What’s On | Round 07
West Coast Eagles v Carlton
Saturday, April 29 | 5.30pm (AWST) | Optus Stadium / Whadjuk
Gates open 3.25pm

Join us this Saturday, April 29, as we take on Carlton at Optus Stadium from 5.30pm (AWST).

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

Join the Million Meals Challenge in 2023 | Support Foodbank WA

Our naming rights partner, Mineral Resources has very generously pledged to double any donations made (up to a total of $50,000) during our round 7 West Coast Eagles versus Carlton match at Optus Stadium this Saturday, April 29.

Speak to members of the Mineral Resources’ workforce, who will be at the ground waiting to double your donation.

Please dig deep for this very worthy cause, and donate now!

New Fan Zone locations for 2023

Head to the western concourse on level 1 (inside Gate D) from 3.25pm for some great kids’ activities. Meet our mascots Rick and Rosie, get your face painted by the West Coast Eagles fairies, or catch some tricks from our roaming magician.

Player signings are back! From 4.30pm, 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 Saturday 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.

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 Saturday'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 3.25pm on Saturday 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 Saturday’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 5.00pm 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 nine match against Gold Coast. Click here to enter.

Where and when: Optus Stadium, Saturday, April 29, 5.30pm

TV: Live on 7mate in WA, Fox Footy and streaming on Kayo

Last time we met: West Coast 8.5 (53) def. Carlton 17.14 (116) at Optus Stadium, round 17, 2022

It was a strange game last year as Carlton sprinted to a 34-0 lead by the first change, before West Coast sprung into action and drew within 10 points at the long break, courtesy of a seven-goal second term. The third stanza became an arm wrestle before the Blues got on top and kicked seven goals to no score in the last to romp to an easy victory. Big forwards Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow both kicked five majors for the visitors, while Andrew Gaff led all comers with 30 disposals and 502 metres gained.

What it means for the Eagles: Fans can see the growth of Adam Simpson’s emerging group despite a run of four-straight defeats and there are exciting signs for the future. However, the club wants to win games and that starts by sustaining effort across four quarters. West Coast has played three quarters of highly-competitive football against Geelong and Port Adelaide in consecutive weeks, now the challenge is to stay in the game when Carlton has momentum and attempt to notch a second victory for the year in front of the raucous blue and gold army.

The stat: The Eagles have won seven of the past eight clashes against the Blues, with last year’s defeat ending a winning streak stretching back to round two, 2015.

The match-up: Josh Rotham v Charlie Curnow

Carlton’s twin towers in attack – Harry McKay and Curnow – loom as the dangermen on Saturday night and in the absence of Jeremy McGovern (hamstring), Harry Edwards (wrist) and Elliot Yeo (groin) the task of curtailing Curnow could fall to Rotham in his 50th game in blue and gold. Curnow, the reigning Coleman medallist, sits second on the AFL goalkicking leaderboard with 21 majors and has the capability of tearing games apart. The same goes for McKay, who is likely to play deeper and have star West Coast full-back Tom Barrass to deal with. Veteran half-back Shannon Hurn will be needed for aerial support and his return after two weeks out couldn’t come at a better time.

It’s a big week for: Reuben Ginbey

Every week the young gun has had a big job and learning opportunity on the AFL's stars and there will be no bigger challenge than keeping an eye on Brownlow medallist, Carlton captain and fellow regional WA product Patrick Cripps at Optus Stadium. Cripps is coming off a 34-disposal, six-clearance performance against St Kilda and with the territory battle so crucial, limiting his influence will be critical for Ginbey and the Eagles. 

Big call: Samo Petrevski-Seton to star against his former team with a personal-best three goals. 

CARLTON star Charlie Curnow could do no wrong in a career-best night, toying with West Coast and kicking nine goals to spearhead the Blues' 108-point win at Optus Stadium. 

