Where and when: The Gabba. Saturday, July 11 (1.05pm AWST)
TV: Live on Channel 7, Fox Footy, Kayo and the official AFL Live app
What it means for the Eagles: After breaking their hub hoodoo against Sydney last weekend, West Coast will be determined to register another win in Queensland before making their way back to Perth. A victory over the Crows would get the Eagles back in touch with the top eight ahead of a run of home games at Optus Stadium.
The stat: West Coast is currently ranked no.1 in the competition for centre clearances, averaging 33.2 bouncedown extractions for the year thanks in large part to the sublime tap work of imposing ruckman Nic Naitanui. However, the Eagles only rank 12th in the league for inside 50s, averaging just 39.6 attacking entries per game in 2020. If Adam Simpson’s men can improve their clearance to inside 50 conversion rate, they could kick a big score on Saturday.
The matchup: Nic Naitanui v Riley O’Brien
It would have felt wrong to pick any another matchup considering what transpired this week. O’Brien put the head-to-head battle in the spotlight when he accidentally tweeted his pre-game focus points, one of which questioned Naitanui’s work rate and fitness. In short, we can’t wait to see how West Coast’s marquee man responds. And he’s coming into the contest with form, having won best on ground honours for his 39-hitout, 11-disposal and seven-clearance performance against the Swans.
It’s a big week for: Brayden Ainsworth
The 21-year-old returns to the senior team after last donning blue and gold in Round 16, 2018. Ainsworth is not a like-for-like replacement for skipper Luke Shuey, but he possesses a huge tank and isn’t afraid to put his body on the line inside the contest. The Esperance product is one of several young Eagles expected to drive the club’s midfield in the years to come and he will no doubt want to prove that he belongs at the highest level with a solid showing against the Crows.
Big call: Jarrod Cameron returns with a bang and boots three goals.
