SA Footy

Full time: Eagles 22.11 (143) defeat West Adelaide 11.6 (72)

Ainger with 7 goals

Goals:

West- Still 4; Poynton, Moran 2; Birss, Hartlett, Tuck 1

Eagles- Ainger 7; Staple 4; Allmond, Borholm 2; Powell, Hall, Salter, Batley, Kane, Goldsworthy, Von Bertouch 1

Mark of the day goes to A. Angier.

Important to know.

Was a good grab

Official Stats as per champion Data

Kicks: WA 173, EAG 214
Handballs: WA 100, EAG 153
Disposals: WA 273, EAG 367
Marks: WA 62, EAG 98
Tackles: WA 33, EAG 45
Clearances: WA 41, EAG 40
Inside 50's: WA 36, EAG 62
Hit Outs: WA 38, EAG 36
Free Kicks: WA 20, EAG 21

Expected result with so many players out.

Look forward to playing them again this weekend

The Sleeping Giant wrote:Important to know.

On the way up , where as you are just a downer

I thought Powell and Sumner were amongst our best players - good to see the two of them get a bit of form going into the major round. Ainger would have to be in the best too with 7 goals. Thought that Borholm was serviceable, on his own - one of the better second string ruckman. Can kick a goal too. West were like witches hats for a good portion of the match, although looking at the budget there were at least half a dozen players I knew next to nothing about so with Westies' potential ins, it's very hard to predict the result of next week's game.

Sounds like West did a Lyon/Fremantle .... worked for them !

True.

You can't convince me that match was normal...scoring 22 goals against West? Not even Norwood have got close to that lately! In fact, that was only the 2nd score above 100 West have conceded in 45 matches.

Rested last week and to play this week:
Backline: Ferguson, Tippett, Mangain, Green
Midfield: Webb, Schmidt, Macreadie
Forwards: Beech, Silverlock, Fielke

Here's hoping the Freo formula pays off!

Hard to see Ainger (or any Key Forward) kicking 7 against either Tippett or Ferguson

Westies did exactly the same thing last year when we played them in the last round. Last year we were able to book a finals spot thanks to it, this year a top 3 spot. Thanks West! That word integrity again.... Perhaps there needs to be a week off for everyone between the last round and finals?

Anyway, regardless of the opposition, it was a confidence booster. Ainger and Sumner played their best games for a long time and having them in form come finals is a key for the Eagles. Batley has come of age and is challenging Ellis-Yolmen as most improved. Both have relished a switch to the back lines, Ellis-Yolmen as a stopper and Batley as a creative runner.

All of that means nothing come next Sunday and I'm sure Collins and Godden know that. The Eagles have done very well to finish 2nd and blood a heap of youngsters in the last half of this season, which will hold them in good stead for the coming years, if not this finals series.

I still think West and Norwood are the favourites for a GF spot, but the Eagles have given themselves a double chance to make the Prelim and if you're in it you can win it. West and Norwood, or Central and North for that matter are certainly not unbeatable.

You could make a very good case for Central being the 2nd best team in the comp at the moment.

Since starting 0-4 they went 12-4 for the rest of the season.

It's a hard road from the Elimination for sure BUT they won't be heavy underdogs against North, West or Eagles.

Do we know the crowd figure?

2,421 was the official figure.

PhilH wrote:2,421 was the official figure.

Seemed to me like the biggest crowd I can remember at Richmond for an Eagles v West game.

Aerie wrote:

PhilH wrote:2,421 was the official figure.

Seemed to me like the biggest crowd I can remember at Richmond for an Eagles v West game.

Was just looking at this myself. It was the biggest since Round 1 1997 when there was 3,093 in attendance.