Round 16 2016

West Coast v N.Melbourne
Round 16, 2016

Gaff in action. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sun, 10 July 2016 (1.20pm WST)

Venue

Subiaco Oval

Attendance

35,168

Result

Won by 32

Score

WCE 16.8.104 - 11.6.72 NM

Brownlow

3 L.Shuey (WCE)
2 M.Priddis (WCE)
1 J.Kennedy (WCE)

Ladder

5th

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West Coast recorded a confidence-boosting win against a fellow finals contender in a hard-fought and often fiery clash with North Melbourne. The Eagles controlled play for much of the match, breaking the game open early in the third term and blowing the lead out beyond 40 in the final quarter before a late Roos charge. Luke Shuey led West Coast with 29 possessions and Josh Kennedy kicked four goals from eight marks, but squandered several more chances.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
West Coast		3.2.20		9.4.58		13.7.85		16.8.104
North Melbourne		2.1.13		6.4.40		8.4.52		11.6.72

Goals: Kennedy 4, Cripps 3, LeCras 2, Darling, Gaff, Hurn, Lycett, Masten, McGinnity, Yeo

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

Injuries: Nil

Reports: Wellingham for misconduct against D.Petrie, Lycett for striking J.Ziebell, McGinnity for misconduct against S.Gibson

Milestones: Butler 150th game, Wellingham 150th AFL game, Yeo 50th WCE game

Named sides

	West Coast				N.Melbourne
B:	26.Butler	31.Schofield	37.Barrass	B:	16.Thompson	11.Firrito	2.McKenzie
HB:	5.Sheppard	20.McGovern	25.Hurn	HB:	18.Atley	25.Tarrant	15.Dal Santo
C:	6.Yeo	11.Priddis	3.Gaff	C:	43.Gibson	9.Swallow	34.MacMillan
HF:	7.Masten	27.Darling	15.Cripps	HF:	7.Ziebell	50.Brown	29.Harvey
F:	33.Hill	17.Kennedy	2.LeCras	F:	12.Thomas	20.Petrie	32.Wood
R:	29.Lycett	34.Hutchings	13.Shuey	R:	22.Goldstein	10.Cunnington	14.Dumont
I:	1.Brown	12.Wellingham	23.Jetta	I:	3.Anderson	17.Mullett	41.Wagner
	35.McGinnity				44.Ray
E:	8.Redden	14.Duggan	30.Nelson	E:	13.Clarke	28.Nahas	38.Daw

In: Hill

Out: Nelson

Late change: (NM) Clarke for Dal Santo (illness)

Quarter by quarter

The match began in sunshine although the ground was wet from earlier rain, and there were a couple of showers during the course of the match. Ryan Clarke made his debut for North after coming in late to replace an ill Nick Dal Santo.

First quarter

Priddis gave away a free at the opening bounce but McGovern was able to repel the Roos' attack. Kennedy had the first shot on goal but his left-foot snap drifted across the face for a behind. The two sides wrestled for ascendancy before a long bomb inside from Masten was marked by Darling running back with the flight, and he was able to convert an easy set shot to score the game's first goal. Kennedy added the second after Hutchings intercepted a pass and fired out a handball while falling to the turf. Tempers spilled over when Drew Petrie ended up sprawled on the boundary fence after tangling with Wellingham. North pressed forward and Brown gave away a free kick to Todd Goldstein in the ruck, giving the Roos ruckman an easy shot which he slotted.

The two sides went back and forward for a while before a speculative kick inside 50 by Hutchings was marked strongly by Kennedy, but his set shot was pushed wide right for a point. Mason Wood answered with a goal for North after a strong mark of his own to narrow the margin to two points. He had another chance shortly afterwards but his kick from a slight angle was narrow. Lycett recived some scrutiny for a bump on Jack Ziebell. A rushed kick forward by Priddis was gathered on the boundary by Cripps, and he was able to avoid a tackler and centre to Kennedy who marked and kicked his second goal. Ben Brown was paid a mark that appeared to be out of bounds, but from his centering kick Yeo was able to trap Trent Dumont and win a free kick for holding the ball. A kick by Lindsay Thomas floated towards goal but was marked by McGovern on the behind line. North Melbourne dominated territory in the final minutes of the term but were unable to score as Thomas was called for holding the ball while at the bottom of a big pack, leaving the margin at seven points at the break.

