Round 18 2021

Adelaide v West Coast
Round 18, 2021

Petruccelle in action. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sun, 18 July 2021 (4.10pm CST)

Venue

Adelaide Oval

Attendance

24,554

Result

Won by 42

Score

WCE 14.14.98 - 8.8.56 ADL

Brownlow

3 J.Cripps (WCE)
2 A.Gaff (WCE)
1 E.Yeo (WCE)

Ladder

7th

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West Coast snapped a three-game losing streak with a comfortably win over the Crows at Adelaide Oval. The two sides engaged in an ugly arm-wrestle for the first half before the Eagles were able to break the game open after half-time, piling on five goals in each of the last two quarters to hold onto a spot in the top eight. Jamie Cripps returned to form with a five-goal, 25-disposal game and Nic Naitanui had 31 possessions in his 200th game, but skipper Luke Shuey suffered another soft-tissue injury.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Adelaide		1.3.9		4.4.28		6.6.42		8.8.56
West Coast		0.3.3		4.6.30		9.9.63		14.14.98

Goals: Cripps 5, Ryan 3, Petruccelle 2, Allen, Darling, Williams, Yeo

Best: Cripps, Yeo, Naitanui, Gaff, Hurn, Kelly

Injuries: Shuey (calf)

Medical subs: (WCE) Nelson for Shuey (calf) in the fourth quarter; (ADL) Sholl for Murray (concussion) in the fourth quarter

Milestones: Naitanui 200th game, West AFL debut

Jumper: Away, white shorts

Named sides

	West Coast				Adelaide
B:	25.Hurn	42.H.Edwards	5.Sheppard	B:	17.Hamill	41.Butts	8.Kelly
HB:	28.Cole	20.McGovern	14.Duggan	HB:	33.Smith	28.Murray	1.Jones
C:	36.West	6.Yeo	3.Gaff	C:	14.Mackay	2.Keays	11.Seedsman
HF:	15.Cripps	27.Darling	4.Sheed	HF:	25.McHenry	31.Rowe	4.Murphy
F:	12.Allen	17.Kennedy	1.Ryan	F:	27.Lynch	34.Himmelberg	13.Walker
R:	9.Naitanui	11.Kelly	13.Shuey	R:	43.O'Brien	29.Laird	9.Sloane
I:	7.Langdon	16.L.Edwards	21.Petruccelle	I:	21.Berry	26.Schoenberg	36.McPherson
	35.Rotham				32.Fogarty
E:	24.O'Neill	30.Nelson	32.Williams	E:	22.Frampton	7.Thilthorpe	10.Pedlar
	34.Hutchings				38.Sholl

In: H.Edwards, West, L.Edwards (unused medical sub)

Out: Barrass (hamstring), Ah Chee (hand), Nelson

Late change: Williams for Kennedy (calf)

Quarter by quarter

West Coast sprung a late change with spearhead Kennedy ruled out, replaced by youngster Bailey Williams.

From the coach

"I think whenever you win you feel relieved, but obviously it’s been a very difficult three or four weeks. Been down on form, down on confidence. So we knew Adelaide obviously had a poor week last week as well, so both teams were really keen with probably a little bit of confidence, in search of some anyway. I thought we had field position for most of the day, didn’t really convert in the first quarter, but they made the most of theirs. But, overall we played four quarters, we’ve been trying to do that for a little bit, our good players played well and some of our younger players stood up as well.

"I’m not sure of the (stoppage) numbers - I haven’t got any stats - but it looked like obviously Nic and his 200th, fantastic for him and the footy club, he was special tonight. He’s been very good for a long period of time, and I thought we got a bit more reward with some more dynamic clearances than just a surge type of game. So, they came out the front a little bit, kicked some important forward 50 stoppage goals which we haven’t for a while and got rewarded with some supply, so that’s something we have been looking for, for a couple of weeks.

