Some final numbers and thoughts
First I’ll start with the free kick count. Contrary to my gut feel it was only 23-18 in favour of West Coast but it was where they got them that mattered. Not that North can use it as an excuse for losing, but it certainly didn’t help.
The winners ended up +8 for I50s, +5 for tackles but lost nearly every other major category bar scoring, which is all that matters in the end. Sharrod Wellingham was close to best on ground for the Eagles with 27 possessions, 4 rebounds and 4 inside-50s. He mopped up everything across half back and consistently outmarked taller opponents, most notably Ben Brown. The poor youngster was rattled in the end.
Matt Priddis (26 possessions, 6 clearances and 7 tackles) was faultless in the middle and covered for a few mates who were down on previous weeks. Josh Kennedy had 2 goals in his 20 touches, Luke Shuey kicked 2 to make up for his diminished output in other respects and of the six different single goal scorers, Mark LeCras will want to make more of his opportunities next week.
North were best served by Ben Cunnington, whose 20 possessions, 8 clearances and 5 tackles were a huge part of his side’s shock lead for most of the first half. Andrew Swallow (25), Sam Wright (23) and Sam Gibson (21) all worked tirelessly and both Waite and Petrie tried their best to provide an option up forward, but North just lacked the class, finishing and poise in the face of adversity that is required in games like this. It’s a win of sorts though; not many people other than the most optimistic Roos fans thought they’d even get close tonight and they were gutsy and brave.
But here we are - the Grand Final that most of us honestly expected. West Coast and Hawthorn, just like in 1991. Unlike then it won’t be played at Waverley Park and it’s very doubtful that we’ll get a pre-game performance like Angry Anderson’s that day. But I reckon that’s what we deserve. It’s the year of the fan, after all. I’m kicking off the campaign now.
Thanks for joining us for the live action and make sure you’re back next weekend for the big one. Now just drink in the glory...
#AFLEaglesNorth pic.twitter.com/38C0M0XPdn
— Glenn Valencich (@glennvalencich) September 26, 2015
The Eagles win it by 25 points and will play Hawthorn in next week's Grand Final
Full time: West Coast 10.20 (80) defeat North Melbourne 7.13 (55)
The Eagles are home! North Melbourne were gallant and brave tonight, but lacked the poise, finishing and luck to cause a monumental upset. They led at quarter and half time and gave it a decent shake, but the Eagles got the job done in the second half.
Matt Priddis was a key for the Eagles, as ever, and he stops for a post-game chat. “Typical finals footy,” he says. “I’ve got a lot of respect for North Melbourne...but the win is great. It’s the best. Nothing compares. It’s what we train so hard for.”
Kangaroos goal! 4th quarter (2:32 remaining) West Coast 10.19 (79) vs North Melbourne 7.13 (55)
Brent Harvey is doing everything he can to con a 50-metre penalty out of Ray Chamberlain when he tackles Yeo to the ground but not getting much love so the Eagles barrel forward again with another entry onto the chest of Mark LeCras. He’s 30 metres out on a slight angle and again wastes plenty of time, but pushes it across the face for a behind. It’s one major knock you’d have on the Eagles tonight; their goal-kicking has been atrocious. Ask Fremantle fans what that can be like in Grand Finals against Hawthorn.
Anyway, Kayne Turner’s got himself a consolation goal here and the only other interesting development is that Wellingham has gone off the ground after copping a knee to the head from Waite. Hardly an exclusive club, that one.
Kangaroos goal! 4th quarter (7:57 remaining) West Coast 10.17 (77) vs North Melbourne 6.13 (49)
North finally get one back through Shaun Higgins, who’d hit the post a minute earlier, but they’re cooked at this point.
Updated
Eagles goal! 4th quarter (9:08 remaining) West Coast 10.17 (77) vs North Melbourne 5.12 (42)
Matt Rosa finally gets a run for the Eagles and Chris Masten is the man who makes way after a quiet return from injury. As that’s happening Drew Petrie sprays a chance across the face for a minor score and cops a round of Bronx cheers for his efforts. Then, in a symbol of everything good about this Eagles effort and everything lacking in North’s, Wellingham twice out-muscles the far bigger Ben Brown in marking contests.
