Pre-season 2015

Format

Each side to play three NAB Challenge games. As with 2014 there is no Grand Final and no pre-season premiership. In addition, West Coast hosted the Indigenous All-Stars in an exhibition game the week before the NAB Challenge commenced.

As usual, nine point supergoals awarded for goals kicked from outside 50m. A player awarded a 50m penalty which takes them inside the 50m area can elect either to kick from outside 50 for nine points or kick from inside 50 for six points.

In rounds one and two, benches consisted of six interchange players plus two substitutes, with unlimited interchanges. For round three that was reduced to four on the bench plus two substitutes, with a cap of 120 interchanges.

The league also experimented with four field umpires over first two weekends.

Indigenous All-Stars exhibition

West Coast v Indigenous All-Stars

Fri, 20 February 2014 (6:00 PM WST)

Leederville Oval

Attendance: 10,000 (approx.)

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		3.2.20		4.2.26		5.5.35		7.7.49
All-Stars		1.2.8		5.6.36		5.9.39		5.11.41

Goals: Cripps, Gaff, Lamb, McGovern, Powell, Sheppard, Wellingham

Best: Wellingham, Masten, Gaff, Schofield, Sinclair, Cripps

Injuries: Nil

West Coast came from behind to record a narrow victory over a classy All-Stars outfit in front of a sold-out crowd at Leederville Oval. Under-fire midfielder Sharrod Wellingham was his side's best, while Jeremy McGovern provided a strong target up forward and rookie Tom Lamb caught the eye in a final-quarter cameo.

Named side: Brown, Gaff, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Masten, Wellingham, Cripps, McGovern, Colledge, Sinclair, Butler, Lamb, Lycett, Nelson, Schofield, Tunbridge, McInnes, Barrass, Karpany, Main, Waterman, Powell, Bennell, Brophy, Lucas

Subs: Lamb, Powell

First Eagles appearances: Barrass, Brophy, Karpany, Lamb, Lucas, Main, Powell, Waterman

Game 1

West Coast v Carlton

Fri, 27 February 2015 (4:10 PM WST)

Rushton Park

Attendance: 10,000 (approx)

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		1.2.6.27		1.4.7.40		1.8.10.67		1.9.15.78
Carlton		0.1.1.7		0.3.2.20		0.4.3.27		2.4.5.47

Supergoals: Kennedy

Goals: Kennedy 3, LeCras 2, Bennell, Cripps, Priddis, Tunbridge

Best: Priddis, Kennedy, Gaff, LeCras, Shuey, McGovern

Injuries: MacKenzie (knee)

West Coast's comfortable win over the Rob Wiley-led Blues was soured by a serious-looking knee injury suffered by Eric MacKenzie in the second quarter. MacKenzie remained down after seemingly innocuous contact in a marking contest, before limping from the ground and taking no further part in the game. A nearly full-strength West Coast burst out to an early lead and were never seriously threatened by Carlton, who were missing many of their best 22. Former Blue Josh Kennedy kicked four goals including one monster from outside 50.

Named side: LeCras, Gaff, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Masten, Priddis, Wellingham, Shuey, Cripps, McKenzie, Kennedy, Ellis, McGovern, Sinclair, Rosa, Hurn, Lamb, Lycett, Nelson, Tunbridge, Hill, McGinnity, Karpany, Bennell, Lucas

Emergencies: Brown, Butler, Schofield

Subs: Lamb for MacKenzie (knee) at halftime, McGinnity for Ellis at halftime

Carlton squad: Menzel, Simpson, Buckley, Cripps, Watson, Boekhorst, Yarran, Jones, Docherty, Viojo-Rainbow, Rowe, jaksch, Sheehan, Tutt, Smith, Armfield, Bell, Gowers, Johnson, Dick, Graham, Walsh, Curnow, Wood, Fields, Byrne, Casboult, Tuohy, White

Game 2

Port Adelaide v West Coast

Sun, 8 March 2015 (4:40 PM CDT)

Norwood Oval

Attendance: 8,865

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Port Adelaide		0.4.3.27		0.6.6.42		0.8.11.57		1.11.14.89
West Coast		0.2.2.14		0.4.4.28		0.5.7.37		0.7.7.49

Supergoals: Nil

Goals: Lycett 2, Gaff, Lamb, LeCras, Kennedy, Rosa

Best: Priddis, Gaff, Lycett, LeCras, Sheppard, Shuey, Brown

Injuries: Ellis (hamstring), Wellingham (calf)

West Coast stayed with a near-full-strength Power for three quarters, before the dam burst in the final term. The loss was compounded by a hamstring injury for Xavier Ellis shortly before halftime. Sharrod Wellingham was also subbed off with a calf issue, but it was said to be only a cork. Matt Priddis was typically industrious with 26 possessions and Scott Lycett kicked two goals while leading the ruck.

Named side: Brown, LeCras, Gaff, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Priddis, Wellingham, Shuey, Duggan, Cripps, Kennedy, Ellis, McGovern, Colledge, Rosa, Butler, Lamb, Lycett, Nelson, Tunbridge, McGinnity, McInnes, Karpany, Bennell, Lucas

Emergencies: Hurn, Waterman, Powell

Subs: Karpany, Duggan for Ellis (hamstring), Wellingham (calf) at half time

Port Adelaide squad: Boak, Mitchell, Neade, Broadbent, Ebert, Hartlett, R.Gray, Butcher, O'Shea, Stewart, Amon, Wines, Clurey, Cornes, White, Polec, Lobbe, Impey, Moore, Carlile, Schulz, Pittard, Hombsch, Westhoff, Young, Ah Chee, Jonas, S.Gray, Krakouer

First Eagles appearance: Duggan

Game 3

West Coast v Fremantle

Sun, 22 March 2015 (4:30 PM WST)

Subiaco Oval

Attendance: 16,032

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		0.3.2.20		1.4.5.38		1.6.7.52		1.11.10.85
Fremantle		0.5.2.32		0.7.9.51		0.11.15.81		1.13.17.104

Supergoals: Rosa

Goals: Kennedy 3, LeCras 2, Lamb, Masten, McGinnity, Selwood, Shuey, Wellingham

Best: Masten, Kennedy, Priddis, Gaff, Sheed, McGovern

Injuries: Nil

An undersized West Coast looked all at sea at times against the Dockers, trailing by 35 points in the third quarter before a late charge saw them get within 4 points. Fremantle steadied, however, and ran out 19 point winners. Chris Masten had 33 possessions but was sloppy at times, and Jeremy McGovern battled manfully in defence in the absence of MacKenzie, Brown and Schofield.

Named side: LeCras, Gaff, Sheed, Sheppard, Yeo, Masten, Naitanui, Selwood, Priddis, Wellingham, Shuey, Cripps, Kennedy, McGovern, Rosa, Hurn, Butler, Lamb, Lycett, Nelson, Tunbridge, McGinnity, McInnes, Bennell

Emergencies: Brown, Hill, Lucas

Subs: Tunbridge, McInnes for Lycett, McGovern at three-quarter time

Fremantle squad: Ibbotson, D.Pearce, Fyfe, Suban, De Boer, Walters, Sheridan, Griffin, Mundy, Crozier, McPharlin, Blakely, Smith, Mayne, Duffy, Neale, Grey, Pavlich, Clarke, Sandilands, Hill, Sutcliffe, Spurr, Silvagni, Johnson, Hannath, C.Pearce