"...Well it’s just so good that he (Cripps) got rewarded, he’s probably our hardest worker, at stages he doesn’t get rewarded but he did tonight. He kicked some really important goals, even the one in the last, that one at the boundary with some stoppage, it just felt a bit uneasy, and then that sort of iced the game a little bit. So, happy that some of our individuals who have been down got rewarded for what they have been trying to work through during the week and obviously having a win it’s a different flight home."

From the papers

The West Australian

"After a first-quarter stalemate, Naitanui lit the fuse in the middle as the Eagles won the first four centre clearances of the second term to set up three quick goals.

Cripps had his second in a minute courtesy of some late swing local bowler Chadd Sayers would have been proud of, missing the chance for a quick hat-trick moments later when his shot was wide.

Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty responded with a couple of his own at the other end as the Crows got back to within two points at the major break, despite being hammered 8-2 in centre clearances and having 10 less inside 50s.

The Eagles took control in the third term, adding five goals to two after controlling the ball and creating the precise entries that have been lacking in recent weeks."

The Age

"The temperature of the contest completely changed in the second term - and it was West Coast’s seasoned cream which rose to the occasion, led by Cripps.

Nic Naitanui got on top in ruck, smooth-moving Andrew Gaff broke lines and found plenty of the pill, and Elliot Yeo willed himself at the contest to produce his best patch since his return to the team.

The Eagles were even better in the third quarter, all five of their goals conjured by their small forwards (Cripps and Jack Petruccelle two each, one to Liam Ryan) as the margin increased to 21 points.

Ryan’s kicking boot had been awry but he re-aligned it in the fourth with two majors, the first a gift from a poor Andrew McPherson kick-in and the second after out-duelling Chayce Jones as West Coast went from strength to strength."

Reserves

Round 15 (17 July)

West Coast fell to Subiaco in a see-sawing encounter at Leederville. The Eagles looked in a strong position with an 11-point lead heading into the final change, but managed just one point in the final term as the ladder-leading Lions stormed home to win by 20. Jake Waterman was his side's best with four goals and 16 marks from 29 touches while the returning Jarrod Brander also had 29 possessions.

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Subiaco		1.2.8		6.2.38		7.4.46		12.6.78
West Coast		3.2.20		4.2.26		9.3.57		9.4.58

Goals: Waterman 4, Busher, Foley, Hug, Sinclair, Vardy

Best: Waterman, Brander, Witherden, Vardy, Ainsworth, Sumich

Injuries: Vardy (wrist)

Reports: Sinclair for rough conduct on K.Stainsby

Named side:

	West Coast
B:	23.Witherden	40.Jamieson	58.Busher
HB:	29.Foley	70.Sumich	38.Johnson
C:	57.Bentley	33.Ainsworth	63.Hansen
HF:	59.Nitschke	10.Brander	56.Hug
F:	22.Winder	2.Waterman	61.Robilliard
R:	19.Vardy	45.Brayshaw	60.Deegan
I:	62.Cary	53.Humble	51.Marlin
	54.Sinclair
E:	67.Borgogno	50.Fitzgerald	55.Flint
	63.Young

In: Witherden, Brander, Busher, Hansen, Cary, Humble, Sinclair

Out: Trew (hamstring), H.Edwards, Hutchings, O'Neill, West, Williams (AFL), Garlett

Late changes: O'Neill, Borgogno for Cary, Humble

Injury list

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

Player		Injury		Expected return
Cameron		Ankle		TBC		(on inactive list 1/6/21)
Rioli		Suspension		5 weeks
Barrass		Hamstring		2-3 weeks
Redden		Knee		2 weeks
Witherden		Groin		Test
Brander		Back		Test
Venables*		Concussion		Indefinite		(on inactive list 1/6/21)
Ah Chee*		Hand		6 weeks
Jones*		Ankle		5-6 weeks
Trew*		Hamstring		2-3 weeks
Collins*		Hamstring		1 week

References

https://www.afl.com.au/matches/3174

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2021/011820210718.html