Category: afl

MCG Demons Return

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Melbourne Claim Points in Top-of-the-Table Fizzer

A week can be a long time in football.

Seven days on from their breakthrough first win at the MCG, the Eagles horror record at the ground was once again at the forefront when they were humbled by the Demons to the tune of 55 points.

The Eagles and Demons headed into their round seven meeting occupying the top two spots on the ladder, with 5-1 records, but the top-of-the-table clash proved a non-event as Melbourne ran away with the game in the first half.

The Demons opened up a three goal break at the first change and were never seriously troubled, finishing with a seven goal final quarter to blow out the margin, and regain their spot at the top of the table.

And there was plenty of insult to injury.

Inaugural Eagle Darren Bennett – who was let go by the club after just one season – did the damage up forward for Melbourne, booting six goals, while West Coast were also left reeling after Dean Laidley was carted off the ground in the second quarter with a knee injury that would rule the half-back flanker out for the rest of the season.

Laidley would be one of three players who would fall victim to a serious knee injury at the MCG in Round 7. North Melbourne pair Brenton Harris (playing in the reserves) and Darren Steele both went down the following day, as criticism over the state of the MCG playing surface grew.

Both Melbourne and West Coast had aired concerns over before the match, with the Eagles declaring they were lucky not to incur any injuries the week before against Richmond. Demons coach John Northey was particularly vocal about the dangers, but AFL communications manager Tony Peek played down the comments.

“We will be keeping a close watch on the situation”, Peek said.

Peek would come to rue those words, with three serious injuries in less than 24 hours. Footscray and North Melbourne joined the chorus of voices demanding action over the state of the ground, with recent attempts to fill holes in the ground with sand failing to deliver any improvement.

Following the Eagles’ defeat, Malthouse wouldn’t be drawn on the playing field, but expressed disappointment over losing Laidley. “It did not look good.”

Malthouse also delivered a blunt analysis of his team’s showing.

“We made far too many mistakes.”

“I thought we could do better and it was a learning curve for all concerned”, Malthouse continued. “We will make adjustments and be a better side.”

The Eagles made two changes coming into the match, with Troy Ugle and wingman Chris Mainwaring both dropped. Mainwaring had struggled in his two games since returning from a back injury, but was still a surprise omission, marking the first time in his 63-game career he had lost his position.

First-year player Peter Matera was chosen for his second game to replace Mainwaring, with Geoff Miles the other inclusion. Miles had failed to play so far this season as he recovered from a hamstring injury, named at full back.

The Demons also made two changes, as they battled somewhat of an injury crisis. Already without Steven Clark and Trevor Spencer for the season, Melbourne lost defender Sean Wight the week before with a knee injury suffered while playing for the reserves and veteran Alan Johnson was unable to prove his fitness in his effort to come back from a calf injury.

The Demons also lost Brian Wilson to a broken cheekbone during the loss to Sydney the week before, with Wilson ruled out, along with Jay Viney who was dropped. Rod Grinter and Glenn Lovett were the two inclusions.

The Eagles started brightly enough with goals to Peter Sumich and Stevan Jackson early in the first quarter, after Simon Eishold opened the scoring. But the Eagles soon became their own worst enemy as Melbourne capitalised on a number of errors in defence.

Michael Brennan twice turned over the ball coming out of defence, leading to Demon goals before Greg Healy led the race back to goal to toe-poke from the square after Murray Rance couldn’t mark at centre half back.

The Demons added a fifth to take their lead out to 19 points at quarter time. The Eagles’ ball use didn’t improve in the second quarter as Melbourne doubled their advantage to 38 at the major break. Dean Laidley had come off the ground after his knee crumpled beneath him, with West Coast leaving plenty to do for an unlikely victory.

The Eagles for their part responded at the start of the second half, booting the first three goals, as they closed to within 17 points. But they were left to rue several other missed opportunities and some poor kicking into their forward line.

“We could have got closer and it may have been a different story in the final term”, Malthouse said.

Having worn everything the Eagles could muster, the Demons responded with two late goal to take their lead out to 29 at the final change, and when Melbourne booted the first three goals of the final quarter, the game was all but won.

While Bennett was the major contributor on the scoreboard, the Demons had an impressive spread of goal kickers with 11 players registering majors. In contrast, the Eagles had just five goal kickers as they constantly broke down going forward.

Dashing Melbourne defender Graeme Yeats provided plenty of rebound from the backline, picking off a number of errant passes, while Rod Grinter was impenetrable in the back half.  

The Eagles decision to only run with one recognised ruckman against Demon pair Jim Stynes and Steven O’Dwyer also proved costly as the Melbourne midfield were regularly gifted first use of the ball from stoppages. Phil Scott managed just five hit-outs for the match, compared to the combined tally of 23 of his direct opponents.

Andrew Obst and Simon Eishold were influential early, finishing with 21 and 15 disposals respectively, while Brett Lovett led the Demons with 26 touches through the middle. Stephen Newport (23 dipsosals), Steven Stretch (21) and Stephen Tingay (20) all gave the Demons plenty of drive, as West Coast often had to build their attacks from defence.

Dwayne Lamb was the sole winner for West Coast in the middle, collecting 20 kicks and 13 handballs. Stephen Malaxos picked up 26 touches and John Worsfold had 28 in a performance that drew praise from Malthouse after the game.

“He was outstanding, considering we only decided to play him five minutes before the game because of a nagging (leg) injury.”

John Worsfold was one of the few winners for West Coast

The result saw Melbourne reclaim top spot, a game ahead of Hawthorn and West Coast, who had fallen to third. However, a number of surprise results over the weekend meant the Eagles maintained a game advantage over the chasing pack.

Essendon were beaten by an improving Carlton, by 20 points, while St Kilda suffered a shock 18 point loss to the bottom-placed Fitzroy, despite seven goals to spearhead Tony Lockett. Despite the losses, the Saints and Bombers both held their spots in the top five, after Geelong blew a golden opportunity to move into the finals positions.

Hosting the second-last Tigers at Kardinia Park, the Cats booted a horrid 9.28 in a 14 point defeat, giving Richmond just their second win of the season. Collingwood were also left outside the top five when they fell to the Hawks in one of the rollercoaster games of the season. The Magpies trailed by five goals at half time, only to hold a 10 point lead at three-quarter time, before falling short by two points.

Following back-to-back games at the MCG, the Eagles were set for a fortnight at home against Brisbane and Geelong, but Malthouse was quick to dismiss the suggestion that the Eagles were happy relying on their perceived home ground advantage to bank the wins they needed for finals.

“We will end up on our backsides if we think [we are guaranteed those games]”, Malthouse warned.

“There are seven or eight sides vying for the top five and it might take at least 14 wins to make the finals.”

History Makers of the West

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Eagles Record W.A. First As Victorian Paranoia Sweeps In

It took until their fourth season in the AFL, but the Eagles finally broke their MCG duck when they recorded a 35 point win over the Tigers on the Friday night opener in round six.

The Eagles had failed to win on their previous six visits to the Home of Football, but a quick start and steamrolling finish ensured their first successful outing.

Karl Langdon was responsible for the early spark, booting four first half goals, while Peter Sumich kicked six for the match to take his tally for the season to 28. Sumich could have had a day out, if not for poor kicking on goal, kicking 6.5 from his 14 kicks and seven marks.

The win was also a milestone for West Australian football, with West Coast becoming the first representative team from WA to win at the ground.

Coach Mick Malthouse showed rare emotion after the game, applauding his players as they ventured off the field. The gravity of the result was not lost on Malthouse, who believed his side had overcome a significant hurdle, having long been criticised over their lack of success in Victoria.

“It was media pressure that said we couldn’t win in Melbourne, particularly at the MCG,” Malthouse said.

“We reversed that by telling ourselves that we could, and we did.”

Both teams made two changes for the game, welcoming back important players from injury.

Chris Lewis returned at the Eagles after gaining much need match fitness at Claremont. Lewis had been dogged by hamstring issues through the pre-season and first couple of rounds, but after a fortnight in the WAFL, resumed his place in the Eagles side.

Lewis was joined by Andrew Lockyer who replaced David O’Connell who had struggled to have an influence in the win over Sydney. Scott Watters was the other omission to the team that entered the clash on a three game winning streak.

