What’s On | Round 20
West Coast Eagles v North Melbourne
Sunday, July 30 | 2.40pm (AWST) | Optus Stadium / Whadjuk
Gates open 12.30pm

This Sunday, July 30, be there as we take on North Melbourne at Optus Stadium from 2.40pm (AWST).

Tickets for Sunday’s match are on sale through Ticketmaster right now, and more tickets will be released in the lead-up to Sunday’s bouncedown.

Fan Zone location for 2023

Head to the western concourse on level 1 (inside Gate D) before the match for some great kids’ activities.

From 12:30pm until bouncedown, enjoy face painting from the West Coast Eagles fairies, and see a magician roaming the concourse.

From 1.40pm until 2.10pm, meet and greet with a member of the team pre-match to get a poster signed, and from 1.50pm until 2.10pm, find our mascots Rick and Rosie roaming the concourse. After bouncedown, get a photo with Auzzie the Eagle after her pre-match flight, until half-time.

Vaping and Smoking Reminder

Vaping and smoking are not permitted anywhere in Optus Stadium or on concourses. Offending patrons risk immediate eviction.

Public Transport

Remember to plan your journey ahead of Sunday with Transperth’s Journey Planner, and please click here for further information. Event buses will operate post-match. 

Public Transport is included in the cost of your match day ticket, with free travel on Perth’s buses and trains three hours either side of the match. If asked, please show your ticket to the driver or inspector.

If you’re heading through Gates A or B from Perth Stadium train station, 96FM will provide the afternoon’s soundtrack, with various games and giveaways on offer.

Contactless Payment

All food and beverage outlets at Optus Stadium now accept payment by credit or debit card only. If you do not have access to credit or debit card, cash can be exchanged for a complimentary ‘Cash Card’ via Cash Exchange points located around the stadium. Optus Stadium event day staff will direct you to the nearest Cash Exchange point at the stadium. For more information, please click here.

Mobile Ticketing

Tickets for Reserved Seat members are now available to download in the official West Coast Eagles App.

Avoid match day delays by downloading the official West Coast Eagles app and logging in to your West Coast Eagles account now, ahead of Sunday’s match. We strongly recommend not to leave this until the last minute, in case you encounter problems, and to save your tickets to your phone wallet to ensure no delays.

Instructions on how to use mobile ticketing are available here, and instructions on how to forward your ticket to a family member or a friend are available here.

The West Coast Eagles Membership Services team will be available at the box offices B, C, and E from 12.30pm on Sunday to answer any questions; however, please arrive early if you think that you may require assistance with your tickets.

If you have any issues with your tickets, please attend the match and the Membership Services team will assist; there is no need to miss the match solely for this reason.

Seat Return Program

Can’t make it to the match? Our Seat Return Program is available for Sunday’s match. If your seat successfully sells, you’ll receive a credit towards your 2024 membership renewal.

For more information, including a step-by-step guide to returning your seats, please click here.

Credits will not apply if your seat does not sell, or if you do not attend and do not return your seat.

Auzzie’s Flight

Be sure to be in your seats from 2.15pm to catch Auzzie’s pre-match flight around Optus Stadium at 2.20pm!

We’re on the lookout for one lucky member to release Auzzie the Eagle for our round 22 match against Fremantle; click here to enter.

Where and when: Optus Stadium, Sunday, July 30, 2.40pm

TV: Live on 7 in WA, Fox Footy and streaming on Kayo

Last time we met: West Coast 12.10 (82) def. by North Melbourne 12.15 (87) at Marvel Stadium, round one, 2023.

The Eagles gave it a red-hot crack in round one against the Roos, falling by just five points at Marvel Stadium. Six unanswered goals in the first half from the home side created a margin that West Coast just couldn’t chase down, despite a late fight-back in the final quarter. In what was a tight contest, West Coast stayed in the hunt despite being beaten in some key stats, including clearances (41-26) and contested possessions (-27). Nick Larkey (six goals) and debutant Harry Sheezel (34 disposals) were dominant for North, while the veterans stood tall for the Eagles, with Liam Ryan (three goals, seven marks), Luke Shuey (27 disposals, eight tackles, one goal), Shannon Hurn (25 disposals) and Dom Sheed (25) all producing solid performances.

