A youthful West Coast Eagles side produced a gutsy display and went down fighting by 27 points against the Gold Coast Suns in round one on Sunday.

Missing about half of their best 22, the undermanned Eagles unusually went in unfavoured at Optus Stadium but were brave all match before being overrun late in the 16.11 (107) to 12.8 (80) defeat.

It was West Coast’s first loss to Gold Coast in Perth from 10 games, however the Eagles could hold their heads high after refusing to give in against a talented and equally-desperate opponent.

With his engine room and forward lines decimated, coach Adam Simpson put his trust in emerging players and there were plenty of positives to take from the opening clash of the 2022 campaign.

After a superb summer Jamaine Jones (21 disposals, two goals) was rewarded with a career-best performance, while speedster Jack Petruccelle (12 disposals, two goals) and young half-back Luke Foley (24 disposals) were among the best.

In his first game for two-and-a-half years, returning star Willie Rioli also showed fans what they had been missing with some pure class and relentless defensive pressure in a midfield role.

Willie Rioli kicks his comeback goal

Rioli (12 disposals, one goal) combined with ever-reliable duo Andrew Gaff (32) and Jack Redden (28) though midfield and helped inspire a third-quarter comeback, in exciting signs for what lies ahead this year.

But the Suns’ midfield depth proved telling, with Matt Rowell (33 disposals) and Touk Miller (29, one goal) performing strongly, while Izak Rankine booted four goals and got the visitors off to a fast start with an early brace.

Emotions were running high before the opening bounce after retired premiership heroes Mark Hutchings and Dan Venables were farewelled during a lap of honour, and the excitement built when Rioli walked straight to the first centre bounce.

It was his first game since the 2019 elimination final triumph over Essendon, and the silky Eagle was involved early, producing a nice moment combining with Nic Naitanui at one restart and chasing relentlessly.

With the goalsneak sent to the engine room, it was the rest of West Coast’s mosquito fleet of small forwards – identified as a strength by Simpson during pre-season - who did the early damage.

The Eagles blitzed the Suns with pressure and intensity in the opening term, with Jones, Zac Langdon (one goal) and Petruccelle igniting a five-goal-to-two start.

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Petch uses speed for a crumbing goal

Jack Petruccelle uses his speed in front of goals to get the opportunistic goal

Langdon slotted the Eagles’ first after a strong contested mark three-deep after some Xavier O’Neill behind the back party tricks, and when Jones wheeled onto his left following a handball receive from Langdon and goaled the blue and gold were running hot.

Rankine booted two at the other end, but the Eagles were controlling play and there were exciting signs from all four first-gamers Hugh Dixon, Samo Petrevsk-Seton, Patrick Naish and Brady Hough.

The highlight of the quarter arrived just before the break when, in his 100th game, popular key defender Tom Barrass capitalised on a 50m penalty and split the middle for his first career goal, bringing the crowd to their feet and his teammates racing from everywhere.

Tom Barrass is mobbed

But the Suns wrested back the momentum in the second stanza as the Eagles tired and former Carlton big man Levi Casboult provided a target in attack for the visitors.

West Coast’s nine-point lead at the main break was quickly erased and an audacious soccered major by Mabior Chol showed the tide was turning in the Suns’ favour.

But inspired by Rioli, whose comeback goal brought the house down, West Coast responded and when the returning Eagle committed to a fierce contest with Rowell, bounced up and set up Dixon for his first club goal the blue and gold weren’t done yet.

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Rioli clash leads to Dixon major

Willie Rioli has a big impact on his return game, after this assist and clash with Matt Rowell

It was an arm-wrestle to start in the final quarter, however back-to-back goals by Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts and Nick Holman set Gold Coast on the path to victory, and the Eagles will look to regroup before facing North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium next Sunday.

WEST COAST 5.1 7.3 10.5 12.8 (80)
GOLD COAST 2.2 5.6 8.11 16.11 (107)

GOALS
West Coast: Petruccelle 2, Jones 2, Kennedy 2, Langdon, Waterman, Barrass, O’Neill, Rioli, Dixon
Gold Coast: Rankine 4, Casboult 2, Chol 2, Ainsworth 2, Sharp, Miller, Lukosius, Witts, Holman, Davies

BEST
West Coast: Jones, Redden, Foley, Petruccelle, Rioli, Barrass, Gaff
Gold Coast: Miller, Rowell, Rankine, Witts, Collins, Fiorini

INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Gold Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Isiah Winder (unused)
Gold Coast: Alex Sexton (unused)

Crowd: TBC at Optus Stadium