Where and when: Optus Stadium, Saturday, August 12, 6:10pm
TV: Live on 7 in WA, Fox Footy and streaming on Kayo
Last time we met: West Coast 9.13 (67) def. by Fremantle 16.12 (108) at Optus Stadium, round three, 2023.
RAC Derby 56 saw a brave and battered Eagles show resilience and heart in a 41-point loss that was plagued by injury. West Coast were down to just 17 fit players late in the third quarter, losing Luke Shuey and Jeremy McGovern to hamstring injuries, Jamie Cripps to an ankle injury and Alex Witherden with concussion. Liam Ryan and Campbell Chesser both sustained knee injuries but played out the game while under constraint. Despite the injury concerns, the Eagles continued to put up a good fight and managed to reduce the margin to just two points early in the fourth quarter. The Dockers surged in the final 20 minutes of the game, overrunning a depleted Eagles outfit to take the four points. Tim Kelly (33 disposals) shone for West Coast through the midfield, while Jack Darling (three goals) and Oscar Allan (three) were pivotal in front of goal.
What it means for the Eagles:
West Coast showed promising signs against Essendon last week, falling to the Bombers by just one point at Marvel Stadium. Clawing their way back from a 30-point deficit, the bright future of the club was on full display through the developing young group, and despite the loss, the team will be focusing on the positives. The RAC Derby rivalry will add an extra spark this week, and the Eagles will be looking to show their continued growth and consistency against Fremantle in the highly anticipated WA contest, while hoping to break a four-game losing run in the crosstown clash
The stat: Since round 18, the Eagles have conceded 34.8 points per game from intercept possessions – ranked second defensively.
The match-up: Bailey Williams v Luke Jackson
In a huge boost for West Coast, Bailey Williams was successfully cleared of a potential one-match ban from an incident in last week’s game against the Bombers. Williams is free to play but will have his work cut out for him this week against Fremantle’s Luke Jackson, who has been in blistering form since their No.1 ruck Sean Darcy was sidelined for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.
It’s a big week for: Jamaine Jones
Jones returns to the line-up for his first game in 12 weeks, after injuring his ankle in round 10. The 24-year-old defender is a welcome return to the Eagles backline and will inject speed and presence around the ground.
Big call: Oscar Allen will kick five or more goals, win the Glendinning-Allan Medal, and jump into the top five on the 2023 Coleman Medal leader-board.