Richmond rushed back captain Dale Weightman and forward Michael Pickering at the expense of Sean Bowden and ruckman Mark Lee, who had a hamstring strain. Weightman had managed less than a quarter in two months of football with an ongoing achilles problem, but with the Tigers sitting second last, selectors were keen to get to their captain into the league side.

The Eagles got the early break, with a six goal opening quarter establishing a 19 point quarter time lead.

Langdon had been under the microscope after a poor showing against the Swans, where he was well beaten by Neil Cordy. However, the blond-haired enigma responded superbly, providing a strong target up forward and combining well with fellow big man Stevan Jackson.

Both players tallied eight disposals and three marks in the first term, with Peter Sumich also hitting the scoreboard early.

The game then became a dour struggle over the next two quarters as Richmond did their best to hang tight with West Coast. Four goals to each side had the margin dangling at 17 points at the final change and Malthouse admitted he was concerned for his team, who were backing up from playing the previous Sunday.

“At three-quarter time I was worried because we’d only had a five day break from the (Sydney) game.”

Malthouse, though, would not have been concerned for long. The Eagles piled on the first five goals of the final quarter in a finish that Malthouse described as ‘terrific’.

“The win could not have been any better,” Malthouse raved, “and I got a better idea of my players tonight than from any other game this season.”

“It was a combination of fitness and mental toughness.”

If the history-making win wasn’t enough to celebrate, the weekend only got better for West Coast, who found themselves at the top of the ladder, after Melbourne suffered an upset loss to Sydney.

The Demons had been undefeated after five rounds, and were expected to make little work of the Swans, how hadn’t won since the opening week and had a number of key players on the sidelines.

However Melbourne were made to pay for poor kicking in front of goal (12.21) as the Swans came from behind to sneak home by five points.

With Hawthorn and Collingwood also dropping their matches, the Eagles and Demons were both a game clear in the top two. But with West Coast now occupying top spot, predictions of an Eagle premiership heightened as Victorian paranoia set in.

Many scribes suggested that the Eagles already had the 1990 flag in their keeping and were set to dominate the competition for many years. Malthouse, though, downplayed the call and was more keen to focus on the Eagles fifth win of the season.

Eagles captain Steve Malaxos led the way with 25 disposals and had plenty of support through the middle from Dwayne Lamb (21 disposals) and Peter Wilson (20), who was playing his first game against his former club.

Phil Scott took advantage of the absent Mark Lee, having the better of the ageing David Cloke in the ruck and around the ground. Scott often dropped behind the play, particularly through the middle part of the game as Richmond worked their way into the contest. The ruckman finished the game with 19 possessions and nine marks.

Dean Laidley provided the run off half back and Stevan Jackson complimented Langdon’s performance to collect 17 disposals, six marks and a goal.

Tony Free and Michael Pickering finished as the leading ball winners for Richmond with 24 each, with Craig Lambert the next best with 21 disposals. Full forward Jeff Hogg booted three goals, despite struggling with a hamstring injury that had lingered from the previous match against Fitzroy.

The barnstorming final quarter was even more impressive by the Eagles, who had lost Chris Mainwaring and Murray Rance by early in the final term. Mainwaring had been one of the key midfielders early in the game as West Coast set up their advantage, and then stood up again either side of three-quarter time as Richmond threatened to take the lead.

The Tigers had closed to within 11 points late in the third term before Mainwaring stepped up to kick a vital goal before three-quarter time to stretch the Eagles advantage back to 17. Mainwaring then repeated the dose at the start of the final quarter to kickstart the five-goal run that ultimately decided the contest.

The Tigers fightback coincided with a heightened physicality in the game, which saw umpires struggle to contain several spotfires during the third quarter. A number of players were also involved in a melee following a late hit on Dean Kemp from Tony Free. Free would later cop a two game ban for striking Kemp in the head.

AFL Investigator Max Croxford was also called in to review an incident at quarter time that saw Richmond defender Brian Leys run 80m to confront Eagle Chris Lewis who was huddled with teammates. Croxford ruled no further action on the incident.

With a 5-1 record after six games, the Eagles toughest test loomed – a Friday night top-of-the-table clash against the Demons.

Sumich Eight Eclipses Swans

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Eagles Climbing After Third Straight Win

Eight goals from Peter Sumich helped West Coast to a commanding 61 point win over Sydney at Subiaco Oval. The Eagles recorded their third straight win to take their season record to 4-1, rising to third on the ladder.

The Eagles were sandwiched between the Hawks and Magpies, with all three teams on four wins, while the Demons remained the competition benchmark with their fifth win from five games after demolishing the Bears.

Sumich’s haul of eight came in two bursts during the game, mirroring the performance of West Coast through the match.

The Swans arrived in Perth without a win since round 1 and had lost key midfielder Greg Williams to a broken thumb the week before in their defeat to St Kilda. Sydney kept pace with the Eagles early in the game, before three goals to Sumich in time-on helped the Eagles build a 26 point lead at the first change.

West Coast remained in control of the game during the second term as they extended their lead to 43, before the Swans mounted a comeback after half-time. Sydney ruckman Michael Parsons took hold of the ruck combining with rover Gerard Healy to drive the visitors back within touching distance.

Healy had been well contained by Dwayne Lamb in the first half, but racked up 11 disposals in the third quarter as Sydney took over in the centre square. Healy had strong support from fellow midfielders Steven Wright (nine disposals) and Barry Mitchell (eight disposals) as the Swans slammed on five goals for the quarter to reduce the deficit to just 23 points at the final change.

Sumich had failed to add to his goal tally since quarter time, but another four goal burst in six minutes to start the final quarter snuffed out Sydney’s comeback effort. Three of those goals were set up by second-gamer Brett Heady, who was one of the Eagles’ best with 21 disposals and two goals.

Sumich kicked a fifth late goal for the quarter late in the term, finishing with a career-best eight for the match, equalling his effort against the Bulldogs in round five the year before.

Troy Ugle provided the perfect foil for Sumich up forward with three goals from 22 disposals and eight marks, while Peter Wilson (22 disposals) and Guy McKenna (21) were major ball winners for the Eagles. McKenna’s performance was even more striking considering the defender was forced off the ground during the third term with food poisoning.

Troy Ugle was a focal point up forward with three goals

McKenna’s departure from the game coincided with the Sydney’s strongest period of the game, as they converted centre square ascendancy into scores. But, unlike West Coast, the Swans didn’t have a reliable target in their forward arc, with Murray Rance a major roadblock in defence. Rance finished with 21 disposals and seven marks and had the better of a number of Swans opponents who were tried in the key forward position.

Malthouse again praised his defensive unit, admitting that it wasn’t his side’s best performance. John Worsfold stepped into McKenna’s role after he departed the field, while Dean Laidley was strong off the other half back flank.

For Sydney, Gerard Healy finished with 29 touches in his battle against Dwayne Lamb, while Barry Mitchell racked up 28 touches, although was less effective through the centre with Steve Malaxos for company. Neil Cordy tried hard in defence and Stevie Wright had 22 disposals to go with his three goals.

With the final quarter still fresh in his mind, Sydney coach Col Kinnear expressed disappointment in his sides’ ‘very soft’ finish. “As a realist, you can’t think of finals’, Kinnear said.

Mick Malthouse though was happy to take the four points from the underwhelming performance, as West Coast consolidated their position in the top five.

Eagles Continue Blues Misery

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Eagles Coast To Thumping Win

West Coast made it three wins from four games when they easily defeated the Blues in their round four clash, in front of a record attendance at the WACA.

A crowd of 28,568 were on hand to witness the Eagles 50 point win, bettering the ground’s previous highest attendance at the Australia v Pakistan one-day international the previous summer.

The Eagles extended their lead at every change in the routine win, which was highlighted by the impressive debut of midfielder Brett Heady.

Heady had starred for Subiaco four days earlier in the Lions’ 50 point win over Perth, and despite the short turnaround, gathered 18 disposals and booted two goals in a notable performance first-up effort with West Coast.

The inclusion of Heady was one of three for the Eagles after their thumping win over Footscray. David O’Connell was selected for his first match of the season and Michael Brennan returned from a groin injury picked up in the round two defeat to St Kilda. Paul Peos was ruled out with a knee injury, while Brad Gwilliam and Dean Irving were both dropped.

