The West Coast Eagles suffered a hefty 51-point defeat to Melbourne on Sunday, the home side dominating in the highly anticipated coaching match-up between Daisy Pearce and Mick Stinear at a blustery Casey Fields.
Heading into the contest all eyes were on Eagles coach Pearce – who captained the Demons to premiership glory under coach Stinear in season seven of 2022 – coaching against the side she championed as a player for six seasons, however it was Eden Zanker’s five goals that wrote the headlines on Sunday afternoon to catapult Melbourne to its fifth win of the season 10.13 (73) to 3.5 (23).
Zanker had history in her sights with all five majors coming in the first half, however registered just one behind after the main break as both she and the Dees slowed, while the Eagles consequently galvanised to stem the bleeding.
Melbourne made the most of its opening quarter, kicking with a heavy breeze for a four-goal return, but played the conditions perfectly from siren-to-siren – although remaining themselves goalless in the last term – to keep the Eagles to just three goals for the match.
Much like the breeze, the Demons never relented until that final term. Unstoppable around the stoppages (22-15) and fierce in their pressure led by the likes of Eliza McNamara (24 dispoals) and Tyla Hanks (18), Melbourne prevented the Eagles from landing any damaging blows around the coalface, despite several patches of resistance which stymied their opposition’s advances.
Abbygail Bushby (24 disposals), Charlotte Thomas (25) and Ella Roberts (19) were shining lights for Pearce’s side throughout the afternoon, however the defensive wall of Sinead Goldrick and Lauren Pearce, and the subsequent punishment on turnovers – and intensity in doing so – proved too powerful.
Bella Lewis battled hard in the absence of Emma Swanson (suspension) through the middle, however she copped a nasty knock to her right hip in a tackle prior to quarter-time to curb her influence. Although spending a considerable amount of time on the exercise bike to stay mobile and taking to the field on multiple occasions, the co-captain was ruled out of the contest just minutes before three-quarter time.
The Demons were on song from the game’s opening minute as Zanker slotted her first off the back of a strong contested grab, with the home side putting through another two goals before the six-minute mark in what was a perfect exhibition of centre clearance dominance for which the Eagles had no answers.
It certainly wasn’t pretty at times for Melbourne as West Coast dug the heels in throughout the scrap, yet the scrubby kicks forward and mentality of gaining territory at any cost came of great benefit to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
The Eagles started the second term on a much better note and had even made inroads into the lopsided clearance count, but an unlucky bounce deep in defence sailed right into the hands of the dangerous Zanker, who fired through her third in the easiest of ways to keep the Eagles searching for scores.
Although fortuitous in kicking her third, Zanker’s prominent presence in the air and around the mouth of goal couldn’t be ignored as she booted her fourth, and then fifth mere minutes later.
Sarah Lakay finally broke the drought early in the fourth stanza to get the monkey off the back, and although Kayla Dalgleish and Lauren Wakfer put through goals of their own in shades similar to West Coast’s final-quarter comeback win over St Kilda as Melbourne took the foot off the gas, it was a bridge too far to overcome.
Although Sunday’s contest will be one to quickly learn from and file away from a West Coast perspective, Daisy Pearce and her side will be eager to stick the talons and secure their hold on a top-eight position with their upcoming run of home games.
West Coast will play four of its next six games in WA, only having to travel to Adelaide in round nine and Sydney in round 11.
After today’s result, the Eagles sit with a 3-3 ledger with six matches left to play as a maiden finals berth remains well and truly in sight.
MELBOURNE 4.3 7.7 10.11 10.13 (73)
WEST COAST 0.2 0.3 0.4 3.5 (23)
GOALS
Melbourne: Zanker 5, Harris 2, Hore 2, Pisano
West Coast: Lakay, Dalgleish, Wakfer
BEST
Melbourne: Zanker, McNamara, Hanks, Goldrick, Fitzsimon, Hore, Pearce
West Coast: Bushby, Roberts, Thomas, Wakfer, Britton
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
West Coast: Lewis (hip)
Crowd: TBC at Casey Fields
