What’s On | Round 11 | Sir Doug Nicholls Round
West Coast Eagles v Essendon
Saturday, May 27 | 5.40pm (AWST) | Optus Stadium / Whadjuk
Gates open 3.30pm

Join us this Saturday, May 27, as we take on Essendon at Optus Stadium from 5.40pm (AWST).

Celebrate and recognise those moments forged by First Nations at this year's Sir Doug Nicholls Round across rounds 10 and 11 of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

To learn more about the significance of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round and the connection between the club and its Indigenous players click here.

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.

Match Day Entertainment

Pre-Game

First Nations Artisan Market Stalls from 3.30pm
Located on the Level 1 Western Concourse this is your chance to purchase hand-made jewellery, artwork and apparel from local First Nations artists.

Meet the Artist
We will chat with Krstel Petrevski, AFLW Eagle and the artist behind our new First Nations guernsey.

Live Welcome to Country at 5:33pm
We are proud to announce our Elders in Residence, Whadjuk Noongar Elder Professor Simon Forrest Burungu and Whadjuk Balladong Elder Vivienne Hansen will deliver our Welcome to Country. Joining them we will have Andrew Beck performing the didgeridoo and the Ngalak Nidja Dancers.

During Welcome to Country we ask that you all get out your phones, turn your torches on and shine them nice and bright as a sign of unity.

Half Time

South Summit Performance
Hailing from WA, South Summit are a five piece band who have solidified themselves amongst the top upcoming acts in Australia.

Josh (an Indigenous Australian from the Kamillaroi-Yuin people in NSW), Zaya & Nemo (from Erub Island in the Torres Straits), along with their mates Nathan and Fynn play their own unique hybrid blend of rock, alternative, reggae and indie.

2023 is set to be another huge year for South Summit. Returning from a number of singles in the previous year, the lads have just dropped their sophomore EP ‘Creatures’ featuring breakout tracks ‘River Days’ and ‘Tired of Waiting’.

Three Quarter Time

Brothers Bushy and Bommer take to the rooftop to bring us a very special didgeridoo performance.

Fan Zone locations for 2023

Head to the Western Concourse on level 1 (inside Gate D) from 3.30pm until bouncedown for some great kids’ activities and First Nations artisans market stalls to celebrate Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Meet our mascots Rick and Rosie, get your face painted by First Nations artists and have temporary tattoos applied by the West Coast Eagles fairies.

From 4.30pm, join us on the Western Concourse for a meet and greet with West Coast Eagles players and get a poster signed.

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.

If you’re heading through Gates A or B from Perth Stadium train station, 96FM will provide the afternoon’s soundtrack with various games and giveaways on offer.

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 3.30pm 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 5.10pm 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 12 match against Collingwood. Click here to enter.

Where and when: Optus Stadium, Saturday, May 27, 5.40pm

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

Last time we met: West Coast 16.11 (107) def. Essendon 14.13 (97) at Optus Stadium, round 15, 2022

Under the Friday night lights at home, the Eagles produced a rollicking display to overcome Essendon in a thriller thanks to a five-goal bag from champion spearhead Josh Kennedy. West Coast kicked its highest score for the campaign in the first home victory of 2022. Junior Rioli and Jamie Cripps both slotted three goals, while Jack Darling chipped in with two, as the Eagles wound the clock back with their efficiency and kicked a winning score, despite losing the inside 50 count 42-58.

What it means for the Eagles: The chance to move on from a shocking performance against Hawthorn last round. When the Eagles bring their effort and energy the team can play an attractive brand of football, but that was sorely lacking in Launceston and the manner of defeat wasn’t acceptable, even for a team ravaged by injuries and illness.

The stat: West Coast has won four of the past five encounters against Essendon and has a 3-2 win-loss record over the Bombers at Optus Stadium.

The match-up: Tim Kelly v Zach Merrett

The Bombers captain was in red-hot form last round, inspiring Essendon to a come-from-behind victory over Richmond with a stunning 39-disposal performance that included nine score involvements and three goal assists. Merrett’s class around the clinches and impact on games is similar to Kelly’s influence for the Eagles, and the silky-smooth West Coast midfielder would likely be leading the John Worsfold Medal count nearing the half-way stage of the campaign. Kelly has been fighting through plenty of attention from opposition teams but has the capacity to ignite the blue and gold engine room on Saturday night.

It’s a big week for: Elliot Yeo

Unsighted at any level since the Gather Round loss to Geelong in Adelaide, the two-time John Worsfold medallist will be hoping he finally receives some luck on the injury front, with the opportunity to build towards the bye and run home. Yeo could be deployed across half-back again, where his rebound, competitiveness and overhead ability will be welcome additions to an undermanned defence.

Big call: Liam Duggan could be set for a shift back into midfield with some backline troops returning and might challenge his personal record of 36 disposals in a game, leading from the front as he has done all season.  

The inability to finish off their work to capitalise on scoring opportunities proved costly as the West Coast Eagles suffered a 50-point defeat against Essendon at Optus Stadium tonight.

Despite leading inside 50 metre count 48-46 the Eagles trailed all night and slipped 14.12 (96) to 6.10 (46).

While the Eagles struggled for connection with the final link in their attacking chain, Essendon moved inside the scoring territory with greater penetration and skill.

In all the key statistical measures the Eagles were around the mark, but decision making and skill execution errors proved costly. While West Coast had the most dangerous key forward in the game, Oscar Allen, who kicked four goals, they found it a challenge to hit targets close to goals.

Conversely the quality of the Bombers’ inside 50 metre entries was slick and purposeful and they looked dangerous when transferring the ball through the midfield.

Much of the run was generated from behind the ball through veterans Ashley McGrath, Mason Redman and Dyson Heppell while Kyle Langford was also a constant menace in the air and finished his work off with three goals.

The Eagles started with a couple of tactical moves with Tom Barrass and Josh Rotham starting forward but by midway through the opening term Barrass was back in his customary defensive role as Essendon was took strong in the air.

Rotham shared the ruck responsibilities with Bailey Williams.

While it was a disappointing night the upside was the return of bullocking midfielder Elliot Yeo who made his presence felt both through the middle and in defence. It also allowed young star Reuben Ginbey to alternate between midfield and backline roles.

Shannon Hurn was also a welcome addition to the back half, combining with Jayden Hunt and Liam Duggan to provide strong run and rebound.

Hunt had 34 possessions and distributed it at 82 percent in possibly his best individual performance for the club.         

Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep his team in game and again they found the opposition too consistent and efficient especially in the second half when the Bombers rattled on 6.7 to 2.5 to ensure they left with the points.

ESSENDON        4.1    8.5    11.6    14.12 (96)
WEST COAST     2.3    4.5    5.9      6.10 (46)

GOALS
Essendon: Langford 3, Menzie 2, Hobbs 2, Snelling 2, Stringer, Redman, Perkins, Guelfi, Draper
West Coast: Allen 4, Waterman, Petruccelle

BEST
Essendon: Redman, Merrett, McGrath, Langford, Hobbs, Heppell
West Coast: Hunt, Allen, Duggan, Hurn, Yeo, Kelly

Injuries: L Edwards (conc) replaced by G Clark in the third quarter.

Attendance: 39,269