TonyK
CibbuanoMatch Preview: Brisbane v West Coast Eagles
August 19th 2006 23:54
BRISBANE LIONS v WEST COAST
WHERE & WHEN: Gabba, 1:10pm AEST, Sunday 20 August
TV & RADIO: Channel 9 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), Triple M (Brisbane), ABC, 6PR, NIRS
HEAD TO HEAD: Brisbane Lions 6 West Coast 24
TAB SPORTSBET ODDS: Brisbane Lions $4.75 West Coast $1.15
BETFAIR: Brisbane Lions $4.40 West Coast $1.15
LAST TIME: West Coast 18.14 (122) d Brisbane Lions 9.9 (63), round 5, 2006, at Subiaco
How the mighty have fallen, it is hard to fathom that this Brisbane side was playing off in its fourth grand final in as many years less than two years ago.
The Lions have been decimated by injuries and the retirements of Chris Scott, Justin Leppitsch and with Jason Akermanis, Mal Michael and skipper Michael Voss expected to leave the club at the end of the year, Brisbane are clearly re-building.
In some good news for the Lions, injuries have forced them to blood youngsters earlier than perhaps coach Leigh Matthews would have liked, meaning the transition from the greats of the past to the the future will be swift and less painful.
Brisbane have blooded nine youngsters this season and look set to make Irishman Colm Begley the tenth debutant this season.
More importantly the Lions welcome back skipper Michael Voss, whose leadership was sorely missed in the 82-point drubbing at the hands of Richmond last Saturday night.
It is no suprise that West Coast goes into this game as clear favourites, even during the halcyon days of the Lions the Eagles always had the wood over their rivals.
One only has to cast their mind back to 2003 when Chris Judd pulled out his bag of tricks on his way to a five-goal haul as the Eagles smashed the Lions to the tune of 69 points.
This is a big game for West Coast, with Adelaide stumbling yesterday the minor premiership is up for grabs.
The Eagles will be without defender Daniel Chick who is serving a one-match ban, while forward Ashley Hansen is sidelined with a calf strain.
West Coast will miss Chick's hardness at the football, but he can be more than adequately replaced by Beau Waters who has been in career best form in recent weeks.
Once again this match will be decided in the midfield, and the much vaunted Eagles midfield division clearly has the edge.
The trio of Daniel Kerr, Chris Judd and Ben Cousins have led the way in recent weeks and the form of Quinten Lynch up forward has been impressive and he seems to be the solution to the club's forward woes.
At the other end of the ground the Lions will be relying on Daniel Bradshaw to kick the bulk of their score, with key forward Jonathon Brown sidelined for the rest of the season.
If Brisbane is to be any chance in this game they need to be smarter about how they deliver the ball into the forward 50.
They can't afford to bomb the ball in like they did against the Tigers last week, repeat the dose and the Eagles defenders will zone off and run the ball out at will.
This match isn't about who will win, but how much will the Eagles win by. West Coast has too much class, experience and run for the young cubs and should record a comfortable victory. West Coast by 54 points.
BRISBANE LIONS
B: Patfull, Michael, Adcock
HB: B.Scott, Roe, Stiller
C: Notting, Voss, Selwood
HF: Drummond, Merrett, Brennan
F: Hooper, Bradshaw, Sherman
FOLL: Keating, Black, Power
I/C: Begley, Copeland, Wood, Moody
IN: Voss, Drummond, Brennan, Begley
OUT: Harding, Fixter, Pask, Allan
EM: Pask, Harding, Allan
NEW: Colm Begley (County Laois, Ireland)
WEST COAST
B: Wirrpanda, Glass, Banfield
HB: Waters, Graham, Stenglein
C: Butler, Cousins, Braun
HF: Fletcher, Staker, R.Jones
F: Sampi, Lynch, Embley
FOLL: Seaby, Judd, Kerr
I/C: Armstrong, Cox, B.Jones, Selwood
IN: Banfield, B.Jones
OUT: Chick (suspended), Hansen (calf)
EM: Hurn, LeCras, Rosa
Field umpires: Donlon, Meredith, Wenn
WHERE & WHEN: Gabba, 1:10pm AEST, Sunday 20 August
TV & RADIO: Channel 9 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane), Triple M (Brisbane), ABC, 6PR, NIRS
HEAD TO HEAD: Brisbane Lions 6 West Coast 24
TAB SPORTSBET ODDS: Brisbane Lions $4.75 West Coast $1.15
BETFAIR: Brisbane Lions $4.40 West Coast $1.15
LAST TIME: West Coast 18.14 (122) d Brisbane Lions 9.9 (63), round 5, 2006, at Subiaco
How the mighty have fallen, it is hard to fathom that this Brisbane side was playing off in its fourth grand final in as many years less than two years ago.
