What’s On | Week 1
West Coast Eagles v Richmond
Friday, August 30| 7.15pm (AWST) | Mineral Resources Park / Whadjuk
Gates open 6.15pm

The 2024 NAB AFLW Season kicks off on our home turf, Mineral Resources Park, this Friday night!

Bouncing down at 7.15pm, don’t miss the start of our 2024 campaign in this week’s Friday night footy showdown.

Timeline:

4.00pm: Gate 4 opens for curtain raiser
4.50pm: Next Generation Female Academy curtain raiser bouncedown
6.15pm: Gate 2 opens
6.15pm Fan Zone opens
7.07pm: Team entry
7.15pm: Bouncedown
Half-time: AFLW player signings in the Fan Zone

Curtain Raiser

Gate 4 (via McCartney Cresent) will open at 4.00pm for the Next Generation Female Academy playing in the curtain raiser. Please note, all patrons must hold a valid ticket to our week one match to enter Mineral Resources Park, which can be purchased for $15, either online or from Gate 2, via Goddard Street on the night. Please note, tickets will not be available for purchase at Gate 4.

Fan Zone

The AFLW Fan Zone is back for 2024 and will be filled with more fun and excitement for the whole family!

Here’s what you can expect in the Fan Zone from 6.15pm on the northern lawn:

• Test your footy skills on the inflatable handball targets and the Mix94 skill tester
• Flex your creative muscles and make your own friendship bracelet and sign to cheer on the team
• Snap a photo at the roaming photo booth
• Get a funky face painting
• At half-time, meet and greet with selected AFLW players
• Keep an eye and ear out for some awesome surprise West Coast Eagles giveaways!

Win a family meal thanks to Hungry Jacks!

Just for coming along to our match against Richmond, you will have the chance to win a family meal, thanks to Hungry Jack's. That's four Whoppers, four large fries and four large drinks –  just for being here!

Look out for the QR code on the big screen and around Mineral Resources Park to enter your details and play a quick game for your chance to win.

We’ve got you sorted for food and beverage options this Friday night! In the precinct by Gate 2, you will find:

• Hungry Jack’s
• George’s Greek Street Eats
• CUB bar
• Ice-cream van
• Coffee van

Feeling lucky? NAB will be giving out food vouchers around the precinct!

West Coast Eagles SuperStore

The West Coast Eagles SuperStore marquee will be located in the Fan Zone, with exclusive match day bargains available to purchase until the final siren.

‘Click and collect’ orders will be available from the SuperStore marquee on match day, from 6.15pm until the final siren. When placing your online order at the West Coast Eagles SuperStore, select ‘AFLW Game Day – Click and Collect’ at checkout (available until 12noon AWST on Thursday, August 30; identification is required upon collection).

Mobile Ticketing

Member tickets are now available in your West Coast Eagles Account, and 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 Friday’s match.

Screenshots of tickets will not permit entry into any matches across the AFLW season.

Where possible, patrons are advised to avoid bringing a bag to the match, as most delays at the gates are due to bag checks. If you do need to bring a bag, aim to bring a small bag only.

Getting to Mineral Resources Park

We recommend using public transport where possible. The closest train station is Victoria Park, with a 700m walk to the venue.

The Armadale/Thornlie train line is closed until mid-2025. Details on this closure, along with station-specific information can be found here. Be sure to plan your journey ahead with Transperth’s Journey Planner, and please note, the cost of public transport is not included in your match day ticket. 

With no onsite parking available, limited parking is available in streets surrounding the venue; should you choose to park on the street, please pay close attention to any signage to avoid parking fines.

Wheelchair and Accessible Entry

Those with accessibility needs may enter via Gate 4, open from 4.00pm via McCartney Crescent or via West Coast Eagles Reception on Bishopsgate Street.

Where and when: Mineral Resources Park, Friday, August 30, 7:15pm

TV: Live on Channel 7 and Fox Footy and streaming live on Kayo

Last time we met: West Coast 3.6 (24) def. by Richmond 6.7 (43) at Mineral Resources Park, round seven, season seven.

It was a spirited contest the last time these two sides met, the Eagles putting up a good fight but were unable to overcome the Tigers at Mineral Resources Park. A sensational goal from skipper Emma Swanson in the fourth quarter cut the margin to just eight points, before Richmond ran away with it late to secure the 19-point victory. Reigning club champion Charlie Thomas impressed with 23 touches, seven marks and seven rebound 50s, while Swanson worked hard throughout and finished with 19 disposals nine tackles.