After losing their first two games, the Blues arrived in Perth off the back of a 14 point win over the Saints. However the win came at a cost with both Mark Naley and Simon Minton-Connell injured and subsequently ruled out against the Eagles. Chris Bond was also dropped, with David Glascott, Ian Herman and Andrew Phillips all included.

With Minton-Connell sidelined and Stephen Kernahan used through the ruck with Justin Madden unavailable for selection, the Blues lacked any forward presence.

Richard Dennis kicked the opening goal after receiving a 50m penalty, but the Eagles had control of the play from early in the game. Only the strong defensive efforts of Stephen Silvagni and David Rhys-Jones prevented West Coast from hitting the front, but when Peter Sumich and Karl Langdon goaled right before quarter time, the Eagles had taken a lead they would not relinquish.

Three goals to one in the second term extended the Eagles’ lead to 20 points at the main break, but the lead could have been so much more if not for inaccurate kicking. Dean Laidley and Guy McKenna created plenty of drive off half back, the pair combining for 20 disposals in the second quarter alone.

Laidley had picked up 19 disposals by half time, while debutant Heady tallied eight touches in the second quarter, as did Stephen Malaxos and Dwayne Lamb. As West Coast flexed their superiority in the game, things got worse for the Blues when they lost Silvagni to injured ribs after a heavy collision, denying the Blues another of their key talls.

With his side needing a spark, Alex Jesaulenko swung Rhys-Jones to full forward and got an immediate response as Rhys-Jones booted three goals in six minutes to bring the Blues back within touching distance.

However, West Coast settled with the final five goals of the quarter to take their lead out to 38 points, before a six-goal final term ensured a comfortable win.

Sumich led the Eagles goal kicking with four majors, while Peter Wilson and Craig Turley each booted three.

Laidley finished with 30 disposals after his barnstorming first half and Stephen Malaxos was industrious through the middle with 29 touches. As well as hitting the scoreboard, Wilson and Turley were both productive with the ball, collecting 25 and 22 dipsosals respectively.

Dwayne Lamb shut down Craig Bradley on the wing, while the Eagles defence, led by Laidley, Guy McKenna and Murray Rance were again steadfast. After four rounds, the Eagles had conceded the least amount of points – 310 – in the league; 118 of which came in the loss to St Kilda.

“Our backline is functioning very well”, a delighted Malthouse declared after the game. “It’s early days, but its slowly and surely coming about.”

The win lifted the Eagles back into the top five at the expense of North Melbourne, who dropped out after a five goal defeat to Geelong. West Coast sat in fifth, percentage behind the Saints, Hawks and Bombers, with Melbourne still undefeated when they overturned a half time deficit to defeat Fitzroy.

With winnable games to come against lowly Sydney and Richmond, the Eagles were primed to consolidate their position in the finals placings, despite starting to build a concerning injury list.

Chris Mainwaring had missed a fortnight with a back fracture, while Chris Lewis and Chris Waterman both remained sidelined from injuries picked up in the pre-season. John Annear and Don Pyke were both injured the previous week playing for their respective WAFL sides after falling out of the Eagles line-up following the Saints defeat, while Tony Begovich and Andrew MacNish were also injured the previous week in the WAFL.

Geoff Miles hadn’t made an appearance at any level as he battled a hamstring injury and Paul Peos was expected to miss the majority of the season with a knee complaint.

1990 Rewind: Mick’s Happy Returns

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Malthouse Gets Last Laugh on Former Club

West Coast players declared they would play for their coach, and did so accordingly when they recorded a comfortable 63 point win over the Bulldogs in their round three clash at the Western Oval.

Six months after parting ways with the Bulldogs as they sat on the verge of extinction, Malthouse returned to his former home of six years to claim the four points.

Malthouse’s desertion had not been forgotten by his former players or fans in a hostile build up to the match. Several Bulldogs players were critical of Malthouse after a radio interview Malthouse gave during the week, believing Malthouse had been derogatory towards them and the club.

Fans also voiced their displeasure towards their old coach before the match and at each interval, although Malthouse later played down the hostile reception post-match.

“There were so may well-wishers before the game. It made me humble I suppose that there are people here – even though they’re Footscray people – who felt like that.”

“The disappointing thing is that I’ve listened to a couple of interviews by former players who tended to put the boots in, when I believe I gave them the opportunity to play League footy”, Malthouse continued.

“You have to look at human beings for what they are. Some put dirt on you. Some are great friends.”

And while the new Eagles coach suggested that he was greatly unaffected by the comments coming out of his old club leading up to the game, he did little to hide his emotion at the final siren, embracing many of the Eagle players on the ground.

The West Coast players, for their part, declared they would ‘play for their coach’ in response to the negative comments arising out of Footscray and did so with a defensive masterclass, restricting the home side to a measly 1.8 at half time.

The Eagles themselves booted nine goals for the half to take a commanding 50 point lead into the main break, and were never in danger of giving up the four points in the second half.

The win was a strong response to the humbling 58 point loss to the Saints the week before.

The Eagles made five changes, three of which were forced through injury. Wingman Chris Mainwaring was found to have a small fracture in his back, which was set to sideline him for two weeks, defender Michael Brennan had a groin strain and Don Pyke couldn’t be considered due to soreness.

John Annear and Andrew Lockyer were the casualties as Malthouse injected more speed into the side. Steve Malaxos was named for his first game as captain, while Stevan Jackson was named across half forward. Craig Turley, Scott Watters and David Hart were the other inclusions, all of who were named for their first games of 1990.

The Bulldogs named an unchanged line up to the one that easily accounted for the Swans in Sydney. However they were dealt a couple of blows before the opening bounce with John Georgiades (hamstring) and Steven Kolyniuk (ankle) both forced out. Danny Del Re came in for his debut game, with Matt Hannebery the other inclusion.

West Coast also made a late change with Chris Lewis replaced by Todd Breman. Lewis had been a surprise inclusion during the week after failing to last a quarter against the Saints with an ankle injury and was duly ruled out.

The Bulldogs started the brighter of the two sides, but the Eagles soon gained the ascendancy in the match.

The Eagles squad had been heavily criticised about their lack of commitment to the contest against the Saints, and put on an improved attack on the ball. Peter Wilson and Steve Malaxos led the way as West Coast bullocked their way to a three goal to one lead at the first change, before the Eagle runners took hold of the game in the second quarter.

Troy Ugle, Dwayne Lamb, Craig Turley and David Hart were all prolific as West Coast booted six unanswered goals, to all but end the contest. The Eagles were particularly devastating coming out of defence with handball, the quick transition catching the Footscray defence out of position.

The three-pronged attack of Peter Sumich, Karl Langdon and Stevan Jackson benefited most from the Eagles impressive ball movement. Sumich could have had a day out, finishing with a wasteful 3.4 from 14 kicks and 11 marks, while Langdon also booted three goals. Jackson had a presence further up the ground with nine disposals, five marks and a goal.

The performance of Langdon would have been pleasing for Malthouse, after several players had rotated through centre half forward in the first fortnight of the season. Dean Irving, Andrew Lockyer and Phil Scott had all been tried in the opening two weeks, but Langdon made the most of the opportunity against the Bulldogs, getting the better of three opponents.

Karl Langdon impressed at half-forward getting the better of Stuart Wigney, Greg Eppelstun and Peter Foster

In contrast, the Bulldogs forward line failed to function against the miserly Eagles defence. Murray Rance kept Barry Standfield to just seven disposals and without viable targets, the Bulldogs were forced to take long range shots on goal, with little success.

Bulldogs coach Terry Wheeler threw his side around to start the second half, pushing Chris Grant to full forward, Stuart Wigney from defence to the forward line and Leon Cameron to the wing. The moves paid some dividends with Grant (twice) and Cameron kicking majors in the third term as both sides booted four goals.

The Eagles then finished with a five goal to two last quarter to record their highest ever score in Victoria. Along with Sumich and Langdon, Craig Turley and David Hart also finished with three goals, while Troy Ugle chimed in with two.

Peter Wilson led the disposals for West Coast with 30, with Dean Laidley (24) and Turley (23) the next best.

The Bulldogs were best served by Terry Wallace who finished with 32 disposals and a goal and Stephen Wallis who tallied 25 touches. Grant booted another goal in the final quarter to finish with a match haul of three, while Wigney also gave the Bulldogs life in the forward line, managing six shots on goal in the second half but only booting 1.5 opposed to Brad Gwilliam.

