Qualifying Final 2011

Collingwood v West Coast
Qualifying Final, 2011

Naitanui was West Coast's best. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sat, 10 September 2011 (2:20 PM EST)

Venue

MCG

Attendance

67,502

Result

Lost by 20

Score

COL 12.10.82 - 9.8.62 WCE

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In their first final since 2007, an inexperienced Eagles side battled hard to stay in touch with the reigning premiers. Trailing by 26 points at the final change, West Coast kicked the next three goals to pull within 7 points, but a snapped goal by Luke Ball put the match beyond the Eagles' reach and gave the Magpies the week off. West Coast were hindered by a foot injury that limited Dean Cox and eventually saw him subbed off, but Quinten Lynch took up the challenge, kicking three goals while supporting Nic Naitanui in the ruck. For his part Naitanui was outstanding, with 31 hitouts and eight clearances.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Collingwood		1.1.7		7.5.47		10.7.67		12.10.82
West Coast		2.3.15		5.4.34		6.5.41		9.8.62

Goals: Lynch 3, LeCras 2, Darling, Kennedy, Naitanui, Priddis

Best: Naitanui, Lynch, Hurn, Glass, MacKenzie, A.Selwood

Injuries: Cox (foot)

Sub: McGinnity for Cox (foot) in the third quarter

Milestones: Ebert final appearance

Named side

	West Coast				Collingwood
B:	25.Hurn	23.Glass	31.Schofield	B:	34.Toovey	20.Reid	8.O'Brien
HB:	10.S.Selwood	16.MacKenzie	8.Waters	HB:	5.Maxwell	2.Tarrant	39.Shaw
C:	13.Shuey	11.Priddis	32.Embley	C:	17.Beams	21.Wellingham	6.Goldsack
HF:	2.LeCras	17.Kennedy	6.Nicoski	HF:	26.Johnson	15.L.Brown	4.Didak
F:	27.Darling	21.Lynch	9.Naitanui	F:	22.Sidebottom	32.Cloke	12.Ball
R:	20.Cox	4.Kerr	37.A.Selwood	R:	18.Jolly	10.Pendlebury	7.Krakouer
I:	26.Butler	7.Masten	5.Ebert	I:	1.Davis	11.Blair	31.Dawes
	3.Gaff				36.Swan
E:	35.McGinnity	12.Sheppard	43.Hams	E:	27.Buckley	28.Sinclair	35.Fasolo

In: Schofield, Kerr

Out: Smith (hamstring), McGinnity

Late change: (WCE) McGinnity for Kerr (back); (COL) Fasolo for Reid (groin)

From the coach

"It felt like we were just a little bit short of the class of Collingwood, not the effort but the class. I think we matched them for intensity and effort, but they showed the way with clean ball handling, clean ball use. We just made some errors at times that might have got us more inside 50s, more scoring opportunities and we didn't quite capitalise.

"...The boys challenged themselves to play throughout the four quarters and there wasn't a big margin on the scoreboard. It was always going to be hard to peg it back, but to get it to eight points and to have the game alive with a few minutes to go was pretty exciting.

"...I didn't think we gave our forwards a great opportunity. Even a couple of times we could have got it in quick and we elected to handball, and turned it over."

From the papers

The West Australian

"The wide ground that was supposed to bring West Coast's forward press unstuck did not. The Eagles applied more pressure on Collingwood than the Magpies could exert on them for much of this game.

They needed to because the Pies tended to handle and use the ball better under pressure.

The two monster forwards that threatened the Eagles had no influence. Chris Dawes was thrashed by Darren Glass. Travis Cloke was well held by Eric MacKenzie.

But the tall Eagles forwards who threatened the patched-up Pies defence were held to nine goals, three from Quinten Lynch."

The Australian

"Given the chance, Priddis would desire another opportunity to rectify the brain fade that effectively ended West Coast's brave bid shortly after half-time, even given the last term heroics.

After earning a free-kick within the forward 50m arc, the senior Eagle strangely decided to play on, placing his team under immense pressure.

The resultant turnover caught many of his teammates out of position as the Magpies swept the ball forward to Jarryd Blair, who extended the margin beyond three goals.

When Andrew Krakouer kicked a goal on the run from 50m out shortly after, Collingwood had a preliminary final place within grasp."

WAFL

Semi Finals (11 Sept)

Subiaco vs South Fremantle (Hams, C.Wilson)

Claremont (B.Jones, Swift, Weedon, Stevenson) vs West Perth (Strijk)

Reserves: Claremont (Hamp, McGovern) vs Perth; East Fremantle vs West Perth

Injury list

In the lead-up to the match the following players were listed as injured:

Player		Injury		Expected duration
Neates		Knee		Season
B.Wilson		Ankle		Season
Rosa		Knee		1 week
Smith		Hamstring		1 week
Schofield		Cheekbone		Test
Kerr		Back		Test
Lycett		Knee		Test

References

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2011/041820110910.html

http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2011/25/coll-v-wce