much of his side ineffective, it was Mick Malthouse’s
turn to throw the magnets around. Glen Jakovich went forward, with Ashley
McIntosh moved onto Modra after Michael Brennan went off injured. Guy McKenna went
to a half forward flank and Peter Matera went into the centre with Malthouse
sending Kemp to McGuinness in an attempt to break the Weidemann tag.
When Kluzek slotted his fifth goal at the five minute mark
of the final term, Adelaide led by four goals and the game seemed done.
The Eagles, though, roared back into the contest after
Jakovich kicked a long bomb. Brett Heady and Tony Evans followed with goals and
the Eagles had dragged themselves back within a goal of the home side.
But as West Coast sought a winner, they could find only
behinds. Guy McKenna, David Hart and Peter Sumich all missed shots on goal,
before Matera’s final chance seconds before the final siren sounded for an
Adelaide win.
A relieved Cornes hailed his side’s victory in the face of a
growing injury list. Cornes had been under immense pressure in recent weeks,
with speculation he was likely to be out of a job if Adelaide failed to make
finals, but for the moment the Crows coach was happy to just to get some
self-belief back at the club.
“Coaching the Crows is like riding a roller coaster when we
win the crowd go overboard and when we lose they can be very unforgiving. The
emotional highs and lows are unbelievable,” Cornes said.
The Crows had been well served by veterans Chris McDermott
and Tony McGuinness who finished with 33 and 32 disposals respectively, while
younger midfidlers Mark Bickley and Mark Riccuito were also influential.
Riccuito chimed in with two goals, along with Modra and
Anthony Ingerson as multiple goalscorers behind Kluzek. Shaun Rehn was a clear
best on ground with 21 disposals, 10 marks and 31 hit-outs.
David Hart finished as the leading ballwinner for West Coast
with 25, while Pyke, Mainwaring and Wilson all tallied 21. Peter Sumich and Brett
Heady each booted three goals, but West Coast lacked any genuine winners up
forward.
A circumspect Malthouse admitted that it would have been the ‘steal of the season’ if West Coast had gotten over the line, in what was his 250th game as coach across both Footscray and the Eagles.
“We were out-muscled, out-played and beaten badly by a very
talented football side. To be undermanned and then lose a couple of players and
still win… they’re going to be a real threat.”
“They were terrific, they were far too good for us,” Malthouse
declared.
Reflecting on his milestone, Malthouse acknowledged the
journey his coaching career had taken.
“… I suppose reaching 250 (games) makes you think you’ve
been around a fair while. There have been ups and downs and probably more downs
than ups, but it has been great to be involved.”
Derby I 1995 R7 West Coast 23.13 (151) def Fremantle 9.12 (66)
It was the biggest moment in WA history with the Eagles and
Dockers meeting for the first time, on a day when Subiaco Oval’s new Southern
Stand was unveiled by Paul Keating.
Fremantle had made an encouraging start to their inaugural
season winning three of their first six games, while the Eagles had performed
slightly better with a 4-2 record after six rounds of their premiership
defence.
The experienced and hardened Eagles faced up to the upstart
Dockers on the second Sunday of May, in what would famously become referred to
as the Mothers Day Massacre.
From the opening minutes when John Worsfold crashed into Winston
Abraham, the tone of the rivalry had been set and the Eagles soon put their
young opposition in their place. Fremantle actually slotted the opening goal of
the game through Peter Miller, but West Coast slammed on nine of the next ten
goals to take command of the game. The Eagles physical approach saw them to a
44 point lead at half-time.
That lead continued to grow as the game wore on with some
late goals from Fremantle in the final quarter preventing the final margin from
becoming three digits. Brett Heady was retrospectively awarded the first ever
Glendinning-Allan medal with five goals from 19 disposals and 12 marks. Jason
Ball and Tony Evans each booted three, with 11 players in total hitting the
scoreboard.
Don Pyke led the Eagle ball-winners with 28 (and two goals), while Dean Kemp and Drew Banfield had 22 possessions each. Heady easily claimed the three Brownlow votes, while Craig Turley (19 disposals two goals) and Paul Symmons (17 disposals, one goal) filled out the remainder of the umpires card.
Brett Heady. The first Western Derby, 16 May 1995.
West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle Dockers.
