1. It was a disappointing day out for the developing West Coast Eagles side, falling to Gold Coast Suns by 73 points on Saturday at Heritage Bank Stadium. Gold Coast were too experienced, too fast and too strong and the Eagles couldn’t find the defensive pressure to stop the Suns from having a commanding impact on the scoreboard. The Suns dominated every aspect of the game from the first bounce, and West Coast will have a lot of work to do to rectify what went wrong before they take on Carlton next weekend.
2. Kellie Gibson kicked West Coast’s first goal of the game in the third quarter, launched from a defensive 50 intercept. Gibson went on to kick another two goals in the final term and was West Coast’s only multiple goal scorer for the game. Gibson’s three goals is an equal career-high in a game, and her biggest score in Eagles colours, and she will be looking to provide continued marking opportunities inside 50 for West Coast this season.
3. Experienced West Coast defender Belinda Smith displayed her versatility on Saturday, getting moved up forward by the coaching staff in an attempt to stop Gold Coast’s onslaught. Smith found herself on the end of the footy in the final term and kicked the first goal of her 52-game AFLW career. She also assisted teammate Kellie Gibson in the goal square, which was converted to a goal, as the Eagles presented a patch of positive ball movement in their forward half.
4. Eagles youngsters exhibited good fight in a tough contest, with teenage talent Ella Roberts finishing with a team-high 21 touches. Vice-captain Bella Lewis managed 20 disposals and six tackles, while emerging Eagles defender Charlie Thomas worked hard around the ground for her 14 disposals.
5. West Coast return to Perth and will play their first home game of the 2023 AFLW season against Carlton on Sunday at Mineral Resources Park. Carlton come into this game off an extensive 60-point loss to North Melbourne and will be looking to bounce back in a big way. The home ground advantage will be a welcome aspect for the Eagles as they fight to record their first win of the season in front of their family, friends and home crowd.
