Match

West Coast Eagles vs Western Bulldogs

Commentary / 02 Jun 2019

Pre Game

00:00
The Eagles have won four straight games after starting the season with three wins from their first six matches. Across the past month West Coast has improved its score rate once inside 50 to 47.7 per cent (ranked third), up from 39.6 per cent (ranked 15th) to Round 6.

Quarter 1

00:00
West Coast has a favourable record over Western Bulldogs since 1987, with 35 wins and a draw from 54 encounters. The Eagles have also won their past four matches against today's visitors by an average of 30 points.
01:09
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
02:59
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
03:40
The Eagles are off to a strong start with the first four forward 50 entries of the match, set up by three midfield intercepts. West Coast has an eight-two kick-to-handball split, while Western Bulldogs have opted for 12 handballs and just four kicks.
07:44
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Sam Lloyd)
08:54
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Aaron Naughton)
09:55
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
10:34
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)
11:58
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Josh Dunkley)
12:15
The Bulldogs have fought hard in the past six minutes, owning 88 per cent of the time in forward half and generating five successive forward 50 entries, resulting in four behinds then a major. Five of West Coast's last 18 disposals have been turnovers.
14:44
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
15:30
West Coast Josh Kennedy has opened his account with a textbook mark and set shot finish. The Eagles spearhead has now kicked 51 career goals against the Bulldogs, his highest tally against any league side.
16:26
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Rushed)
19:48
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
21:46
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
22:48
A beautiful long kick to advantage by Sheed has set up Darling for the Eagles' third goal, reflecting their style with a kick-handball ratio of 1.47 in comparison to the Bulldogs' rate of 0.79. This season West Coast has the highest average kick-handball rate (1.84) in the league.
23:28
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
23:49
The Bulldogs have seven behinds on the board, with five from shots and two rushed. They will be disappointed with four behinds and a miss from five shots in general play.
26:32
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Billy Gowers)
28:52
A tight contest in play and on the scoreboard with scores level at quarter time. The Bulldogs were stronger in the middle with five fewer turnovers helping to generate three more forward 50 entries, however the Eagles retained 25 per cent extra of their kicks inside 50 than their opposition.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:52
Western Bulldogs recorded 71 handballs in the first quarter, the second-highest tally by any team in a term this season. The Bulldogs average 42 handballs in first quarters this year (ranked seventh in the league).
02:24
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Billy Gowers)
05:38
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)
08:05
Aaron Naughton has marked strongly inside 50 and converted truly. Across the past four weeks, Western Bulldogs have averaged 15.3 marks inside forward 50 per game, leading the league in that metric.
09:21
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Willie Rioli)
15:23
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
15:45
Most of this quarter (70 per cent) has been played in West Coast's forward half, as they have won both centre clearances and eight midfield intercepts to the Bulldogs' three. Jack Darling now has 19.6 across his past eight games against the Bulldogs.
16:38
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
17:30
Back-to-back goals for West Coast as it wins its sixth centre bounce clearance through Dom Sheed, four more than Bulldogs have recorded. This season the Eagles have won an average 2.2 fewer centre clearances than its opposition (ranked 17th).
18:21
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Bailey Smith)
22:00
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Ryan Gardner)
22:48
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Elliot Yeo)
23:45
A missed shot from close range by first-gamer Ryan Gardner looks costly now as West Coast launches just its seventh goal for the season from kick-ins.
24:06
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
24:17
In the past ten minutes the Eagles have been far cleaner with ball in hand, with 81 per cent kicking efficiency in comparison to the Bulldogs' rate of just 46 per cent. West Coast has kicked four goals from its past four forward 50 entries, with three launched from clearances.
25:55
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Sam Lloyd)
26:09
The Bulldogs will be ruing some simpler chances at goal, while they have capitalised on some tougher shots. From inside 40 metres the Bulldogs have kicked 1.5 from seven shots, while outside that mark they have kicked 3.3 from seven attempts.
29:35
West Coast is doing the damage where it counts, leveraging its ascendancy at the centre bounce to edge away at the main break. The Eagles have won four more centre clearances than the Bulldogs and launched 2.1 (13) from that source in that quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:47
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
01:35
Another goal launched from a centre clearance to begin the second half for West Coast. The Eagles have won four of the past six centre clearances, with three resulting in goals. West Coast only averages 8.1 points per game launched from centre bounces this year.
03:03
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
03:55
It's the Kennedy and Darling show as the two key posts both register their respective third goals this term. From within 40 metres the Eagles have kicked 7.1 (43) while the Bulldogs have managed just 1.5 (11).
06:46
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Billy Gowers)
06:48
With his game-high fifth intercept possession, Caleb Daniel has launched the Bulldogs' fourth goal from possession chains originating with intercepts. Daniel has recorded 20 disposals, including 13 kicks at 85 per cent efficiency.
07:53
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
09:46
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
10:25
Jack Darling has been targeted ten times inside forward 50, for four marks (three of which were contested). The Eagles have now launched 25 points from 22 midfield intercepts, while the Bulldogs have launched 21 points from 19 intercepts in the midfield.
12:14
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)
12:47
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Dom Sheed)
13:25
West Coast's kicking this quarter has been close to flawless. The Eagles have recorded 37 kicks with all but two effective (95 per cent efficiency). Western Bulldogs have recorded 14 kicks at just 64 per cent efficiency this term.
16:23
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)
17:00
West Coast continues on with exemplary ball movement this term. The Eagles have averaged 16.8 disposals per turnover for the quarter, a rate over four times better than that of the Bulldogs (4.1). Shannon Hurn leads the way with five effective kicks for the Eagles this term.
18:41
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)
19:30
Six goals in under 19 minutes for the Eagles as their ability to win and retain the ball continues to shine. West Coast has won eight more ground balls than the Bulldogs, and it has spent 34 per cent more of the quarter in possession than its opposition.
22:32
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
24:57
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Bailey Dale)
25:11
The Bulldogs have hit back twice in time on, capitalising on two of three West Coast turnovers within a couple of minutes. The Bulldogs have managed just four forward 50 entries for the term but efficiently have converted three into goals.
26:27
Eagles Interchange - Shannon Hurn and is possibly out for the game.
27:43
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)
29:05
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)
30:13
Back-to-back goals to Jake Waterman with the second yet another launched from the centre bounce. The Eagles have won eight more centre clearances than the Bulldogs, and have launched goals from four of their past 11 centre clearances.
31:20
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)
31:51
Three goals in four minutes for Jake Waterman, which matches his career-high of three from back in 2018 against Greater Western Sydney. Prior to this match he had been goal-less in his past seven matches at AFL level.
35:53
A powerful statement from the reigning premiers as they record the highest-scoring third quarter (56 points) by any team for the season. West Coast's kicking was a highlight, with 79 kicks at 82 per cent and more than double (9.4) the disposals per turnover rate than the Bulldogs (4.5).

