Eagles Defy Critics In Another Epic

Submitted by Supersonic on Sat, 03/31/2007 - 9:55 PM EDT

West Coast 11.8 (74) d. Sydney 10. 13 (73)
By Frank Ienco reporting exclusively for AFANA from Telstra Stadium, Sydney

Four points, four points, two points, one point and one point. After five thrilling encounters, including two Grand Finals, it surely seemed that the growing Sydney and West Coast rivalry had written its final thrilling chapter. That was until the Eagles were forced overcome controversy, critics, injury and travel to eventually score another thrilling one-point victory over the Swans tonight at Telstra Stadium.

After being as much as 36 points down at half-time, the Sydneysiders slammed on seven goals to one in the second half in typical Bloods fashion to rein down the defending champions. But as it was on the last day in September last year, the Swans charge was in vain … again by the slenderest of margins.

After the most difficult period in their club’s short history, including the indefinite suspension of their former captain for drug use, the revelations of one current player caught on police audio tapes and another requiring hospital attention in Las Vegas during the off-season, West Coast could have been forgiven for looking forward to finally hitting the football field. With all the media scrutiny on the Perth club, the Eagles also had a chance to silence their critics if they could again defy the odds. The Swans also had their own score to settle, meaning this match had all the ingredients of another epic.

As if to make the Eagles' task even more challenging, they started the match without key ruckman Dean Cox and wingman Andrew Embley, who were both late withdrawals. The news seemed to get worse when key forward Quinten Lynch appeared to have an injured shoulder following a marking contest, but within moments he recovered to take a strong contested mark in the forward pocket to kick the game’s opening goal.

West Coast looked to handle the tense start better when Adam Hunter goaled from a free kick against Craig Bolton, but the Swans soon found their feet and replied with majors through Michael O’Loughlin and Nick Davis.

After trading goals, the Eagles finally put their dominance onto the scoreboard, as Mark Seaby scored from a 50 meter penalty against new Swans recruit Peter Everitt, while Shannon Hurn’s bursting run and goal from the 50 meter arc was the night’s best major.

In a quarter stifled by a large number of free kicks, particularly in ruck contests, the Eagles held the ascendancy, handling the tight contests and pressure football with a little more ease. With the Swans wasting their own chances in front of goal, West Coast enjoyed pinpoint accuracy and enjoyed a comfortable 14-point lead at the first break, 6.0 (36) to 3.4 (22).

West Coast continued to apply the heat to their opposition early in the second term as Chris Judd was the next to benefit from a free kick inside 50 to goal. When teammate Brent Staker applied the finishing touches to another Eagles move inside attacking 50 with a great snap goal, the Eagles had a commanding 26 point lead and were making cannon fodder of their great rivals. Sydney was simply not given a chance to dominate the game in the style they enjoy and when they did, they often had two or three opponents to beat.

The Swans did well momentarily midway through as they tried to close down their opponents and put their own stamp on the game through the midfield. But temporary was all it was as the Eagles again upped the ante and were simply more efficient in their disposals and decision-making.

Daniel Chick broke the deadlock during time-on when he marked in front of Leo Barry 25 meters out, celebrating his goal the moment it left his boot. Seconds later Judd had his second his second when he charged from the 50 meter arc to goal on the run. At half time the Eagles was a commanding six goals, 10.6 (66) to 6.11 (47).

The Eagles were dominating across the ground and had clicked their running game into gear, leaving the Swans struggling to keep up. Despite being behind in the inside 50s (25 to 22) and clearances (20 to 18), the Eagles were using the ball better and importantly capitalizing on their chances. Captain Chris Judd was his usual dominant force with 13 disposals, 4 clearances and 2 goals.

In an evening the city of Sydney shut off their lights for the environment, so to did the Swans seem to be playing in the midst of a blackout, failing to come up with any options as they struggled in their usual tactic of shutting down the opposition.

Sydney had made a habit in recent years of making spectacular second half comebacks and the crowd of over 65,000 was given a glimmer of hope when Brett Kirk and then Davis kicked consecutive goals with the first ten minutes of the second half. The latter appeared to dubious, after Hall appeared to be given ample opportunity to legally dispose the ball before it slipped out from a second tackle, as Davis crumbed from ground level to score.