West Coast counter-attack dynamically and the ball soon wings its way into the arms of Mark LeCras, 40 metres out on a 60 degree angle. He wastes plenty of time taking his kick, leans back and it’s punched through for a point. Moments later there’s a classic Josh Hill moment, containing both an awful mistake and a moment of brilliance. He lazily lopes back towards goal and spills a mark he should have taken, but gathers the crumb and from a tight angle, slams through a running goal and hugs some nearby fans. That’ll be the ball game then.
Odds on Brad Scott will be happy to cop a huge fine in his post-match presser and absolutely spray the umpires #AFLEaglesNorth #AFLFinals
— Niall Seewang (@AFL_NSeewang) September 26, 2015
Eagles goal! 4th quarter (14:19 remaining) West Coast 9.16 (70) vs North Melbourne 5.11 (41)
We’re under way in the final term of this winner-takes-all bout and the Eagles go forward immediately through Elliot Yeo and soon after, Cripps arrows a pass onto the chest of a leading Kennedy. Kennedy misses from 30 metres out, which has been a real theme tonight for both sides. North swing it forward. Jacobs has his legs taken from under him 20 metres from goal but isn’t rewarded. He’s pinged for holding it, in fact.
There follows some desperate stuff. Lung-busting runs mingle with flailing arms and crunching tackles. North trap it forward for a few minutes. The Eagles absorb the pressure and finally clear. Cripps has an open goal face to aim out but his attempt to bounce a goal through from 60 metres out breaks right for a point. Then there’s a comedy of errors that ends with Cripps flicking a handball over the top to an unmanned LeCras in the goal square and he slams it through for the score that probably seals North’s fate. Surely they can’t come back from here?
Three-quarter time: Eagles lead by 21 points
3-quarter time: West Coast 8.14 (62) vs North Melbourne 5.11 (41)
The Roos almost get it forward as the siren sounds but it’s too late, so we’re left to assess a 26-point turnaround in that third term that leaves the Eagles in the box seat to play in next week’s grand final. They were superb in that term, kicking 5.6 to sprint away from the Roos. Have the umpires helped North? Nope, but they’re tiring now and though they were brave early it’s hard to see them clawing their way back from here.
Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (1:41 remaining) West Coast 8.14 (62) vs North Melbourne 5.10 (40)
Now North get the ru of the green when Atley is tackled to the ground by Kennedy but is somehow allowed to fire off a handball and then McMillan marks in dangerous territory. But...he misses the set shot from 40 metres out. Hopeless. Lindsay Thomas is on the ground now from the sub’s bench and that means that Taylor Garner is done for the night. Brad Scott refuses to take advice from Shane Warne. Controversial.
AND THEN BEN BROWN TAKES A TOWERING MARK! Stick that up your jumper Shane Warne! Or maybe not. His set shot misses to the right. As that’s happening Nick Dal Santo cops a bad corkie to the hip and hobbles off. Then there’s a truly magic moment from Luke Shuey, who gathers the ball close to West Coast’s 50, hits the video game turbo speed button to sprint away from the field and slams through a crowd-lifting goal. Sensational stuff. That could be a back-breaker for the Roos.
Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (7:28 remaining) West Coast 7.13 (55) vs North Melbourne 5.8 (38)
Ooh, Wellingham has a dicey moment here, slinging Jarrad Waite towards the fence and conceding an unnecessary free kick on North’s forward flank. Waite duly spears a pass onto the chest of Cunnington but the latter misses a set shot he should have stroked home with ease. Oh dear.
Josh Hill commits another unfortunate error when instead of going back and shooting from goal - his job, in essence - he handballs off around the corner for McGovern to blaze it from 55 metres out. He misses, of course, and something else has just struck me; this will be a great umpiring conspiracy theory final. North fans will talk about it for years if they lose. So...brace yourselves. Also brace yourselves for Jack Darling, who takes a mark here on another defence-splitting lead. He’s 35 metres out on a slight angle....but misses badly. No matter, moments later Dom Sheed gathers a handball in space and on that sumptuous left boot of his, caresses it through the middle from 20 metres out. The crowd is going nuts.
Ben Brown is football’s Alastair Cook, it appears. Poor kid.
Brown for North has made a couple of huge & very costly clangers ! Eagles coming like a tsunami, umpires, come on ! To many bad decisions
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) September 26, 2015
Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (11:41 remaining) West Coast 6.11 (47) vs North Melbourne 5.7 (37)
The Eagles are flying now. They sprint forward again after moving the ball coast to coast and Darling’s held off the footy by Tarrant (or was he?) so wins a free kick in dangerous territory. He nails the goal from 30 metres out. The Eagles lead it by 10 points now and replays confirm that the umpiring decision was another howler.
Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (13:31 remaining) West Coast 5.11 (41) vs North Melbourne 5.7 (37)
Wellingham replies! He’s been superb tonight - best afield by a country mile - and now he gets on the end of a Priddis handball, sprints to 35 metres out and floats it through. Brian Taylor is having some kind of episode commentating it. Hopefully he’ll be subbed out too.
Nice for Grant Thomas to drop by. Preliminary Final nights must rake up some unwelcome memories I guess.
By the way, evidently Harvey is the oldest player.
— Grant Thomas (@Thomo_Grant) September 26, 2015
Kangaroos goal! 3rd quarter (14:39 remaining) West Coast 4.11 (35) vs North Melbourne 5.7 (37)
The Eagles fans are buzzing now and why wouldn’t they be? Their side goes forward again and there’s a pair of near-misses that only heap further pressure on North. The second should have resulted in a free kick to Kennedy at point blank range when Thompson dragged him to the ground by the jumper. I think that’s a square-up for the Shuey howler earlier.
And then, completely against the run of play, North swing it down the other end into acres of space, which Higgins runs into and cruves a low snap through the middle from 20 metres out. Josh Hill had a shocker there for the Coasters. Just gave up on the contest. Matt Rosa might be warming up as I type.
Eagles goal! 3rd quarter (17:18 remaining) West Coast 4.9 (33) vs North Melbourne 4.7 (31)
We’re under way in the third term and Naitanui palms it down beautifully for Shuey to hammer the Eagles into attack. That was sublime tap work - the slow motion replay of it should be purchased by MONA as a video art installation. Meanwhile, Priddis artlessly punts it inside 50 and his tumbling effort somehow ends up on the chest of a diving Josh Kennedy. He’s 30 metres out on a slight angle but misses. Nothing’s changed on the goal-kicking front then. Imagine if Fremantle only had 3 goals on the board at this point of a game. The internet would be exploding.
PRIDDISSSSS!!!!! The reigning Brownlow medalist must figure that he needs to get the job done himself and shows the composure that teammates have lacked when he sharks a ruck duel, sprints to 40 metres out and slams through a left foot snap. The Eagles have the lead for the first time tonight.
Acavalcade of cricket legends continue to weigh in
I want the best team in the GF... Not one who wins more free kicks than the opposition... And they are losing at half time!
— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) September 26, 2015
The first half in numbers
North now narrowly lead the clearances (+2), contested possessions (+5) and tackles, but the Eagles are right back in this. Key to that has been the drive of Sharrod Wellingham (15 touches) across half back, the target provided by Josh Kennedy (9 disposals and 2 goals), Nic Naitanui’s energy in the middle and the fact that they’ve heaped pressure back on North around the stoppages.
The Roos have been best served by Boomer Harvey (15 disposals), Andrew Swallow (10) and forward duo Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie, who’ve been battering rams all night. The problem there is that they haven’t converted to the degree they might have. That 4.7 tally in the first half might haunt them in the off-season. They’ll stay calm though, the Roos. They know they had West Coast’s number early in the game. The question is whether they can keep that intensity up for another hour. The Eagles? They can only improve on that first half. You get the sense they’ll finish well at home, especially with their fresher legs as the game wears on.
What a game of pressure .. Absolute cracker
— Danny Frawley (@SpudSays) September 26, 2015
Twitter exchange of the night... #Jeffreypls #AFLEaglesNorth pic.twitter.com/i1jFte3K0W
— Kimberley Ramplin (@Kimbo_Ramplin) September 26, 2015
Half-time - North lead by 5 points but the Eagles are surging
Half-time: West Coast 3.8 (26) vs North Melbourne 4.7 (31)
North have one more chance and head inside 50 but Ben Brown drops an absolute pudding so the siren sounds with the Eagles sprinting forward. Nobody will be happier to hear it sound out than the North players who for all their courageous efforts so far, can only boast a 5-point lead at the main break.
Will they run out of legs in the second half? Could the Eagles play a worse quarter than their first one tonight? I’ll be back with some stats from this gripping half of finals footy.
