What’s On | Round 04
West Coast Eagles v Melbourne
Sunday, April 9 | 3.20pm (AWST) | Optus Stadium / Whadjuk
Gates open 1.15pm

Join us this Sunday, April 9, as we take on Melbourne at Optus Stadium from 3.20pm (AWST).

Tickets for Sunday’s match are on sale through Ticketmaster right now, and remember that more tickets will be released in the lead-up to Sunday’s bouncedown.

New Fan Zone locations for 2023

Head to the western concourse on level 1 (inside Gate D) from 1.15pm for some great kids’ activities pre-match. We’ll have Rick and Rosie roaming around, along with a special visit from the Easter Bunny.

Player signings are back! From 2.20pm, join us on level 5 (section 543) and have a poster signed by a member of the team pre-match, along with face painting applied by the West Coast Eagles fairies.

Public Transport

Remember to plan your journey on Sunday ahead with Transperth’s Journey Planner, and please click here for further information.

Public Transport is included in the cost of your match day ticket, with free travel on Perth’s buses and trains three hours either side of the match. If asked, please show your ticket to the driver or inspector.

For any West Coast Eagles member travelling to the match, Transperth wishes to advise that due to track works, the Midland and Airport lines will be shut down. Train replacement buses will be running; however, Transperth encourages passengers to utilise Suburban Event Buses. Please click here for more information.

Contactless Payment

All food and beverage outlets at Optus Stadium now accept payment by credit or debit card only. If you do not have access to credit or debit card, cash can be exchanged for a complimentary ‘Cash Card’ via Cash Exchange points located around the Stadium. Optus Stadium event day staff will direct you to the nearest Cash Exchange point at the Stadium. For more information, please click here.

Mobile Ticketing

Tickets for Reserved Seat members are now available to download in the official West Coast Eagles App.

Avoid match day delays by downloading the official West Coast Eagles app and logging in to your West Coast Eagles account now, ahead of Sunday's match. We strongly recommend not to leave this until the last minute, in case you encounter problems, and to save your tickets to your phone wallet to ensure no delays.

Instructions on how to use mobile ticketing are available here, and instructions on how to forward your ticket to a family member or a friend are available here.

The West Coast Eagles Membership Services team will be available at the box offices B, C, and E from 1.15pm on Sunday to answer any questions; however, please arrive early if you think that you may require assistance with your tickets.

If you have any issues with your tickets, please attend the match and the Membership Services team will assist; there is no need to miss the match solely for this reason.

Seat Return Program

Can’t make it to the match? Our Seat Return Program is available for Sunday’s match. If your seat successfully sells, you’ll receive a credit towards your 2024 membership renewal.

For more information, including a step-by-step guide to returning your seats, please click here.

Credits will not apply if your seat does not sell, or if you do not attend and do not return your seat.

Auzzie’s Flight

Be sure to be in your seats from 2.55pm* to catch Auzzie’s pre-match flight around Optus Stadium. We’re on the lookout for one lucky member to release Auzzie the Eagle for our round seven match against Carlton. Click here to enter.

Hungry Jack’s Whopper Goal

If a West Coast Eagles player kicks a goal from outside 50m at a home qualifying match during the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season at Optus Stadium then supporters and fans will be offered a free “Whopper Goal” voucher. The voucher entitles a supporter or fan to one free Whopper. To claim the “Whopper Goal” voucher, a member or fan must download and register for the Hungry Jack’s App and opt-in to receive the voucher when prompted, up until 3 hours after the Whopper Goal is kicked. The voucher will be sent to the user on the Wednesday following the match. For more information, click here.

Where and when: Optus Stadium, Sunday, April 9, 3.20pm

TV: Live on Ch7 in WA, Fox Footy and streaming on Kayo

Last time we met: West Coast 5.8 (38) def. by Melbourne 16.16 (112) at Optus Stadium, round nine, 2022

The undermanned Eagles were up for the fight but outclassed by the reigning premiers, who slammed on six goals-to-one in the first term and never looked back. The efforts of defenders Tom Barrass (10 marks, six intercept possessions), Liam Duggan (26 disposals) and Jeremy McGovern (23) were commendable on a tough night, while Tim Kelly (32) never stopped trying and rugged onballer Connor West had his best game in blue and gold with 29 disposals and five clearances.