The Lions have been decimated by injuries and the retirements of Chris Scott, Justin Leppitsch and with Jason Akermanis, Mal Michael and skipper Michael Voss expected to leave the club at the end of the year, Brisbane are clearly re-building.
In some good news for the Lions, injuries have forced them to blood youngsters earlier than perhaps coach Leigh Matthews would have liked, meaning the transition from the greats of the past to the the future will be swift and less painful.
Brisbane have blooded nine youngsters this season and look set to make Irishman Colm Begley the tenth debutant this season.
More importantly the Lions welcome back skipper Michael Voss, whose leadership was sorely missed in the 82-point drubbing at the hands of Richmond last Saturday night.
It is no suprise that West Coast goes into this game as clear favourites, even during the halcyon days of the Lions the Eagles always had the wood over their rivals.
One only has to cast their mind back to 2003 when Chris Judd pulled out his bag of tricks on his way to a five-goal haul as the Eagles smashed the Lions to the tune of 69 points.
This is a big game for West Coast, with Adelaide stumbling yesterday the minor premiership is up for grabs.
The Eagles will be without defender Daniel Chick who is serving a one-match ban, while forward Ashley Hansen is sidelined with a calf strain.
West Coast will miss Chick's hardness at the football, but he can be more than adequately replaced by Beau Waters who has been in career best form in recent weeks.
Once again this match will be decided in the midfield, and the much vaunted Eagles midfield division clearly has the edge.
The trio of Daniel Kerr, Chris Judd and Ben Cousins have led the way in recent weeks and the form of Quinten Lynch up forward has been impressive and he seems to be the solution to the club's forward woes.
At the other end of the ground the Lions will be relying on Daniel Bradshaw to kick the bulk of their score, with key forward Jonathon Brown sidelined for the rest of the season.
If Brisbane is to be any chance in this game they need to be smarter about how they deliver the ball into the forward 50.
They can't afford to bomb the ball in like they did against the Tigers last week, repeat the dose and the Eagles defenders will zone off and run the ball out at will.
This match isn't about who will win, but how much will the Eagles win by. West Coast has too much class, experience and run for the young cubs and should record a comfortable victory. West Coast by 54 points.
BRISBANE LIONS
B: Patfull, Michael, Adcock
HB: B.Scott, Roe, Stiller
C: Notting, Voss, Selwood
HF: Drummond, Merrett, Brennan
F: Hooper, Bradshaw, Sherman
FOLL: Keating, Black, Power
I/C: Begley, Copeland, Wood, Moody
IN: Voss, Drummond, Brennan, Begley
OUT: Harding, Fixter, Pask, Allan
EM: Pask, Harding, Allan
NEW: Colm Begley (County Laois, Ireland)
WEST COAST
B: Wirrpanda, Glass, Banfield
HB: Waters, Graham, Stenglein
C: Butler, Cousins, Braun
HF: Fletcher, Staker, R.Jones
F: Sampi, Lynch, Embley
FOLL: Seaby, Judd, Kerr
I/C: Armstrong, Cox, B.Jones, Selwood
IN: Banfield, B.Jones
OUT: Chick (suspended), Hansen (calf)
EM: Hurn, LeCras, Rosa
Field umpires: Donlon, Meredith, Wenn
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