Bulldogs coach Terry Wheeler was scathing in his review of the game, saying that the senior Bulldogs players weren’t up for the match against West Coast. At three-quarter time, Wheeler took many of his younger charges aside and spoke with them away from the rest of the squad for several minutes.

“They’re earmarked to be the future of the Footscray Football Club and if what I was seeing from some of our senior players is the attitude they have toward football at the moment, I certainly don’t want our younger players to… take that attitude.”

“… those senior players today, for one reason or another, didn’t show us that they can play”, Wheeler bemoaned.

The win lifted the Eagles back to the edge of the top five, as one of six teams that had two wins from their opening three games. Only the Demons remained undefeated at the close of Round 3, following their 27 point win over Essendon.

As well as booting their highest ever score in Victoria, the Eagles 63 point win was also their largest, bettering the 37 point win over Footscray at the same ground the year before. The victory also made it three in a row for the Eagles at the Western Oval, defying their overall poor record away from home.

The only sour note for the Eagles was the knee injury to Paul Peos during the second quarter, which was set to sideline the wingman for much of the season.

The Injury compounded a poor week for Peos who had been fined by the club during the week for breaking team rules, and then being on the end of some ‘friendly advice’ by the ground announcer when he was involved in a skirmish with Leon Cameron on the members wing before the opening bounce.

1990 Rewind: Pluggered

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Lockett Burst Brings Eagles Back to Earth

A week on from their impressive dismantling of the Magpies, the Eagles were given a fierce reality check in a 68 point defeat to St Kilda, led by spearhead Tony Lockett.

Lockett finished with nine goals – six of which came in a devastating burst in the second term when the Saints were kicking into a howling wind, all but sealing the contest.

West Coast made just the one change to the team that accounted for Collingwood in Round 1, with Chris Lewis returning to the line up from injury. Lewis hadn’t played since aggravating his hamstring against North Melbourne in the Eagles second Fosters Cup match.

Lewis replaced Peter Matera, who managed just nine disposals in a quiet debut the week before. Stand-in captain John Worsfold held his spot despite sporting strapping around his thigh at training during the week and again led the team in the absence of Steve Malaxos.

The Saints also made the one change to the team that defeated Footscray in the opening round. Captain Danny Frawley returned after being a late withdrawal the week before, with Ian Muller making way.

Heading into the game, Malthouse made no secret of the danger Lockett posed, with the burly full forward the difference in the previous meeting between the two sides. In the only meeting between the two sides in 1989, Lockett booted 12 of the Saints 18 goals in a 35 point win.  

The Saints scored first use of the wind, but the Eagles did well to stay within reaching distance at quarter time. Karl Langdon opened the scoring, before the Saints finished with the last 10 scoring shots in the quarter, for an inaccurate 4.6.

24 points down at the first break was an acceptable margin given the wind advantage and Lockett had managed just one major for the term as the Eagles employed a loose man in defence to block his space. Michael Brennan was given the role on Lockett, teaming with Murray Rance to regularly double-team Lockett.

West Coast abandoned the tactic at the start of the second term kicking with the wind, leaving Lockett one-out with Brennan. Peter Sumich booted the opening goal when he was left alone in the goal square to reduce the Saints lead to 18 points.

Andrew Lockyer fell short in his attempt on goal moments later, before Chris Mainwaring blew a golden opportunity when he overran the ball in front of goal. The Eagles had much of the play early in the quarter as they worked their way into the contest.

Then ‘Plugger’ ripped the game apart.

With the Saints getting on top through the midfield, Lockett kicked five of the next six goals in the game, with only a long range effort from Murray Rance, breaking the run.

Lockett powered through the Eagles defence, often marking against multiple defenders in the air and in one instance, brushing aside two Eagles as he soccered the ball through at the top of the goal square.

Ruckman Damien Kitschke added a sixth goal for the term for the Saints when he was found unmarked in front of goal by Dean Rice, before Lockett booted his seventh goal for the match – and sixth goal in the quarter – when he was paid a juggled contested mark.

The Saints had booted seven goals to two against the wind to take a commanding 58 point lead into the main break. Their lead increased to 78 at the final change, before the Eagles limited some of the damage with a five goal final quarter.

Murray Rance took over from Brennan on Lockett in the second half, holding the full forward to just two second half majors. Still, Lockett finished with an impressive match haul of 9.4 from 18 disposals and 12 marks, making it 19 goals in two weeks after opening the season with a bag of 10 against the Bulldogs.

“Let’s face it, the man is awesome. Once he gets his hands on the ball, it’s good night Irene”, Malthouse exclaimed.

While Lockett was terrorising the Eagles defence up one end, the same couldn’t be said at the other, where Frawley and regular forward Stewart Loewe were impenetrable. Frawley held Eagles forward Peter Sumich to just one goal, while Loewe vied with Lockett for best afield honours as he continually intercepted many of the Eagles’ forward thrusts.

Loewe finished with 31 disposals and 15 marks in a dominant performance at centre half back. The Eagles could not find a way through their half forward line, with Murray Rance, Andrew Lockyer, Karl Langdon and Phil Scott all tried with little success.

The Saints were also well served by a number of recruits. Damien Kitschke – in just his second AFL game – was too strong in his duel with fellow second gamer Dean Irving, often providing the Saints midfield with first use at the stoppages.

Kitschke finished with 25 disposals, seven marks, 14 hit-outs and a goal, many of his possessions coming as he sat behind the play when West Coast kicked with the wind. Tim Pekin gathered a career best 38 disposals in just his second game at Moorabbin, after switching across from Fitzroy ahead of the 1990 season.

Pekin was particularly damaging early as St Kilda built their lead, with John Annear brought onto the ground in a bid to quell his influence. Grant Lawrie and Jim Krakouer were others to impress in their second games with the Saints, after crossing from Fitzroy and North Melbourne respectively, collecting 22 and 21 possessions.

Krakouer had shone in his club debut the week before with 36 disposals, earning the tag of Dwayne Lamb, but still having moments of magic. Peter Russo (32 disposals and a goal) and Nathan Burke (31 disposals) were other major ball-winners through the midfield.

And with Lockett garnering much of the attention of the West Coast defence, Rod Owen was allowed to slip under the radar across half forward, booting 4.4 from 21 disposals.

Ken Sheldon – who had made it two wins from two games in charge at the Saints – lauded his side’s second quarter into the wind. “It was a tremendous effort by the players.”

“The second quarter was one of the best quarters of football you would see anywhere. Our players have proved to themselves that they can match it with anybody.”

For West Coast, there were too few players who contributed.

Dean Laidley was arguably the Eagles best player in his negating role on Nicky Winmar at half back. Winmar still tallied 23 disposals, but didn’t have the impact he was renowned for, while Laidley finished as the Eagles leading disposal getter with 27.

Don Pyke booted three second half goals as the Eagles major goal kicker, while Guy McKenna was dependable at half back. Peter Wilson put on a second strong showing at his new club as one of the few Eagles to bring physicality to the game.

Peter Wilson was one of the few performers for West Coast on a poor day

“I’m totally at a loss”, Malthouse said. “I’ll talk to the players as individuals. But there is no magic formula.”

“There was a complete lack of pressure on their runners.”

The turnaround in performance wasn’t the only concern for West Coast out of the match. Chris Lewis, in his return from injury, failed to last a quarter when he succumbed to an ankle complaint. Michael Brennan suffered a groin injury and Laidley played out the game with a corked calf.

Karl Langdon was placed on report for striking Tim Pekin with a forearm to the head.

The result also continued the Eagles’ poor record in Melbourne. The Eagles had now won just five games from 28 matches in Victoria, with Malthouse declaring changes would be made to arrest the horror record away from home.

1990 Rewind: Malthouse Begins

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Off-Season of Change Brings Winning Start

The 1990 season promised a new beginning.

The AFL was officially born with league headquarters re-branding from the VFL to recognise that the competition was now national, with clubs located in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

The West Coast Eagles had also undergone significant changes since a disappointing 1989 campaign.

John Todd was replaced as coach after two seasons, with Victorian Michael Malthouse taking over the reins following six seasons at Footscray. The Bulldogs had only made the finals once during Malthouse’s tenure as coach, falling agonisingly short of a Grand Final appearance in 1985 in Malthouse’s second year.

