Round 3 2023

Fremantle v West Coast
Round 3, 2023

Cripps is helped from the field. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sun, 2 April 2023 (3.20pm WST)

Venue

Perth Stadium

Attendance

56,090

Result

Lost by 41

Score

FRE 16.12.108 - 9.13.67 WCE

Brownlow

Ladder

12th

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West Coast lost the Derby and a bench full of senior players but no fans in a carnage-filled encounter. After the highest-scoring first term in Derby history, the Eagles' woes began in the second term when skipper Luke Shuey was subbed out with a hamstring injury, quickly joined on the sidelines by his deputy Jeremy McGovern (hamstring) and Alex Witherden (concussion). Forwards Jamie Cripps (ankle) and Liam Ryan (knee) followed suit in the third term but despite having no reserves West Coast stayed in the match as long as they could, narrowing the margin to single figures at the final change before running out of legs in the last. Andrew Gaff, booed by Fremantle fans with long memories, recorded 28 touches and five tackles and Tom Barrass returned to form with 21 possessions and nine marks.

Summary

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Fremantle		5.1.31		9.5.59		10.8.68		16.12.108
West Coast		5.2.32		5.7.37		8.12.60		9.13.67

Goals: Allen, Darling 3, Hunt, Sheed, Waterman

Best: Kelly, Gaff, Allen, Darling, Hurn, Ginbey

Injuries: Shuey (hamstring), McGovern (hamstring), Witherden (concussion), Cripps (ankle), Ryan (knee)

Substitutes: (WCE) Hewett for Shuey (hamstring) in the second term; (FRE) Johnson for Chapman in the third term

Milestones: Ginbey Rising Star nomination

Jumper: Clash, white shorts

Named sides

	West Coast				Fremantle
B:	25.Hurn	37.Barrass	14.Duggan	B:	36.Cox	25.Pearce	26.Young
HB:	28.Cole	20.McGovern	5.Hunt	HB:	27.Chapman	13.Ryan	14.Wilson
C:	4.Sheed	11.Kelly	3.Gaff	C:	6.Clark	2.O'Meara	11.Aish
HF:	44.Long	27.Darling	15.Cripps	HF:	10.Walters	9.Jackson	32.Frederick
F:	1.Ryan	12.Allen	2.Waterman	F:	5.Schultz	39.Switkowski	20.Taberner
R:	32.B.Williams	7.Ginbey	13.Shuey	R:	4.Darcy	8.Brayshaw	3.Serong
I:	10.Petrevski-Seton	18.Chesser	23.Witherden	I:	24.Amiss	15.Hughes	23.Henry
	31.Jones				30.O'Driscoll
E:	8.Hewett	19.Hough	39.Clark	E:	17.Brodie	41.Banfield	44.Johnson
	42.H.Edwars				31.Walker

Out: Hewett (sub)

Quarter by quarter

Both sides went in as named, with Elijah Hewett and Fremantle debutant Matthew Johnson starting as sub. The match was played in overcast but dry conditions.

From the coach

"We'll take a lot from today. Fremantle were a better side; they ran over top of us in the last, but that third quarter was really resilient. I think we are probably going to lose six or seven players from today. So, second quarter was disappointing, I think we kicked five points. But the third quarter was one of the better quarters we've played in my time here.

"...The first quarter was pretty hot. We had opportunities and so did they. In the second quarter, they had the better of us with their transition and speed but Luke (Shuey) was keeping us in the game. He went out maybe pretty early in the second which we had to adapt but then we lost Witherden and McGovern in that 5 to 10 minute period. We changed a couple of things at halftime to try and adapt to what might be a lighter rotation, it worked for a while but in the end, we got overwhelmed.

"...Well, we didn't win. So, we're not high fiving each other, but there's something a bit deeper about today than winning. So, we'll use that as best we can. Doesn't guarantee anything for next week so the message at the end was we've got Melbourne next week so let's get on with it. We'll lick our wounds, we know some of our boys are out for a long period of time and that's unfortunate and sad, but it's round three so we've got to keep moving forward."

From the papers

The West Australian

"Teams have struggled to win when they lose one player during a game.

Losing five is a mountain too high for any side.

But the Eagles pushed the Dockers until their bodies couldn't give any more.

Such was their intensity, the Eagles scored a goal when they only had 17 fit players on the field during the third term.

West Coast cleverly moved the ball down the field as Ryan was helped from the field by trainers and Jayden Hunt produced a team-lifting goal."

WA Today

"Jackson was mobbed by his teammates after shanking through an early goal, while Jye Amiss sent the crowd wild with two goals in as many minutes to give Fremantle a 10-point lead.

Allen turned momentum back West Coast’s way with three goals in the space of six minutes, with the onslaught including a spectacular diving mark over the top of Brennan Cox.

That was where the fun ended for West Coast, with the injury carnage cruelling their victory hopes."

Reserves

Pre-season (31 March)

West Coast's reserves finished off a successful pre-season with a win over Subiaco at Leederville Oval. Jack Petruccelle kicked four goals to put up a hand for a recall.

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Subiaco		2.1.13		5.3.33		8.4.52		11.4.70
West Coast		3.4.22		5.7.37		9.12.66		15.14.104

Goals: Petruccelle 4, A.Waterman 3, Culley, Hansen, West 2, Browne, Winder

Best: West, Trew, L.Edwards, Foley

Injuries: Dewar (calf)

Named side:

	West Coast
B:	33.Bazzo	31.Nelson	35.Rotham
HB:	29.Foley	56.Creasey	63.Hansen
C:	54.Browne	24.O'Neill	16.L.Edwards
HF:	21.Petruccelle	22.Winder	43.Dewar
F:	18.Garlett	55.A.Waterman	49.Culley
R:	30.Barnett	36.West	26.Trew
I:	51.Eastough	73.J.Edwards	53.Henderson
	58.Levien	70.Jamieson	59.Nitschke
	68.Watson

In: Rotham, Hansen, J.Edwards, Lucassen

Out: Hough, Clark, H.Edwards (AFL), Jamieson (ankle), Collins

Late ins: Clark, H.Edwards

Injury list

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

Player		Injury		Expected return
Naitanui		Achilles		TBC
J.Williams		Ruptured spleen		6-7 weeks
Jamieson		Ankle		1-2 weeks
Burgiel		Hamstring		1 week
Rotham		Arm		Test
Yeo		Calf		Test
Culley		Shoulder		Test

References

https://www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/4810

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2023/081820230402.html