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Second Quarter Burst Delivers Important Away Win

Seven unanswered second-quarter goals and a number of other favourable results all but ensured the Eagles would return to finals action for the first time in four seasons.

West Coast scored a 39 point win over Adelaide at Football Park and found themselves safely inside the top eight by two and a half games at the halfway mark of the season as several of the outsiders dropped important results.

Melbourne were thrashed by Collingwood to the tune of 88 points in their Queens Birthday clash while Richmond fell to a narrow ten point loss to the Swans in Sydney to harm their chances of reaching finals.

The Eagles sat sixth after 11 matches, just one game out of the top four after Hawthorn lost another narrow match to Geelong. The Hawks led by three goals at three-quarter time, but were held scoreless in the final stanza as the Cats maintained their unbeaten start to the year. Geelong booted three goals to claim the lead nine minutes into the final quarter, before the match became an engrossing battle, with the Cats recording the last four scores of the game (all behinds) to run out five point winners.

That result saw Hawthorn drop to fourth on the ladder, with Carlton leapfrogging the Hawks after the comfortably accounted for the Lions by ten goals. Fremantle reversed recent form to record an impressive 34 point win over Essendon, with the two sides swapping position in 7^th and 8^th on the ladder. The Dockers win was set up in the first quarter when they opened the match with a six goal to one term.

The Crows and Eagles had built a strong rivalry during the mid-2000’s, with the Eagles twice thwarting Adelaide’s flag hopes with preliminary final wins in 2005 and 2006. As West Coast dropped to the foot of the ladder, the Crows continued to be a finals challenger but in 2011 the roles had reversed.

Adelaide had won just three games for the season and were in rebuild mode, while the Eagles had surged back towards finals contention. Such had been the Crows’ performances this season, that questions had risen over the future of senior coach Neil Craig.

The commentary over Craig’s future led to Worsfold to back in his counterpart ahead of the match, having been the focus of speculation the year before. The Eagles coach questioned why many were quick to dismiss veteran coaches during bad spells, suggesting that Craig and Rodney Eade both had the capability to turn their clubs’ fortunes around in future years.

West Coast made three changes for the trip to South Australia, recalling Brad Ebert after he was banished to the WAFL a week earlier. Ebert responded with a best on ground performance for Peel to earn his spot back, with Daniel Kerr and Sam Butler both overcoming injuries to make the trip.

Brad Sheppard, Tom Swift and Andrew Strijk were the three to lose their place.

The Crows made two changes, dropping Ricky Henderson and Brad Moran in favour of Andy Otten and Shaun McKernan.

Adelaide had first use of a strong breeze, opening up a ten point lead at the first change, before West Coast maximised the wind advantage in the second term.

West Coast slammed on seven goals while the Crows managed just two behinds as the ball lived in the Eagles forward half. Mark LeCras add two majors for the term to go with the Eagles only goal of the first term to have three at the half.

Adelaide made better use of the breeze in the third term as they worked their back on the scoreboard. When Richard Douglas added a brace of goals within 77 seconds, the home side trailed by just nine points.

Mark Nicoski then put the match out of reach with the opening two goals of the final term as the Eagles eased away for their seventh win of the season. LeCras contributed the final two goals of the game to take his match haul to five, with Nicoski (three) and Matt Rosa (two) the other multiple goal scorers for West Coast.

In his 101^st game, Rosa was best on ground, with 31 disposals, nine marks and seven inside-50s on the wing to go with his two goals. Andrew Embley (29 disposals) and Daniel Kerr (25) were proficient while Scott Selwood and Patrick McGinnity did the jobs on Scott Thompson and Richard Douglas.

The Eagles ruck pairing of Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui again controlled the tap knocks with the Eagles winning the count by 19 and subsequently the clearances by 10.

For Adelaide, running defender Graham Johncock was their leading ball winner with 26 and ten rebound 50’s, with Scott Thompson also collecting 26 disposals. Michael Doughty nullified the influence of Matt Priddis in the middle while Matthew Wright and Bernie Vince bobbed up throughout the game, but the greater spread of the Eagles ensured they would get the points.

Eagles Make It Two On The Trot

West Coast made it consecutive wins to start the 2011 season when they secured an 18 point win over Port Adelaide at Football Park.

The inaccurate Eagles edged their way to a three goal leading during the first half and maintained their advantage for most of the second half, holding out the home side after they twice closed within a goal during the final term.

