West Coast has surged to a stunning 80-point victory over Gold Coast in what was a momentous night for the Eagles on Saturday night.
It was the Elliot Yeo show at Optus Stadium, as the star bounced back from an underwhelming performance against Geelong last week with 32 disposals and 11 marks in Mark LeCras and Nic Naitanui’s milestone games.
The returning Josh Kennedy was also magnificent for West Coast, picking up where he left off in 2017 with a dominant five-goal performance.
After running over the Cats in a breathtaking last quarter last week, West Coast backed up their good work against a young Gold Coast team feeling the effects of a ten-day stay out west.
The Eagles were switched on from the beginning as Nic Naitanui got his hand on the ball early to give his midfielders a clear advantage at stoppages.
Naitanui's dominance resulted in West Coast kicking the first three goals of the game through Scott Lycett, Jack Darling and Kennedy.
Gold Coast were unable to keep up with the class of their opposition, as the likes of Yeo and Jeremy McGovern were pivotal with their intercept play.
With the game looking like it could get ugly fast for the Suns, the effect Stuart Dew has had on the young group briefly showed as the Suns' leaders lifted to get them back in the game.
Beginning with a strong mark and goal by co-captain Tom Lynch, Gold Coast began to get their running game going to good effect as David Swallow and Aaron Young added their names to the score sheet to get the Suns back within a goal late in the quarter.
A late settler by journeyman Chris Masten helped the Eagles restore the momentum before quarter-time, going into the first change with a nine-point lead.
West Coast would flex their muscles in the second term, using their experience to make the most of Gold Coast mistakes.
Starting with Darling’s second goal just five minutes into the quarter, West Coast piled on eight goals to the Gold Coast’s two as they completely dominated their young opponents in all aspects of the game.
Opportunistic small forward Jamie Cripps would be the star in the second as he managed to get on the end of the midfield's good work with three goals in the space of 15 minutes.
Through the middle of the ground, Yeo could not be stopped, constantly winning the ball on the ground while also being a dominant force in the air.
In what was a disappointing spectacle, Gold Coast looked to be getting back to the habits of old as they slumped to a 53-point deficit.
The second half would start in a similar vein to the first as Cripps popped up again to put through his fourth goal just two minutes into the third quarter.
Gold Coast superstar Lynch competed hard all night for his team as he put through a much-needed goal for his team.
Lynch's efforts would see a fight back of sorts by the Suns as they managed to match West Coast around the contest and get the ball in quickly to their dangerous forwards.
Although they would win the quarter by two points with the final two goals of the quarter, their efforts were nothing but consolation prizes.
The injury bug would hit both teams in the third, as youngster Daniel Venables went down with an ankle injury, while rising the Suns' rising star in Ben Ainsworth suffered the effects of concussion following a big hit by milestone man, LeCras.
Despite a solid period of footy, Gold Coast couldn’t truly get themselves back into the contest, trailing by 50 points at the final change.
In near identical circumstances to last week, West Coast ran over the top of the Suns in the last as the young side really began to feel the effects of their hectic travelling schedule.
Kennedy would begin the quarter with his fourth goal, as the floodgates opened.
Goals to Willie Rioli, Masten and Jake Waterman would boost the percentage of the Eagles, as the lack of endeavour from the Suns made the match look like a training drill.
One final goal to Kennedy would put the finishing touches on a dominant display by West Coast as they sent an ominous warning to the rest of the competition and gave excellent clubmen LeCras and Naitanui a win in their 200th and 150th games respectively.
Sitting at 3-1, West Coast will look to further press their claims for a top-eight spot as they take on a lowly Carlton side at the MCG, while Gold Coast will be wanting to move on from a horror trip to Perth with a win against hometown rivals Brisbane in the Q-Clash.
WEST COAST 4.4 12.8 15.12 21.13 (139)
GOLD COAST 3.1 4.2 8.4 9.5 (59)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 5, Cripps 4, Darling 3, Rioli 2, LeCras 2, Masten 2, Waterman, Venables, Lycett
Gold Coast: Lynch 3, Young 2, Sexton, Fiorini, Martin, Swallow
BEST
West Coast: Yeo, Kennedy, Masten, Cripps, Gaff, McGovern
Gold Coast: Swallow, Weller, Lyons, Fiorini, Lynch, Hall
INJURIES
West Coast: Venables (ankle)
Gold Coast: Ainsworth (concussion)
TALKING POINTS
1. WEST COAST ARE AMONG THE BEST TEAMS OF THE COMPETITION AT THE MOMENT
With champion midfielders Matt Priddis and Sam Mitchell retiring at the end of the 2017 season, many predicted a slide down the ladder for the West Coast Eagles in 2018.
However, this predicted decline has not been the case, as the return of star ruckman Nic Naitanui has resulted in a revitalised Eagles' side.
With genuine stars across all lines, it looks as if West Coast will be a force to be reckoned with this season with Adam Simpson doing a superb job as senior coach.
Along with their star studded core, West Coast have also developed an exciting young nucleus which will only help in their quest to be a contender for years to come.
2. GOLD COAST STILL HAVE A WAY TO GO YET
After an exciting JLT Community Series and two wins to open the 2018 season, many were buoyed by the rapid development of the Suns from basket case to potential finals contender.
Yet after two convincing defeats to Fremantle and West Coast in consecutive weeks, it is clear this side is still among the bottom-six in the competition.
With a lack of midfield depth and a host of inexperienced players, the Suns will be very inconsistent this season as Stuart Dew looks to first develop a solid culture up on the Gold Coast.
There is no denying the talent is there for the Suns, but it will just take time for this group to learn how to play and most importantly win together.
3. ELLIOT YEO IS A GENUINE A-GRADER
Despite his quiet game last week, where he still managed to come on ball and play a key role in the win, Elliot Yeo has looked to take his game to another level in this season.
Clearly best on ground against the Suns, Yeo amassed a career-high 33 disposals, with none of the Gold Coast midfielders could run with the 2017 All-Australian.
Blessed with impeccable athletic ability, Yeo can be used in a variety of roles as he reads the play excellently as an intercept defender and is a beast around the contest.
If West Coast are to go anywhere in 2018, they will need Yeo to continue his early season form and lead from the front in the midfield.
4. GOLD COAST ARE BEGINING TO REAP THE REWARDS OF DAVID SWALLOW INVESTMENT
Selected at pick No. 1 in the 2010 National Draft, a lot of pressure was placed on David Swallow’s shoulders as he was expected to lead the future of the AFL’s newest franchise.
Fast forward to 2018 and he has been underwhelming in his eight-year career thus far as his body hasn’t allowed him to consistently form at AFL level.
With his career hanging in the balance, Swallow has been fantastic for the Suns in the early stages of this season, accepting the extra responsibility from Ablett’s departure brilliantly.
Clearly the Gold Coast’s best against West Coast with 29 disposals, Swallow is a class footballer who with an injury-free run could firm as one of the competition's most underrated players
Comments