A big win over the Dees
In 779 AFL games West Coast have had 20 wins by 100 points or more. Or one in every 39 games.
No less than 17 of the 20 have been in Perth – five at the WACA and 12 at Subiaco.
The first 100-point win interstate was at the MCG in 1994, and the second was in round six 1996.
It was against Melbourne at Princes Park, when the Eagles led by 52 points at three-quarter time and kicked 10.2 to 1.2 in the fourth quarter to win 24.12 (156) to 7.8 (50).
Surprisingly, there was no really big goal-kicker. Phil Matera (5) and Andrew Donnelly (4) led 14 individual goal-kickers, with Ian Downsborough and David Wirrpanda each kicking their first goal.
Andy Lovell, in his sixth game for the Eagles, had an equal Eagles-best 34 possessions and kicked two goals but missed the Brownlow Medal votes.
Donnelly, with 25 possessions to go with his four goals in just his third game, was judged best afield, while Peter Matera (28 possessions, one goal) picked up two votes and Glen Jakovich (20 possessions) one.
Donnelly’s third-game three-voter was the equal second fastest in Eagles history.
The only player to better him was Brett Heady, who had 21 possessions and kicked two goals in his second game in round five 2000 against Sydney at Subiaco, when Peter Sumich kicked 8.4 from 12 kicks and received one vote.
Three other Eagles players polled three votes in their third game for the club. Chris Mainwaring and Troy Wilson were at the outset of their career, and Ilija Grgic had played 62 games with the Western Bulldogs before joining the Eagles.
Leading possession-winner for Melbourne in their 106-point loss was none other than Alastair Clarkson. In his 99th career game and his sixth for the Demons after a switch from North Melbourne, Clarkson had a career-best 36.
Three votes in derby loss
Only once has an Eagles player received three Brownlow Medal votes in a derby loss.
It was in round six, 2006 and one of the closest derbies on record.
Fremantle won by five points after the margin was less than a kick at every change. There were 14 lead changes, scores were level twice and the biggest lead all day was 12 points to Fremantle late in the first term.
Fremantle defender Michael Johnson earned two votes for a resolute job in defence and teammate Josh Carr received one vote for a team-high 26 possessions (13 contested), three goals and a game-high nine tackles.
But umpires Brett Allen, Ray Chamberlain and Shaun Ryan, who between them have umpired 983 games over 48 years, with 16 grand finals, awarded three votes to the player who a game-high 33 possessions (17 contested), one goal, six tackles and 12 clearances – twice as many as anyone else - Chris Judd.
It was also John Worsfold’s 100th game as Eagles coach, and, in what would only be confirmed at the end of the season, it was the end of the AFL career of one of the Eagles’ great warriors.
In his 10th season Josh Wooden played his 96th game. He would probably admit at the time he was just hanging on. Year by year he’d played 18-13-6-8-11-19-9-9 games from 1997-2004, but just one game in 2005 in round nine before injury ended his ’05 campaign in round 14.
He’d played the first three weeks of the 2006 season in the WAFL, was a late inclusion for a virus-riddled Daniel Kerr in round five, and held his spot in round six.
But after derby loss he lost his spot. He was in good company – Shannon Hurn was dropped at the same time. After six games in the WAFL Wooden suffered a hip injury that kept him out for five weeks before five farewell games in the WAFL.
He played 96 AFL games, averaging 12.9 disposals, kicked 18 goals and picked up four Brownlow votes, including a best afield rating against Sydney in 2002 when he also finished 10th in the club championship.
Originally drafted with selection #24 in 1996, when the club picked up Michael Gardiner at #1, Nick Stone at #39, Michael Braun at #53 and ex-Fitzroy utility Trent Cummings at #57, Wooden also played 85 WAFL games with Subiaco, Claremont and East Perth. He won three WAFL flags with East Perth (2000) and Subiaco (2004-06).
A quadruple milestone
Round six, 2008 will not go down in the record books as anything special. It was a 60-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Docklands. But for four people it will hold special significance.
John Worsfold coached the Eagles for the 150th time, Andrew Embley and Daniel Kerr played their 150th game for the club, and Josh Kennedy played his first game in blue and gold.
Who was the best Selwood?
Ask 10 people which of the Selwood brothers was the better player for the Eagles, Scott or Adam, and you’d probably get pretty much an even split.
Adam played 187 games for the club, including 14 finals, two grand finals and a premiership. He averaged 18.21 possessions per game, kicked 43 goals and earned nine Brownlow Medal votes. He had five top 10 finishes in the Club Champion Award finishing 3rd-3r-5th-6th-6th.
Scott played 135 games for the club before switching to Geelong, including six finals. He averaged 19.30 possessions, kicked 37 goals and earned 20 Brownlow votes. He had only four top 10 Club Champion finishes but won the coveted Worsfold Medal in 2012 in addition to finishing 7th-10th-10th on three other occasions.