The Bulldogs had remained competitive since, hovering just outside the final five, before crashing to second-last in Malthouse’s final year in charge, as the club battled football extinction. The Bulldogs would exist in their own right for season 1990 – saved from merging with Fitzroy – but Malthouse sought a new challenge across the Nullabor.

The transition between Todd and Malthouse hadn’t been a smooth one; news of Malthouse’s appointment had been leaked before Todd was formally told he would not be offered a new contract, with the Eagles hierarchy scrambling together a press conference on the afternoon of October 3, 1989 to present Malthouse as the clubs third coach.

Malthouse would not be the only key change for the Eagles heading into 1990.

Brian Cook was appointed CEO, after two years with the WAFC, and Trevor Nisbett was appointed football manager. On-field, Stephen Malaxos was named captain with John Worsfold vice-captain and the club was able to establish Subiaco Oval as its permanent training base, having operated out of a number of different locations across their first three seasons.

Leading up to the clubs opening game against Collingwood, the signs were positive the Eagles could return to finals action.

The Eagles lost narrowly to Essendon in their Fosters cup opening game, but were given a reprieve in the competition after Brisbane failed to travel down for the pre-season competition. West Coast played the Bears’ opponent in North Melbourne, and narrowly lost again. The Eagles lost both games by three points, with poor kicking for goal to blame in both defeats.

West Coast then hosted the previous seasons Grand Finalists in practice matches to round out the pre-season. Both were resounding victories. The Eagles thrashed the Cats by 89 points and then followed up that performance with a 12 goal win over the Hawks.

West Coast named a fresh squad to tackle the Magpies, who were one of the premiership favourites heading into the season. Collingwood had made the finals the previous two seasons under Leigh Matthews, but had been bundled straight out in both years. With a number of key recruits over the off-season, many believed the Magpies were ready to take the next step.

The Eagles named four players for their AFL debut. Peter Matera – the Eagles first selection at the 1989 draft – Dean Kemp, Dean Irving and Brad Gwilliam were all selected for their first matches, while Peter Wilson was also picked for his first game with the club, having switched across from Richmond.

John Worsfold was left to lead the club, after new captain Steve Malaxos was forced to miss the game with a broken foot. Malaxos had suffered the injury, stepping on a picket at his home, missing the start of the season.

The Magpies named new recruits Tony Francis and Scott Russell, who had both joined the club from the SANFL, but prized addition Paul Hawke and defender Michael Christian were both unavailable due to hamstring injuries.

The two sides had met in the final round of the 1989 season, with Collingwood easy 49 point winners.

But in a clear sign of how much the Eagles had progressed in one summer, West Coast extended their lead in every quarter to run away with a 46 point win.

In a bruising encounter that had plenty of moments of spite between the two sides, it was an all-in brawl midway through the third quarter that set the course of the final outcome. Collingwood first-gamer Tony Francis lashed out at Eagles defender Murray Rance as the two tumbled over the boundary line, sparking an altercation that involved most players from both sides.

Play was held up for several minutes as the umpires tried to separate the players and when the two teams did get back to playing football, it was the Eagles who settled quicker. The Eagles booted the next three goals to stretch their lead out to 34 points, and while Collingwood responded with the last two goals in the term, a five goal to two last quarter sealed an impressive win for the home side.

Peter Sumich starred up forward with six goals, but it was the improved defensive attitude that pleased new coach Mick Malthouse most. Collingwood could manage just eight goals for the afternoon, with Michael Brennan shutting out full forward Brian Taylor and Murray Rance the better of Craig Starcevich.

Sumich led the way up forward with six goals

Dean Laidley had the better of Jamie Turner, while John Annear found a new role in defence, marked with the task of minding Gavin Brown.

The Magpies struggled throughout the day with the man-on-man structure that Malthouse implemented, as well as the intense pressure around the ball.

“They (the players) didn’t talk about how much they’d won by or who kicked the goals. The first thing they said when they came in was the tackling was terrific”, an excited Malthouse proclaimed after the match.

“They acknowledged each other and it’s important that they think that’s one criterion of success, either at Subiaco Oval or Melbourne.”

Troy Ugle was stationed in the back pocket for the Eagles and provided plenty of dash through the first half, before being forced off the ground when he was caught under the pack of the melee, injuring an arm in the process. However, he returned to the field in the forward line for the final quarter, booting a goal and setting up two others in a best-afield display.

First-gamer Dean Irving combined well with Phil Scott in the ruck with the duo proving too strong for Collingwood pair Damien Monkhorst and James Manson at the stoppages. The Eagles midfield benefitted from this advantage with Paul Peos the leading ball-winner with 25 disposals and Chris Mainwaring next-best with 22.

Dean Kemp had 20 touches on the wing to get the better of Graeme Wright and Dwayne Lamb restricted Peter Daicos to just six kicks and a goal.

After having his colours lowered by Paul Tuddenham in the first quarter, acting captain John Worsfold was released into the middle, where he finished with 19 disposals and gave plenty of drive along with Karl Langdon, who collected 21 touches and booted two goals roaming between half forward and the centre.

For Collingwood, only captain Tony Shaw (24 disposals), newcomer Scott Russell (22) and Darren Millane (21) showed they were capable of matching the fierceness that West Coast brought to the contest.

It only got worse for the Magpies, with Francis later suspended for six games for kicking Rance. In his tribunal hearing, Francis remarked that he had been provoked when he felt Rance brush his groin area, and while he admitted responding with a kicking action, believed that he had missed Rance. The Eagles defender supported the claim by Francis that he didn’t make any contact, but that didn’t stop tribunal chairman Neil Busse rubbing the Collingwood midfielder out until round 8.

The Eagles themselves weren’t immune from the tribunal, with runner Rob Wiley charged for his involvement in the melee. Wiley was sanctioned and fined $1000.

While the result proved an awakening to the rest of the competition, Malthouse remained calm, saying there was plenty for his side to work on.

“If you come away from round one with a win, and plenty of work to do, that’s good.”

West Coast Demolish Cats For 1994 Flag

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Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad For Eagles

West Coast reinstated themselves as the kings of the competition when they crushed Geelong by 80 points to win the 1994 Grand Final.

Two years after an historic first flag, the Eagles steamrolled the Cats to their second premiership, erasing the disappointment of a failed 1993 season.

Dean Kemp claimed the Norm Smith medal for best afield and Tony Evans repeated his 1992 haul of three goals as West Coast booted their highest score in over two years.

Traditionally recognised as a defence-oriented side, the Eagles racked up 43 shots on goal in the Grand Final, a week after they posted 37 scoring shots against Melbourne. Ten Eagles in total hit the scoreboard as West Coast recorded the fourth largest winning margin in Grand Final history.

For the Cats, the defeat was their third loss in the season decider in six seasons, having gone down to the Eagles by 28 points in 1992 and the Hawks by six in 1989.

A shattered Malcolm Blight could offer no explanation after the match, saying there was ultimately nothing his side could do. “I could say a million things about what we might have done or could have done. But at the end of the day they were 80 points better than us, which is pretty hard to cop really.”

Eagles coach Mick Malthouse admitted he sympathised with the Cats, but was equally ecstatic with his side’s performance.

“I just love seeing the day for the club and all the players… I get a bigger kick out of seeing the players enjoy themselves.”

West Coast made just one change from the preliminary final, with Ashley McIntosh coming back into the team after missing with a knee injury. Mitchell White was the player to make way, after coming into the side as McIntosh’s replacement, but remained an outside chance on the morning of the game as West Coast debated whether to remove one of their ruckman.

However, the pair of David Hynes and Ryan Turnbull was retained to tackle John Barnes who was openly struggling with a lower leg injury. Geelong remained unchanged from their last-gasp six point win over North Melbourne, with Grant Tanner ruled out earlier in the week in his bid to recover from an ankle injury.

McIntosh started in defence on Bill Brownless, with Michael Brennan tasked with minding Gary Ablett. The Cats tried to throw the Eagles defence early, starting Ablett on the wing but he quickly moved to the goal square after failing to have an impact.

In a reverse to the 1992 meeting, it was West Coast who had the fast start, booting the first three goals in the game. Tony Evans, Chris Lewis and Shane Bond all kicked majors as the Eagles jumped to a 20 point lead.

West Coast had had all of the play out of the middle of the ground but the momentum of the game soon changed when Geelong piled on four goals in eight minutes. Tim McGrath and Michael Mansfield provided the dash off half back for the Cats with Paul Couch opening the Cats account.

