2011 Rewind: Masten’s Redemption

August 27, 2021August 27, 2021 ~ wcehistory ~ Leave a comment

Eagles Climb Off Canvas to Pip Lions

Two weeks after being dropped for the match against Melbourne and then receiving a last minute reprieve when Jack Darling pulled out ahead of the Essendon game, Chris Masten showed the levels he could reach as a number three draft pick with a career best performance against the Lions.

In his 50^th AFL game, Masten was the difference between the two sides finishing with 31 possessions and three goals as West Coast clawed their way back from a five-goal deficit midway through the third quarter to snatch an eight point victory at the GABBA.

West Coast failed to kick a major in the 50 minutes after quarter time but came home with a rush to further their premiership credentials. The Eagles booted eight of the final ten goals in the game as Masten, Andrew Gaff and Matt Priddis engineered the comeback.

John Worsfold suggested the Eagles could rest players for the trip to Brisbane, but only Daniel Kerr is left out of the side as he battles a back injury which flared up from several strong hits in the win over Essendon. Patrick McGinnity comes in as his replacement after serving a one match suspension.

Young forward Jack Darling remained sidelined with a thigh injury after being a late withdrawal the week before, but the likes of Dean Cox, Andrew Embley and Darren Glass all travel to face the Lions.

Brisbane also made the one change with Bryce Retzlaff coming into the team in place of Mitch Clark who couldn’t be considered because of a knee injury.

The Lions had managed just four wins all season and coach Michael Voss called on his charges to show pride and finish the year on a high with the prized scalp of the Eagles, who hadn’t won at the ground since 2006.

In further inspiration for the home side, veteran midfielder Luke Power announced that the game would be his final for the Lions, his 282^nd overall.

Conversely, another veteran Lion in Simon Black, signed a fresh one year contract to play on in 2012 and it was no wonder why, with the 2002 Brownlow medallist putting on a clinic in the opening term as the Lions matched West Coast.

Adam Selwood was given the task of minding Black from the opening bounce, but that plan was soon abandoned as Black carved the Eagles apart. It was left to the other Selwood, in Scott, to curb his influence, but Black remained one of the better performers for the Lions throughout the game.

Both sides had their chances on goal in the first term as the two teams combined for nine majors. A Josh Kennedy goal after the quarter time siren put the Eagles in front at the first change but Brisbane soon took a handle on the game to keep West Coast goalless in the second term.

Pearce Hanley and Luke Power, along with Black, gave plenty of drive out of the middle with West Coast forced to defend for much of the term. The Lions were also denying the Eagles possession of the ball, racking up 35 more disposals for the half.

Brisbane continued to have all the play at the start of the third quarter, but could only translate their control in the game into 2.5 on the scoreboard to extend their lead to 29 points as the term ticked into time-on.

From there, the Eagles flipped the game with four quick goals to cut the Lions lead to just two points at three quarter time and they sealed the impressive win with four goals to two in the final quarter.

Pleasingly for Worsfold, it was a crew of younger Eagles that prompted the turnaround.

Luke Shuey managed just seven disposals in the first half but responded after half-time to finish with 20 touches, five inside-50s and seven tackles. Andrew Gaff and Matt Priddis were one of a few Eagles that were able to compete for four quarters while Quentin Lynch provided a strong target in the forward half.

Dean Cox was forced out of the game with an eye injury during the third quarter, Andrew Embley was held to just seven disposals by Andrew Raines and Josh Kennedy contributed just one goal from eight touches.

But the standout for West Coast was Masten who produced his finest performance in his Eagle career.

In what had been a disjointed year for the high draft pick, Masten had sat out six games at the start of the year after suffering a knee injury in the opening round before missing another chunk of matches after falling out of favour of the match committee.

Masten appeared to get his break when he returned for the Round 20 match against Richmond where he started as the substitute but came into the game after Matt Rosa hobbled off the ground with a PCL injury.

It was expected at the time that Masten would remain in the side as Rosa’s direct replacement, but instead he was sent back to the WAFL the following week as his Eagles teammates flew to Melbourne to tackle the Demons. Masten was again left out the following week for the clash with Essendon, but earned a late call up when Darling pulled out earning his place as the starting sub for the fourth time this year.

Despite having just two possessions in that game coming on late, Masten held his spot with Daniel Kerr ruled out and given the full match against Brisbane to show his wares, delivered a stellar effort that suddenly gave one of the premiership fancies another element to their midfield.

