A monster win

The Eagles wrote a line very painful for the Carlton faithful into AFL record books in round 15, 2003 belting the Blues by 116 points at Subiaco in Round 15. It was the Blues’ biggest loss in what at the time had been 107 years in the VFL/AFL.

Phil Matera kicked six goals and Andrew Embley a career-best five as Chris Judd put on a clinic with 33 possessions and three goals to earn three Brownlow Medal votes.

The record didn’t stand for long … North beat Carlton by 121 points seven weeks later and then in 2015 Hawthorn beat them by 138 points to set a mark that still stands.

First Eagles win in Launceston

West Coast had played their first game at York Park in Launceston in 2003, going down to Hawthorn by two points when Jade Rawlings kicked the winner.

In round 15, 2004 they went back to northern Tasmania and turned the tables, leaving with a four-point win after Chad Fletcher had 30 possessions, Chris Judd, Mark Seaby and Andrew McDougall kicked three goals and Judd (2) and David Wirrpanda (1) picked up medal votes.

It wasn’t as close as the final margin suggests. West Coast led by 25 points at halftime and although three goals to the Hawks in the last five minutes caused a few anxious moments they had it won.

It was the first of only two wins at Park York. Sixteen years later the Eagles have a 2-5 record there.

Daniel Chick – dux of 1995

No less than 19 West Australians were first time draftees to the AFL in 1995. And that’s without a rookie draft, which wasn’t introduced until 1997. They played a total of 684 games.

Not such good news for West Coast was that, with six picks in the National Draft, they got a total of 37 games. Pick #3 Brendan Fewster played 33 games before adding 37 at Fremantle and #66 Neil Marshall played four games.

The other four Eagles pick-ups in the National Draft were #14 Luke Trew, #30 Craig Smoker, pick #44 Jonson Clifton and #57 Paul Whitelaw. Smoker played 17 games at Melbourne after a wipe at West Coast but otherwise nothing.

West Coast did have a second-chance ‘win’ from the Class of ’95 two years later when Andrew Donnelly, originally taken by Sydney in the pre-season draft, eventually made his way to the Eagles ‘nest’ and played 68 games for the club.

And seven years later, in an even more significant second-chance coup, they picked up the ‘dux’ of the Class of ’95 after going with Trew in the first round

Daniel Chick had been drafted by Hawthorn at #25, won the best and fairest in 2000 and played 149 games in brown and gold before heading home.

The Eagles thought so highly of the 25-year-old utility that to get him home they gave up their first-round pick in the 2002 National Draft, #8 overall, which was used by the Hawks to snare Luke Brennan.

Chick, who drew national media attention in January 2002 when he had his left-ring finger surgically amputated following chronic dislocation, was to prove a huge pick-up for West Coast.

In round 15, 2005 he played his 200^th AFL game as West Coast withstood a late charge from North Melbourne to post a four-point win at Docklands.

They’d been 27 points up at three-quarter and after two quick goals from Brent Harvey they steadied via Phil Matera’s fifth and were 22 points to the good nine minutes into the final quarter.

But when Nathan Thompson kicked his fifth for the Roos and Harvey his third the difference was just nine points with 19 minutes to play.

The next seven scores were all behinds – four to North and three to West Coast – and by the time Sav Rocca found the big sticks to cut it to four points it was too late. The siren beat them.

David Wirrpanda earned three votes for his 25 possessions and Ben Cousins one vote for his 25 possessions in his 199^th game. Picking up two votes for North for 32 possessions and two ruck hit-outs was Adam Simpson.

Chick was only just starting to deliver on the Eagles sizeable investment in him. He played in the 2005 grand final loss, was an important member of the 2006 premiership side and in round 21, 2007 he would post his 100^th game for the Eagles.

He was just the second of what is now four players to play 100 games for the Eagles and 100 games for another club. Fraser Gehrig had been the first in 2006, while Chick was followed by Tyson Stenglein in 2009 and Chris Judd in 2012.

The mega rivalry

The rivalry between the West Coast Eagles and the Sydney Swans in the mid-2000s was extraordinary. Six games in a row decided by a total of 13 points, starting with the Eagles four-point win in the 2005 qualifying final and the Swans win by the same margin in the 2005 grand final.

They came together again in round 15, 2006 at Subiaco, when Sydney kicked six goals in the first term to lead by 20 points. Given that the teams between them had only kicked 35 goals in the two full games in 2005 it was like a scoring avalanche.