What it means for the Eagles: Both teams come into round 20 on the back of 16-straight losses and will be desperate to put an end to their unflattering streaks. West Coast have been focusing on their slow starts and stopping the opposition from gaining momentum, and while it didn’t go to plan against an in-form Carlton last week, the message will be reinforced against the 17^th placed Kangaroos. In what should be a winnable game for the home side, securing the four points will not only be a massive boost for a young and developing squad, doing so in front of the Eagles faithful at Optus Stadium will certainly raise some spirits.

The stat: The last time West Coast beat North Melbourne was at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast in round 18 of the COVID-affected 2020 season, in front of just 724 fans.

The match-up: Tim Kelly v Luke Davies-Uniacke

The game will be won or lost in the middle this week. Stopping the ball from entering the Kangaroos’ forward fifty will relieve some pressure off an undermanned Eagles backline. Tim Kelly and the midfielders will have a strong influence on the game if they can be first to the footy and keep it away from a dangerous Luke Davies-Uniacke, who comes into this game off a 33-disposal game against the Saints last weekend.

It’s a big week for: The Eagles backline

West Coast will be without two key defenders on Sunday, with Jeremy McGovern (delayed concussion) and Tom Barrass (back) ruled out. The depleted Eagles backline will need to rally and step up to the task if West Coast is to stay competitive in the contest.

Big call: Coming off a career-high 19 disposals against Carlton last week, Eagles young gun Campbell Chesser will finish with 30+ disposals and kick his first AFL goal. 

West Coast has snapped its 16-game losing streak in thrilling style with a morale boosting five-point win against North Melbourne at Optus Stadium.

Following a nightmare period for the last-placed Eagles, the players delivered the circuit breaker that has been desperately needed with a 10.12 (72) to 10.7 (67) win.

It also represented an overdue reward for the 38,231 fans who turned up on Sunday and have remained loyal through the club's lowest on-field period and a record losing run.

The Kangaroos mounted a final-quarter fightback from 32 points down but couldn't kick the last goal needed to snap their own losing run, with premiership Eagle Elliot Yeo winning an important contested ball in the middle of the ground to seal the win.  

It sparked the type of celebrations that have not been seen all season at a West Coast game as the crowd erupted on the final siren.

It remains unlikely the Eagles will move from the bottom of the ladder without another win or drawn match, with a significant percentage gap still existing between them and the 17th-placed Kangaroos.  

The loss for North Melbourne ended coach Brett Ratten's 0-10 tenure in charge of the club – which included several near misses – with Alastair Clarkson set to take charge again from Monday.

The Eagles were outstanding early, building a 31-point lead early in the second quarter after a run of six unanswered goals built on confident ball-movement and hard tackling when they didn't have it.

North Melbourne small forward Paul Curtis reignited the match with four goals in the second quarter to cut the half-time margin to just seven points.

Three unanswered goals in the third term showed the Eagles were up for the challenge as midfielder Tim Kelly took charge in the middle with 10 contested possessions for the quarter and Jamie Cripps proved influential.

Kangaroos forward Nick Larkey, who had been well held up until the final term, kicked two goals in the final-quarter fightback before some magic from Harry Sheezel in the pocket set up Luke Davies-Uniacke to move the visitors just seven points behind at the 22-minute mark.

Sheezel and Curtis both missed chances in the dying minutes before Yeo intervened with a defensive mark and a contested ball that sealed an emotion-charged win. 

Full match coverage and stats

WEST COAST                    4.2   7.5   10.11   10.12 (72)
NORTH MELBOURNE       1.1   6.4    6.4      10.7  (67)

GOALS

West Coast: Cripps 2, Allen 2, Hunt, Hewett, Darling, Long, O'Neill, Petruccelle
North Melbourne: Curtis 4, Xerri 2, Larkey 2, Davies-Uniacke, Turner  

BEST

West Coast: Kelly, Hunt, Williams, Cripps, Cole, Allen, Darling
North Melbourne: Davies-Uniacke, Sheezel, Curtis, Simpkin, Goldstein, Scott

INJURIES

West Coast: Nil
North Melbourne: Goater (knee)

SUBSTITUTES

West Coast: Elliot Yeo (replaced Rhett Bazzo in the second quarter)
North Melbourne: Jack Ziebell (replaced Josh Goater in the third quarter)

Crowd: 38,231 at Optus Stadium