Match

Adelaide Crows vs West Coast Eagles

Commentary / 17 Jul 2021

Pre Game

00:00

These two teams are ranked last (West Coast) and second-last (Adelaide) for uncontested possession differential this season. Despite conceding more possession to the opposition, they are also both ranked in the bottom-4 for tackle differential.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

00:14

Nic Naitanui playing game No.200 today, has won the opening centre bounce clearance. Naitanui has recorded both more hit-outs to advantage and hardball gets than any other player in the competition this season.

01:09

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

01:23

The first score of the game to the Eagles was sourced from a forward half intercept. West Coast ranks in the bottom-4 at generating such intercepts but ranks second at converting these intercepts into a score.

03:20

Brodie Smith playing game No.200 today is the No.1 ranked player in the competition for metres gained this season, averaging 641 per game. This is also the highest average for metres gained recorded by any player in a season (since 2007).

04:22

Connor West is playing his first AFL game today for the Eagles. West has averaged 27 disposals, six clearances, and six tackles in ten WAFL games this season.

05:07

The Eagles have generated the first five inside 50 entries and had the ball in their forward half 97 percent of the time. West Coast is ranked only 14th for time in forward half differential this season.

09:21

West Coast has averaged 12 tackles per quarter this season. The Eagles have already recorded 12 tackles today in the first ten minutes of the quarter.

11:36

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Petruccelle)

12:00

West Coast has an early 7-4 lead in midfield intercepts, with both early scores coming from this source. This includes a 4-1 edge in intercepts forward of centre.

12:49

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Taylor Walker)

13:12

The first score for the Crows followed a forward 50 mark by Taylor Walker. Adelaide has taken just 9.3 marks per game in its forward 50 this season and allowed its opposition to take 13.3 forward 50 marks, which is ranked 17th in both measures.

16:25

Shannon Hurn has made a prominent start for the Eagles with three intercepts marks and four kicks at 100 percent efficiency. Hurn has recorded 15.7 effective kicks per game this season, which is the third-most of any player in the AFL.

18:05

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Paul Seedsman)

18:33

Both of the scores for Adelaide to start the game have come from chains that started in the defensive half. The Crows average 27 points per game from such chains, which is ranked in the bottom-4.

19:37

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

20:56

Adelaide is ranked second-last in the time on period of games this season. Since Round 11, the Crows have been outscored by 22 points per game during this period which is ranked a distant last.

21:47

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Elliott Himmelberg)

23:19

The first goal of the game has not surprisingly been kicked by Taylor Walker. The score was again launched by a defensive half chain for the Crows who have struggled to lock the ball in their forward line (West Coast leads 8-1 in forward half intercepts).

26:28

A scrappy first quarter, with the Crows able to disrupt the ball movement of the Eagles. West Coast averages a competition-high 27.5 marks per quarter and the Crows a competition-low 19.2, but Adelaide currently leads this count 37-21.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

01:02

Paul Seedsman is averaging career-highs with 19.6 uncontested possessions and 627 metres gained per game this season. Seedsman recorded 351 metres gained in the opening quarter, which was more than double any teammate.

01:53

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

02:05

The first goal for the Eagles was sourced from a chain started with a defensive half intercept. West Coast averages 19 points per game from such chains (ranked 14th).

03:45

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

04:05

A great start to the second quarter for the Eagles with the goal to Jamie Cripps coming from a centre bounce clearance. West Coast averages 14 points per game from this source (ranked second) and has a 4-0 lead in centre bounce clearances today.

04:55

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

05:20

Another centre bounce clearance goal to the Eagles and Jamie Cripps. West Coast piled on a match-winning seven goals in the second quarter when these teams met earlier in the season and is threatening to again break the game open during this term.

06:18

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

08:36

West Coast has won the first six clearances and generated the first seven inside 50 entries to start the second quarter, with the Adelaide defence under immense pressure.

09:10

A great chain of play from the Crows to take the ball the length of the ground for a steadying goal. The entire score for Adelaide has come from back half chains today and this season the Crows have averaged 37 percent of their score from such chains.

12:08

The improved pressure from the Eagles today has seen them already rewarded with five free kicks for holding the ball. West Coast averages less than four such free kicks per game.

12:30

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

15:37

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Brodie Smith)

16:05

While West Coast leads centre bounce clearances 6-1 (and 13-0 in scores from this source), Adelaide leads 11-6 in around the ground clearances, but neither team has scored from these stoppages.

18:24

Finally, the Crows have been able to convert a clearance from an around-the-ground stoppage into a goal. Adelaide now leads 12-6 in such clearances and this goal was its first score of the game to come from a chain started in the forward half.

22:43

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Elliot Yeo)

23:06

Elliot Yeo has won four clearances this quarter, and it was the last of these that provided his scoring opportunity. Yeo also now has a game-high five score involvements.

23:09

Crows Interchange - Chayce Jones off due to an injury.

26:21

In the first quarter, both teams recorded just one hitout to advantage each. West Coast leads 7-0 in this count during the second quarter with Nic Naitanui starting to exert his influence at stoppages.

28:31

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Darcy Fogarty)

28:41

The brilliant goal-kicking of Darcy Fogarty has again been on display today with a pair of goals this quarter. Fogarty kicked a career-high five goals against the Eagles in Round 21, 2019, and has kicked more goals against West Coast than any other opponent.