Masten had booted just two goals for the season up to this match, but added three against the Lions, all at crucial moments in the game, to show he could be damaging on the scoreboard as well as being an accumulator of the ball. Just as impressive, Masten laid seven tackles – the second most he had laid in a game.

Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff attempted to match the feats of Masten with 30 disposals, 11 clearances, 13 tackles and two goals, while veterans Simon Black (25 disposals) and Josh Drummond (23 disposals) were consistent contributors for the Lions.

West Coast had done what they needed to do to secure another four points, which had led the 2010 wooden spooners into the top four where they were now guaranteed to finish.

The Eagles sat six points clear of the fifth-placed Carlton after the Blues had the bye, while the top eight was also confirmed with positive results for several teams in the bottom half of the finals positions.

The Saints, Swans and Bombers all recorded the wins they needed to evade any last ditch effort from North Melbourne or Fremantle to steal the final spot in the top eight, although the Bombers toiled longer than they would have planned to get past the Power.

The Bombers skipped to a 15 point lead during the second quarter and would have been right to assume they had done what they needed to record the win. However a five goal burst before half time swung the match in the favour of Port Adelaide as Robbie Gray and third-gamer John Butcher combined for the five majors.

The pair continued to kick goals through the second half, with Robbie Gray ultimately kicking six goals and Butcher four. Port Adelaide looked set to climb off the canvas of the ladder with a stunning upset win before Essendon finally clicked that their finals hopes rested on a positive result against the Power, with a bye in the last home-and-away round.

From the ten minute mark to the 25 minute mark, Essendon slammed on seven unanswered goals to steady for a seven point win. St Kilda easily accounted for the Kangaroos, all but ending their finals hopes, while Sydney ended Geelong’s 29 game winning streak at Kardinia Park with a superlative effort in honour of captain Mark McVeigh.

McVeigh sat out the match following the death of his infant daughter during the week, but with Adam Goodes and Ryan O’Keefe leading from the front, the Swans put in the team effort of the year to get home by 13 points.

That result meant that Collingwood had wrapped up the minor premiership following their 80 point demolition of the Dockers. Hawthorn maintained their position in third place with a comfortable 46 point victory over the Bulldogs.

For Worsfold, the result was vindication for the effort and work of the entire football club in the off-season, following three seasons in the doldrums.

“I’m proud of the team that we’ve got within the football department and I’m obviously proud of the club. But it’s taken a lot of teamwork and commitment from everyone to have the faith the team would get the runs on the board and bounce back.”

“As much as it’s nice to say everyone is surprised by their performances this year, it’s not because the hard work hasn’t been done. It’s not through luck, it’s through belief and hard work,” Worsfold continued.

“I’ve always been proud of the guys that I’ve had the pleasure and opportunity to coach.”

For the first time this season, Worsfold acknowledged the Eagles’ place in the finals, with the club set to finish fourth regardless of results in the final week of the home and away season.

“All the year along I said when we get to round 24, I’ll be able to answer your questions. So now I can tell you at round 24 we’ll be fourth and that’s a credit to the boys for having done that.”

1990 Rewind: Lewis Magic Lifts West Coast

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020 ~ wcehistory ~ Leave a comment

Eagles Get Necessary Win In Penultimate Round

In a game that failed to reach great heights, West Coast got the four points against the Brisbane Bears to keep their hold on third place, with just one regular-season game left.

The Eagles were solid, rather than spectacular in the win, opening up a 20 point lead at the first change before going on to a 41 point result in front of just 7,286 fans at Carrara.

And while those that did come to the ground would have seen the match play out as expected between a team vying for the double chance and another team near the foot of the ladder, they were treated to one of the great individual performances of the year.

Chris Lewis had endured a frustrating start to the season when a hamstring injury and then an ankle problem restricted the midfielder/forward to just one quarter in the opening five games.

A fortnight with WAFL club Claremont built some match fitness before Lewis returned to the Eagles side, hitting his stride in the second half of the season. In ten matches from round 11, Lewis averaged 23 disposals per game and booted 15 goals as West Coast consolidated their spot in the top five.

Against the Bears in Round 21, Lewis put in a career best performance.

Running through the midfield, Lewis collected 28 kicks, 10 handballs, seven marks and booted three goals in a clear best on ground display. The Bears had no answer to the masterful showing from Lewis, who displayed his skills both in the stoppage and out in space and had a hand in creating a number of scoring opportunities.

