Where and when: Optus Stadium. Saturday, October 3 (6.10pm AWST)
TV: Live on Channel 7, Fox Footy, Kayo and the official AFL app
What it means for the Eagles: It’s do or die at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. If West Coast wins they’ll take on Geelong in a replay of last year’s semi-final after the Cats went down to Port Adelaide in last night’s qualifying final. But if they lose, they’ll be left to ponder what could have been in 2020.
The stat: If West Coast’s match committee recalls Luke Shuey, Jeremy McGovern, Jamie Cripps, Jack Redden, Lewis Jetta and Mark Hutchings it will welcome 1067 games worth of experience back into the team. That is almost half of the total games experience (2269) the Eagles had on the paddock against North Melbourne in round 18.
The match-up: Josh Kennedy v Jordan Roughead
This battle will be pivotal to the outcome on Saturday night. Kennedy clearly got the better of Roughead in round eight; the Eagles’ marquee big man kicked seven goals in arguably his best performance of the season. With that in mind, you just know Roughead, one of the Magpies’ most consistent plays, will be seeking revenge this weekend. And he will no doubt call on reinforcements to curb the two-time Coleman medallist’s influence on the contest. If Kennedy rips the game apart, it will go a long way to helping West Coast lock in a semi-final date with Geelong.
It’s a big week for: Luke Shuey
West Coast’s skipper will be eager to make up for lost time after missing the final two games of the home and away season due to a hamstring injury. Shuey has an enviable record against the Magpies, having been the leading ball winner in two of the clubs’ last six encounters, including his record-breaking 2018 Grand Final performance that earned him a Norm Smith medal. He is also ranked among the top three Eagles in crucial stats that could determine the outcome of Saturday night’s game: centre clearances and inside 50s.
Big call: Jack Darling dines out against the Pies and kicks four goals.
