Match

West Coast Eagles vs Gold Coast Suns

Commentary / 02 Aug 2024

Pre Game

00:00

The Suns have taken 75 uncontested intercept marks since Round 16 this season. Only Geelong have recorded more (79) in this period.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:02

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Mac Andrew)

01:21

A hot start for the Suns who get a goal from their first centre clearance and consequent forward 50 entry. The Suns average a score from just 22 per cent of their centre clearance chains in 2024, the fourth-lowest conversion rate of any side in the AFL.

03:23

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

04:45

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Darling)

04:56

The Eagles hit right back with two goals in as many minutes. On average, the Eagles have kicked a goal from just 21 per cent of their inside 50 entries, ranked 17th in the AFL this year.

07:20

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben King)

08:25

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben King)

09:50

Ben King's goalkicking struggles continues as he registers two behinds from his first two shots at goal. Since Round 12, he has kicked 14 goals from 33 shots at goal, making him the most inaccurate shot at goal (42.4 per cent) of any player in the top 50 for total goals in this period.

12:30

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

13:24

SUNS Interchange - Sam Flanders off due to the blood rule.

14:06

West Coast are up for the fight early in this match, doubling the Suns in contested possessions 18-9. The Eagles have only won the contested possession count on four occasions in 2024 and have not won this count since Round 8 against Essendon.

15:26

SUNS Interchange - Ben King off due to the blood rule.

16:53

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)

19:38

Eagles Interchange - Oscar Allen off due to an injury.

19:46

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

21:21

The Eagles have used Jarrod Witts' dominance in the ruck contest to their advantage, winning nine first possessions and converting them all into clearances. More importantly, both of their scores have been launched from clearances to start the match.

22:58

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)

23:27

Ben Long's goal was the first goal from an intercept possession in tonight's match. However eight of Gold Coast's 12 intercept possessions have been converted into inside 50 entries to facilitate their attacking movement.

25:48

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Mac Andrew)

32:25

Gold Coast leads at the first break for just the sixth time in 2024. Only the Kangaroos have won fewer first quarters than the Suns (two). However, of the Suns five previous matches where they have led at quarter time this year, they have gone on to win four.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

00:44

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ben King)

01:48

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Bailey Humphrey)

06:26

A few early misses, but the Suns make it three scores from four inside 50's to start the second quarter with the first goal of the term to Ben Long. They average a score from 40 per cent of their inside 50's in 2024, ranked 17th in the AFL.

07:37

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Zane Trew)

11:22

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Oscar Allen)

11:46

West Coast make it two goals from two set shots in tonight's match. Only Richmond have kicked fewer goals from set shots (95) than West Coast (118) in 2024.

15:09

Harry Edwards (concussion) has been replaced by the medical substitute and debutant Clay Hall.

17:00

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Brayden Fiorini)

18:12

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)

18:51

Ben King finally breaks his duck and gets a goal, and the Suns first goal from general play in tonight's match. Gold Coast have kicked 90 goals from general play in 2024, ranked equal seventh.

21:09

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jarrod Witts)

21:50

Gold Coast have been awarded three 50 metre penalties in tonight's match. The Suns have been awarded 19 50 metre penalties match in 2024, ranked seventh in the AFL. By comparison, the Eagles rank last in this category with just seven 50 metre penalties.

21:54

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Will Graham)

24:28

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Ryan Maric)

26:42

Back-to-back goals from back-to-back contested marks inside 50 for the Eagles. West Coast average three contested marks inside 50 per game in 2024, ranked third in the AFL.

28:48

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Mac Andrew)

29:06

That goal from Mac Andrew came from the Suns seventh inside 50 to be generated from a stoppage clearance chain. By comparison, West Coast have generated just one inside 50 from a clearance chain this quarter.

32:55

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Jarrod Witts)

32:56

West Coast scored all four of their goals in the second term from intercept possession chains. However they also gave up 10 turnovers in their defensive half, allowing the Suns to enjoy 65 per cent of the second quarter in their forward half.

