Round 22 2022

Fremantle v West Coast
Round 22, 2022

Nelson returned to the linesup. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sat, 13 August 2022 (5.40pm WST)

Venue

Perth Stadium

Attendance

53,818

Result

Lost by 24

Score

FRE 9.17.71 - 7.5.47 WCE

Brownlow

3 S.Darcy (FRE)
2 B.Acres (FRE)
1 W.Brodie (FRE)

Ladder

17th

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West Coast were competitive but ultimately losers in Derby 55, going down by 24 points in a high-pressure but messy contest in wet conditions. The Eagles led at the first change and maintained touch with the finals-bound Fremantle throughout, but could manage just two goals in the second half. Tom Barrass continued his fine form at fullback with 20 touches and 12 marks, many of them intercepts, and Liam Duggan had a game-high 30 possessions.

Summary[]

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Fremantle		3.4.22		5.6.36		7.14.56		9.17.71
West Coast		4.0.24		5.2.32		6.3.39		7.5.47

Goals: Waterman 2, Darling, Dixon, Langdon, O'Neill, Redden

Best: Barrass, Hurn, Duggan, O'Neill, Shuey, Bazzo

Injuries: Jones (back)

Reports: Ryan for striking B.Walker, Barrass, Duggan, Jones, Nelson, Redden, Ryan for engaging in melee

Substitutes: (WCE) Clark for Jones (back) in the third term; (FRE) Banfield for Lobb (shoulder) in the fourth term

Milestones: Naitanui final appearance

Jumper: Clash, white shorts

Named sides[]

	West Coast				Fremantle
B:	25.Hurn	37.Barrass	33.Bazzo	B:	31.Walker	36.Cox	6.Clark
HB:	14.Duggan	42.H.Edwards	31.Jones	HB:	26.Young	25.Pearce	13.Ryan
C:	29.Foley	13.Shuey	3.Gaff	C:	11.Aish	8.Brayshaw	9.Acres
HF:	15.Cripps	27.Darling	7.Langdon	HF:	5.Schultz	39.Switkowski	18.Tucker
F:	2.Waterman	41.Dixon	1.Ryan	F:	32.Frederick	37.Lobb	10.Walters
R:	9.Naitanui	8.Redden	24.O'Neill	R:	4.Darcy	17.Brodie	3.Serong
I:	10.Petrevski-Seton	19.Hough	30.Nelson	I:	30.O'Driscoll	2.Logue	16.Mundy
	35.Rotham				27.Chapman
E:	22.Winder	32.B.Williams	39.Clark	E:	41.Banfield	22.Meek	23.Henry
	43.Naish				15.Hughes

In: Dixon, Nelson, Rotham, Bazzo (medical sub)

Out: Kennedy (retired), Kelly (suspended), Rioli (personal), Williams

Quarter by quarter[]

Both sides went in as named. The match was played in wet and wild conditions.

From the coach[]

"I think we played as well as we could have. We played with spirit, good tackle pressure – stuff we’ve been working on since the bye - but we couldn’t sustain it. We know they missed a few shots, and they are a good side, so we were beaten by a better side, but you can’t question our effort tonight. We made some good steps forward over the last 10 weeks without the wins and there is no excuse, but we are missing a few. We are probably missing 10 players and we saw some growth with some of our younger players today – O’Neill, Bazzo, Hough and Harry Edwards. They are stepping up and getting a good opportunity to play in front of 53,000, and a big game for Fremantle obviously so we will take some positives out of it but we're still disappointed we didn’t win. We've probably been in the game for the last eight or nine weeks. It’s been within two or three goals most weeks and we can’t sustain it.

"...They played the game the right way – it’s a derby. I wish we could play like that every week in terms of - it’s not personal - but there is an edge to the game. The way that the game is played these days, the way that everyone knows each other, the way that there is a bit more respect and conversations had, it just doesn’t happen as much, but I thought they took it to a level that made Freo earn it. That was the minimum we could have done tonight.

"...We spoke before the season started about our identity and we wanted to change a few things and look a bit more like this. I think with some talent and personnel back, it might compliment being a bit more assertive and aggressive with where the game is at. The game has changed so we’ve got a lot more contest, craft, squeezing the game and putting teams under pressure and that hasn’t been our identity even through our premiership season. So, we’ve got to adapt, and we are trying our best to do that but at the moment it is just going to take time. We’ve got to get our personnel back and see what it looks like. We were a different side than we were at the start of the year without the personnel. So hopefully we bring that back and we get some uplift but there is not guarantee."^[1]

From the papers[]

The West Australian[]

"The Eagles set the tone for an aggro derby match-up with a fierce first term. They sent Nelson to Brayshaw and got in his face where possible. They also got early scoreboard pressure on the Dockers with the game’s opening goal to Zac Langdon.

Fremantle had the better of the going from there on in but they didn’t help themselves. Serong conceded a double 50m penalty to gift a goal to Jack Redden. Redden then returned the favour with a 50 of his own which enabled Brayshaw into the game with a goal. Then Heath Chapman got mowed down in the goalsquare by Xavier O’Neill and the Eagles took a slender lead to the first break. There were several melees but the Eagles would have hit the first change feeling like they had made an impact on the game and tilted the Dockers a little off balance."^[2]

Reserves[]

Round 17 (13 August)

West Coast were thrashed by Swan Districts at a sodden Bassendean. The Eagles kicked the first goal of the match but could manage only a handful of points for the rest of the match, blown away by 85 points. Isiah Winder continued his good form with 30 touches and Bailey Williams responded to his omission from the senior side with 22 touches and 26 hitouts.

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Swan Districts		4.6.30		7.12.54		11.16.82		13.18.96
West Coast		1.1.7		1.2.8		1.4.10		1.5.11

Goals: L.Young

Best: Winder, B.Williams, Browne, Witherden, Hansen

Injuries: Deegan (ankle)

Named side:

	West Coast
B:	66.McGee	50.Sumich	63.Hansen
HB:	23.Witherden	56.Creasey	53.Henderson
C:	51.L.Young	26.Trew	55.A.Ryan
HF:	75.Eastough	52.Regan	48.Kemp
F:	57.Burke	34.J.Williams	58.Levien
R:	73.J.Edwards	60.Deegan	54.Browne
I:	64.Mercer	59.Nitschke	18.Pobjoy
	68.Watson
E:	72.Curley	61.McCarthy	70.Paunich
	62.Wilson

In: Deegan, J.Edwards, Kemp, A.Ryan, Nitschke, Pobjoy, Watson

Out: Naish, Rotham, Clark, Dixon, Nelson, Winder (AFL), Johnstone (concussion)

Late changes: B.Williams, Winder for Pobjoy, Watson

Injury list[]

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

Player	Injury	Expected return
Allen	Foot	Indefinite	(on inactive list)
Cole	Ankle	Indefinite	(on inactive list)
Chesser	Ankle	Indefinite	(on inactive list)
L.Edwards	Groin	Indefinite	(on inactive list)
Sheed	Shin	Season
McGovern	Ribs	Season
West	Wrist	Season
Jamieson	Groin	Season
Joyce	Ankle	Season
Strnadica	Personal	Season
Petruccelle	Hamstring	1-2 weeks
Yeo	Calf	1-2 weeks
Kelly	Suspension	1 week
Culley	Suspension	1 week