Three more goals followed in quick time to give Geelong a seven point lead, before Brett Heady settled the Eagles just before quarter time to reduce the Cats lead to one point at the first change.

It would prove to be the only period of ascendency Geelong would have in the game.

West Coast resumed control at the start of the second term and only poor kicking on goal prevented the Eagles from having the game won by half time. Peter Wilson kicked consecutive goals to start the quarter as West Coast camped the ball in their forward half.

The Eagles created confusion at the Geelong kick-ins when they changed tack from their usual one-on-one set up to a zone defence. The usually precise Mansfield and Ken Hinkley were undecided with their re-entries preventing clean getaways from their back half, which had been a trademark through their finals campaign.

Twice in the second quarter West Coast picked off their kick-ins. Tony Evans intercepted a Ken Hinkley pass to mark and goal, before then having an intercepting hand that rebounded to Peter Sumich allowing the Eagles full forward to send the ball back over his opponent in Stephen O’Reilly.

The Eagles continued their dominance of general play but, remarkably, when Bill Brownless booted his third goal midway through the third term, the Cats were still within touching distance trailing by just 18 points.

However, three majors to Dean Kemp, Brett Heady and Peter Sumich extended their lead to six goals by three-quarter time and Geelong’s slimmer of Hope was all but gone.

The last quarter was a celebration for West Coast, as they slammed on eight goals to one to demoralise the opposition and the majority of the pro-Geelong crowd.

Symbolic of the day for West Coast and for their Norm Smith medallist Dean Kemp, their 17th goal came about purely by accident. Kemp’s kick inside 50 was intended for Chris Lewis who was crunched out of marking the ball by Tim McGrath, only for the ball to carry on its path and bounce harmlessly through for another goal.

Kemp was sublime for the Eagles on a day when they had a healthy number of contributors. The Eagles centreman had 23 disposals and booted two goals to outpoint Geelong captain Mark Bairstow, who had a dirty day. It also meant that Bairstow finished with the inglorious honour of once again playing on the Norm Smith medal, after lining up on Peter Matera’s wing in his five goal performance of 1992.

Dean Kemp was best afield for West Coast

Don Pyke collected 26 possessions through the middle and just had the edge over Geelong’s Paul Couch. One of Geelong’s prime movers was relegated into a defensive role as he tried to curb the influence of the Eagles centreline.

The Eagles defence was as impregnable as ever, led by Glen Jakovich (20 possessions) and Guy McKenna (23) across half back. Jakovich played his own game standing in the way of Geelong’s forward entries and proving too strong for both Steven Handley and David Mensch. McKenna provided the run from the backline as he outclassed Adrian Hickmott.

Michael Brennan blanketed Gary Ablett, with the Geelong superstar managing just one goal from five disposals and David Hart had the better of Leigh Tudor in the back pocket. Geelong’s only winner in their forward half was Billy Brownless, who exorcised some of his demons from the 1992 Grand Final when he was humbled by Ashley McIntosh.

Brownless kicked four goals for the Cats – he was the only Geelong player to kick a goal after quarter time – and took one of the great Grand Final marks when he soared over McIntosh and managed to hold onto the ball from a second attempt.

Michael Mansfield was arguably the Cats best player with 21 disposals out of defence and having the better of Shane Bond, while Tim McGrath also did his best to withstand the avalanche. Garry Hocking finished with 20 possessions after being forced off during the first term with a heavy cork and returning to the ground in the second half with heavy padding around his upper leg.

But it was a day that belonged to West Coast.

15 members of the 1992 triumph were now dual premiership players, while there was redemption for David Hynes and David Hart, who were the unlucky stories from two years earlier.

And even with two of the heroes from 1992, in Peter Sumich and Peter Matera, having subdued outings, there were plenty of others who stepped up. Sumich and Matera combined for 11 goals in the clubs first flag as West Coast had just four goal kickers for the day. This time around, nearly half of the team kicked goals, as the likes of Chris Lewis, Brett Heady and Jason Ball provided strong targets up forward.

Chris Waterman came onto the ground early in the second term after Chris Mainwaring was forced off with a corked hip and put in one of his finest performances with 18 disposals and two final quarter goals (to go with four behinds). Mainwaring himself was able to return to the field and pick up 18 disposals.

Mick Malthouse even broke with his own tradition in heading down to the bench with three minutes remaining. Malthouse had been reluctant to leave the box two years earlier, despite the urging of his coaching team, but with the game well in his side’s keeping, the Eagles coach revelled in the celebrations boundary side.

Malthouse admitted that he knew his side were home during the third quarter.

“We expected at some stage Geelong to give us a big quarter like they had over the last three or four weeks, so we were ready for it. We stuck to our basics, not to allow them to get that one quarter of football in.”

“At half-time I thought if we maintained our pressure, and we could hold them, we could do the job,” Malthouse said.

“So I guess three quarters of the way through the third quarter I thought we had them.”

Since taking over as senior coach at the end of 1989, Malthouse had steered the Eagles to no lower than fourth in five seasons, which now included two premierships from three Grand Final appearances.

The Eagles had massacred the Cats in one of the most emphatic premierships of the modern era and with that staked their claim as the pre-eminent club of the AFL.

1994 Rewind: West Coast Storm Into Decider

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West Coast made it to their third grand final in four seasons when they convincingly defeated the Demons by 65 points in the preliminary final.

The Eagles ended Melbourne’s fairytale finals run, who had knocked off Carlton and then Footscray after finishing seventh at the end of the home and away season. Garry Lyon had booted a record 10 goals in the 79 point massacre of the Bulldogs, but the Demons ran out of steam against a refreshed Eagles outfit.

Despite having a fortnight to recover, Ashley McIntosh was ruled out of the preliminary final, allowing Mitchell White to come in for just his sixth game of the season as cover in the Eagles defence.

The Demons also made just one change to the team that thrashed Footscray the week before with sharpshooter Sean Charles adding to an already potent forward line, replacing the omitted Glenn Molloy.

Ahead of the game, tensions were raised between the two sides when two Melbourne officials were spotted watching the Eagles train in what was supposed to be a closed training session. While the Melbourne ‘spies’ – football manager Richard Griffiths and match committee chairman Greg Wells – had no issue with being asked to leave, the response from West Coast drew some mirth from Demons coach Neil Balme.

Balme proudly declared after the teams were submitted on Thursday night that Melbourne would go in as named. The Eagles, however, remained guarded over their final line up, with Mick Malthouse calling the antics from Melbourne as ‘childish games’.

The final 21 for West Coast wasn’t confirmed until just before bouncedown with West Coast swinging two late changes. Drew Banfield returned to the team after being dropped for the clash with Collingwood while Ryan Turnbull was brought into the team having recovered from a knee injury suffered against the Blues in Round 22. Craig Turley remained as the Eagles’ third emergency, unable to reclaim his spot in the side after serving a two games suspension for striking Greg Williams.

Turnbull’s inclusion to join David Hynes in the ruck was designed to counter the Demons’ strong ruck combination of Jim Stynes and Dean Irving. Tony Godden made way for Banfield, with Turnbull replacing Brett Spinks who was battling a knee concern picked up in the qualifying final.

The Demons stayed true to Balme’s claim that there would be no changes to the squad, but he still did his best to catch the Eagles off guard with a number of positional moves.

Stephen Tingay had previously matched against Chris Mainwaring on the wing, but he swapped sides with Matthew Febey to go head to head with Peter Matera. Febey was stationed against Mainwaring in a more defensive role, as the Demons looked to slow down the Eagles ball movement.

Dean Irving started in the ruck, leaving Jim Stynes to operate off the bench, while Andy Lovell shifted to half-back, initially matching up on Brett Heady.

However, only the Tingay move had any real effect as West Coast dominated the quarter, kicking with the wind. Matera had been under a cloud since injuring a back during the last quarter against Collingwood and was unable to work defensively on Tingay who collected 11 possessions in the first term. Malthouse moved Banfield to the wing to quell Tingay’s influence at the start of the second quarter, pushing Matera to a half forward flank.

Everywhere else on the ground was owned by the home team.

Tony Evans and Dean Kemp were both prominent early, with nine first-quarter possessions while Chris Lewis had eight across half-forward. All of the Eagles forwards got into the game early with the weight of possession in their forward half.