Things returned to normal when the Eagles were held goalless in the second term. With the Swans adding 2.2 to lead by 32 points at half-time they looked set to repeat their win of the ’05 grand final.

But the home team opened the third quarter with two quick majors to Quinten Lynch and Drew Banfield and then held the Swans goalless until three-quarter time as Lynch added another. It was back to nine. Eagles 6.11 – Swans 8.8.

Thirteen minutes into the last term Barry Hall made it 14. And seven minutes later it was still 13. The Eagles needed three goals in what would be 12 minutes. It was going to be tough.

A Beau Waters soccer goal gave the Eagles a sniff and when Adam Hunter followed two minutes later it was Sydney by two points. Then three when Simon Phillips added a behind.

The Eagles hit the front for the first time via a scrubby Tyson Stenglein shot that was so very nearly touched on the line by Craig Bolton. There were still three minutes to play and plenty of anxious moments, especially when Jude Bolton had a chance to put Sydney in front inside the last minute, but the Eagles hung on 9.13 (67) to 9.11 (65).

Chris Judd’s game-high 26 possessions, six tackles, six clearances and a goal earned him three Brownlow Medal votes, while Adam Goodes, with 22 possessions and two goals, took two votes and David Wirrpanda (25 possessions) one vote.

It was Drew Banfield’s 150^th win for the Eagles in his 257^th game. He was the second Eagle to this mark behind Guy McKenna, who got there in his 236^th game in round one, 1999, and ahead of Shannon Hurn, who posted win 150 in his 256^th game in round eight, 2019.

It also turned out to be Michael Gardiner’s 129^th and last game for the Eagles. He was suspended indefinitely by the club and fined $5000 followed a traffic accident, and the following year wore St Kilda colours.

While Gardiner’s career at West Coast was done and Banfield’s stellar career was nearing its end, the rivalry between the two clubs lived on. It was Sydney by one point in the 2006 qualifying final and then West Coast by a point in Banfield’s last game in the 2006 grand final. And then in round one, 2007 West Coast prevailed again by a solitary point.

A low-key life member

Rowan Jones spent the better part of 10 years living under the football radar, at least outside WA. He was always regarded as a solid player by interstate pundits but paled in comparison to the superstar midfielders of his time.

Certainly, when Jones posted his 150^th game in round 15, 2007 there were some doubters among the Melbourne media even though he’d finished third in the Eagles Club Champion Award in 2001, served as a club vice-captain in 2004 and been a member of the 2006 premiership side after missing the 2005 grand final loss due to a training mishap.

Quite simply, the doubters were wrong about the player drafted from Claremont with pick #28 in 1997.

He was respected and admired within the Eagles camp for the way he went about things and was viewed as a more than worthy recipient of the life membership that came his way.

Jones’ 150^th came as Eric Mackenzie and Ben McKinley made their AFL debut against Port Adelaide at Football Park but sadly for the trio it wasn’t a great day. The Power won by 91 points despite 25 possessions from Jones, second only to Andrew Embley’s 29, in the visitors’ camp.

History repeats

A similar fate befell milestone men Andrew Embley and Brett Jones and debutant Ashley Smith three years later when West Coast hosted Adelaide at Subiaco in round 15, 2010.

With Embley becoming the 13^th Eagles play to 200 games and Jones (no relation) posting his 100^th the Crows spoiled the party despite a late rally from the home side.

West Coast had trailed by three points at three-quarter time but three quick goals to Kurt Tippett for Adelaide pushed the margin out to 19. Embley and Smith cut it to seven but Ricky Henderson, now with Hawthorn, pushed it back out to 13.

Still 15 minutes to play and when Embley’s third was followed quickly by Lewis Stevenson’s second and ultimately last goal for West Coast, hopes were high.

Not for long. Adelaide got the last three and won 17.15 (117) to 14.11 (95). Mark LeCras kicked four goals and Matt Rosa and Adam Selwood had 29 possessions.

Off to Hobart

West Coast added a new destination to their travel itinerary in round 15, 2012 when they travelled to Bellerive Oval, home of Test cricket in Tasmania, to meet fly-in tenants North Melbourne.

It was a beauty to celebrate Daniel Kerr’s 200^th game for the club and one of the very best in the brilliant career of Eagles games record-holder and six-time All-Australian Dean Cox.

North led by 11 at the first change and as many as 35 midway through the second quarter. It was back to 27 at halftime and 15 at three-quarter time before Cox found himself in the unlikely role of match-winning goal-kicker to repel an even more unlikely would-be match winner for the Roos.