The Eagles made a host of changes to the side that played the Bears, following their loss to the Demons a week earlier. Dwayne Lamb was forced out with a broken arm and Peter Melesso commenced his five-week suspension for stomping. The casualties from the defeat were Troy Ugle, Tony Begovich and Geoff Miles.

Into the West Coast line up were John Worsfold, who returned from serving a two week ban, Craig McGrath who was a late withdrawal the week before, as well as Scott Watters, Dean Turner and Murray Rance who forced his way into the side after six weeks in the WAFL.

The Bears made just two changes with Chris O’Sullivan and Brad Rowe replacing dropped pair Ray Windsor and Shaun Hart.

Laurie Keene made the trip with the Eagles squad as the travelling emergency, with Malthouse remaining cagey over whether the ruckman would make his return from injury. Keene had been sidelined since the second match of 1989 and even Bears coach Norm Dare predicted pre-match that Keene would be included in the Eagles side.

“I can’t believe Keene would come all this way and not play.”

Keene wasn’t a late inclusion with Malthouse giving the pairing of Dean Irving and Phil Scott a chance to bounce back from the beating they copped against Jim Stynes the week before.

And while both lowered their colours to ex-Eagle Alex Ishchenko, it mattered little as Lewis led the strong showing from the West Coast midfield. David Hart and Stephen Malaxos complemented the silky skills of Lewis with the inside grunt, while Craig Turley and Chris Mainwaring provided the linking run on the wings.

Up forward, Peter Sumich booted four goals, taking his total to 73 for the season, equalling the club record set by Ross Glendinning in 1988. However, Sumich would finish the afternoon on the bench. In only his second game back from missing a month with a hamstring, Sumich once again felt a twinge with the Eagles medical staff taking no chances on their spearhead.

**Chris Lewis was sublime for the Eagles against Brisbane**

For Malthouse, the defensive effort was the most pleasing aspect, having conceded 100 points in each of the previous two games.

“The idea was to restrict their scoring, which is something we’ve not done in the last two weeks. The Bears only got eight goals – that’s exactly the result we wanted.”

“They had some good runners but we were able to shut them down and we broke through their defence enough times to kick a winning score.”

Pleased with the performance of his defence, Malthouse had special praise for the returning Rance who restricted Bears full-forward Roger Merrett to just nine disposals and a goal.

“It was just about his (Rance) best game this year. Not because of how many kicks he got, but because of who he was playing on and the way he handled himself under pressure.” Malthouse went on to say it was the best game Rance had played at the club.

Rance himself tallied 15 disposals and seven marks to finish as one of the best for West Coast. David Hart relished not having a tag for the match to gather 31 disposals through the middle, while Steve Malaxos picked up 29 touches.

Guy McKenna had 25 disposals off half back, while Craig McGrath provided the perfect foil for Sumich in the forward line with 21 touches, nine marks and 2.3. Chris Waterman – who held his spot after being a late inclusion the week before – was also one of the Eagles’ best with 19 possessions, nine marks and a goal.

Mark Withers was the leading disposal winner for the Bears with 27, while David Bain and Scott McIvor each picked up 26 touches. With the Bears’ key forwards well held by the tight West Coast defence, only Michael Richardson and Matthew Campbell finished as multiple goal scorers with two each.

Bears coach Norm Dare admitted he was flat after the match believing many of his players already had their eye on the end of the season. The Bears were relegated to last on the ladder and were set for the wooden spoon, after Sydney stunned the Cats by two points at Kardinia Park.

The win kept West Coast in third, with all of the finals incumbents registering wins in the penultimate round of the regular season. Essendon stayed top, despite being jumped by Footscray. The Bulldogs opened up a four goal lead at the first change, but the Bombers had hit the front by half-time, before rolling away to a 24 point win.

That kept the Bombers a win ahead at the top of the ladder, with Collingwood putting in the most impressive performance from the top five, thrashing Fitzroy by 86 points. The Demons and Hawks kept their own double chance hopes alive with efficient wins over Richmond and Carlton.

Melbourne broke free of the Tigers with a five goal second quarter, to run out steady 36 point winners, while Jason Dunstall kicked six goals for the Hawks in their 31 point win over the Blues.

While West Coast mostly tailored through their win against the Bears, the performance wasn’t a concern for Eagles coach Mick Malthouse, pointing out the eight hour trip from Perth to the Gold Coast was an acceptable factor.