Derby IX 1999 R1 West Coast 15.9 (99) def Fremantle 13.20 (98)
The Eagles made it nine wins from nine meetings when they
held onto a four point win over Fremantle in the closest finish between the two
sides. While West Coast were probably fortunate to claim victory, considering
the Dockers inaccurate kicking on goal, the first half hour of football was
some of the Eagles’ most scintillating football in years.
West Coast had six goals on the board before some fans had
even found their seat. Chad Morrison booted the first two, with Scott Cummings,
Ben Cousins, Fraser Gehrig and Phil Matera following suit. The Dockers were
able to briefly steady, but by the first change, the Eagles had eight goals on
the board to just two, to start their 1999 campaign in blistering fashion.
An hour later, the game had been a more even affair, but the
Eagles still turned to home with an 40 point advantage. The Dockers though, had
one final burst in them. West Coast could manage just three behinds in the last
quarter, while the Dockers booted a wayward 5.9. While it would be the closest
the Dockers got in nine attempts, the Eagles were able to maintain their impeccable
record against their cross-town rivals.
Scott Cummings booted four goals in his debut game with West Coast, while at the other end, Fremantle’s marquee trade Tony Modra was held to just one goal by Eagles defender Ashley McIntosh. Another Eagles debutant Chad Rintoul had 27 possessions to lead West Coast with Dean Kemp (25 disposals) and Michael Braun (22) also prominent. One sour note for West Coast would be the shoulder injury suffered by Brett Heady in the opening minutes of the game. It would turn out to be the final time the premiership half-forward would appear in an Eagles jumper.
Derby XI 2000 R6 West Coast 28.10 (178) def Fremantle 9.7 (61)
The Eagles greatest ever win over Fremantle came in the
first derby of 2000 in a year of change. The result would mark their biggest
ever win and biggest ever score against Fremantle, with Scott Cummings booting
a derby record 10 goals.
Leading into the game, it was hard to know what to expect
from the Eagles. Ken Judge had replaced long-standing coach Mick Malthouse over
the off-season and the first five weeks of the season had delivered a mixed
bag. An opening round win over reigning premiers North Melbourne at the MCG was
followed by a home loss to Sydney, a draw against St Kilda, a thumping win over
Adelaide where Scott Cummings booted a club record 14 goals before an 81-point defeat
to the Cats.
Not much separated the two sides in the opening quarter,
with the Eagles booting five goals to three, but the Dockers had lost
full-forward Tony Modra to a collarbone injury. Six goals to one in the second
quarter saw West Coast lead by 43 points at the main break before a rout take
place in the second half.
Eight goals in the third term was followed by nine in the
last to secure a 117 point win, marking one of the great victories in Eagles
history. Apart from Cummings, Chad Morrison was the standout for West Coast,
finishing with 23 disposals and four goals – three of which came in the first
half. Glen Jakovich and David Wirrpanda provided plenty of drive from defence,
with Jakovich too good for former teammate Brendon Fewster.
After the Dockers had broken through for their first ever win over West Coast in the previous derby at the end of 1999, this performance was the perfect response for Eagles fans still smarting over the end of their unblemished record.
Derby XIII 2001 R4 West Coast 16.16 (112) def Fremantle 13.10 (88)
The Eagles and Dockers met early in 2001 for the first time
since the Demolition Derby of 2000. Relationships between the two clubs
were strained after the fallout of the second clash between the two sides late
the previous year, when Dale Kickett went on a rampage.
Kickett received nine weeks for his indiscretions, while
Phillip Read received a three week ban for his part and multiple players copped
fines for brawling. Neither side had started the year well, with West Coast
breaking through for their first win of the year the week before and the
Dockers still winless after three rounds.
Umpires were on edge for any strong act of physicality with
concern the game could break out into similar violence that had occurred in the
previous clash. Late in the second quarter, David Wirrpanda and Shaun McManus
came together in one of the big hits in derby history, with McManus receiving a
free kick and kicking truly to put Fremantle 7 points ahead.
In a game of momentum, the Dockers booted four goals to
start the second quarter to lead by 13 points. West Coast then responded with
the next four to hold a 15 point lead at the main break.
The Eagles then booted the first two goals of the third term
to take their lead out to 31 points, before the Dockers came back once again.
Fremantle booted five goals in ten minutes and when the three-quarter time
siren blew, the two teams were tied.
