Effort, vitality and expertise — once you’re making an attempt to get well from a 116-point belting lower than one week earlier, these three E phrases are a superb place to begin.
West Coast produced a vastly higher show at Optus Stadium on Saturday evening however had been no match for the opposite E phrase, Essendon, shedding 14.2 (96) to six.10 (46).
That margin stays a problem, however the house crew wasn’t blown off the park. For the primary time since spherical two, they didn’t concede 100 factors or hand over 5 targets in any quarter.
And they confirmed glimpses of modifications they will try implement within the second half of the season.
It was evident from the beginning of the sport that West Coast had been going to play in another way.
Tom Barrass began at full-forward. Josh Rotham was a ahead too. Elliot Yeo was again within the centre after coming back from harm. Reuben Ginbey performed in defence and had the expertise of each Shannon Hurn and Tom Barrass alongside him.
Things regarded grim when Essendon kicked the opening objective after only one minute. And when Archie Perkins kicked the Bombers’ third objective after 13 minutes, the guests led 19-1.
The distinction was, this time West Coast fought.
Oscar Allen kicked two targets, Barrass moved to defence and Rhett Bazzo went ahead. The Eagles began getting their fingers on the ball, working and making use of stress.
When Connor West ran down Ben Hobbs with an outstanding deal with late within the quarter, the vitality ranges had reached their zenith.
West Coast performed old fashioned footy with man-on-man changing zoning, and a quick, threat taking strategy after they gained the ball again.
The strikes meant Essendon needed to suppose exhausting about the way to transfer the footy, and as soon as West Coast gained the ball, they’d forwards with the benefit of one-on-one contests.
But once you’re the underside crew, you want issues to go proper. The Eagles had been inside 20 factors within the second quarter and had their possibilities to problem, however simply couldn’t land a blow.
Rotham dropped a mark when alone inside 50 and Allen was denied a mark when the umpire known as a ball-up after feeling two gamers grabbed the ball concurrently.
When the Bombers kicked to a three-on-one late within the first half, the Eagles made the error of conceding a free kick and Essendon discovered Jake Stringer who kicked a significant on the siren.
Suddenly the Bombers led by 24 factors at half-time.
The Eagles wasted their possibilities through the third time period whereas the Bombers seized upon theirs. West missed a set shot nearing time-on, the Dons went coast-to-coast for a significant, then gained the following centre clearance to kick one other objective within the blink of a watch. It was a dagger to their coronary heart.
West Coast’s solely objective within the final quarter got here on the ultimate siren, whereas the Dons booted three to report their largest win over the Eagles in Perth since 2001.
But this was dying by 1000 cuts as a substitute of the avalanches of latest weeks.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
