What’s On | Round 4 – Cultural Heritage Round 
West Coast Eagles v Sydney Swans  
Saturday, April 4 | 4.35pm (AWST) | Optus Stadium / Whadjuk 
Gates open 3.00pm 

This Saturday, we're taking part in AFL Cultural Heritage Round when we take on the Sydney Swans at Optus Stadium - celebrating the rich and diverse cultural heritage that strengthens our game. 

We’re proud to partner with the Indian Society of WA to highlight Indian culture and honour the vibrant traditions and community spirit of Australia’s Indian community. Fans can look forward to colourful pre‑match performances, cultural celebrations, and a match‑day experience that showcases the diversity that strengthens our club.

Join us as we celebrate culture, community, and Eagles footy this long weekend.

We anticipate our round 4 match will be busy, so we encourage you to arrive early to avoid delays. Once again, we are putting up some epic prizes to reward those who get down early. Arrive before 3.35pm and you’ll be automatically entered in the draw to win one of our:  

• Signed AFL team guernseys 
• Vouchers to the West Coast Eagles SuperStore 
• Round 20 Derby tickets 
• $250 Ticketmaster gift vouchers

Terms and conditions apply

Match Day Timeline

1.30pm | Crown Urban Food District pre-match event at Crown Perth 

3.00pm | Gates and Fan Zone open 

4.15pm | Auzzie the Eagle lap around the boundary 

4.24pm | Team entry  

4.35pm | First siren 

Quarter-time | Cultural dance performance by the Indian Society of WA 

Half-time | Member Moments – spotlighting our members on the big screen 

Three-quarter time | Crown Kick to Win & AGL West Coast Wave – build the energy for the final quarter! 

Post-match | Player giveaways to lucky fans around the boundary

Fan Zone 

Head to the Fan Zone on the western concourse on Level 1 (inside Gate D) from 3.00pm:   

• Selected player signings from 3.35pm (subject to change) 
• Indian Society of WA Cultural Round activities – Henna tattoos, Saree dressing display and Dhol drum performance 
• Meet Auzzie the Eagle at half-time for photos 
• Arts and crafts station – make your own sign, bracelet, or badge 
• Airbrush tattoos and face painting 
• Games galore – handball and kicking targets, tic-tac-toe, and reaction game 
• WA All Abilities Football Association Wheelchair Football 
• Triple M games and giveaways 

Curtain Raiser 

Arrive early and see junior members of the Indian Society of WA in the curtain raiser. These participants will take part in a footy clinic, learning the foundations of the game. Entry for the curtain raiser is via Gate C from 2.30pm. Please note, all patrons must hold a valid ticket to the West Coast Eagles v Sydney Swans match to enter Optus Stadium for the curtain raiser. 

Beat The Siren – exclusive food & beverage deals

Eagle Eats is back in 2026, now, Beat the Siren! Thanks to our partnership with Optus Stadium, enjoy more exclusive food and drink deals from gates open until the match begins.

Membership support on match day 

The West Coast Eagles Membership Services team will be available at box offices B, C, and E on match days to assist with any questions. If you anticipate needing help with your tickets, we encourage you to arrive early to avoid delays.  

There is no reason to miss a match due to a ticketing issue! 

Please note that our phone lines are not staffed on weekends; however, we will monitor emails leading into match day and respond to any time-sensitive queries. 

Crown Urban Food District pre-match event

Visit Crown’s all-new Urban Food District before the game, to hear from guest speakers including John Worsfold, Kieren Jack and a special guest Eagles player. There are also great prizes to be won, including an official ochre jacket and Western Derby tickets. It all starts from 1.30pm at the Urban Food District, your new go-to destination on Eagles match days.

SuperStore Hours

Remember your Whopper Goal!

Where and when: Optus Stadium, Saturday, April 4, 4:35pm WST

TV: Delayed on 7mate (6:00pm) and 7plus (6:00pm) in WA, live nationally on Fox Footy and Kayo (see broadcast guide here)

Last time we met: Sydney 18.10 (118) defeated West Coast 7.9 (51) at Optus Stadium, Round 24, 2025.

After a fast-start, including the first three goals that brought the crowd to life, the Eagles were overwhelmed by the star-studded Swans in their final game of the season. Midfielder Errol Gulden was brilliant for the winners, sparking them with his crisp kicking through the midfield and finishing with 36 disposals, 10 marks and two goals. The young Eagles hunted their opponents early but could not sustain the fight, with young key forward Jobe Shanahan a shining light with three goals. 

What it means for the Eagles: West Coast have started their 2026 campaign with a bang, a win over Port Adelaide last weekend securing back-to-back victories for the team for the first time since 2024. This talented young outfit has Eagles fans excited, with the likes of Willem Duursma and Jobe Shanahan shining on the big stage, both securing Rising Star nominations in consecutive weeks. The vibes are high amongst the group, and they will go into this Syndey matchup with momentum and confidence, looking for their third win of the season.

The stat: Liam Baker is averaging 8.5 contested possessions this season – ranked second in the AFL among general defenders. He averages more disposals against the Swans than any other team (22.2).