With the game on the line, up stepped Michael Gardiner. The
Eagles ruckman booted four final quarter goals as West Coast kicked seven goals
to three to run out 24 point winners. Gardiner finished with five goals for the
match, but it was Drew Banfield who was awarded the Glendinning-Allan medal for
his career best three goal effort from 30 possessions. It was Banfield who
kicked two crucial goals during the second term when Fremantle threatened to run
away with the game during the second quarter.
Ben Cousins provided solid support through the middle with 28 possessions and also booted two final term goals as West Coast stormed home. Forward duo Troy Wilson and Scott Cummings each booted two, while at the other end, Ashley McIntosh maintained his strong record over Tony Modra, restricting the Docker full-forward to one goal.
Derby XX 2004 R21 West Coast 13.15 (93) def Fremantle 6.9 (45)
After 13 rounds of the 2004 season, the Eagles had a 5-8
record and a third straight finals appearance under coach John Worsfold was
slipping away. West Coast had entered the season with high hopes of building on
consecutive 8th placed finishes but inconsistency had plagued their
year despite the outstanding form of third-year player Chris Judd.
A narrow two point win over Geelong in Round 14 kickstarted
a run of six wins from seven games, with the only defeat coming against Port
Adelaide when the Eagles lost despite having nine more scoring shots.
Entering the penultimate round of the regular season, the
Eagles sat ninth on the ladder with 11 wins, equal with Fremantle, Essendon and
Sydney who occupied the three spots above West Coast with superior percentages.
The Eagles and Dockers both had tough assignments in the final round (against
fifth-placed Melbourne and third-placed St Kilda, respectively) making a win in
the 20th Western Derby vital for both teams’ finals hopes.
On a warm Sunday afternoon, the two teams battled it out.
The first quarter was tightly fought, but two late goals Brent Staker and Josh
Wooden helped West Coast to a three goal lead. After Shaun McManus reduced the margin
to 10 points, the Eagles took complete control of the contest. The Eagles had
11 of the final 12 scoring shots to half-time, but inaccuracy prevented the
game from being in their keeping. West Coast booted 2.9 for the term to lead by
30 points at the major break.
Fremantle stuck with the Eagles through the second half, but
the Eagles class showed and four goals in the final term made it an impressive
eight goal win. Chad Fletcher had the ball on a string with 38 disposals, while
Chris Judd finished with 23 touches and two goals. David Wirrpanda was awarded
the three Brownlow votes for his game out of defence with West Coast moving
past the Dockers into seventh on the ladder.
The Eagles would go on to defeat Melbourne comfortably in the final round to secure finals action, while the Dockers five-goal defeat to the Saints meant they would miss finals, replaced in the top eight by Essendon who scraped past the Western Bulldogs.
Derby XXI 2005 R3 West Coast 12.16 (88) def Fremantle 12.8 (80)
One of the Eagles’ best comeback efforts in derbies was the
first meeting of 2005 when West Coast overturned a 21 point half-time deficit
to claim an eight point win and keep their unbeaten start to 2005 alive.
After scores were tied at quarter time, the Dockers got on
top around the ground booting five goals to one. The Dockers splendid second
term was topped off on the half-time siren with Luke McPharlin soaring over a
pack of Eagles and Dockers to take the 2005 Mark of the Year.
After half-time, the West Coast midfield took control led by
Brownlow medallist Chris Judd. Judd, Chad Fletcher, Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr
and Michael Braun had the better of their opponents, with Ashley Hansen
providing the focal point to kick three goals in the second half.
Judd would be awarded the Glendinning-Allan medallist for
his 31 disposal game while Dean Cox won his duel with Aaron Sandilands, with 20
disposals, 18 hit-outs and two goals.
Three goals in the opening ten minutes of the third term had
West Coast back within two points, but Fremantle settled with the next two
majors to head back out to a 13 point lead. Ashley Hansen got the Eagles back within
five points at three-quarter time, with West Coast holding all the momentum.
West Coast then slammed home their ascendency at the start of the final term with the opening five goals to take a 27 point advantage. In little over a quarter and a half, the Eagles had orchestrated an eight-goal turnaround. Josh Carr booted consecutive goals and Jeff Farmer added a late consolation, but the Eagles were never in danger late in the quarter, despite the single-digit margin.
West Coast ended a seven match losing streak against
Fremantle when they overcame the Dockers by 33 points in the first Western
Derby of 2011. The Eagles had ‘claimed’ the wooden spoon in 2010 amidst a heavy
injury crisis, but showed signs at the start of 2011 of a quick rebound.