30:49

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Connor West)

30:52

Rory Sloane won seven clearances from around the ground stoppages in the first half. No other player on the ground has won more than three such clearances. This stoppage work has contributed to Sloane recording a game-high ten contested possessions.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

01:25

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

01:39

The first score of the second half to the Eagles was sourced from a forward half intercept. West Coast leads 14-7 in such intercepts but is yet to score a goal from this source.

02:52

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

03:22

An excellent snap goal from Jamie Cripps gives the Eagles some reward from early territory dominance to start this quarter. West Coast had the first five inside 50 entries in the first quarter, the first seven in the second quarter, and has had the first four to start this quarter.

05:20

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Darcy Fogarty)

05:52

The Eagles have scored 13 points today from forward 50 clearances. West Coast has averaged only 4.7 points per game from this source (ranked third-last).

08:19

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

08:28

The last goal to Jamie Cripps was the first today for the Eagles to come from a forward half intercept. Cripps has now kicked 23 goals in his career against Adelaide which is more than he has kicked against any other team.

10:06

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Lachlan Murphy)

11:01

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Petruccelle)

11:18

Three goals in a row to the Eagles, and a second from a forward half intercept. Jamie Cripps provided the assist and now has a game-high seven score involvements.

13:32

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

14:44

All 20 points scored by the Eagles in this quarter have come from forward half chains. In the first half, West Coast only scored eight points from such chains, with the Crows defence able to hold out against an inside 50 imbalance.

15:06

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

16:46

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Tom Lynch)

16:58

An opportunistic goal for Tom Lynch after an error from the Eagles in their defensive 50. Adelaide has now generated three scores from three inside 50 entries in this quarter.

18:40

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

18:58

Liam Ryan has taken three forward 50 marks this quarter after West Coast only took two such marks in the first half. The Eagles have recorded forward half kicking efficiency of 73 percent this quarter (it was only 40 percent in the first quarter).

22:49

The Eagles recorded a shot at goal accuracy of 55 percent from Rounds 1-12 (ranked No.1). That conversion rate has dropped to 42 percent since Round 13 (ranked 13th). Today West Coast has kicked eight goals from 20 attempts (including shots that have not scored).

25:09

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Ben Keays)

26:39

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Petruccelle)

27:14

West Coast has won the post-clearance contested possession count 21-13 this quarter and the inside 50 count 15-6.

29:14

With the Eagles winning contested ball this quarter, they have then been able to control the game with their strong kicking game. West Coast leads 39-16 in marks this term after Adelaide negated this strength in the first half.

31:01

A dominant third quarter from the Eagles who won post-clearance ground balls 15-7, uncontested marks 35-15, forward 50 disposals 16-6 and forward 50 marks 5-0.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

00:38

In the absence of Josh Kennedy, West Coast has directed 16 kicks inside 50 to either Oscar Allen or Jack Darling that have resulted in only one forward 50 mark. Six such kicks directed at Jamie Cripps and Liam Ryan have resulted in five forward 50 marks.

01:54

Crows Interchange - Nick Murray off due to an injury.

02:35

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

03:36

West Coast has again started the quarter with all of the inside 50 entries, strong forward pressure, and a number of scoring opportunities. The Eagles lead 10-4 in forward 50 tackles, and average eight per game (ranked second-last).

05:51

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)

06:06

The Eagles have recorded a tackle efficiency of just 57 percent this season (ranked last). Their pressure has been stronger today, with an improved tackle efficiency of 64 percent.

07:39

SCORE BEHIND - Crows (Rushed)

08:41

Jeremy McGovern has again made an important defensive contribution for the Eagles today, primarily opposed to Taylor Walker. McGovern has won a team-high eight intercepts, three of which have launched scores.

09:17

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Zac Langdon)

09:38

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

10:14

Some more good forward pressure from the Eagles led to the last goal to Liam Ryan. West Coast now leads 21-14 in forward half intercepts and 20-14 in points scored from this source.

12:38

Since half time, West Coast leads 9-1 in contested marks and 46-24 in uncontested marks, with its renowned aerial strength coming to the fore.

14:06

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Elliott Himmelberg)

14:19

The goal to Elliott Himmelberg was launched by a kick-in chain. This is only the second goal from a kick-in chain for the Crows since Round 5.

15:51

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Elliot Yeo)

18:08

Jamie Cripps has capped an outstanding game with another great snap goal from a stoppage. Cripps has now equalled his career-best for both goals (5) and score involvements (13).

20:20

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

20:55

West Coast now leads 28-12 in points scored from forward half stoppages. The Eagles average 13 points per game from this source.

22:01

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

22:40

The Eagles now lead 13-6 in centre bounce clearances and 19-1 in points scored from this source. West Coast has generated 17 per cent of its score this season from centre bounce chains, which is the highest percentage of any team.

24:30

After a slow start to the game, Liam Ryan has now recorded a career-high 11 score involvements and taken five forward 50 marks in since halftime.

25:08

SCORE GOAL - Crows (Harry Schoenberg)

30:03

West Coast has taken the most marks per game of any side this season, averaging 109.6. After Adelaide led this count 37-21 in the first quarter, the Eagles now lead 116-103.

31:30

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Bailey J. Williams)

32:33

A comfortable win in the end for the Eagles, who led 47-13 in points scored from stoppages. Jamie Cripps was the standout with an equal career-high five goals and 13 score involvements from his 25 disposals.