Match

GWS Giants vs West Coast Eagles

Commentary / 22 May 2021

Pre Game

00:00
West Coast has been the No.1 ranked team for goals per inside 50 entries in each of the past four seasons. In 2021, the Eagles have scored a goal from 29 percent of their entries, with the next best team (Bulldogs) only scoring a goal from 26 percent of inside 50 entries.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:55
Nic Naitanui won the first clearance of the game today. Naitanui is averaging career-highs this season for all of clearances (6.7), hitout to advantage percentage (21.2), and disposals (13.2).
02:28
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Petruccelle)
04:06
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)
05:10
The first goal of the game to the Eagles was scoured from a forward half stoppage. West Coast averages 16 points per game from this source (ranked sixth).
06:17
West Coast has an early 14-4 lead in contested possessions. The Eagles have won all four games this season when they have won the contested possession count.
06:39
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tom Green)
07:53
The first goal to the Giants was sourced from a defensive half intercept. GWS averages 20 points per game from this source, which is ranked in the bottom-6.
08:53
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Zach Sproule)
09:22
The second goal to GWS followed a centre bounce clearance. The Giants have scored from 16 per cent of their centre bounce clearance chains this season (ranked second).
10:06
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
11:54
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)
12:07
The goal to Jake Waterman followed a forward half intercept. West Coast has scored 137 points per 100 such intercepts this season which is ranked No.1.
13:58
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)
15:58
The Eagles have taken 118 marks per game this season, which is the most of any team. GWS has an early 16-8 lead in marks, and has done well to deny West Coast control of the ball.
16:19
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
17:32
GWS Giants have lost the time in forward half differential by seven minutes and 44 seconds per game this season (ranked 17th). GWS currently has a 7-5 lead in the inside 50 count and has split the time in forward half early in this game.
18:17
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)
19:44
West Coast has an early 5-1 in forward 50 marks, despite having just the six inside 50 entries. The Eagles average 13 such per marks per game (ranked fourth).
20:15
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Bobby Hill)
21:58
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)
22:18
The goal to Jack Darling capped a string of marks from Darling, Oscar Allen and Josh Kennedy. The three tall Eagle forwards kicked a combined 11 goals last week, and again look dangerous today against a young Giant defence.
25:29
The Giants have recorded 26.9 clanger kicks per game this season, which is the most of any team. GWS leads 6-2 in this count today, contributing to the intercept marks for West Coast.
27:00
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)
28:43
West Coast averages only 47 tackles per game, which is last by some distance, and GWS has an early 17-9 lead in this count.
29:10
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Matt Flynn)
30:19
An even first quarter with the Giants returning 3.0 from set shots at goal and the Eagles only 2.3. West Coast has generated seven scores from only nine inside 50 entries, which is well above its normal return of a score from 48 percent of entries.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:41
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Redden)
00:57
An early goal in the second quarter to the Eagles following a forward half intercept. GWS leads 6-4 in these intercepts, but West Coast leads 13-6 in points scored from this source, continuing its trend of being the most efficient team in this regard.
02:32
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
02:52
West Coast now has an 8-1 lead in forward 50 marks. The Giants have taken just 9.6 forward 50 marks per game in 2021, which is the third-fewest of any team.
05:24
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Matt Flynn)
05:38
GWS has now scored two goals from three intercepts in the defensive midfield. West Coast has scored only one behind following seven such intercepts.
08:17
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jacob Hopper)
08:23
Jacob Hopper recorded a career-high 35 disposals and an equal career-best 20 contested possessions last week against Richmond. Hopper is the No.1 ranked player today for contested possessions (6) and disposals (14).
09:33
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Harry Himmelberg)
12:27
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
12:48
Another goal to the Eagles featuring a Darling-Kennedy combination. Jack Darling now has an equal game-high five score involvements, and the two Eagles have taken a combined five forward 50 marks.
13:57
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Zach Sproule)
17:11
The Giants rucks have so far done well to negate Nic Naitanui in ruck contests, with the hitout to advantage count equal. However, the star Eagle has recorded a game-high four clearances indicating his multi-faceted threat at stoppages.
18:25
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
19:13
A lucky bounce involved in the last goal for the Giants and Jeremy Finlayson. GWS has now scored 19 points following defensive half intercepts, which is only one point less than its season average.
21:08
The aerial threat from the Eagles continues to challenge the Giants. While GWS leads the overall mark count, West Coast now leads 8-2 in contested marks, 8-4 in intercept marks and 10-4 in forward 50 marks.
21:31
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Bailey J. Williams)
23:11
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tom Green)
23:23
Tom Green has again impressed today and now has a game-high six score involvements including two goals, while also contributing an equal team-high three clearances.
25:00
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
26:18
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tom Green)
26:58
GWS has been effective today at applying pressure. The Giants lead the tackle count 40-16, which includes a major 33-5 advantage in forward half tackles.
27:53
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Josh J. Kennedy)
