Match

West Coast Eagles vs Melbourne

Commentary / 03 May 2025

Pre Game

00:00

We're starting to see the Richmond influence come out in the West Coast Eagles gameplan under new coach Andrew McQualter. Over the last four weeks, the Eagles rank third in the AFL with an average forward half intercept possession count of 23.8 per game.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:41

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)

04:07

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Harley Reid)

05:30

Melbourne lead the clearance count 4-0 early in this match off the back of winning the pre-clearance contested possession count 5-0. The Demons have won pre-clearance contested ball by seven per game over the last four weeks, the second-best average margin of any side.

06:46

Eagles Interchange - Reuben Ginbey off due to the blood rule.

09:26

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

11:51

West Coast lead the pressure factor count 204-191 early in tonight's match. The Eagles have lost the pressure count by an average of 11 per game in 2025, ranking them 17th in this category.

12:41

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

13:42

Melbourne convert their first mark inside 50 into a goal. The Demons average 8.1 marks inside 50 per game, the equal-fewest of any side this year.

18:43

West Coast have generated five inside 50's from intercept possessions to Melbourne's one inside 50 from this source. However this has not translated onto the scoreboard, with just three behinds to show from 15 total intercepts.

19:27

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

20:22

Jake Waterman's behind came from the first inside 50 the Eagles have generated from defensive 50 in tonight's match. By comparison, all three of Melbourne's kick-in chains have entered their forward 50.

22:06

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

23:12

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Koltyn Tholstrup)

29:17

West Coast have been let down by their kicking in attack, recording a kicking efficiency of just 33% in their forward half. Their 2025 average of 49.4 per cent in this zone in the lowest in the AFL.

30:17

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Brady Hough)

30:20

It appears the Demons are looking to two players to fill the Clayton Oliver-sized void in their midfield in tonight's match. Kysaiah Pickett has attended all three centre-bounces, while Trent Rivers has filled in around the ground with a game-high three stoppage first possessions outside the centre square.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

02:02

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

02:50

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jake Melksham)

04:30

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kade Chandler)

06:26

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Jayden Hunt)

08:20

6-1 in the inside 50 column in Melbourne's favour in the second term, but just one goal to show for it. The Demons average a goal from 19.7% of their inside 50's in 2025, the lowest conversion rate of any side.

09:42

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)

10:06

Both sides are struggling with accuracy in front of goal in tonight's match. This is emblematic of their 2025 form in front of the goals, with West Coast (42.6% shot at goal accuracy) and Melbourne (42.2% accuracy) ranked 17th and 18th respectively in this regard.

12:09

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)

12:30

In the first term, it was the Eagles kicking efficiency in attack that was the issue. In the second term, it's their ball use by foot between the 50 metre arc's that is the issue, going at just 40% kicking efficiency in the midfield zone.

14:18

Further evidence of the Richmond-origins of the Eagles plan is in their forward handball game. They lead the metres gained by handball by 144 metres in tonight's match. Only GWS and Port Adelaide have gained more territory by handball than the Eagles in 2025.

17:21

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jack Williams)

17:38

Jack Williams converts from the Eagles first mark inside 50 for the term, and their first contested mark inside 50 for the match. The Eagles average 2.6 contested marks inside 50 per game in 2025, the fifth-most of any side.

19:02

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Charlie Spargo)

19:44

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Elijah Hewett)

23:23

To illustrate the territorial dominance Melbourne have had this term, the Eagles have launched 22 possession chains in their defensive half this quarter to Melbourne's eight chains launched out of their own back half. Despite this, the Eagles are poised to win just their second second quarter of the year.

26:48

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jayden Hunt)

28:52

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Tyler Brockman)

30:41

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Archer Reid)

32:51

Harvey Langford played the most influential quarter of his young career in the second term, with a game-high 12 disposals, 287 metres gained, three clearances and two inside 50's.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

01:07

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

03:35

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Caleb Windsor)

05:40

Oscar Allen, in game 100, is starting to find his feet as a defender, with a game-high nine intercept possessions and a team-high nine contested possessions.