Fremantle sat inside the top eight with four wins from their
opening six games, while the Eagles sat a few rungs back with three wins from
six. Already without Andrew Embley, the Eagles lost Daniel Kerr ahead of the
first bounce but the Eagles midfield led by Matthew Priddis, Matt Rosa and
Scott Selwood held their own as West Coast scored an impressive win that made
them a true contender for finals football.
The Dockers entered the match as favourites, but the Eagles
got the fast start with Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling kicking goals in the
opening five minutes. Fremantle responded immediately through Ryan Crowley and
Chris Mayne but the Eagles finished the term with the final two goals to hold a
12 point lead at the first break.
The second term was all West Coast and when Mark LeCras
dribbled through his first goal just before time-on, the Eagles led by 37
points. Chris Mayne and Josh Kennedy traded goals at the start of the third
term, but despite Fremantle working their way back into the contest, the
closest they could get was 21 points early in the final term.
The Eagles finished with three of the final four goals to record a drought-breaking win. Matt Priddis was strong around the contest with 27 disposals to win the Glendinning-Allan medal, while Josh Kennedy was the leading goal scorer for the Eagles with three.
One of the all-time classic derby finishes, this victory
resonates with most Eagles fans due to the events of the final siren and the
resultant mirth over Hayden Ballantyne’s premature celebration.
Both sides entered the match vying for a top spot with the
Eagles sitting one game and one spot ahead of the Dockers in fifth position.
Under overcast skies, the game would prove to be a tough slog. Fremantle got
the early break with the first two majors, but West Coast finished the term
stronger with inaccurate kicking preventing them from stealing the lead at the first
break.
Goals to Matt Priddis and Josh Kennedy early in the second
term gave the Eagles a nine point lead, but it then became Fremantle’s turn to
control play with Zac Clarke’s goal late in the quarter, reducing the margin to
one point at half-time.
Hayden Ballantyne goaled inside a minute of the restart but
Mark LeCras responded for West Coast. The lead changed four times during the
quarter but after a slew of behinds, goals to Kennedy and LeCras had West Coast
up by seven with a term to play. Kennedy booted his third goal to start the
final and Shuey kicked truly from a free kick to see West Coast up by 22 points
with eight minutes to play.
The Dockers though had one final surge. Three goals in five
minutes to Stephen Hill, Chris Mayne and Nat Fyfe had the Dockers within two points
and the Eagles desperately holding on. With the ball kicked long into the Fremantle
forward 50 and only seconds remaining, the ball bobbled amongst a number of
players before Matt Rosa thumped the ball towards the boundary line. The action
was deemed deliberate, giving Hayden Ballantyne the chance to win the game
after the siren from where the 50m line and boundary met.
With almost every Eagle standing on the goal line, Ballantyne arched around and sent his long kick towards goal. As the ball sailed in flight, the small forward started to celebrate but his effort fell short, touched into the post and registering only a behind. The Eagles had held on for a memorable one point win.
One of the most hotly anticipated derbies in history saw the
combatants face off in a top-of-the-table clash. The Dockers had been the early
pacesetters of the competition, winning their first nine games and when the two
teams met in Round 20, Fremantle were ten points clear of West Coast at the
head of the ladder.
In the previous meeting earlier in the season, the Dockers
had blown West Coast off the park kicking nine unanswered goals in the first quarter
before coasting to a 30 point win. It had also been the Docker’s sixth straight
win over West Coast stretching back to 2012, but this time around it was the
Eagles who got the fast start.
The Eagles booted six goals in the first 20 minutes to take
a stranglehold on the contest with Elliot Yeo adding a seventh after David
Mundy had finally got Fremantle on the scoreboard. Befitting the top two teams
in the competition, the game was worthy of a final over the next two quarters
as the Dockers did enough to stay within touch of West Coast.
At three-quarter time, the Eagles led by 38 points but the
margin was whittled back to 18 when Fremantle booted four of the first five
goals in the term. Enter Glendinning-Allan medallist Josh Hill who kicked brace
inside a couple of minutes to all but end the contest.
Hill finished with four goals from 20 disposals, while Matt
Rosa (24 possessions) and Andrew Gaff (23) were the best ball-winners for the
Eagles.
West Coast claimed a 24 point win in one of the more entertaining derbies, with the Eagles securing second spot at the end of the season on their way to a Grand Final appearance.