What it means for the Eagles: Opportunity knocks for youth after a brutal RAC Derby injury toll, with no bigger challenge than taking on one of the premiership fancies. West Coast fans were proud of the effort with no fit players on the interchange bench in the last quarter against Fremantle and the same commitment and spirit will be required on Easter Sunday.

The stat: Rising Star nominee Reuben Ginbey leads the AFL in tackles with 26 just three games into his career.

The match-up: Reuben Ginbey v Clayton Oliver

Ginbey has been on a learning curve against some of the game’s established midfielders in Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tom Green and Caleb Serong in the opening three rounds to fast-track his development and will get no better understanding of the in and under onballer role than playing on Melbourne gun Oliver. Ginbey hasn’t been playing as a pure stopper, and will be keen to keep working off his opponent after collecting a personal best 20 disposals in the RAC Derby, building on his 15 and 17-possession efforts in the opening rounds.

It’s a big week for: Tom Barrass

Hamstring injuries suffered by skipper Luke Shuey and co vice-captain Jeremy McGovern in the RAC Derby mean that recently elevated vice-captain Barrass will lead the Eagles into battle for the first time. The reigning John Worsfold medallist will presumably also resume the role he played regularly as West Coast’s chief interceptor last season with McGovern sidelined and has an even more crucial part to play in leading the backline group.

Big call: Connor West to back-up last year's impressive game and lead the Eagles for contested possessions upon his return to the side. 

A classy and relentless Melbourne combination proved irresistible at Optus Stadium this evening overpowering the West Coast Eagles to win by 63 points.

While the Eagles battled it out to the end, they simply did not have the personnel to contend with one of the AFL’s premier outfits, the Demons winning 19.12 (126) to 9.9 (63).

With six Eagles players having just 10 games under their belts and several others with under 30 games of experience, the young Eagles were given an on-field education from the relentless Demons.

While they were clearly out-gunned West Coast did not yield in the fight, they just did not have the fire-power to compete with one of the competition’s premiership fancies.

The Eagles throughout the match still played some exciting football. The pressure from Melbourne made fast ball movement difficult but at times West Coast were able to dissect and run through the blue and red wall.

Led by indefatigable midfielder Tim Kelly, who racked up 36 possessions and two goals, the Eagles persisted but every time they hit the scoreboard it seemed Melbourne found a response. And generally the process was much simpler than the hosts.

Bailey Williams, opposed to regular all-Australian ruckman Brody Grundy again stuck to his task in conjunction with makeshift support ruck Jake Waterman.

On occasions emerging players Reuben Gunbey, Luke Edwards and Jai Culley found themselves in the middle battling AFL silk in Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney.

Clearly they will benefit from the experience.

While out-sized and at times out-witted by their opponents they continued to work while Kelly, Andrew Gaff, who also had 24 possessions, and Jayden provided great drive when they had the opportunity.

Oscar Allen finished with three goals while Jack Darling also offered a forward presence.

Down back acting skipper Tom Barrass, veteran Shannon Hurn and Liam Duggan held up for the most part but the heat from the Melbourne forwards was intense.

Players who came into the team, including mature aged recruits over the previous two seasons, Connor West and Greg Clark, worked hard while star utility player Elliot Yeo was subbed out of the game at three-quarter time as a strategic call.   

Details
Melbourne                       5.1          8.4          14.9       19.12     126
West Coast Eagles            2.2          4.4          6.8         9.9         63

Goals – Melbourne: McDonald 4; Fritsch, Petracca 3; Pickett, Spargo, van Rooyen 2; Chandler, Neale-Bullen, Viney. West Coast Eagles: Allen 3; Kelly 2; Hunt, West, Long, Petrevski-Seton.

Best – Melbourne: Oliver, Grundy, Petracca, May, McDonald, Fritsch.  West Coast Eagles: Kelly, Gaff, Allen, Hunt, Williams, Barrass.

Injuries: Nil

Attendance: 42,265