2. Jeremy McGovern may well be the “find” of the season. After a rocky start to pre-season he won the playing group and coaching staff over by working hard. Elevated off the rookie list at the end of last season there was never any doubt he could play and his three games at elite level all been eye-catching – both back and forward. For the second week in a row he took 10 marks, kicked three goals against the Suns and took a timely grab in the final minute in the last line of defence.
3. Sometimes the best way for a player to work his way back into form is to be given a specific role. Sharrod Wellingham was poised to play with East Perth before Luke Shuey missed the game with an ankle injury, but made the most of his reprieve. Given the task of running with Gold Coast champion Gary Ablett, Wellingham was solid defensively, but played his part offensively as well with 26 touches and a very clever goal. He certainly showed has class and the Eagles need him to produce that consistently.
4. The poise and impact of a couple of the younger players was exceptional. Not only did Jeremy McGovern show a penchant for the occasion, but big ruckman Scott Lycett also clunked a couple of great contested marks in the final term. He took one mid-term on the railway side of the ground, but backed that up with an even better catch on the Mainwaring Wing with about 30 seconds remaining. He had 16 possessions and 18 hit-outs in an important performance.
5. The elite kicking skills of Shannon Hurn are an invaluable asset to West Coast, but he also took a couple of defiant and strong marks in the back half. Hurn took 12 marks in total, to go along with his 26 possessions, which saw him as the nearest rival to Nic Naitanui as the most influential player on the ground. It seemed that Hurn had been determined to take the lead with captain Darren Glass retiring and decorated ruckman Dean Cox resting up after 104 consecutive games and he set a terrific example.
