Pre-season 2014

Format

Each side played two NAB Challenge games - in total 18 games will be played in 18 days in a "Festival of Football". No Grand Final and no pre-season premiership. Following the NAB Challenge each side played one further officially sanctioned scratch match.

Six players on the interchange bench plus two substitutes (which could be reset at halftime).

New rules include an interchange cap limiting rotations to 130 per game (to be reduced to 120 per game during the regular season), free kicks to be paid if a player "makes forceful contact below the knees or acts in a manner likely to cause injury, even if contact 
does not occur", and players discouraged from seeking to draw forceful high contact.

As usual goals kicked from outside 50 are worth nine points.

Game 1

Fremantle v West Coast

Tues, 18 February 2014 (4:10 PM WST)

Arena Joondalup

Attendance:

#		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Fremantle		0.2.1.13		0.4.2.26		0.5.2.32		0.10.4.64
West Coast		2.6.5.59		2.11.8.92		2.18.10.136		2.20.10.148

Supergoals: Brown, Hurn

Goals: Cripps, Masten, Wellingham 3, LeCras, Shuey 2, Darling, Hill, Hutchings, Kennedy, Newman, Sinclair, Yeo

Best: Wellingham, Masten, Ellis, Priddis, Hurn, Cripps, Hutchings

Injuries:

New coach Adam Simpson predicted pre-game that his charges might struggle to adapt to his systems but the Eagles did anything but that in their first hitout for the season. Shannon Hurn opened the scoring with a massive 70-metre supergoal, Mitch Brown added another before Freo had scored as West Coast quickly put the game out of the Dockers' reach. Chris Masten was electric early with three first-quarter goals, and recruit Xavier Ellis showed he could be a prized signing if his body holds up, racking up possessions across half back before being subbed in the third.

Named side: Brown, LeCras, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Masten, Selwood, Priddis, Wellingham, Shuey, Cripps, MacKenzie, Kennedy, Ellis, Cox, Sinclair, Glass, Rosa, Hurn, Darling, Lycett, Hill, Hutchings, McGinnity, Newman, Bennell

Emergencies: Butler, Schofield, Tunbridge

Subs: Sheppard, McGinnity for Hurn, Selwood in the second quarter (1st half), Brown for Ellis in the third quarter, Cox (not used) (2nd half)

First Eagles appearances: Bennell, Ellis, Sheed, Yeo

Game 2

Sydney v West Coast

Thurs, 27 February 2014 (7:10 PM EDT)

Blacktown International Sportspark

Attendance: 3,045

#		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Sydney		0.2.0.12		0.3.4.22		0.3.4.22		0.5.7.37
West Coast		0.1.5.11		0.2.6.18		0.8.10.58		0.10.12.72

Goals: Colledge, Sinclair 2, Cripps, Darling, Masten, McInnes, Selwood, Wellingham

Best: Masten, Selwood, Sinclair, Rosa, Hutchings, Gaff, Colledge

Injuries: Nil.

All of the attention before and during the match was on star Swans recruit Lance Franklin, who was making his debut for the club. After a low-scoring first half, West Coast broke the game open in the third quarter as they kicked six goals while holding Sydney scoreless. Mark Hutchings was busy with 24 possessions and 11 tackles, and aspiring ruckman Callum Sinclair kicked two goals to go with 19 possessions and 17 hitouts.

Named side: Brown, Gaff, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Masten, Selwood, Wellingham, Cripps, Ellis, Carter, Colledge, Sinclair, Rosa, Hurn, Darling, Lycett, Wilson, Schofield, Hill, Hutchings, McGinnity, McInnes, Newman, McGovern, Bennell

Emergencies: Shuey, Main, Maginness

Sydney: Shaw, Hannebery, O'Keefe, Cunningham, Malceski, Laidler, Bird, Rohan, Derickx, Reid, Towers, Franklin, Rampe, Parker, Robinson, Roberts-Thomson, Marsh, Jetta, B.Jack, Naismith, Aliir, Pyke, Grundy, Smith, X.Richards, Lloyd

Subs: Carter for Ellis in the second quarter, McGinnity for Wellingham in the second quarter (1st half), McGinnity for Darling in the third quarter, Carter for Masten at three-quarter time (2nd half)

First Eagles appearance: Colledge

Game 3

West Coast v Fremantle

Thurs, 6 March 2014 (6:00 PM WST)

Subiaco Oval

Attendance: 14,000 (approx.)

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		2.2.14		7.5.47		11.6.72		13.8.86
Fremantle		3.2.20		5.4.34		7.8.50		9.13.67

Goals: Kennedy 5, LeCras 2, Colledge, Cripps, Darling, Rosa, Sheed, Sinclair

Best: Kennedy, LeCras, Priddis, Shuey, Yeo, Hurn, Wellingham

Injuries:

Named side: Brown, LeCras, Gaff, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Masten, Naitanui, Priddis, Wellingham, Shuey, Cripps, MacKenzie, Kennedy, Cox, Colledge, Sinclair, Glass, Rosa, Hurn, Darling, Lycett, Hill, Bennell

Emergencies: Ellis, Hutchings, Schofield

Fremantle: Dawson, D.Pearce, Fyfe, Suban, De Boer, Walters, Sheridan, Mzungu, Crowley, Mundy, Crozier, McPharlin, Taberner, Barlow, Smith, Mayne, Duffy, Neale, Pavlich, Sandilands, Hill, Sutcliffe, Spurr, Johnson, Hannath, Duffield, C.Pearce

Subs: Colledge, Naitanui