Grand Final 2018

West Coast v Collingwood
Grand Final, 2018

Sheed takes a crucial mark. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sat, 29 Sept 2018 (2.30pm EST)

Venue

MCG

Attendance

100,022

Result

Won by 5

Score

WCE 11.13.79 - 11.8.74 COL

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West Coast won an epic Grand Final, overcoming Collingwood to secure the club's fourth flag. The Magpies lept out of the gate, kicking the first five goals as the Eagles struggled to adapt to the pressure of the occasion, before West Coast worked their way back into the contest and closed within two goals at halftime. The second half was a seesawing affair, the sides entering the final term all square but a couple of quick Collingwood goals to start the last stanza gave them the ascendancy until a Dom Sheed set shot with just minutes remaining put the Eagles ahead for the final time. Luke Shuey won the Norm Smith Medal for his 34-possession, nine-clearance effort, Sheed had 30 touches and Josh Kennedy kicked three goals.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		2.2.14		4.3.27		8.7.55		11.13.79
Collingwood		5.1.31		6.4.39		8.7.55		11.8.74

Goals: Kennedy 3, Cripps, Darling, Hutchings, Rioli, Sheed, Shuey, Vardy, Yeo

Best: Shuey, Sheed, Barrass, Kennedy, Hutchings, Schofield, McGovern

Injuries: Hurn (cut head)

Milestones: LeCras final appearance, Lycett final appearance

Named sides

	West Coast				Collingwood
B:	25.Hurn	37.Barrass	31.Schofield	B:	37.Maynard	8.Langdon	25.Crisp
HB:	28.Cole	20.McGovern	23.Jetta	HB:	38.Howe	6.Goldsack	18.Varcoe
C:	8.Redden	6.Yeo	7.Masten	C:	7.Treloar	10.Pendlebury	21.Phillips
HF:	34.Hutchings	27.Darling	2.LeCras	HF:	32.Hoskin-Elliott	41.Mihocek	2.De Goey
F:	44.Rioli	17.Kennedy	15.Cripps	F:	24.Thomas	46.Cox	35.Stephenson
R:	29.Lycett	13.Shuey	4.Sheed	R:	4.Grundy	13.Adams	22.Sidebottom
I:	1.Ryan	14.Duggan	18.Venables	I:	36.Sier	14.Aish	16.Mayne
	19.Vardy				19.Greenwood
E:	12.O.Allen	30.Nelson	33.Ainsworth	E:	11.Blair	20.Reid	17.C.Brown
	41.Ah Chee				31.Appleby

No change.

Quarter by quarter

Both sides went in as named. The game was played in fine but chilly conditions.

From the papers

The West Australian

"At one end a towering Jeremy McGovern mark got it started, leaping over Brody Mihocek to pick off an Adam Treloar kick.

In the midfield, Nathan Vardy marked McGovern’s kick, played on and sent the ball forward.

At half-forward, Liam Ryan came from the front and side of players camped under the ball, took a remarkable pack mark and played on.

His kick found Dom Sheed, who marked with Willie Rioli keeping Brayden Maynard out of the contest.

Sheed threaded the set shot from an acute angle. West Coast’s four-point lead was their biggest of the game."

The Age

"The scene was set for a classic final quarter, and it delivered.

Collingwood slotted two goals in the opening 90 seconds of the final term and seemed poised to pull away. But ruckman forward Nathan Vardy, who combined with Scott Lycett to shade an All-Australian ruckman for the second time in as many finals, took a strong contested mark early in the final term to cut the deficit back to six points.

A mark and goal from Cox got the Pies back out to an 11-point lead seven minutes into the final quarter, and again, the Eagles’ resolve was tested.

The response was a sustained burst of West Coast pressure that began with a Kennedy goal and culminated in 12 minutes in which the ball barely left the West Coast forward half."

Injury list

In the leadup to the match the following players were listed as injured or unavailable:

Player		Injury		Expected return
MacKenzie		Toe		Season
Naitanui		Knee		Season
Gaff		Suspension		Season
Sheppard		Hamstring		Season
McGovern		Corked hip		Available
Shuey		Ankle		Available
Olango*		Hamstring		Season
Burrows*		Ankle		TBC		(not on official list)

References

http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/27/wce-v-coll

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2018/041820180929.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_AFL_Grand_Final