33:20

Jarrod Witts kicks a goal after the siren to give Gold Coast the momentum heading into the main break. The Suns launched four of their five goals in the second quarter from their forward half. The Suns average 39 points per game from their attacking half, ranked 10th in the AFL in 2024.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

01:22

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Noah Anderson)

02:32

A goal either side of the half-time siren and all of a sudden the lead is a game-high 23 points. Jarrod Witts now has 20 hitouts in tonight's match, making it his 70th consecutive match to reach this mark. Only two players in VFL/AFL history have had longer streaks of this kind than Witts (Gary Dempsey for 75 games, Todd Goldstein for 95).

04:57

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Tyrell Dewar)

07:21

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

07:52

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Williams)

08:15

West Coast fire right back with 2.1 (13) from their last three forward half intercept possessions. They had failed to score from their first six intercept possessions of the match in their attacking half.

13:31

Gold Coast gained 32 metres of territory in the first half via handballs. This term they have ramped up significantly, gaining 96 metres of territory through handpass already for the quarter. The Suns average 372 metres gained via handball in 2024, ranked third in the AFL.

15:48

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Tyrell Dewar)

18:02

The Suns have failed to record a pressure factor over 180 in any quarter of tonight's match, and the third term is no exception, as they are rated at just 164. Since Round 16, their average pressure rating of 175 ranks them 16th in the AFL.

18:48

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

21:02

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)

23:08

Eagles ruckman Jack Williams has been influential in the third term, as he leads all players for disposals (seven), clearances (three), inside 50's (three) and score involvements (three) for the quarter.

23:40

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)

26:17

West Coast lead the centre clearance count 5-1 for the third quarter, but have failed to score from any of these chains. The Eagles have outscored their opponents by four points per game from this source over the last five rounds, ranked fourth in the AFL.

27:38

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Brayden Fiorini)

28:01

After the Eagles grabbed the lead midway through the term, three straight goals from three shots for Gold Coast sees them start to turn the screws. The Suns average a goal from 49.6 per cent of their shots at goal in 2024, ranked seventh in the AFL.

31:32

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

32:41

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

32:45

Jake Waterman returns the favour with a goal after the three quarter time siren to set the stage for a big final term. All 32 of the Eagles points in the third quarter were sourced from intercept possessions.

Quarter 4

00:00

Joel Jeffrey has been replaced by the tactical substitute Malcolm Rosas.

02:16

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

02:27

The Eagles get the first goal for the quarter for the first time in tonight's match and the game is well and truly on. That goal makes it 57 points from intercept possessions for the match so far, which is already their second best return from this source in any match in 2024.

05:40

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Lachie Weller)

06:33

Sam Collins leads all AFL players in 2024 with 150 intercept possessions prior to the start of Round 21. The ability of the Eagles forwards to nullify his impact and limit him to just three intercepts in tonight's match has been a telling factor.

07:13

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jack Darling)

08:34

SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)

09:18

Ben King gets a goal from the Suns sixth mark on a lead inside 50 for the match. The Suns average 2.1 lead up marks inside 50 per game in 2024, ranked equal 11th in the AFL.

11:22

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Ryan)

11:43

After dipping below 180 in the third quarter, the Eagles pressure is back up to 199 for the final term, and it is paying dividends as the Suns kicking efficiency is the lowest it has been for the entire match at 60 per cent.

14:35

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

19:50

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Rushed)

19:59

Matt Rowell has eight contested possessions to this point in the final term alone, and 20 for the match which is nine more than any other player on the ground. He ranked sixth in the AFL in 2024 in this category prior to Round 21 with 254 contested possessions.

21:04

SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (David Swallow)

25:18

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Liam Duggan)

26:00

Eagles captain Liam Duggan puts West Coast in front with three minutes to play. They have continued to outperform the Suns around the stoppages, leading contested possessions 31-26 and clearances 10-8 for the term.

26:44

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

31:48

West Coast have held on in a tight finish to give interim head coach Jarrad Schofield his first win. The Eagles equalled their season record for groundball-gets of 107 in tonight's match which they set in Round 2 against GWS.

32:05

Three goals straight from general play in a manic final term allowed the Eagles to hold on for their fourth win of 2024. West Coast were able to take away the Suns strength at the stoppages and flip it on its head, winning clearances 43-34 and scoring six goals to four.