1. The West Coast Eagles came into this round against fifth-placed Essendon and managed potentially the biggest upset win of the season, defeating the Dons by four points at Windy Hill on Sunday. Having beaten Essendon in a pre-season scratch match, the Eagles still entered this game as heavy underdogs, sitting 17th on the ladder with only one prior win for the season. West Coast got off to a ferocious start in tough conditions and kept Essendon goalless for the first three quarters to secure their first road win of 2023.
2. Experienced Eagles defender Sophie McDonald had an outstanding game against Essendon’s star forward Bonnie Toogood. It would have been a daunting task for McDonald coming into the game, with Toogood leading the league in marks, averaging 6.4 per game, but McDonald fought incredibly hard to keep her opponent quiet, Toogood finishing with just two marks for the game and having little impact for Essendon thanks to McDonald’s dominance.
3. A key focus for West Coast this season has been to deliver four-quarter efforts and eliminate second-half fade-outs. The team has struggled to string together consistent four-quarter games, but the two times they have done so, they have finished on top and secured the four points, further highlighting what this developing young Eagles group is capable of.
4. Eagles captain Emma Swanson finished with a career-high 12 tackles for the game, delivering another impressive game and leading by example for her teammates. The leadership group as a whole set the tone for the game with their intensity and effort around the contest, throwing their bodies on the line for their team, inspiring and encouraging the group to follow suit.
5. West Coast take on the winless Western Bulldogs at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday in round nine, their second-last game of the season boosted with the advantage of playing on their home turf. West Coast will come into this game riding the momentum wave from this weekend’s incredible win, and will look to carry this energy forward to hopefully secure their third win of the season, and back-to-back wins for the first time in the team’s five-season history.
