Eagles Rise To Third After ‘Worst Loss Of Year’
West Coast coach Mick Malthouse questioned his side’s mental toughness after a feeble 26 point defeat against the Magpies.
Malthouse bluntly declared after the match his side would be ‘wasting everyone’s time if they turned up in September’.
“On today’s performance, we have got to come to the realisation that we might just be filling up a place in the final five,” Malthouse said. “We’ve got to do some very hard thinking and a lot of hard work to overcome our deficiencies playing against top sides.”
After consecutive wins against Hawthorn and Fitzroy, the Eagles took an unchanged side to Victoria Park, and had an early win when they won the toss and kicked with a strong wind in the first quarter.
The Eagles booted the first four goals of the game, but didn’t do enough with the wind advantage, leading by just ten points at the first break. Peter Daicos booted both of Collingwood’s goals in the first term against the wind.
West Coast then managed to kick the opening goal of the second term, through David Hart, but the Magpies displayed their expertise in the conditions and at the ground, to kick the next six goals and take a 20 point lead into the main break.
Damien Monkhorst was proving the difference in the game as he took control in the ruck. Monkhorst dominated the Eagle pair of Dean Irving and Phil Scott, regularly giving his midfielders first use of the ball. Tony Shaw was the greatest recipient of Monkhorst’s dominance, picking up 13 disposals in the second term, as well as booting a goal.
Up forward, Daicos added three majors to the brace he booted in the first quarter, as he got the better of first Dwayne Lamb, and then Guy McKenna.
The half-time break may have stalled the Magpies’ run, but it did little to reinvigorate the Eagles when the two sides ran out to start the second half. Collingwood booted the first three goals into the wind to extend their lead out to 40 points, before the Eagles added some late respectability in the quarter.
The margin was still only 21 points at the final change, but West Coast had been out of the contest since early in the second term, with Collingwood coasting through the final term.
Daicos finished with six for the match taking his season tally to 57 – equal to Peter Sumich who could only kick one major on a dirty afternoon. Sumich battled against the tricky conditions and the close-checking efforts of Magpies full-back Ron McKeown.
Tony Shaw collected 42 disposals for the match, but wingman Darren Millane was arguably best on ground with 32 touches and three goals. One of Millane’s efforts was one of the goals of the year, when he accepted a sweeping handpass from Gavin Brown 50m from goal, only to be confronted by both Troy Ugle and Peter Wilson. Millane managed to evade both players and goal on the run, in an almost symbolic exhibition of the two sides on the day.
Graeme Wright picked up 25 touches on the other wing, Scott Russell chimed in with 21 and Monkhorst finished with 19 possessions and 10 marks, to go with 18 hit-outs.
The Eagles, on the other hand, had few winners.
Rookie Dean Kemp topped the ball winners with 29, while captain Steve Malaxos worked tirelessly through the middle to gather 26 disposals. Stevan Jackson booted three goals in his return to the side, while Craig Turley booted two as the visitors’ only other multiple goal scorer.
Malthouse acknowledged that too many players weren’t up for the challenge against one of the competition’s pacesetters.
“It was our worst loss of the year. We need to be tougher collectively.”
Despite the disappointing showing, the Eagles climbed one rung up the ladder, courtesy of the thumping handed out to Melbourne by the Kangaroos.
North Melbourne racked up the double century in their 127 point thrashing of the Demons, slicing 13% of their percentage and shunting them down to fourth. John Longmire was the chief destroyer for the Kangaroos booting a personal best 14 goals.
The Eagles and Demons sat two games behind Collingwood and Essendon, who easily defeated Fitzroy at Princes Park. The Bombers and Lions were tied at the main break, before the Bombers slammed on 16 goals to four after half-time to run out 83 point winners.
Hawthorn reclaimed their spot in the top five after they swept the Cats aside, with St Kilda dropping a crucial eight point match against Footscray. The result saw the Saints slide from fifth to eight, falling behind the Bulldogs and Blues, who were ten goal winners over Sydney.
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