The match-up: Jack Graham v Isaac Heeney

One of the most intriguing contests on Saturday will see Jack Graham take on Isaac Heeney, with the Swans star returning after a hamstring injury suffered in round one. Heeney is at his most damaging when able to impact both at stoppage and inside forward 50, using his power, aerial presence and clean finishing to influence games in multiple ways. Graham shapes as an ideal match‑up, bringing trademark toughness, pressure and defensive intent, while also offering the flexibility to push forward and hurt the opposition the other way. How well Graham can limit Heeney’s influence as he works back into match conditioning could go a long way to shaping the balance of this contest.

It’s a big week for: Sandy Brock, Malakai Champion and Matt Owies.

West Coast’s depth and emerging talent will be on show this weekend, with defender Sandy Brock and small forwards Malakai Champion and Matt Owies all earning their first AFL appearances of the 2026 season. Brock’s call‑up adds composure to the Eagles’ backline, while Champion and Owies bring speed, pressure and forward‑half energy as they look to make an immediate impact at the top level. The trio will be eager to make the most of their chance on the big stage.

Big call: The winning run continues and the Eagles secure their third consecutive victory, first time since rounds 7-9 in 2021.

Sydney delivered a brutal reality check for West Coast on Easter Saturday and issued a warning for the rest of the competition, slicing through their young opponents at Optus Stadium to win by 128 points in a four-quarter domination.

Fresh and switched on after a 16-day break, the Swans produced an attacking, hard-running masterclass from start to finish, winning 24.19 (163) to 4.11 (35) and handing the Eagles the fifth heaviest defeat in their history. 

Sydney kicked the first 11 goals of the game and extended its lead to 100 points during the third term, hammering home 11 of the last 13 goals of the game to notch a sixth straight win against West Coast and their seventh on the run at Optus Stadium.

They used a slick handball game to whip the ball forward rapidly, with the young Eagles powerless to slow them down as the Swans tuned up for a heavyweight clash against Gold Coast next Saturday in Gather Round.

Brodie Grundy was outstanding for the 3-1 Swans, kickstarting their midfield game with 33 hitouts, a game-high 28 disposals and nine clearances, and setting the tone at the coalface with 18 contested possessions.

He was only rivalled for best afield by superstar midfielder Isaac Heeney, who produced a complete performance in his return from a hamstring injury with 26 disposals, four goals and eight marks.

Highly scrutinised forward Charlie Curnow cashed in after a quiet start to the season with four goals as Sydney prioritised its superstar recruit, with 200-gamer Tom Papley (two goals and 14 score involvements) and Chad Warner (two and 13) electric in the front half.

It was a disappointing night for West Coast after back-to-back wins, with the team enjoying only a brief moment in control of the game through the later stages of the opening term. 

No.1 pick Willem Duursma was a shining light after earning the Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination during the week, picking off daring kicks, impressing at centre stoppages, and kicking two goals from his 16 disposals.

Fellow Rising Star nominee Jobe Shanahan was used as a swingman, regularly pushing into defence to take some impressive marks when the Eagles were under siege.   

The home team was fighting an uphill battle from the start, however, with the Swans bursting out of centre stoppages to kick two quick goals before West Coast went inside its forward half.

Curnow slotted the second of those from a tight angle, with Sydney quickly out to a 30-point lead as Grundy and his midfielders took control of the contest and sparked a run of six unanswered goals.

The Eagles were forced to move key forward Shanahan into defence as a spare man in response, giving them some control back in the game, but they couldn't take their chances and entered the first break with 0.5 and a 33-point deficit.

The Swans took things up a gear in the second, continuing to whip the ball from end to end and finding loose players inside 50 as Justin McInerney, Harry Cunningham and Curnow piled on more goals.

Warner provided a highlighted with a double fend-off in the midfield before bursting forward to set up Curnow's third goal, while Papley produced a vintage crumb and snap in his 200th game.

It took Jake Waterman to snap a run of 11 straight goals for Sydney, with the key forward converting on the run from a difficult angle 25 minutes into the quarter, with co-captain Liam Baker adding a second from a 50m set shot.

Duursma provided a flash of brilliance for West Coast to celebrate with a contested mark on the wing and piercing kick into the corridor, but a 63-point margin at the main break left the Eagles with a lot of work to do if they were going to make the margin respectable.

If anything, things got worse in the third term as the Swans went on another run of seven unanswered goals, flicking the ball the length of the ground as the Eagles swivelled, further building their percentage in the final term as Heeney rested. 

WEST COAST 0.5   2.8   3.11   4.11 (35)

SYDNEY 6.2   13.5   20.10   24.19 (163)     

GOALS

West Coast: Duursma 2, Baker, Waterman

Sydney: Curnow 4, Heeney 4, Lloyd 3, Amartey 2, Papley 2, Warner 2, Blakey, Cunningham, Grundy, Jordon, McInerney, Serong, Wicks

BEST

West Coast: Duursma, McCarthy, Shanahan, Graham

Sydney: Heeney, Grundy, Warner, Papley, Serong, Curnow, Jordon, Wicks

INJURIES

West Coast: Nil

Sydney: Nil

Crowd: 50,723 at Optus Stadium