The air strike that had debilitated much of the national travel system meant West Coast had to make stops in Adelaide and then Sydney, before eventually reaching their destination in Queensland. Conditions at the ground were also tough with hot, blustery winds greeting the teams at Carrara.

“Fatigue was a big factor. It’s a long journey, it’s a big ground and we haven’t played in that sort of heat for a long time.”

“A win, is a win, is a win – and that’s all it was.”

1990 Rewind: Eagles Bounce Back Against Bears

May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 ~ wcehistory ~ Leave a comment

Eagles Get Four Points But Miss Percentage Booster

West Coast returned to winning ways when they comfortably accounted for the Brisbane Bears at Subiaco Oval. In a performance that warranted a triple-digit winning margin, poor kicking on goal meant the Eagles had to settle for a 59 point victory.

Peter Sumich booted four goals, as did Geoff Miles who was thrown forward in the second half. With such a complete performance, many Eagles stood out, but the performance that would have most delighted the West Coast match committee was that of Phil Narkle, who returned for his first senior match in over two and a half years.

Narkle – a member of the Eagles inaugural squad of 1987 – was delisted at the end of 1988 after injuries restricted the gifted wingman to just nine games in two seasons. Returning to the WAFL, Narkle managed some games with Swan Districts late in the 1989 season, with the Eagles throwing a lifeline ahead of the 1990 season, with their final selection at the pre-season draft.

Narkle’s last appearance for the Eagles had been the 130 shellacking against Sydney in Round 16 of the 1987 season.

Narkle shone in his first game back, picking up 22 disposals and booting 2.3 playing mostly from the forward pocket. Malthouse, in particular, was delighted by Narkle’s showing.

“I was tickled pink with Phil’s game, especially as he was a bundle of nerves beforehand,” a ‘rapt’ Malthouse said after the game.

“His pace and genuine crumbing ability gave us something that we lacked.”

Narkle was one of four inclusions for the Eagles, who swung the axe after their poor display against the Demons the previous week.

Chris Mainwaring earned an instant reprieve after being dropped to East Fremantle the week before, responding as one of the best players for West Coast. Scott Watters and Tony Begovich were the others brought in, with Craig Turley, Andrew Lockyer and Todd Breman dropped. Dean Laidley was finished for season 1990 having undergone a knee reconstruction during the week.

Begovich debuted for the Eagles after being selected at the 1989 National Draft, but his selection capped off a rampant rise. Begovich initially rejected the Eagles offer to join the club, choosing instead to remain with WAFL club Claremont, alongside fellow draftee Peter Mann.

However, a change of heart in the new year saw Begovich join his new Eagle teammates and a strong start to the WAFL season garnered his first senior AFL game. While he spent most of his first match on the bench, Begovich still managed to have an impact booting his first goal.

The need for Begovich was limited as West Coast controlled the contest from the get go.

The Eagles registered 13 scoring shots in the first term and the game could have been done at the first change if not for an inaccurate return of 4.9.

Chris Mainwaring slotted back on a wing and gave plenty of drive, as did rookie Peter Matera who produced a more rounded effort in his 3rd AFL game. Fellow rookie Brett Heady provided class through the midfield and at half forward, while Peter Wilson was industrious around the ground.

The Bears had arrived in Perth off the back of their second win of the season, by eight points over Sydney, with forward Cameron O’Brien the difference in the win with seven goals. However, he was completely blanketed up forward by Michael Brennan. Murray Rance was similarly effective on Bears captain Roger Merrett.

Guy McKenna provided the drive from the backline and with Karl Langdon and Stevan Jackson up forward, along with Sumich and later Geoff Miles, there was too much class across the ground for the Bears to contain.

The Eagles added another four goals in the second term, and put the foot down after half time with six majors to take their lead out to 60 points with a quarter to play. However 2.7 in the final quarter cost the Eagles a chance at a significant percentage boost.

Remarkably, the Eagles booted 8.13 in each half, to finish with one of their most inaccurate displays in the clubs history, a final score of 16.26, from 42 scoring shots.

Mainwaring, McKenna and Wilson all tallied 26 disposals to be the leading ball winners for the Eagles, with rookies Dean Kemp (22 disposals) and Brett Heady (21 disposals, two goals) also impressive. The only concern for West Coast was full forward Peter Sumich limping off midway through the third term.

Bears coach Norm Dare admitted his side were ‘just not tough enough’ in the contest with the result undoing much of the good work they had showed the week before.