Mainwaring was dynamic on his wing opposed to Matthew Febey and Brett Heady was both too tall and too elusive for Lovell across half forward. The Eagles took control around the ball, with Irving lacking influence in the ruck against David Hynes.

The Eagles racked up 11 shots on goal for the term, but wasted a host of chances. West Coast were 1.7 at one stage, before three late majors to Jason Ball, Tony Evans and Peter Sumich created a deserved advantage.

The Demons, on the other hand, could manage just one shot on goal with Glenn Lovett responding to Brett Heady’s opener into the wind.

The second quarter became an arm wrestle as West Coast held the Demons at bay in defence but continually struggled to take chances up forward. Brett Heady missed a simple shot at the top of the goal square, before Garry Lyon broke the drought when he broke free of Michael Brennan.

That goal came with a tinge of controversy after Sumich was unlucky to be penalised at the other end. Sumich had a free kick paid against him after he pushed Sean Wight in the chest before going on a lead, with the Eagles full-forward then giving away 50 metres for remonstrating with the umpire.

The Lyon goal only served to open the game up.

Brett Heady found Chris Lewis for the instant reply, before kicking two himself as West Coast opened up a 32 point lead closing in on half time.

The Demons then showed the form that had propelled them through the first two weeks of the finals with three goals in as many minutes to close out the half.

Sean Charles swooped on a Michael Brennan fumble to snap truly, with the Demons kicking a second goal less than 20 seconds later when Andrew Obst won the clearance and found Brett Lovett who was able to kick on the breeze from the edge of the centre square.

Charles then had his second goal for the match after Melbourne were able to string a chain of handballs from half-back, with Viney releasing Charles into an open goal after reading the ball of a marking contest in the Demons forward 50. Melbourne had closed within 13 points in a blink of an eye and had one final chance on the half-time siren.

Andy Lovell had been moved to half-forward after losing the reins on Brett Heady and found himself on the end of a Dean Irving miskick to mark 40 metres out directly in front. Lovell could have brough the Demons to within a kick, but he skewed his shot on goal to allow West Coast to hold onto a 12 point lead.

The Eagles had smashed the Demons 13-3 in the centre clearances and had nearly 40 more possessions around the ground, but their inefficiency in front of goal prevented them from having one foot already in the Grand Final.

West Coast’s shooting on goal only got worse in the third quarter, but by the final changeit no longer mattered.

The Eagles had piled on 6.7 to a solitary behind with their second use of the wind to establish a nine goal lead that they were never going to give up.

The warning signs for Melbourne showed early in the term, with West Coast posting a further four points onto their half-time score, including what could almost have been a late goal of the year contender.

Glen Jakovich had completely shut out David Schwarz across half-back, and after picking up a loose ball in the back pocket, the burly centre half-back bounced his way through the middle of the WACA to the rousing roar of the home crowd. Jakovich launched from the top of the Eagles 50 metre arc only to see his shot on goal hit the base of the post, resulting in one of the more memorable points in club history.

Brett Heady ultimately got the first goal for the Eagles in the term, booting three in the quarter to take his match haul to six. His fifth goal came from another turnover from Andy Lovell in defence as Melbourne’s day started to capitulate.

Stephen Tingay – who had been the Demons best player in the first half – limped off with a knee injury, while David Neitz was forced to the bench after being crunched by Sumich in a marking contest.

The Eagles added three goals to two in the final quarter to run away with their largest ever win in a final.

Eagle players celebrate another grand final

Malthouse was ecstatic post-match with the ‘almost faultless’ performance but was quick to point out that the job was still not done.

“Every club aims to make the Grand Final at the start of the season,” Malthouse said.

“Making the Grand Final is not good enough. Winning has got to be the aim.”

It was a deflating end for the Demons, who dared to dream after stunning finals wins over Carlton and Footscray left them one game shy of the big dance. Neil Balme admitted his team just couldn’t handle the occasion.

“I think our blokes just lost it. They lost all confidence in their ability to play footy.”

“They were shell-shocked.”

Melbourne struggled to have a winner on the ground, with West Coast’s defence supreme. Schwarz was virtually a spectator, with Mitchell White keeping Paul Prymke quiet. David Hart had the better of Sean Charles while John Worsfold and Guy McKenna provided their customary dash from half back.

Chris Mainwaring – who sported jumper number 43 after half-time due to blood rule stipulations – was the leading ball winner for the Eagles with 29, while Dean Kemp had the better of Jason Norrish, Andrew Obst and Andy Lovell with 25 disposals through the middle.

Brett Heady didn’t add to his six goal tally as he sat the final quarter on the bench. Peter Sumich finished with 3.3 despite a mixed performance, but Chris Lewis was electric with 20 disposals and a goal across half forward.

The Eagles Grand Final opponent had been decided earlier in the afternoon when Geelong defeated the Kangaroos in a classic encounter.

North Melbourne started the stronger of the two sides to lead by three goals at quarter time, but could have led by far more with straighter kicking on goal. The Cats then took charge with a seven goal to nil second term to lead by 24 points at the main break.

Geelong still led by 18 at the final change, but North Melbourne, with the benefit of a weeks rest, stormed home. The Cats drew level once again, before Leigh Tudor sent a wobbly kick to the top of the Geelong goal square in the dying seconds of the game. His kick landed in the arms of Gary Ablett, who sent the Cats into the Grand Final with a goal after the siren.

It was the second final in three weeks Geelong had won after the siren, with the Eagles and Cats set to square off two years after they clashed in the 1992 decider.

1994 Rewind: Eagles Remain On Course Despite Magpie Scare

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The Eagles survived a Gavin Brown inspired comeback to defeat the Magpies by two points and progress to a home preliminary final.

West Coast weren’t expected to be troubled by the eighth placed Magpies, but scraped over the line when Mick McGuane dropped a chest mark within scoring distance, seconds before the final siren. Trailing by 24 points at the final break, Collingwood surged home with the aid of the Fremantle Doctor, narrowly falling short of a famous finals victory.

The Magpies only booted six goals in the first three quarters, but doubled their tally in the final term with Brown booting three, on his way to a match haul of five.

In a match filled with controversy, umpires twice failed to hear the siren at the ground, allowing play to continue well beyond the signal for the end of the quarter. On both occasions West Coast posted scores with a Don Pyke behind at the end of the second quarter allowed to stand despite the siren blaring for nearly 10 seconds before umpires heard it. Play was also allowed to continue beyond the three-quarter time siren, with Chris Lewis slotting a goal, only for umpires to then correctly annul the score ahead of the fourth quarter.

The errors around the siren almost proved catastrophic in the two point margin.

Despite arriving in Perth off consecutive losses to St Kilda and North Melbourne in the final two rounds of the regular season, the Magpies were confident they could replicate their 37 point victory from when the two sides met earlier in the season.

Surprisingly, the hero of their Round 13 victory, Andrew Tranquilli, was not initially named in the Magpies line-up, with Gary Pert returning to the side after missing the final game with a groin strain. Pert passed a vigorous fitness test to take his place, while Tony Shaw was also included despite concerns over a hamstring strain.

Mark Fraser was included along with Pert, replacing Paul Sharkey and Brett James. However, Tranquilli made his way into the final 21 as one of two late inclusions, with Sharkey reinstated after being dropped. The duo came in on the morning of the game, replacing Tony Woods and Kent Butcher.

The Eagles made two changes to their side named on Thursday night, with Dean Kemp and John Worsfold returning in place of dropped duo Paul Symmons and Drew Banfield. Banfield could consider himself unlucky to lose his spot having played all 22 home and away games, with Mick Malthouse saying team balance was the reason behind his omission.

After releasing their squad, the Eagles were still on tenterhooks until the following afternoon, with five players fronting the tribunal for their roles in the spiteful clash against Footscray the previous weekend. West Coast were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Glen Jakovich, Peter Sumich, Chris Lewis, Tony Evans and Jason Ball were all cleared to play.

Gavin Brown won the toss but gave West Coast first use of the strong afternoon breeze that favoured the end where the WACA’s famous cricket scoreboard sat. The move initially worked with West Coast failing to capitalise early under the pressure of Collingwood’s physical intent.

Even before the opening bounce, the emergency umpire was required on the field to disperse players and Don Pyke sought treatment from the Eagles medical staff after a crunching hit. When the Eagles’ first goal did come, it was via a relayed free kick after Mick McGuane bowled over Chris Mainwaring.