Eagles goal! 2nd quarter (1:44 remaining) West Coast 3.8 (26) vs North Melbourne 4.7 (31)
These two sides are running themselves ragged tonight. The pressure is stifling, the counter-attacking savage and the pressure immense. Jarrad Waite misses a tough set shot from the boundary for the Roos, but he did at least give himself every chance by throwing a trainer’s Gatorade cooler bag over the fence when it got in the way of his run-up. It was treated with equal disdain as the back of a defender dropping into the hole.
Oof. Ben Brown then butchers a clear chance for the Roos when instead of hammering a goal through from 30 metres he elects to try a one-two with Shaun Higgins but his handball is appalling. Higgins is harassed into a point. The Eagles swing it down the other end well but Cripps misses a pair of chances. Masten pokes it inside 50 to an open Darling but the pass falls short and Darling is harried into a miss with his snap. Everyone’s missing. The pressure is crazy. Gaff misses deplorably when he’s granted the advantage of a Josh Kennedy free kick.
But then...a gift. Shuey grabs the ball 20 metres out and burrows towards goal and then gets a very fortunate free kick when Dal Santo accidentally catches him high. Not even an Eagles player could miss from there. He rams it home.
Kangaroos goal! 2nd quarter (9:04 remaining) West Coast 2.4 (16) vs North Melbourne 4.5 (29)
Bang! North respond immediately through Taylor Garner, whose life is made a little easier by North’s lightening-quick clearance. He sprints into open space, gathers the loose ball, breaks an insipid tackle from Brad Sheppard, rounds a couple of opponents and then tucks his snap home from 20 metres out.
Eagles goal! 2nd quarter (9:41 remaining) West Coast 2.4 (16) vs North Melbourne 3.5 (23)
As an orange sunset canopy settles in behind the stands, the Eagles are finally starting to establish a bit of momentum in general play. Fortunately for them, North only managed three goals from their extended spell of dominance so the deficit is not as imposing as it might have been. Sharrod Wellingham has been a real driver for the Eagles across half back in that effort.
There’s a few minutes of ugly football but eventually Kennedy wriggles loose again and marks on the lead before slamming home a 4o metre bomb that sails over the umpire’s hat and lands 10 rows behind him. The Eagles are coming.
Eagles goal! 2nd quarter (15:06 remaining) West Coast 1.4 (10) vs North Melbourne 3.4 (22)
We’re under way in the second term and again there’s ceaseless pressure on every West Coast possession. Struggling Chris Masten gets gang-tackled to the ground by a pair of North players on the outer wing and he’s accordingly pinged for holding the ball. The Eagles finally go forward through Naitanui but his ugly kick inside 50 tumbles like the air’s been knocked out of the ball and North clear.
Then a stroke of luck; Wellingham boots it forward to a one-on-one in which Scott Thompson grabs a little too much of Kennedy’s jumper and the umpire sees it. But Kennedy shanks an absolute sitter! Oh dear. He was 25 metres out at most and directly in front. Then Mark LeCras misses a much more difficult chance with a snap from the boundary but the Eagles are starting to wind up a little and finally they break through when Kennedy withstands a big bump from Thompson to mark, sprint away and goal on the run. Adam Simpson is pumped. That’s exactly what he wants. Will the local crowd start behaving accordingly?
Bizarre, low key atmosphere at Domain. Is anyone interested? There is still a spot in a GF up for grabs, right?
— Gareth Parker (@G_Parker) September 26, 2015
Some stats from the first term
North are +20 for disposals, +2 for clearances, +7 for contested possessions but it’s on the scoreboard where they’ve been dominant. West Coast has barely looked like it. West Coast linchpins Luke Shuey, Chris Masten and Shannon Hurn only had 6 touched between them. That’s a bath.
Harvey, Gibson, Ziebell, Cunnington and Golstein have been beasts for North and all their tall forwards have provided a target. The Eagles have been suffocated. Can they bounce back in the second term?
North Melbourne dominate the first term to lead by 20 points at the first break
Quarter time - West Coast 0.2 (2) vs North Melbourne 3.4 (22)
Boomer Harvey has been brilliant for North, in case you’re wondering, even if he drops a sitter of a chest mark right as I talk him up. And you know who is loving this game right now? Anybody associated with the Hawthorn Football Club. James Frawley is probably cackling. Sinclair pumps it inside 50 for the Eagles late in the term and Kennedy nearly takes a colossal grab 30 metres out. The Eagles trap it in that danger zone. There’s a bounce. The ball’s in dispute. But North clear and rebound with savage intent.