Second quarter

The second term began in the same way, with Priddis giving away a free and McGovern rebounding. Darling stuck a big mark and laid off to McGinnity, but his kick to Kennedy's chest was dropped. Kennedy had another chance but an off-balance left-foot shot went out on the full. Petrie had a chance after gathering a crumb but hit the post. Jetta won a free kick after tackling Jed Anderson inside defensive 50 and the Eagles took the ball the length of the field, with Shuey finding Cripps who goaled from 40 metres. Hill clipped Shaun Atley late in a marking contest to give away 50 metres but West Coast were able to repel the attack. A defensive spoil by the Roos found Hurn in plenty of space, and he was able to slot the goal to put his side up by 18. Hurn then set up the next forward sortie but a flying shot by Shuey went wide. Down the other end, Ben Brown dribbled one forward from 65 metres and it dribbled through for a surprise goal. Wellingham found Cripps in the forward pocket and he slotted his shot from 40 metres out on a tight angle to restore the Eagles' 19 point lead.

McGinnity bumped Sam Gibson slightly late as the ball went out of bounds in North's forward line, giving away a free kick which Gibson converted from the tight angle. North received another free kick when a Sheppard kick dribbled out of bounds in front of Jamie MacMillan and was paid deliberate. As tempers frayed again, Lycett was paid a free kick in a ruck contest, followed by a 50 metre penalty as Dumont failed to return the ball to him. Lycett's goal from the square was followed by some more push and shove. Goldstein marked a scrappy kick inside 50 but played on and squandered his chance. From the resulting throw-in Brent Harvey was paid a soft free but hit the post. He made amends by winning a turnover and spotting up Jed Anderson, who converted to narrow the margin to 12 points. Kennedy marked inside 50 but handed off to LeCras who missed a relatively simple shot. Gibson had a shot from the pocket but missed as Farren Ray limped from the ground with a tight hamstring. Ben Brown marked strongly and converted to make the margin a single kick. LeCras won a free kick in midfield and found Kennedy who marked despite being outnumbered, and snuck the ball in from a wide angle to double to lead. Lycett won clean possession out of the middle and a scrappy kick forward by Priddis found Yeo. Ziebell gave away 50 with an unnecessary late spoil to make the goal a formality for Yeo and the margin an even three goals at the long break.

Third quarter

After a brief shower hit at halftime, there was a lengthy stalemate before Shuey spotted up McGinnity deep inside 50 and he nursed the kick through for his first of the day. Wellingham spoiled Corey Wagner and from the rebound, Gaff was given a 50 metre penalty bringing him to just outside the goalsquare, to make the margin 30 points. Gaff then hit LeCras in the corridor, and the veteran made no mistake from 45 metres to give the home side the first three goals of the half. Kennedy won a free kick in the pocket but his kick around the body was narrow. He had another chance when Gaff hit him with a perfect pass, but missed to the left again.

Cripps won a free kick on the fifty and his kick went to the goal-line where a flying shot by Yeo scraped the post. Dumont took a strong mark inside 50 and converted to give the Kangas their first score of the half. Harvey found Thomas whose shot for goal was marked by Ben Brown on the behind line, and he walked around and scored to reduce the gap to 27 points. Play was stopped shortly afterwards as Mason Wood called for the doctors after Schofield fell across his knee in a tackle, but fortunately Wood was able to walk from the field under his own steam. West Coast locked the ball in their forward line and Shuey was able to find Kennedy. His kick from a tough angle was converted to a shot from the goal-line after Scott Thompson felled Darling in the square. North pushed forward as tie expired but Sheppard took a brave saving mark.

Fourth quarter

Thompson gave away another free after falling into Darling's back, but the key forward just missed from 50. Wagner got the ball running towards the 50 metre line but was brilliantly chased down by Sheppard. Yeo won a free kick and sent the ball long, where LeCras swooped on a crumb and squeezed the ball through for his second goal. He had a chance for a third but his kick from deep drifted out on the full. Hill also put a kick out of bounds as West Coast kept pressing. Masten marked a rushed kick and converted the set shot to the delight of his teammates, pushing the lead to 46 points. Ben Brown then kicked an unbelievable goal while falling out of bounds and being tackled by McGovern, which seemed to spark the Roos into action. Thomas had a shot from a similar spot but put it out on the full. Harvey turned Barrass inside out but missed. Thomas then kicked one after holding his feet in a marking contest while Wellingham went to ground.