What it means for the Eagles: It’s new-look Eagles squad, with AFLW icon Daisy Pearce debuting at the helm, and there has been plenty of positive predictions for this team. After showing some good signs in the pre-season matches against Fremantle and St Kilda, West Coast will want to get off to a good start against the Tigers and put all their hard pre-season work into action. If the Eagles can come out firing and be competitive for four quarters, they will be off to a good start to their 2024 campaign.

The stat: The last time these two teams met, experienced Eagles’ defender Belinda Smith finished with 17 disposals, seven marks and a career-high 424m gained.

Oppo in focus: Monique Conti

2023 league MVP Monique Conti will be one to watch in tonight’s clash with the Tigers. The five-time Richmond best and fairest and five-time All Australian is an explosive and dominant midfielder who ranked first for clearances in 2023 and averaged 28.5 disposals per game.

It’s a big week for: Debutants

The Eagles will see seven fresh faces debut in the blue and gold in round one, with Jess Rentsch, Georgie Cleaver, Sanne Bakker, Tess Lyons and Verity Simmons making their AFLW debuts, while Jess Hosking and Alison Drennan will make their club debuts. This talented group boasts both youth and experience and it will be exciting to see what each player will bring on game day.

Big call: While West Coast will come into this game as the underdogs, this exciting and developing group will get their first win of 2024 in their season-opener.

The Daisy Pearce era at West Coast is off to a flying start with the Eagles holding on for an epic one-point win over Richmond in a Friday night thriller.

Backed by a large and vocal crowd at Mineral Resources Park, the home team started in blazing fashion and clung on desperately late for a dream opening to the 2024 campaign.  

It wasn’t without plenty of drama, with the Tigers taking the lead in the dying minutes, before veteran Kellie Gibson showed all her experience in milking the clock and converting her second goal.

Richmond had the chance to win it with a flying snap in the final seconds, but the Eagles showed their fight and held on for a dramatic 6.4 (40) to 5.9 (39) win.

The victory was built on West Coast's highest-scoring opening half (5.1) which opened just enough of a break to keep Richmond at bay, up by 22 points at the long break.

Speaking pre-match Pearce hoped to see contest and connection from her charges and would have been thrilled with their output.

Despite fielding seven new faces – five AFLW debutants and two club first-gamers – the Eagles were a cohesive unit and swarmed with their pressure.

Recruits Jess Hosking (15 disposals, two goals) and Alison Drennan (18 disposals, 10 tackles) added experience and composure, while reigning club champion Charlie Thomas (24 disposals) picked up where she left off last year.

Ella Roberts (20) and Bella Lewis (19) were firestarters in the midfield early and helped will West Coast over the line.

Reigning AFLW best and fairest Monique Conti overcame a sluggish start to finish with 30 disposals for Richmond, while captain Katie Brennan would have rued two missed shots in the final term and finished with three behinds.

West Coast draftees Jess Rentsch and Georgie Cleaver were solid down back in their first matches, while Sanne Bakker, Verity Simmons and Tess Lyons had their moments.

The Eagles breathed a huge sigh of relief at the final siren, which sparked jubilant scenes on the field and in the coaches box.

West Coast went into their shells as Richmond charged home, booting four unanswered goals in the second half before Gibson sealed the deal.

Richmond’s Jemima Woods and Maddie Shevlin drilled back-to-back goals to reduce the margin to two points, before Emelia Yassir put the Tigers in front for the first time all night with barely three minutes remaining.

But the Eagles’ spirit shone through when - after some outstanding forward pressure - Abby Bushby kicked long to Gibson unmarked in the goalsquare.

Drawing on all her experience, Gibson took her full 30 seconds instead of running into an open goal and put West Coast back in front in the final minute.

The Tigers edged many of the key statistics, including inside 50s (33-25), contested possessions (111-93) and clearances (29-21) but the Eagles found a way. 

It is only the second time in West Coast’s brief AFLW history that the blue and gold have started the season with a victory, and sets up the chance for the team’s first shot at back-to-back wins next round.

The Eagles will enjoy an eight-day break before Essendon heads west for their clash at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday, September 7.

DETAILS

WEST COAST 2.1 5.1 5.3 6.4 (40)
RICHMOND 0.2 1.3 2.5 5.9 (39)

Goals

West Coast: Hosking 2, Gibson 2, Franklin, Western

Richmond: Jones. Kelly, Woods, Shevlin, Yassir

Best

West Coast: Hosking, Roberts, Drennan, Thomas, Gibson, Lewis

Richmond: Conti, McKenzie, Egan, Dempsey, Kelly, Dallaway

Injuries

West Coast: Nil

Richmond: Nil

Crowd

2166 at Mineral Resources Park