In what turned out to be a triumphant day for the club, the WAFL Eagles secured their first win of the season, a thrilling four-point conquest over the reigning premiers East Fremantle.

It was coach Kyal Horsley’s first victory at the helm, and Horsley said he was really proud of what the group accomplished.

“It was a really pleasing result, it was a tough contest all day and I think both team’s had momentum at different stages,” Horsley said.

“I’m really proud of the group, I thought there was a really big change on Monday night with the review from last week’s game, the players really led it, from the AFL list and the WAFL list.

“They made some commitments, and then to execute them on game day and get a result, I was really happy for them and the leadership they all showed.”

Top Three

1. Trey Ruscoe

“Trey, the stand-in skipper, he performed really well, he was a forward threat all game and really led from the front.”

2. Jamaine Jones

“JJ was the Player’s Player, which was really good for them to recognise him and how he contributed. Offensively, it was for all to see, but it was his defensive actions which we really valued.”

3. Tyler Mouritz

“First game of the year and he did a fantastic job. He gave us a lot of energy from the back half and defended really well in crucial times.”

AFL Listed Players

Dom Sheed

“Terrific game from Dom on limited game time as he is on his build from injury, but had a massive impact, both with ball in hand, and probably more importantly, how he led the others and set the tone with his defensive intent.”

Andrew Gaff

“Gaffy had a big impact as well, and he’s been leading exceptionally well the whole time he’s been in the WAFL, and this weekend was no different. Structurally, he was helping to set everyone up, and then delivering his end of the bargain in the contest, and just his transition and ability to link the ground was impressive all game.”

Liam Ryan

“It was really exciting for everyone to see Liam back. To have the two severe injuries that he’s had and persevere and get back is exciting and what he displayed on the weekend was evident for all to see. We’re just pumped to have him back and look forward to what he can produce for the rest of the year.”

Harvey Johnston

“Big game from Harvey, kicking two goals off the wing, which can be really hard to do. He played with a lot of energy, he defends well beyond his years and was really strong in the contest, which I know he’s been working really hard on.”

Tyrell Dewar

“Tyrell worked really hard for us in the half-forward role, his ground ball work is getting better and you can see it improving week on week. He kicked a really nice goal at a pivotal time in the game from a tough angle, so showed some real composure.”

Clay Hall

“It was a rally good rebound from Clay. His clearance work is always a highlight, but you could see him getting a lot of penetration this week. He’s been focusing really hard on his team defence and that set him up for when we had the ball as well so, big step forward for him. He’s a young man who’s very determined and I can see him really bouncing off this.”

Zane Trew

“Another strong performance from Trewy, he backed up his performance from last week. He got six or seven clearances and did a lot of the grunt work inside and then transitioned really hard up and down the ground.”

Jai Culley

“He performed really well and is adapting to the new role up forward, with a little bit less midfield time. You can see him really growing in that role, working really hard as Jai does, and a nice step forward.”

Jordyn Baker

“Big performance from ‘Bakes’. We gave him a job, a matchup for his development on East Freo’s Jed Hagan, who kicked five goals the week before, and ‘Bakes’ stuck to the task, defended really hard, sacrificed a bit of his own game, but behind closed doors and what we saw, we were really proud of his efforts and it’s a really big step forward in his development, so we’re stoked for him.”

Harry Barnett

“Harry was really disappointed with his performance last week and he came into this round with a really steely, determined look in his eye, and in the contest and some big plays in the game he really stood up for us. He had an interesting ruck battle against a really accomplished ruck in East’s Brynn Teakle. The tap work, Teakle probably got the points, but I thought with his follow up and ability to impact the contest, Harry had a strong impact on the game.”

Coen Livingstone

“It was a tale of two halves for Coen. His first half, he was struggling to get into the game, and was spending more time up forward than he was in the ruck. But in the second half, especially in the third quarter, he really turned the game for us with his follow up and aggression, and I know the boys really fed off that. Stoked for him to have the resilience to reset at half time and then have such a big impact, it showed maturity beyond his years.”