Match

West Coast Eagles vs Melbourne

Commentary / 24 Jun 2017

Pre Game

59:30

Welcome to Domain Stadium for the West Coast Eagles v Melbourne Round 14 clash.

59:33

Outs for Eagles: M.LeCras, J.Nelson

59:34

Ins for Eagles: J.Hill, M.Karpany

59:35

Outs for Demons: N.Jones, J.Watts

59:36

Ins for Demons: B.Stretch, M.Gawn

59:40

Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.

00:00

Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.

00:10

Since Round 9, no two players on the same team have laid as many tackles inside forward 50 as Jack Darling and Jamie Cripps have laid (11 and 10, individually ranked first and equal second in the AFL respectively).

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

00:45

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

05:00

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Billy Stretch)

06:35

Max Gawn has started well in his first game back from injury, recording six hitouts to Nathan Vardy's one, and the only two hitouts-to-advantage to be recorded so far to go with four disposals, all game-high's.

10:31

West Coast's kicking efficiency of 77 per cent has allowed them to spend 65 per cent of the first term in their forward half. The Eagles average five minutes less time in forward half per game than their opponents this season, ranked 15th in the AFL.

13:14

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Luke Shuey)

13:32

The Eagles have gone inside 50 nine times in the first term for only 1.1 (7). They average a score from 49 per cent of inside 50's this season, ranked sixth, but since Round 9 they average a goal from 22 per cent of entries, ranked 15th in that time.

17:08

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

18:45

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)

18:46

That goal to Alex Neal-Bullen comes after Melbourne ended a streak of nine consecutive inside 50's to the Eagles. Since Round 9, Melbourne averages 59 inside 50's per game, ranked fourth in the AFL in that time.

20:22

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom McDonald)

21:10

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jack Viney)

21:39

That goal to Jack Viney comes from the first possession chain to be launched in the Demons forward half. West Coast have had eight possessions chains launched in this zone, for a score of 0.2 (2).

22:46

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

23:59

Drew Petrie gets his second goal, making this his first game as a multiple goalscorer for the Eagles, both of which have been launched from Centre Bounce Clearances. The Eagles average 1.5 goals per game from this source in 2017, ranked 10th.

25:59

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

27:30

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Duggan)

29:57

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

31:52

The siren has sounded to end Q1.

32:02

Both Tom Barrass and Eric Mackenzie recorded five Intercept Possessions in the first quarter, but the Eagles were only able to produce three behinds from this source, compared to the Demons 2.0 (12).

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

01:00

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Mitch Hannan)

02:36

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

03:27

That goal to Jeremy McGovern was exactly the start the Eagle were after. It was the first goal to be launched from West Coast's defensive half in this match. They average 4.5 goals per game from this zone, ranked 13th in the AFL in 2017.

05:34

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

06:29

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tomas Bugg)

08:15

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Josh Hill)

09:34

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Mitch Hannan)

12:09

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom McDonald)

13:35

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)

15:50

The Eagles are applying some heavy pressure to the Demons on their home turf, recording 148 Pressure Acts to Melbourne's 95 in this match, including 48-18 this quarter alone.

21:01

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Dom Tyson)

24:27

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

25:21

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)

27:56

Melbourne have recorded 16 first possessions to the Eagles four from 25 ruck contests this quarter, but only lead the clearance count 10-8.

29:38

West Coast have won both of their defensive one-on-one contests this quarter. They average winning these contests 35.5 per cent of the time, ranked first in the AFL.

29:53

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Mitch Hannan)

30:30

Mitch Hannan is proving to be a find for the Demons, as he recorded nine disposals that quarter, as well as 198 metres gained with four shots at goal resulting in 1.2 (8), all team-high's for the term.

30:34

Despite recording just three disposals for the term Elliot Yeo recorded five tackles to make sure his presence was made, especially around the stoppages (four of those tackles were pre-clearance).

30:59

The siren has sounded to end Q2.