07:15

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)

08:57

Back-to-back goals for Melbourne as the Demons notch their first goal from a centre clearance tonight to retake the lead. The Demons have outscored their last four opponents by an average of 6.4 points per game from centre clearances, ranked fifth in the AFL.

10:48

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

13:00

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Koltyn Tholstrup)

15:14

Eagles Interchange - Archer Reid off due to an injury.

16:54

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Koltyn Tholstrup)

19:21

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)

21:21

Melbourne lead the free kick count 6-2 in the third term. The Eagles have lost the free kick count by a combined 39 in 2025, the highest negative margin of any side.

23:32

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harvey Langford)

24:50

Melbourne have retained possession from 58% of their kicks inside 50 in this term. The Demons retain an average of 41% of their kicks into their forward 50, the lowest retention rate of any side this year.

25:39

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Harry Sharp)

26:56

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jack Viney)

28:44

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

28:50

That goal to Kysaiah Pickett makes it four goals to one from stoppages for the quarter, including two from centre clearances. The Eagles four most prominent centre bounce attendees (Tim Kelly, Brady Hough, Harley Reid and Elijah Hewett) have not recorded a single centre bounce first possession or clearance between them.

31:26

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

34:35

4.3 (27) from set shots for the Demons in the third term. No team has a smaller percentage of their total scores from set shots in the AFL than Melbourne this year (44 per cent).

34:47

Bayley Fritsch is starting to find form after a wayward start to 2025. He leads all players with three marks inside 50 and three contested marks, while Jake Melksham has proven influential with seven score involvements including a game-high four score assists.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

05:34

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Daniel Turner)

07:53

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Daniel Turner)

08:11

Back-to-back goals to start the final term Daniel Turner makes it nine of the last 10 goals for the Demons. Those two goals both came from forward half intercept launches to make it four goals to one in favour of Melbourne from this source.

09:38

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Elijah Hewett)

11:09

The Eagles answer back with a goal through Elijah Hewett who scores West Coast's second goal from a clearance chain for the match.

11:40

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Harry Sharp)

12:53

The Demons lead the groundball get count 15-7 in the final term as they seek to ice the contest. The Demons average four fewer groundball-gets per game than their opponents in 2025, ranked 13th in the AFL.

15:23

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

17:46

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)

18:16

Max Gawn gets a goal in what has arguably been a best-on-ground performance with the third 30-disposal game of his career. He leads all players with 31 touches, 18 contested possessions, 12 score involvements and eight clearances.

19:52

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jake Waterman)

20:02

Jake Waterman kicks goal number three, all of which have come in the second half. He is the lead target inside 50 on the ground for both teams with six targets. Waterman took 64 marks inside 50 in 2024, ranked equal second in the AFL last season.

21:39

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Jamie Cripps)

24:44

Harley Reid has just recorded his 10th disposal in tonight's match, which makes it the 500th of his young 28-game career. By comparison, fellow number one picks Nick Daicos and Sam Walsh achieved this figure in 20 matches, while Matt Rowell did so in 30 and Jason Horne-Francis took 36 games to get to 500 disposals.

25:25

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)

26:44

In each of the quarters where West Coast have won the pressure battle they have been competitive with the Demons on the scoreboard. The one quarter where they lost the pressure battle 162-179 was the third term when Melbourne made it count against them on the scoreboard.

27:28

SCORE GOAL - Eagles (Elijah Hewett)

29:08

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ed Langdon)

32:17

Tyler Brockman has recorded an equal career-high five clearances to lead the Eagles in this metric.

32:38

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Tyler Brockman)

33:16

SCORE BEHIND - Eagles (Tyler Brockman)

35:02

Max Gawn has set a new career-high disposal tally with 35, surpassing his 34 against Collingwood in the Queen's Birthday clash in 2019.

36:17

Melbourne make it three wins in a row for the first time since Rounds 2-4 in 2024. Their third term set up the win with five marks inside 50 leading to four goals from those marks and kicking two goals from six centre bounce clearances.