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:11
The Eagles' third term also marked their highest score and highest against Western Bulldogs in a third quarter since 1991.
01:11
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)
01:49
Andrew Gaff's kick inside 50 and assist has set up Liam Ryan's second major. The West Coast midfielder has won six clearances and six intercepts on his way to a game-high 31 disposals, including six forward 50 entries and seven score involvements.
03:28
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)
04:38
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
08:56
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
09:13
Jack Darling now has five majors, matching his best return against the Bulldogs and one behind his career high of six (against Richmond in 2018).
11:40
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Oscar Allen)
15:35
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
15:38
Jack Darling has matched his career-high of six goals, following his sixth mark inside forward 50 (four have been contested).
18:07
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)
18:49
Within their respective forward halves, Western Bulldogs recorded 24 more uncontested possessions than West Coast before the main break. Since that point, the Eagles have won 25 more forward half uncontested possessions than the Bulldogs.
20:22
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Tom Liberatore)
22:09
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Willie Rioli)
23:58
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Matthew Suckling)
24:44
Western Bulldogs have managed seven fewer forward 50 entries in the second half in comparison to the first, but their efficiency has improved. The Bulldogs have kicked 4.0 (24) from within 40 metres in the second half, after 1.5 (11) in the first half from that distance.
26:12
SCORE GOAL - Bulldogs (Ryan Gardner)
26:44
Ryan Gardner wasn't on an AFL list this time last week, but the sixth selection in the 2019 mid-season rookie draft has kicked his first goal. He has also recorded eight disposals, two marks and a centre clearance.
29:58
SCORE BEHIND - Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli)
31:02
West Coast has steamrolled Western Bulldogs after half time, with 41 more effective kicks and 43 more marks than its opposition in the second half. After the main break the Eagles took 11 marks from 28 forward 50 entries, returning a league season-high of 14 goals.