The Eagles recorded their largest win over their cross-town
rivals in 18 years with a thumping 58 point win over the Dockers. In the Eagles
first home derby at the new Perth Stadium, West Coast had complete control over
the contest in front of a then-record crowd of 57,375.
The two clubs found themselves at opposite ends of the table
with the Eagles sitting one game behind Richmond in second spot, while the
Dockers sat in 13th position with just seven wins for the year.
The Eagles took charge early in the contest, extending their
lead at each of the quarter breaks. The Eagles threatened a monster win when
they got out beyond 10 goals midway through the final term, but the Dockers
saved face late in the game when the sting was taken out of the contest.
The match had a pall cast over it following Andrew Gaff’s
strike on young midfielder Andrew Brayshaw which appeared to deflate his
teammates through the final term. Still, it was an impressive win for the
Eagles as they defeated the Dockers by the largest margin since the 117 point
thumping in Round 6, 2000.
Jamie Cripps and Jack Darling each booted four goals while
Liam Ryan chimed in with three. Gaff finished his match with 33 disposals, along
with Jack Redden. Elliot Yeo was named the Glendinning-Allan medal for his 26
possessions, two goal effort, while Brad Sheppard and Luke Shuey both also
tallied 26 touches.
The win made it seven in a row for the Eagles, their second
best streak against Fremantle, after the nine-game run across the opening nine
derbies from 1995 to 1999.
West Coast retained their premiership favouritism and Eagles
fans got to exact their revenge but the biggest talking point after West Coast’s
36 point win over Essendon was the dilapidated surface of Subiaco Oval.
With Perth in the midst of an uncharacteristic wet spell,
Subiaco Oval resembled more of a muddy swamp than its customary fast-track,
drawing the ire of Eagles coach Mick Malthouse.
The Eagles coach seemed more interested in savaging the
state of the surface than discussing his side’s committed win over the reigning
premiers. With one side of the stadium torn down ahead of the building of the
new southern stand, Malthouse was sceptical over whether there had been
appropriate care towards maintenance of the playing arena, with drainage around
the ground, virtually non-existent.
Malthouse extended his criticism towards the WAFC in the
hope that improvements would be made before the end of the season.
And when the Eagles coach did talk about his side’s
performance, he remained stoically understated.
The game appeared done at quarter time with the Eagles
jumping the Bombers booting five goals to one. Any chance of Essendon staging a
comeback was extinguished at the start of the second term when driving rain descended
the game into a quagmire.
By three-quarter time, West Coast had extended their lead to
45 points, before the two teams combined for 1.9 in the last quarter, with the
two teams out on their legs in the heavy conditions.
The win kept West Coast at the top of the ladder a game
ahead of the Blues, with Malthouse acknowledging that a win over the 1993
premiers gave a good indication of where the Eagles sat. “I believed if you want
to assess yourself you have to do it against the previous year’s premiership
side. Last year everyone wanted to have a crack at us to see where they sat.”
“I think after the halfway mark if you are on top, you
should really aspire to stay there. It is tough enough to get there and its
going to be tough to stay there”, Malthouse said.
More pleasing for Malthouse was the successful return of
Peter Sumich, who made it through four quarters, despite having little impact.
Sumich was held scoreless from three kicks but there was relief after the game that
the full-forward had managed to get through his first full game in over three
months. “Peter did everything we wanted from him today,” Malthouse said.
Sumich was one of two inclusions, with Eagles captain John
Worsfold finally making it to his 150th game after missing two of
the previous three games. Sumich replaced David Hynes at full forward, while
Shane Bond was the other exclusion through injury. Brett Spinks became the
third out for the Eagles on game day, after being under an injury cloud all
week, with Tony Godden coming in for his first game since Round 10.
The Bombers dropped Glenn Kilpatrick and Robert Stevenson,
while their hero from the Round 1 win over West Coast, Che Cockatoo-Collins,
couldn’t be considered after he dislocated a finger. Captain Mark Thompson was
then a fourth change for the Bombers, when he was withdrawn on the morning of
the game through illness.
David Grenvold replaced Thompson, with Anthony Daniher,
Lachlan Ross and Russell Williams the other inclusions. The Bombers had been
hopeful of bringing back a number of premiership stars for the trip West, but
the likes of Mark Mercuri (groin), Dean Wallis (achilles), Rick Olarenshaw
(back) and David Flood (hamstring) remained sidelined.