The athletic key forward kicked his goals from all angles and dominated four different opponents as the Blues made a statement in the west, winning 23.14 (152) to 6.8 (44) in a ruthless performance. 

He was a threat whenever the ball went near him, taking a career-high eight contested marks and 11 inside 50, including a classic grab on Shannon Hurn's shoulders and several strong marks when opposed to Tom Barrass.   

His brilliant night set a new goalkicking record for Optus Stadium, overtaking the eight-goal bags kicked by champion forwards Lance Franklin in 2018 and Josh Kennedy last season.

It took Curnow's season tally to a League-best 30 goals after he entered the round with 21 to his name and in second place on the Coleman Medal leaderboard. 

While Curnow was the story, there were positives all over the ground for the Blues, whose deep midfield ran relentlessly all night as the team got its speed and ferocity back after back-to-back losses.   

Blake Acres (34 disposals and six inside 50s) was brilliant on a wing, while captain Patrick Cripps (33 and eight clearances) and polished onballer Adam Cerra (30 and five inside 50s) were influential. 

The Blues had 12 individual goalkickers and six players who racked up 30 disposals or more in what was ultimately a trouncing on the Eagles' home turf.

Brodie Kemp came into the team and was clean all night with 22 touches and 13 marks, with rebounders Adam Saad (25 and five rebounds) and Sam Docherty (24 and five inside 50s) also making seamless returns to the 22. 

Together, they delivered West Coast its fifth consecutive loss and its heaviest since the 109-point defeat to Richmond in round seven last season. 

The trend was set early when Harry McKay and Curnow combined for four of the Blues' first five goals in the opening quarter, presenting superbly to their midfielders and converting twice each. 

The Blues controlled the clearances (13-8) and contested ball (37-26), chiefly through George Hewett, Cripps and Cerra, and it became clear quickly that they had West Coast covered on every line.

A pair of crafty first-half goals from fringe midfielder Xavier O'Neill gave the Eagles a small positive as they look for individual development, while Hurn gave a reminder of the stability he provides with a courageous mark running with the flight.

The Eagles got on top at stoppages briefly, winning the clearances 13-6 for the quarter, but they couldn't connect with their forwards for clean entries as Jack Darling and Oscar Allen entered half-time goalless and with one mark each. 

The question at the main break was whether Carlton had the ruthlessness to put the foot down in the second half and turn a 40-point margin into a more significant win. 

Curnow provided the answer within 10 minutes, kicking back-to-back goals as the Blues' midfield run went to a new level and set the foundation for a percentage-boosting win.

It forced a change from Eagles coach Adam Simpson, who moved Barrass onto Curnow, leaving Josh Rotham to battle with McKay on the last line of defence. 

By the end of the quarter, however, Curnow had equalled his career-best seven goals and 11 marks, with West Coast substitute Rhett Bazzo becoming his third opponent for the night as the margin moved past 70 points. 

The final term was all about what damage the Blues – and Curnow – could inflict on a helpless West Coast. They kicked nine goals to three in the run home to record their biggest win since round two, 2011.

WEST COAST        2.3   3.4   3.7   6.8 (44)
CARLTON               5.6   9.8   14.12   23.14 (152)   

GOALS
West Coast: Allen 2, O'Neill 2, Culley, Witherden
Carlton: Curnow 9, Silvagni 3, McKay 2, Acres, Cerra, Cripps, Durdin, Hollands, Honey, Kemp, Kennedy, Newman 

BEST
West Coast: Hurn, O'Neill, Kelly, Hunt
Carlton: Curnow, Acres, Cripps, Cerra, Newman, Docherty, Kemp

INJURIES
West Coast: Petrevski-Seton (leg)
Carlton: Nil 

SUBSTITUTES 
West Coast: Rhett Bazzo (replaced Samo Petrevski-Seton in the third quarter) 
Carlton: Matthew Kennedy (replaced Adam Saad at three-quarter time)

Crowd: 47,940 at Optus Stadium