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 50th 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 282nd 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.”
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