McGuane was doing his best to distract Mainwaring, as one of a number of enterprising moves from Leigh Matthews to stifle the Eagles’ prime movers. Usually playing through the centre, McGuane started on a wing in a defensive role on Mainwaring, while the hard-running Fraser went to the other wing on Matera in an attacking move.

First year forward Trent Hotton was preferred to spearhead Sav Rocca at full-forward, with Jason McCartney lining up at centre half forward on Jakovich. McCartney’s role was purely as a decoy, dragging Jakovich into the deep pockets of the WACA. Nathan Buckley lined up on a half forward flank opposed to McKenna but became the pseudo centre half forward with McCartney pushing wide.

When Tony Francis was released into the Magpies forward 50 to goal on the run, the Magpies had drawn level with West Coast and Brown’s decision at the coin toss was looking a masterstroke. However, the Eagles were able to finish the term with a flurry of goals to take a 12 point lead into quarter time.

Shane Bond ran into an open goal, Peter Sumich kicked his second for the term and after Nathan Buckley launched a long bomb into the wind, Chris Lewis out-bodied Gavin Crosisca to mark and goal to close out the term.

The quarter time break brought further changes for the Magpies. Tony Shaw had lasted less than a minute before the hamstring went, with the former captain resigned to the bench for the rest of the afternoon. Shane Kerrison came onto the ground in his place and was given the task of minding Dean Kemp, while Jon Hassall was sent to Tony Evans, with the Eagles duo running riot in the opening quarter.

The Eagles maintained the status quo for the second term extending their lead by two despite defending against the wind. Jason Ball kicked the opening term after marking a Sumich set shot on the goal line, before Trent Hotton roved a marking contest to keep the Magpies in the game. Brett Heady got out the back to kick the Eagles second for the quarter but the Magpies were able to respond again through Gavin Brown with just 44 seconds remaining in the term.

The first missed siren of the afternoon came at the half-time break, with play allowed to continue deep in the Eagles forward line as the siren wailed in the background. No umpire on the ground heard the siren, with play only coming to a stop when Don Pyke scrounged home a behind. The score stood.

West Coast took complete control in the third term, but it took two magical moments from Peter Matera to get some separation from the Magpies. The Eagles were inaccurate early, kicking four straight behinds with Peter Wilson also sending a shot out on the full. Brett Heady finally found the major opening before Matera put his first stamp on the game.

The Eagles wingman had worked into the game after a slow start opposed to Mark Fraser, picking up nine disposals in the second quarter. After Chris Lewis missed yet another shot on goal, the Magpies clearance from the kick-in only went as far as Jason Ball on the wing. His quick handpass released Matera who sent a long shot on goal from inside the centre square which sailed post high on the wind and lifted the mood of an anxious home crowd.

Tony Francis got an immediate response after receiving a free kick at the next centre bounce and then a 50m penalty paid against Jakovich. Unable to get into the game in the first half, Jakovich was swung forward during the third term but he was forced back to the backline just minutes later when Ashley McIntosh went down with a hamstring injury.

Collingwood grimly hung on in defence for the rest of the term, with Damien Monkhorst providing extra support sitting in the Eagles forward 50. In the final minute, Matera provided his second highlight of the term.

Gathering a loose ball on the wing, Matera went on a jinking run, weaving his way past several Collingwood opponents before finishing from 40m on the run. Umpires again failed to hear the siren when it called for three quarter time, with Chris Lewis kicking truly from the pocket. Originally given a goal, the decision was overturned by the non-officiating umpire in the middle of the ground who had heard the siren ring before Lewis got boot to ball.

Peter Matera was electric in the third term

West Coast managed 3.7 for the quarter and for all of their dominance, the 24 point three quarter left Collingwood in the game, with the advantage of the Fremantle Doctor in the final term.

And the Magpies wasted no time to get themselves back into the game with three quick goals to start the final quarter. The Collingwood skipper had moved to the goal square, with McKenna as his new opponent, kick-starting his side with the opening goal. Tony Francis booted his third for the game after Mainwaring is captured in the Magpies forward line, with Brown then kicking his second for the term after a relayed free kick was paid against Peter Matera.

After being caught holding the ball in the middle of the ground by Mark Fraser, Matera – incensed by the umpires decision – flatted Tony Francis well after he disposed of the ball, injuring his back in the process. Brown reduced the margin to just seven points, while Matera hobbled off the ground, joining McIntosh in taking no further part in the game.

Chris Lewis provided a settler to take the Eagles lead back out to 13 points, but two errors in as many minutes from the normally unflappable McKenna had Collingwood within a point of the lead. Failing to get the ball over the boundary line on the half back line, McKenna gave up possession of the ball to Brown with a chain of handballs ending with Tranquilli who slotted home on the run from the pocket.

From the Magpies’ next forward entry, McKenna again had the ball and looking to rush through a behind, sent the ball out of bounds alongside the behind post. The defender was pinned for deliberate out of bounds and Brown was able to snap home his fifth goal of the match from the resultant free kick.

The Magpies had cut the Eagles lead to just one point with still eight minutes to play, but the Eagles defence held strong against the wind. David Hynes was standing tall in his battle with Damien Monkhorst and with the clock continuing to count down, released the Eagles with a 30m spike from a ball up on the wing.

Chris Lewis pounced on the loose ball across half forward and after an exchange with Peter Wilson, sent a scrubby ball towards the top of the goal square. Collingwood defender Craig Kelly couldn’t hold onto the mark, allowing Brett Heady to swoop and run into an open goal. With under two minutes remaining, the Eagles lead was eight points, but there was still plenty to play out.

Jason McCartney had the Magpies back within two after being set free through the middle of the ground and with only seconds on the clock, Collingwood had one final thrust forward.

Jon Hassall won a free kick on the wing and released Gary Pert with a handball, with the defenders long kick floating towards half-forward. Mick McGuane found himself best placed, but spilled the mark allowing West Coast to hold on.

After the match, Malthouse praised the spirit of his players in fighting the game to the end. “It was a great win for us. But we knew Collingwood were always going to tough it out. You don’t expect any different from Collingwood.”

Malthouse refused to accept that the distraction of the tribunal in the lead up to the game had had any impact, instead expressing disappointment over a number of ‘easy’ goals that kept Collingwood in the game.

Magpies coach Leigh Matthews was equally full of praise for his side, declaring that the brace of goals from Matera in the third term was the difference in the game. “I would go as far to say that is what beat us.”

“A couple of goals that come from just a pure, sensational one-off. A bloke grabs the ball from midfield and says ‘don’t worry about anyone else, I’m going to finish’, Matthews exclaimed.

“We got beaten by maybe just those two fantastic individual efforts by him at that point… I thought for the rest of it, we hung in there fairly well.”

The thrilling finish capped off an incredible weekend of results in the AFL’s first instalment of the top eight system. The Cats made it through their qualifying final against the Dogs courtesy of a Billy Brownless goal after the siren. Geelong got the blistering start with an eight goal opening quarter, but the Dogs clawed their way back into the game to trail by just two points at the final change.

In a see-sawing last term, Footscray appeared to be home when Simon Atkins put them in front with just 24 seconds remaining, but a Geelong clearance from the next centre bounce landed in the lap of Brownless. Brownless coolly finished to get the Cats over the line.

Earlier that day, North Melbourne and Hawthorn played the first ever final that required extra time, when the two sides were locked at 91 points apiece. The Kangaroos dominated the extra time period, kicking 3.5 to 0.0 in the additional playing time, with Wayne Carey guiding his team to victory.

The narrow defeat was exacerbated 24 hours later for the Hawks when seventh placed Melbourne upset the second placed Blues. After an even first half, the Demons exposed Carlton’s lack of pace to run away with a 27 point win and keep their finals hopes alive, when defeat would have ended their season.

That meant the sixth placed Hawks joined Collingwood on the scrapheap for 1994 and also saw North Melbourne join the Eagles with direct entry to the preliminary final.

Malthouse admitted the week off would be beneficial for the Eagles, with injury concerns over Ashley McIntosh and Peter Matera. West Coast would wait on the winner of the Melbourne/Footscray clash, but doubt remained over where the game would be held, with many Victorian based identities adamant that the MCG should host both preliminary finals to satisfy the AFL’s agreement with the MCC.