Pre-season 2006

With a late start to the pre-season after having played in the previous Grand Final, West Coast won just a solitary warmup match after being knocked out of the NAB Cup competition in the opening round by Fremantle.

Rules

The league experimented with a number of new rules during the pre-season. Any ball hitting the goal or behind posts and remaining in the field of play was play on. The boundary umpire moved 10 metres inside the boundary line to throw the ball back in. A 10-metre outer circle was added to the centre circle to restrict ruckmen's run-ups at centre bounces. To speed the game up, players were allowed to kick in from a behind as soon as the goal umpire had signalled the score, without waiting for him to wave the flags.

Teams had a six-man bench, increased to eight in hot weather. As usual goals kicked from outside 50 were worth nine points. Shots that hit the post (and didn't rebound back into play) were worth three points.

Exhibition game

Sat, 8 October 2005

West Coast v Fremantle

The Oval (London)

Attendance: 19,000 (est)

		Final
West Coast		11.7.73
Fremantle		13.12.90

Goals: Hunter 4

Best: Hunter, Selwood, Butler

Injuries: tba

West Coast fell to a 17 point loss in a London exhibition game most notable for a third-term melee.

Round 1

Sun, 26 February 2006 (4:10 PM WST)

West Coast v Fremantle

Subiaco Oval

Attendance: 36,686

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		0.2.0.2.14		0.4.1.7.34		0.6.1.10.49		1.7.1.11.65
Fremantle		0.6.1.2.41		0.11.1.2.71		0.15.1.5.98		1.18.1.7.127

Supergoals: Judd

Goals: Cousins, Embley, Hansen, R.Jones, Seaby, Staker, Stenglein

Best: Nicoski, Cousins, Kerr, Rosa, Judd, Embley

Injuries: Hansen (knee), Glass (sore)

In hot conditions, West Coast wilted in the face of a Dockers outfit with better preparation, crashing to a big 62 point loss.

Named side: McDougall, Judd, Kerr, Stenglein, Cousins, Gaspar, Wooden, Seaby, Chick, R.Jones, LeCras, Cox, Lynch, Glass, Rosa, Hurn, Hansen, Nicoski, A.Embley, Armstrong, Selwood, B.Jones, Staker, Priddis

Emergencies: Waters, Braun, Graham, Butler, McKinley

Fremantle squad: J.Carr, Schammer, Hasleby, Medhurst, Peake, McManus, M.Carr, Cook, Headland, Polak, Grover, Crowley, Mundy, Schofield, McPharlin, Walker, Longmuir, Parker, Dodd, Gilmore, Murphy, Pavlich, Sandilands, Bell, Farmer, Johnson, Haines, Warren

NAB Challenge week 1

West Coast v St Kilda

Sat, 4 March 2006

Rushton Park

Attendance: 8,000 (approx)

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		5.3.33		7.3.45		10.8.68		12.12.84
St Kilda		0.3.3		5.5.35		9.9.63		11.10.76

Goals: Lynch 5, Chick, A.Embley, R.Jones, Judd, Nicoski, Seaby, Staker

Best: Judd, Braun, A.Embley, Nicoski, Cox, Lynch

Injuries: Nil

In more scorching weather, West Coast squeaked past a youthful St Kilda side missing a number of senior players who the Saints elected not to risk in the heat. Quinten Lynch kicked five goals to be his side's best.

Named squad: Judd, Kerr, Stenglein, Banfield, Waters, Cousins, Braun, Gaspar, Wooden, Seaby, Adkins, Chick, R.Jones, LeCras, Cox, Lynch, Graham, Rosa, Hurn, Hansen, Nicoski, A.Embley, Armstrong, Selwood, B.Jones, Hunter, Staker, Priddis

St Kilda: Peckett, X.Clarke, Thompson, Watts, Baker, Montagna, Voss, Gram, Fiora, Gilbert, Murray, Ferguson, Brooks, Blake, Ackland, Rix, McQualter, Gwilt, Raymond, Pfitzner, Sweeney, Corr, Schwarze, Milne

NAB Challenge week 2

Carlton v West Coast

Fri, 8 March 2006

Traeger Park

Attendance: 8,500 (approx)

		Final
Carlton		13.9.87
West Coast		9.7.61

Goals: LeCras, Lynch 2

Best: Lynch, LeCras, Banfield

Injuries: tba

Reports: Waters for tripping R.Houlihan

West Coast fell to the Blues after leaving a number of senior players behind for the trip to Alice Springs.

Named squad: McDougall, Stenglein, Banfield, Waters, Braun, Gaspar, Wooden, Seaby, Adkins, Chick, R.Jones, LeCras, Lynch, Graham, Rosa, Hurn, Butler, McKinley, Nicoski, Sharp, Armstrong, Thornton, Selwood, B.Jones, Hunter, Staker, Priddis

Carlton: Walker, Russell, Murphy, Livingston, Simpson, Davies, McLaren, Lappin, Blackwell, Fisher, Teague, S.O'hAilpin, Bower, McGrath, Chambers, Hartlett, Stevens, Fevola, Bryan, Prendergast, Scotland, Waite, Thornton, Houlihan, Jackson, Bentick, Carrazzo

NAB Challenge week 3

West Coast v Hawthorn

Fri, 17 March 2006

Leederville Oval

Attendance: 4,127

		Final
West Coast		8.7.55
Hawthorn		13.10.88

Goals: Staker 3, Embley 2

Best: Judd, Embley, Cousins

Injuries: tba

West Coast stumbled in their final hit-out, falling to the Hawks at Leederville Oval.

Named squad: Judd, Kerr, Stenglein, Banfield, Waters, Cousins, Braun, Gaspar, Wooden, Seaby, Adkins, Chick, R.Jones, LeCras, Cox, Lynch, Graham, Rosa, Hurn, Butler, Hansen, Nicoski, A.Embley, Selwood, B.Jones, Hunter, Staker, Wirrpanda

Hawthorn: Roughead, Lewis, Ladson, Mitchell, Williams, Osborne, Jacobs, Crawford, Bateman, Smith, Sewell, Taylor, Miller, Hodge, Ries, Guerra, Dixon, Boyle, Vandenberg, Franklin, Croad, Clarke, Dawson, Ball, Birchall, Bailey, Campbell, Young

Links

http://footystats.freeservers.com/Archive/NAB06.html