28:59
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
29:34
West Coast leads 28-16 in points scored from stoppages, with all four goals coming from chains started in the midfield. Nic Naitanui has launched five of these stoppage scores for the Eagles.
30:09
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
31:40
The Eagles have scored from four of their five centre bounce clearances, but all four of these scores have been behinds. The Giants have scored 1.1 from their eight centre bounce clearances.
33:24
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
33:56
GWS leads the tackle count 41-18 at halftime. This is the largest tackle differential at the main break in any game this season.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:02
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Tim Kelly)
01:17
Another early goal to start the quarter for the Eagles, and this is the first time today that West Coast has scored consecutive goals. Tim Kelly is also now the No.1 ranked player for metres gained and ranking points to go with the previously mentioned highs.
02:27
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
02:55
The quick answering goal from the Giants followed a forward 50 intercept. GWS has now scored 19 points from such intercepts which is its best return this season and compares to a season average of just seven points.
05:44
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Petruccelle)
06:17
Nic Naitanui has provided a handball score assist on the last two goals for West Coast. The Eagles now have a remarkable 16 scores from just 24 inside 50 entries, continuing to operate with high offensive efficiency.
07:28
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Bobby Hill)
09:31
GWS has won first possession at nine out of ten stoppages to start this quarter and converted these into an 8-2 clearance advantage.
10:50
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
11:07
The dominance at stoppages this quarter for the Giants finally was converted into a goal through Finlayson. GWS lead the clearances 9-2 this quarter and has scored 1.2 to 0.0 from this source.
13:51
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
14:09
The missed set shot at goal from Daniel Lloyd was the first such miss from GWS. The Giants have scored 5.1 from their set shots at goal and the Eagles have scored 4.4.
14:59
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tom Green)
15:52
GWS leads 14-1 in forward 50 tackles with this pressure contributing to the three goals from forward 50 intercepts the Giants have scored.
17:16
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Lachie Whitfield)
18:54
The largest tackle differential recorded in any game this season is 31. GWS currently leads 57-24 in the tackle count.
20:40
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Oscar Allen)
23:43
The three tall Eagles forward (Darling, Allen, and Kennedy) have now combined for nine shots at goal but only scored 2.5 with two misses from these opportunities.
24:56
Acting captain today for the Giants today Josh Kelly has won five clearances this quarter which is the same amount as West Coast.
25:47
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)
25:58
An opportunistic goal for the Eagles through Jamie Cripps caps a period where West Coast has had the last six inside 50 entries in the game. The Eagles have now scored 25 points from 14 forward half intercepts which is again well above AFL average for conversion.
27:03
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Nic Naitanui)
29:19
West Coast has generated the last eight inside 50 entries. Neither team had previously recorded more than four consecutive inside 50 entries today in an indication of how evenly matched the two teams have been.
31:56
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Sam J. Reid)
32:20
GWS was again able to edge the Eagles for ball control in the third quarter (disposals 98-81) and pressure (tackles 22-12) on the back of winning nine of the first 11 clearances. West Coast regained control late in the quarter with a run of eight inside 50 entries.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:18
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
00:28
A great start to the final quarter for the Giants with a centre bounce goal. GWS leads 12-9 in centre bounce clearances and 14-5 in points scored from this source.
02:13
SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)
02:23
The answering goal from the Eagles was their first of the day from a centre bounce clearance (after five behinds). West Coast has had only six shots at goal today from within 40 metres, while GWS has generated 14 shots at goal from this range.
06:19
West Coast still has the edge in the key aerial indicators. The Eagles lead 14-5 in intercept marks, 17-8 in contested marks and 13-9 in forward 50 marks, despite GWS leading the overall mark count 96-67.
08:46
Harrison Himmelberg has recorded a career-high six score assists today. This is also the equal-most score assists by any player in a game this season.
13:06
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)
13:21
Since halftime, the Eagles lead 6-1 in forward 50 tackles, with one of these tackles forcing the turnover leading to the last score. GWS still leads 15-7 in total forward 50 tackles.
17:00
SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Brendon Ah Chee)
17:08
Both teams have applied great pressure in the final quarter, with the Eagles actually leading the tackle count this quarter. West Coast has recorded kicking efficiency of only 58 percent this quarter after having 72 percent kicking efficiency in the first three quarters.
19:37
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Rushed)
21:47
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Bobby Hill)
21:59
A crucial goal to the Giants and Bobby Hill following another clearance, this time from Tom Green. Since half time, GWS leads the clearances 21-13 and points scored from stoppages 22-8.
24:44
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Bobby Hill)
24:54
A pair of goals to Bobby Hill has given the Giants the largest lead in the game of 16 points. All three goals in the final quarter to GWS have come from stoppages, and it now leads 44-37 in points scored from this source after West Coast dominated this early in the game.
28:52
A gritty win for the Giants who were able to beat the Eagles in areas West Coast usually controls. GWS finished with more marks (120-71) and clearances (42-32), while also applying terrific pressure (tackles 78-46).