Ironically for the Bears, their best players were also Eagles. Mark Zanotti, John Gastev and Alex Ishchenko had all been a part of the Eagles’ inaugural squad, but had worked their way east to the Bears in subsequent seasons.

Zanotti was the leading possession getter for the Bears with 25 from defence, while Gastev offered an avenue to goal with 18 touches and two goals. Ishchenko was the Bears’ best on the day, completely monstering Phil Scott in the ruck and getting the better of his former teammate around the ground.

Ishchenko finished with 18 disposals and 10 marks, while also having 25 hit-outs in the ruck, compared to just nine for Scott.

While happy with the win, Malthouse bemoaned the missed opportunities on goal. “We worked hard to set up goals rather than kick them.”

And despite the win lifting the Eagles back up to second spot on the ladder, a game clear of the chasing pack, Malthouse acknowledged the win would mean nothing if they lost to the Cats the following week.

“We have to defeat Geelong next week,” Malthouse declared. “That will put us three games up on them.”

“In the wash-up, after 22 rounds they (Geelong) will be vying as we will be, for a place in the five.”

It was déjà vu for the Cats when inaccurate kicking cost them what should have been a straight forward win against a side at the bottom of the ladder. A week on from their shock defeat to Richmond at Kardinia Park, the Cats booted 13.20 in their nine point loss to the Swans at the SCG, who had started the round in equal bottom.

The consecutive defeats had robbed the 1989 Grand Finalists the chance to sit comfortably inside the top five, instead languishing in eighth position, a game and percentage out of the top five. Carlton pushed past the Cats into seventh when they won their third straight match, thrashing the Hawks.

The Blues led from the outset and slammed their advantage home in the final term with an eight goal quarter securing a 67 point win. The Hawks would be the big losers of the round, dropping from 2nd on the ladder to 5th.

Essendon and St Kilda each climbed a spot with narrow wins over Footscray and North Melbourne, respectively, while the Magpies remained stayed in touch with the top five with a ten goal final term turning a 17 point three-quarter time deficit into a 45 point win over Fitzroy. The Demons remained the pacesetters at the top of the ladder with an easy win over the Tigers.

1994 Rewind: Finals Secured But Too Soon For Malthouse

June 7, 2019 ~ wcehistory ~ Leave a comment

The Eagles were unimpressive but still made it six wins in a row when they held off a plucky Brisbane at Subiaco Oval.

The Bears arrived in Perth off wins against finals fancies North Melbourne and Geelong and threatened to topple the ladder-leading Eagles for much of the afternoon. However, the Bears butchered their chances in the final term meaning the Eagles are still yet to lose to Brisbane – a draw in 1992 the closest the Bears have gotten.

The Eagles 9-2 record after 11 games kept them a game clear at the top of the ladder and virtually assured them of a fifth straight finals appearance, although Eagles coach Mick Malthouse wasn’t exactly celebrating.

Post-match, an agitated Malthouse resumed his criticism from before the season about the newly implemented top eight. Malthouse had derided a system that ‘rewarded’ more than half the of the teams in the competition with a finals spot and also suggested that the larger finals system had eliminated the late season drama of teams competing for finals.

Malthouse said that the season had developed a clear division of the top teams and the bottom teams at the halfway mark and that the finals make up had already been decided, killing any interest in the second half of the year.

“I think its ridiculous. In the past two seasons we have gone to round 22 or 24, we’ve gone to the final siren in many instances to find out who would make the top six. Now, in round 12 we have got real division.”

Malthouse said that only Adelaide – who were in ninth position – were capable of pushing into the top eight out of the sides sitting in the bottom half.

“That’s the unfortunate thing about the final eight,” Malthouse continued. “You can get all the Victorian sides in that you like, but it doesn’t solve the problem of having a competition that’s fierce right to the end.”

Malthouse though wasn’t done after expressing his views on the top eight.

The Eagles had been put on notice by the AFL during the week after they had exploited a loophole which allowed Dean Kemp to be a late inclusion to the team that played Melbourne a week before, despite not being named in the squad of 24 submitted to the AFL on the Thursday night.

Under AFL rules, clubs were allowed to add an extra player to their emergency list the following day if they were playing on Sunday, with Kemp added as the 25th player in the Eagles squad. Kemp was subsequently included in the final side the morning of the clash with Melbourne, replacing Brett Heady who was never expected to play after straining a hamstring a week earlier.

As such, the AFL announced they would revoke the rule from Round 13, expressing their disappointment that West Coast had blatantly benefitted from the situation. For Malthouse, the whole scenario seemed unwarranted, simply stating that they were entitled to ‘use it to their advantage’. “While the rule is there, you use it.”