31:09

Melbourne have been the more efficient attacking team, registering 14 scoring shots from 23 inside 50's in the first half compared to the Eagles 12 shots from 28 forward entries.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

00:49

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Drew Petrie)

01:12

A strong sense of deja vu to begin the third term as Drew Petrie takes a contested mark inside 50 and kicks the goal to open the scoring, just as he did in the first term. The Eagles have kicked all but one of their goals from set shots in this match.

02:36

Demons Interchange - Jack Viney off due to an injury.

05:55

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jake Melksham)

07:59

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)

09:39

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Dom Sheed)

10:07

Dom Sheed kicks the Eagles second goal for the term to get them back in the lead, and their sixth goal from a stoppage for the match. West Coast average four goals per game from this source, ranked 13th in the AFL in 2017.

11:38

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)

13:03

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)

13:22

Just like that, the Demons answer back through back-to-back Centre Bounce Clearances resulting in back-to-back Tom McDonald goals. These are the first two majors Melbourne have launched from the centre circle for the match.

14:23

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Malcolm Karpany)

15:28

Demons Interchange - Jack Viney off due to an injury.

17:16

Jack Viney comes off for the second time this quarter for a suspected shoulder injury. He leads all Demons players with 24 disposals, 13 groundball-gets including 12 Stoppage first possessions and 100 per cent forward half kicking efficiency.

20:20

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)

21:59

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)

23:10

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

24:34

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Andrew Gaff)

24:47

Andrew Gaff kicks the goal for the Eagles to bring the margin back to four points. He's been the Eagles best this term with eight disposals, 162 metres gained and three contested possessions, all team-high's for the quarter.

26:24

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Mark Hutchings)

27:32

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

28:30

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

28:43

Three goals in five minutes for the Eagles, including the last two from 50 metre penalties, and the momentum has shifted their way. West Coast average one goal every two games from 50 metre penalties, ranked equal second in the AFL in 2017.

29:36

Demons Interchange - Christian Salem and is possibly out for the game.

32:18

Clayton Oliver has picked up from where Jack Viney left off before he got injured, leading all players on the ground with 10 disposals, eight contested possessions, four clearances and four score involvements including two score assists.

34:34

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Dom Sheed)

35:18

The siren has sounded to end Q3.

35:28

Dom Tyson was good for the Demons in the third term, racking up 10 disposals, five tackles and 11 pressure acts, all team-highs. However he had a kicking efficiency of 17 per cent from six kicks.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:31

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Mark Hutchings)

03:33

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)

07:46

Melbourne average 3.2 more clearances per game than their opponents this season, ranked fourth in the AFL. The Eagles are currently leading them in this count 5-1 early in the final term.

07:48

SCORE GOAL - Demons (James Harmes)

08:16

That goal to James Harmes was the Demons fourth goal to be launched from inside their defensive 50 in tonight's match. The Demons average 2.5 goals per game from this zone, ranked sixth in the AFL in 2017.

08:51

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Josh Hill)

13:00

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jeremy McGovern)

15:14

Just two of Melbourne's 13 possession chains in their defensive half have made it inside 50. Their 55 per cent defensive half disposal efficiency is contributing to this, allowing the Eagles to lock the ball up forward for 73 per cent of this quarter.

16:05

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

17:03

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Lewis Jetta)

19:09

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Cameron Pedersen)

20:48

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)

21:21

That makes it four goals from four inside 50's for the Demons this term, all four of which have been launched from Intercept Possessions. They have outscored the Eagles by 32 points from this source, their fourth highest differential of the season.

23:08

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Cameron Pedersen)

25:17

Eagles Interchange - Shannon Hurn and is possibly out for the game.

27:24

If the Eagles get over the line in this match, it will be largely thanks to Drew Petrie who has enjoyed his best game as an Eagle. Four goals, an equal game-high to go with 19 disposals, eight marks and eight score involvements to Petrie tonight.

29:54

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom McDonald)

30:06

Despite being outscored by 30 points from stoppages, Tom McDonald manages to get his fifth goal of the game and the Demons lead by three points with 25 seconds left.

31:15

A massive effort by the Demons who snuck home in the final minute to get a big win in Perth. They recorded 51 more uncontested possessions than their opponents and managed one extra goal from ten less inside 50's to win this match.