Playing his 241^st game Cox dominated at both ends of the ground to pull down a career-best 15 marks. He also had 21 possessions and kicked three goals to make it easy for the umpires when they were awarding the Brownlow Medal votes.

Cox had kicked the first goal of the game from a mark in the goal square and added a second from long range in the third quarter. When moments later he found Quentin Lynch for another it was back to nine points.

But the visitors hadn’t counted on the strikepower of Robbie Tarrant in just his 16^th game. He slotted his third goal just before the last change

Lynch and Jack Darling goaled early in the final term for West Coast to pull the deficit back to three points. Thereafter it was goal for goal. Brent Harvey answered for North before Josh Hill levelled the scores with 10 minutes to play.

Who would step up? First, it was Tarrant. He kicked his fourth to set a career-best mark which the now 151-game veteran defender has never bettered. Roos by five with six to play.

Cox was equal to the challenge. Floating in from the side he got on the end of a penetrating kick from Eric Mackenzie to clutch onto his 15^th mark. From right on 50m on a 45-degree angle he banged it home.

A Will Scofield behind in the final minute saw West Coast win 12.14 (86) to 13.6 (84).

Matt Priddis had 34 possessions, 11 tackles and a goal for two Brownlow votes, while Kerr marked his double century with 31 possessions and a goal.

Kennedy on the left

The round 15 milestone heart-stoppers continued in 2013 when West Coast took on Adelaide at Football Park, getting home by two points in Josh Hill’s 100^th AFL game after trailing by seven points at half-time and 13 points 20 minutes into the fourth quarter.

This time Josh Kennedy was the last-minute hero after Will Schofield had kicked one of the most memorable goals of his career, taking three bounces on a surging run through the midfield before steadying it and slotting it on the run from 40m.

This put West Coast two points up midway through the third term, and after Patrick McGinnity kicked one for the visitors and Jason Porplyzia replied for the Crows it stayed that way to the last change.

Matthew Wright quickly put Adelaide back in front and when Porplyzia kicked his second they led by 14 with 11 minutes to play. It was 9.15 to 8.8. West Coast needed three in a hurry.

Andrew Embley got the first before a brilliant Eagles charge from deep inside defensive 50 ended with a telling major. Matt Rosa found Beau Waters and he picked out Schofield again. Showing great poise, he fired a perfectly weighted handball over the top to a running Bradd Dalziell and from 30m he found the mark.

Three minutes to play as West Coast went forward again. Kennedy won the ball on the ground, turned onto his left and ran inside 50. He steadied and bounced it through for full points.

Kennedy was the Eagles only multiple goal-kicker with four as they won 11.9 (75) to 9.15 (69). Matt Priddis picked up three votes for 33 possessions and Chris Masten two votes for 39.

As fate would have it, it turned out to be the end of the 120-game career of 2006 premiership player Beau Waters. It was a tough, hard slog. Just as he liked it best.

Life member Matt

Matt Rosa joined the Eagles life membership club when he played his 150^th game in round 15, 2014. It was derby #40 and the second of Adam Simpson’s first season at the Eagles helm, and another thriller.

The Dockers led by 24 points at three-quarter the Eagles rallied. Jeremy McGovern, in his fifth game and his first derby, kicked his 11^th goal to provide a spark, and was followed by three snapped goals from Xavier Ellis, Patrick McGinnity after a brutal Nick Naitanui spoil and Mark Hutchings. The Eagles were a point up.

Fremantle answered via Stephen Hill, Danyle Pearce and Hayden Ballantyne and with five minutes to play their 20-point buffer was enough. Just. Josh Kennedy and Luke Shuey cut it to eight points and McGovern lined up a shot to make it two as the siren sounded. He pushed it left. They lost by five.

In his 113^th game Eric Mackenzie picked up his fifth and last vote in the Brownlow.

The McGinnity roller coaster

Patrick McGinnity was a Perth-born product of Trinity College via Marist Junior Football Club, which also counts fellow Eagles Jake Waterman, Matt Connell and Tony Begovich plus 100-gamers Matthew Burton and Travis Colyer and #1 draft pick Jesse Hogan among its AFL alumni.

He was a perfect example of a player riding the AFL roller-coaster, and testament to the fact that, superstars aside, it is dangerous to take anything for granted.

The 184cm utility was a member of the all-Australian under-18 side after WA scored an overpowering win in the 2007 Australian under -8 championships but was one of only two eligible members of that side to miss out in the National Draft. It was McGinnity and Tasmanian Aaron Joseph.

