Semi Final 2017

GWS Giants v West Coast
Semi Final, 2017

Mitchell was a shining light in his final appearance.

Date

Sat, 16 Sept 2017 (7.25pm EST)

Venue

Sydney Showground

Attendance

14,865

Result

Lost by 67

Score

GWS 19.11.125 - 9.4.58

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West Coast's season came to a shuddering halt in front of the league's smallest finals crowd in over a century, blown off the park by a rampant GWS Giants to bow out of 2017 with a whimper. Coming off an extra-time thriller, the Eagles were cut to ribbons by the GWS midfield and forward line, with the home side kicking ten goals to two across the second and third quarters in a contest that often resembled a training session. Retiring midfielders Sam Mitchell (28 possessions, two goals) and Matt Priddis (30 possessions, 12 clearances) were among few reasonable performers in their last games.

Summary[]

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
GWS Giants		5.4.34		9.7.61		15.10.100		19.11.125
West Coast		3.0.18		4.2.26		5.2.32		9.4.58

Goals: LeCras, Mitchell 2, Darling, Kennedy, Petrie, Shuey, Vardy

Best: Priddis, Shuey, Mitchell, Hurn, Redden

Injuries: Nil

Milestones: MacKenzie final appearance, Mitchell final appearance, Petrie final appearance, Priddis final appearance, Wellingham final appearance

Named sides[]

	West Coast				GWS Giants
B:	Barrass	MacKenzie	Sheppard	B:	Haynes	Corr	Williams
HB:	Yeo	McGovern	Hurn	HB:	Shaw	Davis	Whitfield
C:	Jetta	Priddis	Gaff	C:	Wilson	Kelly	Scully
HF:	Redden	Darling	Sheed	HF:	Hopper	Patton	Taranto
F:	LeCras	Kennedy	Cripps	F:	De Boer	Himmelberg	Greene
R:	Vardy	Mitchell	Shuey	R:	Lobb	Coniglio	Ward
I:	Wellingham	Duggan	Petrie	I:	Tomlinson	Shiel	Johnson
	Hutchings				Deledio
E:	Masten	Partington	Schofield	E:	Simpson	Perryman	Reid

In: Wellingham

Out: Partington

Quarter by quarter[]

Both sides went in as named. The match was played in fine but cool conditions in front of a record low crowd for a finals match.

Club Champion votes[]


Priddis	11	Wellingham	2
Shuey	10	Yeo	2
McGovern	9	Sheppard	1
Mitchell	6	Cripps	0
Redden	6	Darling	0
Barrass	4	Duggan	0
Hurn	4	Hutchings	0
LeCras	4	Jetta	0
Gaff	2	Kennedy	0
MacKenzie	2	Petrie	0
Sheed	2	Vardy	0

From the coach[]

"They were exceptional tonight and we got nowhere near it. So we're really disappointed, but I thought we played a team that was right on and we were a little bit off and look tired. I'm trying to find the balance at the moment, because I think we've got to give a lot of credit to the Giants but also reflect on how hard we had to work to get here was probably built off some disappointing games throughout the season.

"No, I wouldn't put it down to being tired, no. I think as the game went on, you could see that clearly we couldn't keep up on the outside. We knew that was the strategy going in, but all of our efforts that we put into that, we couldn't match. And then we fuelled a lot of their turnovers with our possession turnovers as well. So we got caught up in some poor transition which exposed us down back.

"...We had to play perfect footy tonight. And the moment we turned the ball over we just got exposed. We're aware of some our flaws that we've got to get better at and we'll be working really hard over the summer to get that right."

From the papers[]

The West Australian[]

"The deficit at the first change already looked like a mountain to climb for Adam Simpson’s side. The nine scoring shots to three might have been more ominous than the Giants’ 16-point lead.

West Coast needed an immediate response to start the second, but the Giants sensed blood.

When Harry Himmelberg kick GWS’s seventh goal four minutes into the second term, the contest looked done.

It was soon 14 scoring shots to three and if the Giants had kicked straighter it would have been even uglier."

The Age[]

"This was a complete performance. Ball movement was slick and crisp, and the Eagles were repeatedly sliced to ribbons through the middle of the ground.

But GWS were also unsociable away from the football, their tackling pressure was fierce, and West Coast simply weren't allowed to execute the expansive game plan that usually comes to the fore on the vast expanses of Subiaco.

Crucially for coach Leon Cameron he was served by 22 contributors, and several players were able to work their way into form.

Johnson had the crowd on its feet several times throughout his virtuoso third quarter, turning back the clock and exposing his desire to win a fourth AFL flag before he retires at the end of this season."

Injury list[]

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

Player	Injury	Expected duration
Allen	Foot	Season
Lycett	Shoulder	Season
Butler	Shoulder	Season	(On LTI list 3/8/17)
Venables	Toe	Season
Naitanui	Knee	Late 2017 season	(On LTI list 21/3/17, replaced by Petrie)
Tunbridge*	Hamstring	Season