A different season, a vastly different team, but it would be folly to not learn lessons from the most recent encounter against an opponent at a similar stage of the season.
Against Essendon on a Thursday night mid-season ga, West Coast was ambushed by the Bombers who kicked the first eight goals of the game to rock the hosts. That assault rocked the Eagles and was built around frenetic rebound from the back half and a preparedness top take the game on.
Chief architect in that assault was dynamic Bombers’ half-back Adam Saad, whose laser-like left foot combined with blistering speed set the Essendon wheel in motion.
Fast forward to the current season and clearly Adam Simpson was not about to accept a repeat. So he sent renowned tagger Mark Hutchings from the midfield to half-forward in a bid to negate the Bombers’ most effective weapon.
Hutchings, as he does typically, played his role expertly and it was a cornerstone to a solid 35-point victory, which could have been so much greater had the Eagles’ had their radar working in front of goal.
After Essendon made an enterprising start, the Eagles assumed control from about the mid-way point of the opening term before winning 14.22 (106) to 11.5 (71), meaning a discrepancy of 36 scoring shots to 16 equated to just a six-goal win.
Despite the wasted opportunities, the team’s performance across the board was first class, dominating almost every facet. As a result, the inside 50 count was 64 to 40 and marks inside the attacking arc were 22 to eight.
Josh Kennedy took eight of those marks in goal-scoring range and while it resulted in three goals against his own name, he was a ubiquitous presence and a clear target for teammates surging through the middle.
And the Eagles midfielders generated plenty of football.
Dom Sheed could lay claim to best on ground honours with 36 possessions, 14 of them contested, six clearances, six inside 50s and five marks while he worked in concert with Andrew Gaff (31 touches), Jack Redden (30), Luke Shuey (26) and Elliot Yeo (25).
Redden, in his 200th AFL match, was typically tough in the clinches, feeding the ball to the team’s outside runners.
Defensively, when called upon, Brad Sheppard, Jeremy McGovern and Shannon Hurn were at their intercepting best, perhaps their only blemish coming when McGovern was reported for a push on former Claremont youngster Matt Guelfi.
The Bomber wingman skated across the turf just near the Eagles bench and cannoned into a chair where a security guard was stationed. McGovern was subsequently suspended for a week.
While Kennedy was the focal point in attack, the Eagles were typically threatening when the ball hit the deck, with Jack Petruccelle, Liam Ryan and debutant Jarrod Cameron all having an impact. While Cameron caught the eye with two goals, he was equally effective in lifting the defensive intensity in the forward half, laying seven tackles.
Round 14 v Essendon
Optus Stadium, June 20
West Coast Eagles 3.4 7.14 11.17 14.22 106
Essendon 4.0 6.1 8.1 11.5 71
Goals – West Coast Eagles: Kennedy 3; Cripps, Sheed, Cameron, Petruccelle 2; Darling, Ryan, Yeo.
Essendon: Begley 3; Laverde 2; McDonald-Tipungwuti, Brown, McGrath, Bellchambers, Parish, Shiel.
