1. Much has and was made of the supposed SCG hoodoo. Having not won at the ground since 1999 suggests there is something in the notion. In reality, the Eagles had played at the ground just nine times since beating Sydney there in round nine, 1999. One of those games was against North Melbourne and in the Simpson era, the Eagles had played and lost three times at Sydney’s home of cricket. The victory against Carlton came in the club’s fourth game under Simpson there and was the 10th since 1999.
2. With so many senior players out of action through injury, coach Adam Simpson would have been proud of the way Nic Naitanui led the team and the level of support that came across every line. With Naitanui, Andrew Gaff, Dom Sheed, Elliott Yeo and Jack Redden taking responsibility in the middle, 2018 premiership captain Shannon Hurn and Tom Barrass steering the ship down back and Jack Darling marshalling the troops up forward, the Eagles were unwavering in their commitment to the challenge.
3. While the senior players set the tone, it was equally pleasing to see the young players step up, particularly debutant Luke Edwards and defenders Harry Edwards and Luke Foley. Harry Edwards was playing just his fifthgame and Foley his third – although one of those was as the medical sub against Hawthorn in round eight when he played five minutes. Harry was solid down back and took nine marks (four intercepts) while Foley had 16 possessions and kicked his first career goal. Luke Edwards had seven of his 15 possessions in the first quarter and looked comfortable at the elite level. Xavier O’Neill also had 14 possessions through the midfield and kicked a clutch goal.
4. Understanding the structure and game plan at a new club can take a while. There has been a period of adjustment for both Zac Langdon (GWS) and Alex Witherden(Brisbane), but Langdon produced his best game for the Eagles with 20 possessions, a goal and some of the trademark pressure that underpinned his game at GWS. Witherden has missed the last couple of games with a groin strain, but was providing strong evidence to suggest he was on the cusp of unlocking the secret to settling into the defensive structure before sidelined. He is working towards a return in the near future.
5. The influence of Nic Naitanui in the last five or six weeks has been extraordinary. And he was again pivotal in this performance, appearing to relish his role as stand-in captain. Apart from his clear domination in the ruck, which gave the Eagles an advantage of +13 in clearances and +10 for inside 50s (57-47), Naitanui also had nine clearances, one more than midfield beasts Dom Sheedand Elliot Yeo. The ratio of his contested possessions against total disposals remained consistent, with 11 of his 15 touches being contested.
