From a 39-point defeat to Swan Districts in round three, to a two-point loss in round 14, the Eagles WAFL team showcased their unremitting improvement at Steel Blue Oval today.
The back-and-forth affair went down to the wire, with West Coast eventually pipped at the post in a well-fought NAIDOC round clash, 10.11(71) to 9.15 (69).
It was a tie for best Eagle afield today, with Mark Hutchings (30 disposals, five marks, three goals) and midseason recruit Connor West (33 disposals, five marks and five tackles) creating an incomparable impact on the match.
Luke Foley (22 disposals, three marks, three tackles) and Xavier O’Neill (24, four, five) must also be commended for their influence on the game.
After lining up for a traditional smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country by Matt McGuire, the Eagles put their foot on the accelerator early, with an early major from Hutchings pre-empting what was set to be a strong quarter.
Although the match was heavily contested in the midfield, the Eagles managed to control the ball on the sodden turf, keeping the Swans to just one goal at the quarter time siren.
While accuracy was a prominent issue for West Coast, it was Hutchings’ 50m bounce-through snap and Cooper Nitschke’s goal after the siren that boosted the quarter-time lead to 18 points.
In the second term, Swan Districts came out with a point to prove, their repeat inside 50 entries equating to seven goals, while the Eagles managed just one.
From there it was a mud-slinging match which saw the Eagles’ attempt to claw their way back from the 20-point deficit at half-time.
This comeback mission saw some success in the third quarter, with goals from Jake Waterman and Hutchings narrowing the gap to just two goals.
Although the side once again had their opportunities in the ‘premiership quarter’, they failed to capitalise, adding another six behinds to the scoreboard to create a total of 15.
In the fourth term, Waterman stepped up to the plate, with two goals keeping the game alive.
West’s consistent input and pressure around the contest also enabled the side to send a barrage of kicks inside 50, which eventually led to a late goal from Cooper Nitschke to the Eagles back in front by four points.
Unfortunately, the late set shot wasn’t enough, with the Swans managing one more before the siren to take home the win at home by two points.
WEST COAST: 3.6 4.9 6.15 9.15 (69)
SWAN DISTRICTS: 1.0 8.5 9.9 10.11 (71)
GOALS
West Coast: Hutchings, Waterman 3, Nitschke 2, O’Neill
Swan Districts: Wilson 3, Riggio, Fisher, Gault, Germs, Reidy, Turner, Watson
BEST
West Coast: Hutchings, West, Foley, O’Neil, Brayshaw, Waterman
Swan Districts: Fisher, Beck, Anderson, Notte, Wilson