It’s line ball.
But in round six 2012, when West Coast beat North Melbourne by 25 points at Subiaco, Scott claimed a minor win over his older brother and undeniable bragging rights between the pair in at least one thing.
Scott, in his 74th game, had 35 possessions. It was a career-best, adding one to his previous best of 34 possessions four weeks earlier.
So what? Adam, playing his 164th game, had a career best at the time of 34 possessions, which had come 103 games earlier.
Scott would replicate his 35-possession haul in round 23 2012 but would never beat it.
It didn’t matter, though. Adam, too, would not improve on his career-best of 34.
In the big picture it means little, but don’t think both of them wouldn’t know the numbers.
Certainly, Scott Selwood was the better of the brothers in round six 2012 when he picked up three Brownlow votes as Josh Hill, too, had a big day, kicking an equal career-best four goals in just his sixth game in blue and gold. Beau Waters collected two Brownlow votes in his 99th game in what was also the debut of Jacob Brennan.
A long-awaited debut
It is interesting to read the Jeremy McGovern player profile in the AFL Guide in the early years of his AFL career and track his progress.
In the 2011 Guide, when the teenager was listed with the Eagles after being drafted at #44 in the 2011 Rookie Draft, it read: “Had a strong 2010 season in the ruck with Claremont in the WAFL colts but the Eagles hope to development (sic) the 194cm tall into a key forward”.
In the 2012 Guide, when he still a rookie, it read: “Skilful and a good size, the key forward spent his first season developing in the Claremont reserves”.
In the 2013 Guide, in his third season as rookie, it read: “Developing key forward who broke into the Claremont team for 22 games, including the victorious grand final, playing in the ruck and forward”.
And in the 2014 Guide, after he had been elevated to the senior list, it read: “… Struggled with injury in 2013, playing just three WAFL games, two in the reserves and one Foxtel Cup match before being sent for hip surgery mid-year”.
It was an exhaustive apprenticeship as McGovern watched his club play 71 games and five finals in his first three seasons. Jack Darling and Andrew Gaff, the Eagles’ first two picks in the National Draft in the same year McGovern joined the AFL, had played 68 and 63 games respectively. And five finals.
In 2014 Darling and Gaff played the first five games as West Coast went WWWLL.
After a 14-point loss to Port Adelaide at Subiaco in round five first-year coach Adam Simpson made three changes for the round six clash with Carlton at Docklands.
Captain Darren Glass missed through suspension, Xavier Ellis missed with a calf strain, and Josh Hill was dropped. Will Schofield and Scott Lycett, emergencies in round five, were recalled.
And, in a moment to remember, Simpson handed McGovern his AFL debut.
One of 71 players introduced to the AFL for the first time by the Eagles via the Rookie Draft, which was introduced in 1997, McGovern waited longer than most. Longer, in fact, than all but two of 26 Eagles rookies who have gone on to make their AFL debut with the club.
McGovern was six games into his fourth season. Only Beau Maister, four years and nine games before the first of his 23 games in 2009, and Zach Beeck, who was four years and 17 games before his first and only game in 2004, waited longer.
It was a short-lived stay for McGovern in the seniors. He was dropped the following week with Dom Sheed and Sharrod Wellingham as Glass returned from suspension, Shannon Hurn returned from injury and Simon Tunbridge was recalled.
But since his second game in round 12 McGovern has played 126 of a possible 134 games and forged one of the great West Coast careers.
McGovern had eight possessions and kicked a goal on debut as West Coast were beaten by three points by Carlton on a Troy Menzel goal after scores were level four minutes from full-time.
It was a bad loss. West Coast led by 14 points at three-quarter time and stretched their lead to 24 points 10 minutes into the final term. That they kicked 1.4 in this period was decisive. It left the door ajar.
Jeff Garlett, Zac Tuohy, Lachie Henderson and Dylan Buckley goaled inside six minutes for Carlton to set the scene for Menzel’s match-winner,
And still West Coast had their chances, with the game record showing Scott Selwood, Josh Kennedy and Luke Shuey each recorded behinds in the closing seconds before the Blues hung on 14.9 (92) to 12.17 (89).
Matt Priddis had 35 possessions (17 contested) and picked up two Brownlow Medal votes.
SIXTEEN 100-gamers
What is the average count of 100-gamers in an AFL side?
It’s a statistic that is presently unavailable due to the coronavirus lockdown, but for a starting point let’s look at the four West Coast premiership sides. And their opposition.
In 1992 West Coast had seven and Geelong 11. In 1994 against the same opposition the numbers were directly reversed – 11 and seven. In 2006 West Coast had 14 and Sydney 12. And in 2018 against Collingwood it was 12 apiece.
