It was the WAFL upset of the season on Saturday afternoon, with the Eagles securing their first win of 2025, a 16-point victory over top-of-the-table South Fremantle Bulldogs at Fremantle Community Bank Oval.
West Coast went into round five with the herculean task of facing the in-form and undefeated Bulldogs on their home turf, having not won a game themselves for the season, and managed to get the job done in an exciting 12.10 (82) to 9.12 (66) triumph.
Eagles youngsters Clay Hall (game-high 30 disposals, four marks and eight tackles), Tyrell Dewar (26 touches, seven marks) and Lucca Grego (24 and five tackles) impressed throughout, moving the ball quickly and efficiently around the ground.
Bailey Williams, Jobe Shanahan, Malakai Champion and Coen Livingstone finished with two goals each, all strong contributors for the Eagles, stepping up in timely moments across four quarters.
While the conditions were gloomy, the Eagles started hot, with new recruit Tom Edwards-Baldwin opening the scoring with a lovely set-shot goal in his 50th WAFL game.
South Fremantle appeared rattled, the Eagles controlling the football and dominating the forward 50 entries, holding tight to the momentum and keeping the Bulldogs goalless for the first term.
The Eagles continued to strike in the second, with Williams kicking his first of two majors, before Shanahan joined the party to make it three-straight for the visitors.
West Coast displayed excellent coast-to-coast ball movement, with speed and accuracy in transition, and the Bulldogs struggled to keep up.
Experienced Eagle Jack Petruccelle extended his team’s lead, before the Bulldogs kicked their first goal of the game at the 24-minute mark of the second term, off the boot of Brandon Donaldson.
After an incredible first half from the Eagles, they took a heap of confidence and a handy 36-point lead into the halftime break.
South Fremantle opened the third quarter with back-to-back goals, Donaldson with his second from a crafty soccer off the ground, before Isiah Winder converted his first major of the game, and the Bulldogs going on to win the term, three goals to two.
Former WAFL Eagle Trey Ruscoe kicked his first goal of the game in the final quarter, being held quiet by West Coast’s Sandy Brock, before the Bulldogs went on a late run, kicking three-straight to finish the game.
It was a well-deserved victory for the young and developing Eagles squad, and the first time singing the song for a number of new recruits.
The WAFL Eagles return to Mineral Resources Park in round six to face East Perth, bouncedown from 11:10am, with the game broadcast live on 7+.
SOUTH FREMANTLE 0.3 1.5 4.8 9.12 (66)
WEST COAST 1.3 7.5 9.8 12.10 (82)
Goals
South Fremantle: Donaldson, Ruscoe 2; Winder, Ward, Byron, James, Parker. West Coast: Williams, Shanahan, Livingstone, Champion 2; Edwards-Baldwin, Datsun, Petruccelle, Rawlinson.
Best
South Fremantle: Parker, Florenca, Winder, Ward, Free, Blechynden. West Coast: Hall, Dewar, Grego, Sparks, Williams, Bazzo
