Round 2 2020

Gold Coast v West Coast
Round 2, 2020

Shuey is spoiled. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sat, 13 June 2020 (7.40pm EST)

Venue

Carrara Stadium

Attendance

n/a

Result

Lost by 44

Score

GC 14.6.90 - 6.10.46 WCE

Brownlow

3 M.Rowell (GC)
2 S.Day (GC)
1 L.Shuey (WCE)

Ladder

12th

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The pandemic-interrupted 2020 season resumed but West Coast appeared to miss the memo, falling to an embarrassing loss to the Suns at the club's new South Queensland hub. Apart from a brief spurt in the second term, the Eagles failed to fire a shot as Gold Coast snapped a 19-game losing streak with a comprehensive 44-point win. Tim Kelly tried hard with 24 touches and eight tackles and Oscar Allen kicked two goals.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Gold Coast		2.0.12		6.2.38		11.4.70		14.6.90
West Coast		1.4.10		5.5.35		6.8.44		6.10.46

Goals: Allen 2, Darling, Kennedy, Petruccelle, Shuey

Best: Shuey, Gaff, Kelly, Naitanui

Injuries: Nil

Reports: McGovern for striking A.Sexton, McGovern for rough conduct against A.Sexton

Records: Gold Coast biggest win vs WCE, WCE lowest score v Gold Coast

Jumper: Away, blue shorts

Named sides

	West Coast				Gold Coast
B:	5.Sheppard	37.Barrass	25.Hurn	B:	35.Budarick	25.Collins	13.Lukosius
HB:	23.Jetta	20.McGovern	14.Duggan	HB:	3.Bowes	10.Ballard	5.Harbrow
C:	3.Gaff	6.Yeo	8.Redden	C:	14.Weller	21.Greenwood	15.Anderson
HF:	10.Brander	27.Darling	4.Sheed	HF:	44.Macpherson	12.Day	9.Ainsworth
F:	1.Ryan	17.Kennedy	15.Cripps	F:	23.Lemmens	34.King	39.Holman
R:	9.Naitanui	11.Kelly	13.Shuey	R:	28.Witts	11.Miller	18.Rowell
I:	12.Allen	21.Petruccelle	30.Nelson	I:	6.Sexton	8.Fiorini	1.Hanley
	41.Ah Chee				27.Powell
E:	2.Waterman	28.Cole	31.Schofield	E:	7.Brodie	26.Flanders	30.Wright
	32.Williams				31.Murdoch

In: Allen

Out: Hickey

Quarter by quarter

Both sides went in as named. The match was played in fine weather under lights but the humidity made for slippery conditions.

From the coach

"Really disappointing night. They were really good, we were really bad. It was a great leveller, this game. Everything we scouted, they did, and we couldn't match them on the inside, and they beat us on the outside as well.

"You just cannot use that (the hub set-up) as a reason. I think we've got to give a lot of credit to Gold Coast, they're going to be a very strong competitive team. But they're young, we're more mature, and they played like a mature side and we played like a young side.

"...I think it broke down through the contest the whole night, so everything we did was rushed. We didn't win our one-on-ones, and it was one of those nights you needed to win the contest to get some field position, and we didn't, so it was a poor performance."

From the papers

The Sunday Times

"The Suns led by three points at quarter-time, but surely the Eagles would blow them away early and not concede early goals again. Nope. Two more quick goals to the home team.

When West Coast stormed clear to kick three goals in three-and-a-half minutes and take the lead, there was an expectation the Eagles would steamroll their young opponents.

Instead, Hugh Greenwood and Matt Rowell swung the game again by kicking goals and they led by three points at the long break.

Then came a third quarter to remember. Gold Coast booted five goals to one, including a second to Rowell after a free kick in a scuffle. This team wasn't going to be bullied."

The Age

"The Suns looked a different unit to the team that has so often been blown off the park. It was quite something to see them take it up to the bigger bodies of the Eagles. Rowell underlined his class with a goal on the run on a sharp angle, and Weller was playing his best game since crossing from Fremantle.

It was one thing for the Suns to seize back the lead by half-time. But for them to put the Eagles to the sword in the third quarter was something else again. And Rowell, by now vying for best on ground honours, was killing them: immensely strong through the hips, he looks like he's already in his fifth year.

Really, the Eagles didn't get a look in for the entire quarter, as the Suns piled on five goals to one – the only major for the Eagles courtesy of a 50-metre penalty. Their top-end talent was delivering, including Jack Lukosius, who's struggled to find his feet at senior level since taken at pick No.2 in 2018.

It was a staggering result, even in the context of this aberrant season, and will ask the question of the Eagles early as they remained hubbed in foreign territory, where they struggled to adjust to the slippery conditions. For the Suns, never has a new beginning looked so bright."

Reserves

West Coast's reserves played a 16-a-side scratch match against the Gold Coast on an outdoor oval at Carrara. With West Coast only have 13 players available, several Suns players filled in on the Eagles' side each quarter. The teams did not keep score.

Appearing for West Coast: Ainsworth, Brayshaw, Cole, Edwards, Foley, Hickey, Jones, Rotham, Treacy, Vardy, Waterman, Watson, Williams

Injury list

In the leadup to the round the following players were listed as injured or unavailable (expected returns are estimated based on club's description):

Player		Injury		Expected return
Venables		Concussion		Season		(placed on inactive list 4/3/20)
Rioli		Suspension		Indefinite
Cameron		Pubic bone stress		Managed program
Hutchings		IT band		Managed program
M.O'Neill*		Back		Indefinite
Reid*		Hamstring		Managed program
Jones*		Ankle		Test

References

https://www.afl.com.au/matches/2015#player-stats

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2020/182020200613.html