He got his chance via pick #7 in the 2008 pre-season draft and broke into the side in a 20-point Subiaco loss to St Kilda in round 15, 2009.

It turned out to be Tyson Stenglein’s last game for the Eagles, and, with a vacancy in the top side, McGinnity played 54 of a possible 79 games through to 2012, including five finals.

He was in and out of the side over the next three years and played just 26 of a possible 70, but he finished in the side in 2013 and 2014 and played the first final of 2015 before being an emergency for the last two.

He was a 26-year-old 90-gamer, with six finals behind him, looking forward to the rest of his career.

Although fit throughout the 2016 season and an emergency five times in the first 13 rounds, he didn’t get a chance until the round 15 clash with Essendon at Subiaco.

The Eagles won by 78 points and he kicked a team-high and career-best four goals to pick up his first Brownlow vote as Andrew Gaff was best afield with 35 possessions and two goals.

The Eagles were eighth on the ladder, set to push hard for the finals, and McGinnity was coming off one of the best games of his career. He was back on track. Or at least he may have thought so.

Two weeks later he was done. He played in winnings sides in rounds 16-17, was dropped in round 18 and never played again. He was delisted at the end of the season and went back to his family roots at East Perth – where his father Kevin had been a star in the 70s.

The 2007 Australian under-18 side chosen after WA went unbeaten against SA, Victoria Metro and Victoria Country through the carnival saw Cale Morton win the Larke Medal was: -

B: Nick Suban (VC), Michael Hurley (VM), Alex Rance (WA)
HB: Scott Selwood (VC), Tom Collier (Tas), David Myers (WA)
C: Daniel Rich (WA), Rhys Palmer (WA), Cale Morton (WA)
HF: Brad Ebert (SA), Ben McEvoy (VC), Jack Grimes (VM)
F: Addam Maric (VM), Aaron Cornelius (Tas), Cyril Rioli (NT)
R: Matthew Kreuzer (VC), Craig Bird (NSW/ACT), Chris Masten (WA)
INT: Nic Naitanui (WA), Aaron Joseph (Tas), Taylor Walker (NSW/ACT), Patrick McGinnity (WA).

 

Vardy a double hero

Nathan Vardy, pick #42 in the 2009 National Draft from the Gippsland Power, joined the Eagles for the 2017 season after 25 games in six injury-plagued years at Geelong.

He played 22 games in his first year in Perth but none more memorable than round 15 against the Western Bulldogs at Docklands.

He was a double hero as the defending premiers, 28 points down at three-quarter time, threatened to steal a win when they pulled to within a point after Jake Stringer sharked an ill-directed kick-in and goaled.

Shortly afterwards, as a ball-up in the Eagles forward pocket, Vardy sharked the ball and snapped truly over his shoulder for what turned out to be the winning goal.

But just for good measure, and to close out what Dwayne Russell described in commentary as “the quarter of his life”, he sagged back into defence to take a big saving mark.

He’d ensured the Eagles posted a win in what turned out to be Sam Butler’s 166^th and last game and in Dom Sheed’s 50^th game. And he spared Tom Barrass some embarrassment after his errant kick-in had led to the Stringer goal.

West Coast won by seven points as Andrew Gaff collected a career-best 42 possessions to pick up three Brownlow votes and Jack Darling had 18 possessions and three goals for two votes. Jeremy McGovern received one vote.

This time it’s Cripps

It was almost to be expected that round 15 last year would be another thriller when West Coast travelled to the MCG to take on Hawthorn. And it was. This time Jamie Cripps was the match-winner.

The Eagles led by 20 points at half-time but were five points down at three-quarter time. After Liam Ryan and Jack Darling put the visitors eight points up with the first two goals of the final term the Hawks answered through Ricky Henderson and Daniel Howe.

With still 14 minutes to play Jack Redden sent a hurried clearance kick forward and Jack Darling leaped high to take a trademark mark on his chest. He converted from close range. It was back to one point.

There was no score for 11 minutes until Brad Sheppard locked it up with a behind.

Three minutes to play. Anyone’s game. But after Lewis Jetta found Oscar Allen running forward Allen bombed it long to the square. Darling provided the contest, forcing the ball to the front, and there, just where he was meant to be, was Cripps.

He screwed it back over his shoulder. And although there were two minutes to play they were home.

Luke Shuey’s 39 possessions (20 contested), nine tackles, 11 clearances and a goal made three votes a simple choice, while Jack Darling earned two votes for five goals.