A host of AFL-listed players returned for West Coast in round 14 but a competitive performance didn’t deliver the result the home side were hoping for, with the Eagles falling to West Perth by 28 points at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday night.
Despite the 7.7 (48) to 10. 16 (76) defeat, the effort of Xavier O’Neill (32 disposals) couldn’t be faulted, with Zane Trew (28 disposals) also a welcome return following time on the sidelines due a concussion.
Isiah Winder (27 disposals), Luke Foley (24) and Greg Clark (23) were all influential for the WAFL side, while Rhett Bazzo (21 disposals), Luke Edwards (20), Callum Jamieson (16 disposals, one goal) and Harry Barnett (13 disposals, one goal) played their roles in a tough contest.
Next-Gen youngster Jordyn Baker (17 disposals) impressed around the ground, while fellow Next-Gen product Tyrell Dewar (four disposals, one goal) struggled to consistently get into the game.
The Falcons got off to a flying start, kicking seven first-quarter goals, the damaging duo of Noah Pegoraro and Tyler Keitel combining for five majors and wreaking havoc for the West Coast defenders.
West Coast didn’t have an answer in the first term for West Perth’s penetrating kicks into the forward fifty, and struggled to get any clean ball movement out of their backline.
The second quarter saw West Coast stem the flow of West Perth’s scoring domination, Eagles recording their first goal for the game at the 14-minute mark of the second term, coming off the boot of Shannon Lucassen.
Tempers were high as the Eagles upped their defensive pressure, the home side managing two goals and holding the Falcons to 1.5, winning the second term by a point.
West Coast held their own in the second half, matching West Perth’s force and delivering a much-needed response, however, their run came a little too late, the first quarter blowout too tough to recover from.
Luke Meadows (29 disposals) led the way for West Perth, while Tyler Keitel (three goals) and Noah Pegoraro (three) were a handful in front of goal.
West Coast face Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval next Saturday from 2:10pm.
Details
West Coast Eagles 0.3 2.3 5.3 7.6 48
West Perth Falcons 7.3 8.8 10.13 10.16 76
Goals – West Coast Eagles: Lucassen 3; Jamieson, Nitschke, Barnett, Burke, Dewar 1. West Perth: Keitel, Pegoraro 3; Murray, Hinder, Nelson, Lynch 1.
Best – West Coast: O’Neill, Winder, Nelson, Lucassen, Trew. West Perth: Meadows, Guadagnin, Keitel, Johnson, Pegoraro.
Crowd: TBC
