Where and when: Ikon Park (Wurundjeri), Saturday, October 15, 5:40pm AEDT
TV: Live on Channel 7 in WA, Fox Footy, Kayo and the AFL Live Official app.
Last time we met: Geelong Cats 4.3 (27) def West Coast Eagles 3.6 (24) at GMHBA Stadium, round five, season six 2022.
The match went down to the wire the last time the Eagles faced Geelong, with the visitors going down by a mere three points as the Cats held off a late West Coast push to secure their first win of season six in AFLW. West Coast left nothing out on the field making Geelong work for every possession throughout the game. Forward Aimee Schmidt nearly sealed it for the Eagles pinching the lead with only 90 seconds to play. Skipper Emma Swanson was undoubtedly the top performer with a game-high 27 disposals alongside then new draftee Charlie Thomas, who proved early she was a handy selection for the Eagles.
What it means for the Eagles: Coming into season seven the Eagles field an arguably much-improved side from the teams’ last meeting as West Coast focuses on youth after an extensive list turnover in the off-season. Key players who performed in last season’s match against the Cats have taken their game to another level and with last time’s heartbreak still firm in memory the remaining players will be looking for redemption. Half-back Charlie Thomas, who proved last season she can compete at the elite level, has had a stellar year for the Eagles, pocketing a Rising Star nomination this week to add to her ever building footy résumé. Meanwhile Emma Swanson is again leading her team from the front with consistent performances each week putting her in the conversation for a All-Australian selection. If Saturday’s game follows the same narrative and comes down to the fourth quarter, West Coast have certainly shown they can perform in the clutch after finishing strong in a number of matches this season.
The stat: Eagles dominated the Cats in hit-outs in their last meeting, totalling 44 against 15 through the work of former ruck Paris Laurie. Since the injection of Rising Star Sarah Lakay hit-outs have been a key strength for the side with the former basketballer dominating at the stoppages. Conversion into clearances will key this week as the Eagles only just won that advantage last season totalling 28 to Geelong’s 25.
The match-up: Bella Lewis vs Mikayla Bowen
Former teammates and good friends, Bella Lewis told westcoasteagles.com.au earlier in the week that she’ll hold nothing back up against Bowen when they got the chance to catch up at the AFLW’s launch of Pride Round earlier in the week. “Friends today, foes on Saturday,” she said jokingly. Both are up and coming future leaders for their respective clubs and have a similar hard running style of play that is sure to play into an entertaining matchup. Lewis has had an outstanding year for the Eagles, averaging 16.3 disposals - up on her career average to date of 13.7 - and only seems to be building on her contributions each game.
It’s a big week for: Courtney Rowley
After having an outstanding game against Richmond last week, Rowley’s teammates have been advocating for her to be added to the Rising Star conversation and her inclusion would see the Eagles total four nominations for the year. Last week, Rowley nailed her first goal in AFLW alongside her 17 disposals and 230 metres gained. While individual accolades won’t be a priority for the young winger, another performance like last week will surely propel her right into the conversation for AFLW Rising Star selectors.
Big Call: Midfielder Jaide Britton is on the verge of a breakout game as she steadily improves week on week for the Eagles. If she can get into rhythm early Britton can produce 20+ disposals, topping her career performance of 13 she had against Fremantle back in round five.