Some quick movement by North saw the ball finish with Petrie, who pushed his shot right. The kick-in was turned over and Thomas crumbed from close to goal to narrow the margin to 26 points. West Coast defended another North push as their captain Andrew Swallow hobbled from the ground. LeCras put the ball in the path of a running Kennedy inside 50 but they weren't able to convert with Hutchings being penalised for a throw. Thomas went for a speccy but didn't get hands to it resulting in a free kick, with Brown copping a 50 metre penalty after playing on and kicking for goal. The rain returned as West Coast's intensity lifted with McGovern ironing out Wagner and Sheppard laying a strong tackle. Hill won a free after a good chase on Aaron Mullett. Brown found Cripps inside 50 and he slotted his third. That was the final score, with the Eagles winning by 32.

From the coach

"We were really pleased with the brand of footy we played today. It was a tough, hard slog and of course, North responded. I know they lost a few players as well, so we will take that into consideration. But I thought we got the job done.

"Yeah, it was one of those games where I thought North were the same [with aggression]. I thought both teams probably crossed the line and cost them scores and possible scoreboard pressure. We had a couple of 50s we gave away with a couple of over-exuberant tackles that were downfield. We adjusted at half time though; we thought in the second half we were better in that space.

"...This was a big game, let’s be honest, it was an important game for both clubs. I thought on occasions we’ve been found wanting in that area for longer periods. I thought we met the challenge fairly well. I thought the start of the third quarter was probably pretty important for us. Look, we didn’t have it our own way for the whole game or anything like that, but we toughed it out."

From the papers

The West Australian

"Jack Darling kicked things off for the Eagles with a goal in the opening minutes of the game, but the home side weren’t having everything their own way.

The midfield battle was more of a slog but things turned markedly in North’s favour when Lycett was off the ground, leaving Mitch Brown to battle Todd Goldstein in the ruck.

The disparity led directly to the Kangaroos’ first goal after Brown was pinged for holding Goldstein about 30 metres out, directly in front.

The Kangaroos were controlling much of the ball through the first quarter, but were converting their chances nowhere near as well as the home side."

The Age

"North kicked five goals after half-time but two of those, both from the boot of Lindsay Thomas, came after the sting had gone out of the game.

Two of them came from the boot of Ben Brown, who was easily the Roos best forward. He kicked four and finished with 14 touches also.

At the 31-minute mark of the second term on Sunday, the Kangaroos trailed by just six points, after Brown marked and kicked his second goal for the term.

However, the Eagles kicked two goals of their own before the half-time siren sounded and the first three after the break, after just 10 minutes, to blow the margin out to 36 points."

PerthNow

"Following a scrappy and somewhat flat opening term with few exciting moments, the seesawing 10-goal second quarter was the exact opposite.

There was plenty of spirit from both sides, resulting in some heated incidents all over the ground.

Every time the home side looked to be gaining control, the Roos found a way to hit back on the scoreboard — mainly thanks to Ben Brown’s efforts.

The North big man kicked two second-quarter goals, one a creative dribble from 60m and the other following a nice pack mark.

But a late flurry from the Eagles helped them to a handy 18-point buffer at the main break."

East Perth report

Round 16 (9 July)

East Perth worked their way into the top five with a 39-point win over Swan Districts in miserable conditions at Bassendean Oval. The home side were goalless in the first three quarters as Eric MacKenzie dominated Swans full-forward Ricky Cary, while Jack Redden revelled in the conditions with 34 possessions and the recalled Corey Adamson had 23 touches and nine tackles.

Appearing for East Perth: Adamson, Allen, Bennell, Brophy, Cole, Duggan, Giles, Karpany, Lamb, MacKenzie, Mutimer, Redden, Sheed, Tunbridge.
Reserves: Partington, Snadden.

Injury list

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

Player		Injury		Expected duration
Naitanui		Achilles		4-6 weeks
McInnes		Hamstring		4-6 weeks
Ellis		Calf		2 weeks
Lucas*		Knee		TBA
Waterman*		Glandular fever		Indefinite
Colledge*		Hamstring		1-2 weeks

References

http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2016/16/wce-v-nm

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2016/121820160710.html