The Swans began to improve as they applied heavy pressure on the Eagles midfield and began to dispose of the ball more efficiently as the quarter wore on. They received their best lesson in kicking directly when a long pass found youngster Luke Vogels, who kicked truly from 40 meters out.

With the Swans closing in to within three goals of their opposition, another great passage of play late in the term found Jared McVeigh in front and only 35 meters out, but his crucial shot went wide.

Despite the miss, the Swans ,who themselves were shutout in the second quarter, had bounced back to keep the Eagles goalless in the third term, narrowing the three quarter time margin to a more respectable 19 points, 10.6 (66) to 6. 11 (47).

Sydney continued on the ascendancy in the last term, as the Eagles were no longer applying the imposing pressure they had in the first half. Adam Goodes kicked another for the Swans, but soon after ruckman Darren Jolly missed a great chance from a David Wirrpanda mistake. In a night where the Swans finished with inaccurate kicking in front of goals, such missed chances would ultimately prove costly.

A long ball inside 50 for the Eagles ten minutes into the final quarter found Mark Seaby, who was already doing an impressive job leading the ruck in the absence of Cox.

With the game at his mercy, Seaby again extended the lead beyond three goals with a thumping goal from 45 meters out.

After withstanding more West Coast pressure, the Swans kept fighting and entering time-on, Sean Dempster kicked a steadying long-range goal that barely reached beyond the goal-line, while a great string passes inside attacking 50 found Everitt alone inside the goal square two minutes later.

Alas, as it was in last year’s decider, one last Sydney tilt was denied by the siren and the crowd could not believe a storming finish had amounted to nothing.

Whatever Sydney coach Paul Roos told his troops at half-time had obvious effects, but while the Swans made a spectacular late charge, in truth it was only until the final minutes that the Eagles appeared to lose their tight grip on the match. With a potential blow-out aborted, there appears to be little that will ever separate these sides in the near future, with the next chapter coming in Round 16. In fact, the Eagles victory was the first time either side had scored consecutive victories over each other since 2001.

Despite the absence of Cousins, it was the rest of the Eagles five-star brigade that again showed the Eagles will be the team to beat this year. Judd was simply superb, gaining 27 disposals and kicking two goals, while his anticipated match-up with Goodes only lasted for very brief patches. Daniel Kerr (28 disposals), who was embroiled in his own controversy last week, put it all behind him to play a starring role. At the other end of the ground, Wirrpanda controlled the Eagles backline and had a stunning game.

The Swans, however, were a changed side after the main break and displayed many of the trademarks that got them into two straight Grand Finals. With a recent history of slow starts to a season, it may not take them long to get out of the blocks this year. Co-captain Brett Kirk was their pick of the bunch with 29 possessions (19 kicks and ten handballs), while new ruck pair Everitt and Darren Jolly showed promising signs, gaining 39 hit-outs between them as the Swans won them 41-31 overall.

Sydney will have a chance to regroup and try to post their first win on the board for season 2007 when they travel to MCG to face Richmond next Saturday night, while later that night the Eagles will entertain fellow first-up winners Collingwood at Subiaco.

Final Score- 
Sydney     3.4  3.8  6.11 10.13
West Coast 6.0 10.2 10.6  11.8   

Goals- Sydney: Davis 2, O’Loughlin, Hall, Kirk, Vogels, Goodes, Dempster, Phillips, Everitt. 
West Coast: Hunter 2, Seaby 2, Judd 2, Lynch, Braun, Hurn, Staker, Chick.

Best- Sydney: Kirk, Kennelly, O’Keefe, Richards, Kennelly. 
West Coast: Judd, Kerr, Seaby, Wirrpanda, Waters. 

Changes- Sydney: Nil. 
West Coast: Cox (quadricep) replaced in selected side by LeCras, Embley (groin) replaced in selected side by Brown.  

Injuries- Sydney: Nil. 
West Coast: Nil.  
Reports- Nil.  
Umpires- Vozzo, Ryan, Jeffery
Attendance- 62,586 @ Telstra Stadium

Article last changed on Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - 8:10 PM EDT

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