So what? So it would seem like the 16-100 gamers in the West Coast side that beat Collingwood by 62 points at Subiaco in round six 2016 might be something of a top-end outlier.
Stay tuned … we’ll confirm or deny this statistical oddity as soon as possible.
But certainly Brad Sheppard, Jamie Cripps, Mark Hutchings, Jeremy McGovern, Scott Lycett and Liam Duggan were the odd men out in a side that day which kicked eight goals in the final quarter to win 18-.6 (124) to 9.8 (62).
Matt Priddis, in his 202nd game, was the only 200-gamer, but there were three 150-gamers in Shannon Hurn (183), Josh Kennedy (171) and Mark LeCras (160), and 12 others beyond 100 games - Josh Hill (145), Chris Masten (144), Sam Butler (143), Sharrod Wellingham (141), Will Schofield (138), Nic Naitanui (137), Jack Redden (135), Lewis Jetta (132), Eric Mackenzie (127), Luke Shuey (117), Andrew Gaff (116) and Jack Darling (111).
The ‘oldies’ took the Brownlow votes, with LeCras (a team-high 27 possessions, three goals) judged best afield and Shuey (25 possessions) picking up one vote, but the ‘youngies’ did their bit as Cripps had 11 possessions and kicked three goals, Lycett had 14 and two and Hutchings 19 and one.
The first derby at Optus Stadium
Round six, 2018 was not just a red letter day for the Eagles, it was a red letter day for WA football.
It was derby #47 and the first derby at the magnificent new Optus Stadium.
A record crowd for an AFL match in WA of 56,521 saw the Eagles overcome a sluggish start to win by eight points despite conceding the last two goals.
The crowd obliterated the previous mark of 43,527 set in derby #24 in 2006, and the thousands of Eagles at what was officially a Fremantle home game could not have been more pleased.
But it was hard going. After West Coast kicked the opening goal via Josh Kennedy, Fremantle replied with the next four and led by 20 points at quarter-time.
Never before had the Eagles come from such a quarter-time deficit in a derby to win, but three Jack Darling goals in the second quarter sparked his side and by the long break the Eagles were eight points up.
In a dour struggle befitting the occasion they surrendered the lead momentarily mid-way through the third but they led by six at the final change.
Dom Sheed pushed the margin beyond two straight kicks before Andrew Brayshaw replied for Fremantle. Eagles by eight with 22 minutes to play.
Elliot Yeo, who had done an excellent job to quell the influence of Nat Fyfe after quarter-time, turned defence into attack to make it 14 points at the 18-minute mark.
When Kennedy kicked his third two minutes later the margin was out to 20 and logic said they were home. But derby history said otherwise.
Fyfe missed a kickable shot but Hayden Ballantyne cut it to 13 points with nine minutes to play.
More than six minutes without a goal followed, and a Mark LeCras behind made it 14 points inside the last three minutes.
It was always going to tough for Fremantle from there, and so it was. A late major to Darcy Tucker left the final score 13.11 (89) to 12.9 (81).
The heroes were many for the victors.
Shannon Hurn, critical with his cool head in the closing stages, picked up 31 possessions in defence to share the Glendinning/Allan Medal with Fremantle’s Lachie Neale, who also took the three Brownlow Medal votes.
Hurn picked up one medal vote while Luke Shuey’s 27 possessions, six tackles and eight clearances earned him two votes.
The Eagles camp, too, was in raptures with Jack Redden’s contribution. In arguably his best performance for the club he had a career-best 34 possessions, including a game-high 16 contested.
Significantly, too, the ruck combination of Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett combined to get the better of Aaron Sandilands.
They give their side a 52-35 advantage in hit-outs and, more importantly, a 44-31 domination in clearances that saw the Eagles enjoy 55 forward 50 entries to the Dockers’ 45.
It was a memorable day for all concerned, and particularly a starry-eyed 19-year-old who 12 months earlier had been playing with the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup.
Jack Petruccelle was the Eagles’ fifth selection in the 2017 AFL National Draft at #38 behind Jarrod Brander (#13), Oscar Allen (#21), Liam Ryan (#26) and Brayden Ainsworth (#32), but he was the second member of the Class of 2017 to play League football.
Ryan had been the first, playing rounds 1-2-3 but, struck down by an ankle injury, he had to watch as Petrucelle played to a crowd the size of which only one Eagles debutant had confronted.
Mitch Brown had faced a crowd of 62,586 on debut against Sydney at Stadium Australia in his first game in round one 2007 in a replay of the 2006 grand final.
Josh Rotham would later slot in between Brown and Petrucelle on this list when he debuted in front of 60,878 against Collingwood at the MCG in Round 3 2019.
Petruccelle had enjoyed a bigger first-game crowd than the 53,553 that awaited Ryan, Daniel Venables and Jake Waterman five weeks earlier against Sydney at Optus Stadium.