Dustin Fletcher, Michael Long and Mark Harvey were three more
premiership players missing from the Essendon line-up, a fact that Malthouse
was willing to present. “Essendon had three or four key players out of the side
so we don’t want to get carried away with the victory.”
The make-up of the Bombers side would not have mattered to
Eagles fans, who got their right of reply to Kevin Sheedy’s antics 12 months
earlier. In the corresponding game of 1993, Sheedy emerged from the coaches box
waving his jacket above his head after Paul Salmon had snatched a two point win
over the Eagles in the final minute of the game.
The Eagles had lost the two meetings since that game – the semi
final of 1993 and then the opening round of 1994, both of which had been played
in Melbourne – but as Kevin Sheedy walked the muddy boundary line towards the
Bombers race, he was met with the mass celebration of scarves and jackets twirling
above the heads of the jubliant Eagles crowd. The Essendon coach could do no
more, than acknowledge the gesture with a wry smile and a nod of the head.
The Essendon coach is met with flying scarves after the Eagles 36 point win
If Sumich lasting 100 minutes was one feel good factor from
the day, the other pleasing performance for the Eagles match committee would
have been that of Craig Turley. After returning to the club following his
retirement during the 1993 season, Turley’s form had been rather indifferent as
he struggled to recapture the form that made him one of the premier midfielders
of the preceding two seasons.
But against the Bombers, Turley bobbed up with three crucial
goals from 12 disposals across half-forward as he appeared to revel in the tough,
slippery conditions. Turley was also handed the task of stopping Essendon
playmaker Gary O’Donnell, with the stand-in captain restricted to just 11
possessions, and a couple of stints on the bench.
The Eagles wingmen were again the standouts, with Chris
Mainwaring leading the way with 27 disposals, while Peter Matera finished with
24 touches and five shots on goal, booting 2.3. Mainwaring benefitted from
being matched against Darren Bewick, who had been moved to a wing to avoid the
tag of David Hart. Bewick had enough of the ball (finishing with 18
possessions) but was nowhere near as damaging as the blonde Eagle, who
continually linked the ball from defence to the forward line.
Glen Jakovich was again the rock in defence, picking up 22
disposals in his absorbing battles with James Hird. Hird often drifted up to
the wing, but Jakovich remained in the Eagles defensive 50, often setting up as
the Eagles seventh defender. Steven Alessio was sent to centre half forward to
create a match-up with Jakovich, but Jason Ball was sent to defence, allowing
Jakovich to pick off Essendon’s forward entries, many off Hird himself.
Ryan Turnbull also enjoyed plenty of freedom around the ground
and had an important influence on the contest, particularly early in the game. With
Paul Salmon often dropping a kick a behind the play after contesting the ruck,
Turnbull positioned himself through the middle of the ground, drifting forward twice
in the opening term to boot goals.
Peter Wilson picked up 22 disposals around the ground and
Dean Kemp had 20 through the centre, although he lowered his colours slightly
to Joe Misiti who finished with 25 disposals.
James Hird was the next best for Essendon, after Misiti,
with 24 disposals and seven marks, while Sean Denham had 21. Gavin Wanganeed
was switched forward after half-time and gathered 19 disposals, but the Bombers
lacked few options forward of centre. Third-gamer Scott Cummings was the only
winner in the Essendon forward line, booting three of the Bombers’ five goals
for the game.
Sheedy was left to lament a poor attitude from his side in the
opening quarter, which ultimately decided the game. “We were very undisciplined
in the first quarter. It cost us dearly.”
One such incident involved Gary O’Donnell choosing to
wrestle with Eagles captain John Worsfold, rather than contest a loose ball,
which allowed Turley to stroll in and boot one of his three goals.
While declaring that ‘the Eagles were looking pretty good’, Sheedy
admitted that his side would have a battle to make finals, after they dropped
to seventh on the ladder, amongst a strong group of teams vying for the lower
spots in the top eight.
Richmond climbed to sixth on the ladder when they recorded a
narrow three point win over Footscray, in what was a virtual eight-point clash.
The Bulldogs dropped out of the top eight as a result, replaced by Geelong who,
off the back of 10 goals from Gary Ablett, defeated Melbourne by 30 points.
At the pointy end of the table, Carlton and Hawthorn both recorded
ten goal wins over Adelaide and St Kilda, respectively, to maintain their chase
of West Coast. Collingwood moved into the top four after they beat Fitzroy by
49 points at the Western Oval, moving past North Melbourne who had the bye.
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