Lachie Hansen arrows a pass inside 50 to a one-on-one between Wellingham and Waite and though the big Roo destroys him in that contest, he misses the resultant set shot. Couldn’t have had an easier one than that. Will North rue these misses? One to ponder as the quarter time siren sounds. North have stunned the Eagles here. They’re dominating this game.
Levi Greenwood presently on the phone to his agent. The call is not pleasant. #AFLEaglesNorth
— Steve Smith (@stevesmithffx) September 26, 2015
Kangaroos goal! - 1st quarter (4:35 remaining) West Coast 0.1 (1) vs North Melbourne 3.3 (21)
North’s ascendancy continues with another quick centre clearance to set up a one-on-one between Ziebell and Brad Sheppard. Ziebell wins it, wrestling the mark to his chest and then hammering his set shot home from 4o metres out. He flexes his biceps. Teammates swamp him. North are outmuscling the Eagles at the moment. It’s entirely one-way traffic.
Kangaroos goal! - 1st quarter (5:33 remaining) West Coast 0.1 (1) vs North Melbourne 2.3 (15)
The Eagles have been listless in the last ten minutes - Shuey, Gaff and Masten have hardly touched it - but they surge forward from the restart and Jamie Cripps narrowly misses with a high, swirling snap. The problem for North here is that they haven’t exactly made their dominance count on the scoreboard.
Josh Kennedy artlessly snaps towards goal but it’s mopped up before it reaches the required distance. North sling it straight back down the other end and big Ben Brown gets on the end of a searching pass deep inside 50 from Cunnington, who along with Ziebell has been super. Brown nails it! North get their reward and the Eagles brains trust have some serious thinking to do. This is certainly not going to plan. North are playing like men possessed.
The Kangaroos rip through the Eagles' web to set up Brown for a goal #AFLFinals http://t.co/u75ng1gDr9
— #AFLFinals (@AFL) September 26, 2015
Updated
Kangaroos goal! - 1st quarter (8:39 remaining) West Coast 0.0 (0) vs North Melbourne 1.3 (9)
A scoreless opening ten minutes wasn’t exactly in the script tonight but it’s a huge win for North, who’ll have been nervous about West Coast’s forward potency. Even better, North jag the first goal of the game when Boomer Harvey sharks the scraps from a throw-in and snaps it through neatly from 20 metres out. OH NO HE DIDN’T! There’s a score review and it reveals the fact that Matt Priddis actually touched it. That hurts. Poor Boomer.
Still, Josh Kennedy’s hardly been near it so far. The ball has been locked inside North’s half for a good five minutes and they’e established some momentum in all respects other than scoring. They’re crushing the clearances, for instance. 8-2 right now. And everything’s breaking down for the Eagles from their outlet kick and when North go inside 50 for the umpteenth time, Drew Petrie finally reels in a big mark but continues his kicking yips from last week, pushing his 40 metre set shot across the face.
Scott Thompson gets one back for Goldstein, dumping Naitanui on the ground out on the wing. Then North go forward again and this time Sam Gibson gets on the end of the forward entry, a neat pass from Nick Dal Santo. Gibson dobs it! North are all over the Eagles at the moment.
No score but I better give you an update - 1st quarter (14:57 remaining) West Coast 0.0 (0) vs North Melbourne 0.0 (0)
There’s a huge win for the Eagles in the first ruck contest with Naitanui ironing Goldstein out flat on his back to start us off. Cop that Goldy! North recover and go forward first but there follows a period of congestion and a few throw-ins on the outer wing. You get the sense that this first 15 minutes will be vital for North because the Eagles have a habit of blowing sides away early.
The Eagles go forward and look threatening but for a while, North do an admirable job of chopping off their entries and tackling hard. The pressure around the contest is fierce. Naitanui marks strongly close to goal but slices a snap across the face of goal for no score and North finally clear and go forward. They’re soaking up the pressure so far. It’s a real arm wrestle.
The Toss
We’re through the national anthem, so Shannon Hurn and Andrew Swallow meet in the middle for the toss and quite adorably, the person chosen to do it is a young lad who is knee high to both. Hurn wins it and kicks “towards Melbourne”, in the words of Dennis Cometti last night. We’re minutes from the opening bounce. It’s 18 degrees in Perth right now - perfect for footy. Let’s do this.