Andrew Embley booted four goals to go with 32 disposals in a best afield display, while Josh Kennedy and Luke Shuey each kicked three. Kennedy had the better of Jackson Trengove early to boot his three goals by half time, while Embley and Shuey combined for the Eagles’ last six goals as West Coast became the first team since Collingwood in 2000 to win their first two games after claiming the wooden spoon the year before.

However, it was mixed fortunes for two of the Eagles most injury-prone players.

Daniel Kerr returned for his first game in nearly a year and picked up where he left off, gathering 25 disposals through the middle. Beau Waters, though, was set for a stint on the sidelines after injuring an elbow in one of the plays of the day.

With the Power closing in on the Eagles lead during the third term, and with the run of the play through the middle of the ground, Waters was able to tackle David Rodan, recover to smother a kick off the boot of Jaspar Pittard, before taking possession and finding Andrew Embley free at half forward to roll home a steadying goal.

The Eagles vice-captain missed the entire 2009 campaign after surgery on his left elbow, with the latest injury to his right. While West Coast were optimistic after the match, Waters would remain unavailable to the back end of the season.

Kerr was one of three changes for the Eagles, with Nic Naitanui and Patrick McGinnity both recalled after being late withdrawals the week before. Chris Masten and Mark LeCras were both sidelined with injury, with small forward Ashton Hams dropped.

Port Adelaide made just the one change after they were thrashed by reigning premiers Collingwood in the opening round. Veteran Chad Cornes came into the side in place of injured full forward Jay Schulz.

As they had done the week before, West Coast started strongly, but inaccuracy prevented the visitors from establishing a larger lead. Josh Kennedy and Quinten Lynch kicked truly early in the second term to stretch the Eagles lead to 22 points before Port Adelaide got their foot into the game.

Chad Cornes swung forward to kick the Power’s first for the term, with Robbie Gray kicking a brace to bring the Power back within five points. The Eagles then got on another run with Kennedy booting his third to send the Eagles out to a four goal advantage.

Gray added a third for the term to reduce the Eagles lead to 19 at the main break.

Mark Nicoski kicked from long range inside the opening minute of the second half to stretch the lead to 25, before the Power’s sub stamped his mark on the game. Jason Davenport was injected into the game during the half-time break in place of Dom Cassisi, booting three goals for the quarter as Port Adelaide refused to give up on their chase of the Eagles lead.

Three goals in a row – two to Davenport – had the home side back within nine points, before Waters’ inspirational play through the middle of the ground led to Embley and then Shuey, giving the Eagles breathing space.

Again Port Adelaide came, with Davenport adding his third and Chad Cornes kicking truly.

The Eagles had managed 12 more scoring shots in the first three quarters, but that only equated to a 12 point lead. Travis Boak – who had been well held by Adam Selwood – found the major opening to get the Power within a goal but Luke Shuey was able to answer.

And for each of the Power’s challenges in the final term, the Eagles were able to find the answer with Embley’s fourth in the dying seconds the icing on a fine win.

**Daniel Kerr was one of the best for West Coast in his return game**

Eagles coach John Worsfold was pleased with the win, but the victory was the least of what West Coast deserved having controlled large periods of the match. The Eagles finished with 60 more disposals, 18 more contested possessions and 13 more scoring shots.

Worsfold was also content with the return of Kerr through the midfield. “…he (Kerr) was always going to be a certain starter when he was fit enough to be in the side.”

“His attitude about getting back to wanting to play his best footy is great.”

Dean Cox again dominated in the ruck, combining with Naitanui to get the better of Port Adelaide ruckman Dean Brogan. The pair notched 53 hit-outs to Brogan’s 13, although the Eagles weren’t able to translate the hit-out advantage in the stoppages, losing the clearances 33-40.

But with Mitch Brown keeping Justin Westhoff quiet, and the other Port talls unable to exert any influence in the forward half, West Coast were able to set up much of their scoring opportunities with transition football from the back half.

Matt Priddis collected 29 disposals through the centre, while Shuey’s 27 disposal, three-goal effort earned a rising star nomination.

The Eagles’ first win over Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval in nine attempts, since 1998, left them as one of just five teams with two wins from the opening two games of the season.

For Worsfold, the result was an important step as the Eagles continued to build from the bottom. “Obviously for us they’re all important wins.”

“So to come to Port and beat Port here, which has been pretty tough for us since Port’s existence, for this group specifically it’s a very good win for them, but for the club overall to beat Port here has taken a bit of time.”

“We came over here saying we still wanted to win. Just that belief within the group, I think, is a bit stronger.”

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