“We took the opportunity to take Dean Kemp across and he filled the role of the player (Heady) who pulled out of the side late.”

The Eagles clearly weren’t bothered by the AFL’s stance, as they made a further two late changes for their clash with Brisbane.

Brett Heady was named to return from a hamstring injury, but failed to come up on game day allowing Jarrad Schofield to reclaim his place after he was omitted for Heady. The other late change was Peter Wilson, who had been surprisingly named after Malthouse had ruled the half-forward out earlier in the week with a hamstring injury suffered against the Demons.

Wilson had his place taken by Matt Clape, who returned to the West Coast side for his first game since round 4. Brett Spinks was another who spent much of the week under an injury cloud, but he recovered enough from an ankle concern to take his place.

The Bears were dealt a double blow for their trip west with captain Roger Merrett unavailable due to a thigh complaint and Matthew Kennedy ruled out with a fractured cheekbone. Merrett, in particular, was a bad loss for the Bears. The veteran had booted five goals and two goals in the previous two weeks as Brisbane recorded consecutive upset wins.

Scott McIvor was named for his 100th game at full forward in place of Merrett, with Fabian Francis the other inclusion.

The Eagles had the better of the early chances, but wasteful kicking at goal kept the Bears in the game at quarter-time with the visitors then dictating the play after the first change.

Adrian Fletcher and Craig Lambert led the Brisbane midfield who had the better of their Eagle counterparts. Dean Kemp struggled in his second game back from a knee injury and Chris Mainwaring found himself on the pine with Chris Scott getting the better of their duel.

Paul Peos then changed the game with three goals in 13 minutes. The former Eagle was proving a handful for several of his ex-teammates, with John Worsfold and then Guy McKenna both unable to contain the half-forward. Michael Brennan – who was playing game 150 – became his third opponent but the Bears had taken a seven point lead following Peos’ purple patch.

At the other end, West Coast were sorely missing Sumich, Heady and Wilson. Malthouse had a constant rotation of players through his front half, as he searched for an effective combination. David Hynes, Ashley McIntosh and Karl Langdon all started the game in the forward 50 but failed to have an impact, with Hynes well beaten by Martin Leslie and Darryl White getting the better of McIntosh.

A goal to Chris Waterman right before half-time levelled the scores at 44 apiece with West Coast then taking charge again in the third quarter. The Waterman goal started a run of four for the Eagles, with Peter Matera (twice) and Ryan Turnbull kicking majors to have the hosts ahead by 17 points.

Still, the Bears wouldn’t go away.

Brisbane booted the last two goals in the term to reduce the Eagles lead to six at three-quarter time, making it anyone’s game to win.

It would be the Eagles who would find the goals when it mattered in the final term. Guy McKenna was shifted to the forward line at the start of the last quarter, with the move paying immediate dividends. McKenna goaled just three minutes into the term to take the Eagles lead out to 12 points.

The Bears continued to pepper the goals, but couldn’t hit the major target. Peos and Alastair Lynch both missed from close range and then Troy Clarke slammed his rushed shot on goal into the post. The game was then decided heading into time-on with the Eagles pouncing on a Scott McIvor turnover. McIvor’s errant disposal was swooped on by the Eagles at half-back and a quick movement up the ground finished with McIntosh kicking an easy goal on the run to put the Eagles out to a three goal lead and end the contest.

A late goal to Brisbane reduced the final margin, but they paid for their missed chances earlier in the quarter. The Bears booted 1.6 for the term and Robert Walls was left to rue the opportunities. “We had our chances. Whoever won today could say they were a bit fortunate.”

“We weren’t able to close it and to their credit they bottled it up and did all the things that an experienced and good team should do in the final minutes.”

Malthouse though was blunt in his assessment of the performance. “We were ordinary in certain passages of the game… a lot of them are very disappointed in their performance today and are not buoyed at all by the fact that we got over the line.”

In further sour news, the Eagles lost Don Pyke and John Worsfold during the second half to injury. Pyke was forced off the ground with a shoulder injury early in the third quarter, while Worsfold played for nearly a quarter with an arm complaint, before then sitting out the last term.

Asked why Worsfold spent so long on the ground despite being clearly hampered, Malthouse said he did all he could get to his captain off. “Have you ever had front teeth extracted? That’s how hard it was to get him to leave the ground.”