Thunder, lightning, hail. A 30-minute break initiated mid-game as a result of the stormy weather. Three scoreless quarters and a six-point AFLW loss to Fremantle at Fremantle Oval.

It sounds like a gloomy, pick your bottom lip of the floor kind of day. In reality it was far from that. 

Through the darkest of those ubiquitous black clouds were shafts of bright light as the new-look West Coast Eagles squad showed encouraging development in atrocious conditions before losing 2.1 (13) to 2.7 (19).

Before the half-hour delay, just before half-time, the Eagles had played strong, committed football in two contrasting quarters.

Fremantle kicked with the aid of the breeze and while the game was played in their half for much of the first term, the Eagles repelled attack after attack.

It wasn’t until the dying moments of the quarter that Fremantle kicked the opening goal from a free kick through Wembley recruit Megan Kauffman.

Down by seven points at the first break, the Eagles would have been satisfied by that.

They had defended stoutly through Belinda Smith, Sophie McDonald and Sarah Goronova, while Sarah Lakay was outstanding in the ruck, Emma Swanson, Bella Lewis and Ash McCarthy were busy through the midfield and Mikayla Western excelled on a wing.

FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 13: Kate Bartlett of the Eagles celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2022 AFLW practice match between the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles at Fremantle Oval on August 13, 2022 in Fremantle, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos)

In the second term the Eagles dominated, kicked a couple of goals where Ella Roberts and Kate Bartlett were threatening while Kellie Gibson also kicked a long-range goal.

Isabella Simmons also did some good work in the work while Jess Sedunary and Emma Humphries were also prominent in ensuring repeat Eagles entries.

When the lightning came to force a delay the Eagles led the game by five points. The heaviest of rain fell during that period, leaving puddles in patches of the surface and they never again scored, but their will for the contest never wavered.

Hayley Bullas tries to get a handpass away

Roberts, Lewis, McCarthy and Swanson were also rested in the final term when the Eagles had the breeze.  

In the absence of some of the senior players Courtney Rowley and Jaide Britton, who had already had good moments, built on their output.

Kellie Gibson and Imahra Cameron

Details
Fremantle 1.1 1.2 1.5 2.7 (19)
West Coast Eagles 0.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 (13)

Goals – Fremantle: Kauffmann 2. West Coast Eagles:  Bartlett, Gibson.

Best – Fremantle: East, O’Sullivan, Roux, Cuthbertson, Kauffman, Strom. West Coast Eagles: B Smith, Lakay, Swanson, McCarthy, Sedunary, Lewis, Western, McDonald.