.@DomainStadium you look wonderful tonight. #AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/AR5XS3hB5d
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) September 26, 2015
Warnie has spoken
But more importantly, which player tonight would stand a chance of making an updated version of the Warnie Mural? Dal Santo? Jack Ziebell? They’d be doing well to knock Aaron Hamill out of the frame.
Tuning in again from London, Eagles V North #AFL. Want North to win but feel the Eagles will get it done by 23 pts Ps Have a good call BT..
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) September 26, 2015
Tonight’s teams
There’s no late changes to either side. Nick Dal Santo plays his 300th game tonight for North and he’s just run through the banner with his teammates. He’ll have to put in a decent shift tonight.
West Coast
Shannon Hurn, Will Schofield, Sharrod Wellingham, Elliot Yeo, Jeremy McGovern, Brad Sheppard, Mark Hutchings, Matt Priddis, Chris Masten, Sam Butler, Jack Darling, Mark LeCras, Josh Hill, Josh J. Kennedy, Jamie Cripps, Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff, Dom Sheed, Xavier Ellis, Callum Sinclair SUB: Matt Rosa
North Melbourne
Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Shaun Atley, Lachlan Hansen, Robbie Tarrant, Sam Gibson, Sam Wright, Jack Ziebell, Ben Jacobs, Shaun Higgins, Drew Petrie, Nick Dal Santo, Taylor Garner, Jarrad Waite, Brent Harvey, Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jamie Macmillan, Ben Cunnington, Kayne Turner, Ben Brown SUB: Lindsay Thomas
It's the remix to ignition / North Melbourne prelim edition / I can't stop shaking or crying / I need to see a physician
— Some of the Boys (@WlTTSJW) September 25, 2015
Some belated Ross Lyon love
Seeing Ross Lyon get smashed is astonishing. Ok they have not won a flag, but year in year out they are a tough beat.
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) September 26, 2015
Preamble
Hello ladies and gentlemen. It’s the aforementioned Russell Jackson here to take you through this big preliminary final clash between the scorching-hot favourites West Coast and plucky upstarts North Melbourne.
I’m not anti-North, I swear. Some of my best friends are North Melbourne supporters. Not really. I think I’ve known one North fan in my entire life. Before I met him - gun to my head - the only one other one I could ever think of was You Am I frontman Tim Rogers. Remember that terrible finals advert he did a few years back? Anyway, I digress.
We’re here for a huuuuge game of football. The Eagles are certainly favourites to meet the Hawks next Saturday afternoon but North aren’t without a hope. Goldstein, Cunnington, Boomer, Higgins, Petrie, Waite; these guys aren’t mugs. But win against considerable odds here and they’re Carlton’s 1999 side multiplied by about 400 Stephen Kernahan mullets, and that’s a lot of mane.
Anyway, I’m sure we’ll discuss the Eagles’ bevy of stars plenty over the next few hours, so if you’ve got anything to add on them, tonight’s match-ups, Matt Priddis’ poodle perm or anything else that takes your fancy, hit me at russell.jackson@theguardian.com or via Twitter: @rustyjacko
I’ll be back soon with tonight’s team lists. Meanwhile, some North fans are keeping it on a level.
Unless North dominates first use we're no chance IMO. Don't have the speed/users by foot to switch and stretch WC zone out of our D50.
— Scott (@RestingPlayers) September 26, 2015
It’s back-to-back Jackson here at Guardian HQ - but before our man Russell gets in to take you through the second preliminary final, here’s some musings he penned yesterday about the West Coast Eagles:
As North Melbourne and Sydney’s players bashed away at each other for three hours of grim, dour football last weekend, West Coast coach Adam Simpson surely rubbed his hands together in glee and swung his feet up onto the coffee table. His side had already obliterated Hawthorn and earned themselves a week off, so they enter this penultimate hurdle in raging hot form and possessing a well-earned sense of self-belief. Right now they’re staring down the Washington Generals. Defeat is simply not in the script.
When assessing finals fixtures you can tie yourself in knots assessing all the likely permutations of the game but at a very basic level, West Coast just have a superior list of 22 players running out in front of a rabid home crowd. Everywhere you look there are likely positional winners; All-Australians Matt Priddis, Andrew Gaff and Josh Kennedy in career-best form; Nic Naitanui (his duel with Todd Goldstein will be popcorn stuff) and Luke Shuey not far behind.
We’ve chosen this snippet just to set Rusty up for a fall should the Roos fire; you can read more of his anti-Kangaroos sentiments, here.
Updated
