1. There is still room for a little sentiment in the game and the selfless attitude of the West Coast Eagles was evident at the same time. When Luke Shuey marked about 40 metres from goal in the last quarter, he saw an opportunity to bring Murray Newman into the game. Shuey kicked short to Newman – too short to be deemed a mark – but the clever forward turned on to his left, kicked a goal and produced one of the magic moments of the match. Newman had not played senior football for three years and his teammates swamped him in celebration.
2. It was an emotional moment when Nic Naitanui kicked a goal in the second quarter. After receiving a free kick from a ruck infringement, Naitanui slotted the goal from close range and he, too, was overwhelmed by an avalanche of teammates climbing on top of him. After two weeks away from the club to mourn the loss of his mother, Naitanui returned and produced an outstanding effort.
3. Indefatigable midfielder Matt Priddis continues to marvel with his work rate and produced another critical performance against the Bulldogs. He had 37 possessions, with 14 of them contested. He also won seven clearances and did so much to ensure a steady flow of opportunities inside the forward 50.
4. Fresh from winning the Ross Glendinning Medal last week, Josh Hill backed it up with another four-goal effort against the Bulldogs. Hill has added another dimension to the Eagles’ attacking football this season, averaging exactly two goals a game from his 17 matches. He also took a couple of strong grabs inside the forward 50 and with Josh Kennedy, Jamie Cripps, Jack Darling and Mark LeCras has added his touch to one of the most multi-faceted attacking units in the AFL.
5. Callum Sinclair continues to build a reputation as an accomplished big man with more than one string to his bow. He works efficiently in tandem with Nic Naitanui, so effectively that for one stoppage in the last quarter, he even managed to get on the outside as the recipient of some deft tapwork from big Nic – and then hit Josh Kennedy lace out. Sinclair had 15 possessions, took five marks and also had 21 hit outs to be a strong contributor.
