TonyK
Tash Jayasinghe
CibbuanoMatch preview: West Coast Eagles v Fremantle
August 27th 2006 02:28
WEST COAST EAGLES V FREMANTLE
WHERE & WHEN: Sunday August 27 at Subiaco at 2.40pm (WST)
TV & RADIO: Fox Footy Channel - Melbourne (4.30pm), Adelaide (4pm), Sydney (4.30pm), Brisbane (4.30pm). Channel 9 - Perth (3pm). RADIO: 6PR, ABC, 3AW (second half only).
HEAD TO HEAD: West Coast 17, Fremantle 6
LAST TIME: Fremantle 12.16 (88) d West Coast 12.11 (83) at Subiaco, round six, 2006.
TAB SPORTSBET ODDS: West Coast $1.72, Fremantle $2.05
The match of the round, the biggest game in WA football history, use whatever superlatives you like there is plenty on the line for both sides.
West Coast have been in stellar form for the past month, and deserve to be flag favourites at this stage.
The Eagles were clinical in their dismantling of the Lions at the Gabba on Sunday, but perhaps the most positive aspect to come out of the game was that stars Chris Judd and Daniel Kerr were restricted to ten and four touches respectively.
Reflecting the depth of the Eagles much vaunted midfield; youngster Sam Butler gathered 27 possessions in arguably his best game for the club and the underrated Michael Braun helped himself to 35 touches.
Having said that, the most pleasing thing coach John Worsfold can take out of last Sunday's win was the career best eight-goal haul of forward Quinten Lynch.
Lynch is arguably the most important player for West Coast, and this season has been a consistent target up forward, something which the club has lacked in previous seasons and probably cost them last year's premiership.
The form of All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox is another positive for the Eagles and his clash today with Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands will be crucial in determining the outcome.
Kerr remains in doubt with a calf injury and forward Ashley Hansen is under an injury cloud with his knee not fully recovered.
The Eagles have held over their three emergencies; Brett Jones, Ashley Sampi and Steven Armstrong so you would expect their to be a late change.
The loss of Kerr would be a bitter blow for West Coast, with the tough midfielder in career-best form and collecting six Brownlow votes in last year's two Western Derbies.
On the other side of the river, Fremantle have won a club record seven straight and confidence would be sky high.
However, today's match is a must win for the club, lose this one and the Dockers could most likely kiss a top four berth goodbye; with their poor percentage to be their achilles heel.
The Dockers aren't without their own injury concerns, with last weekend's first quarter hero Jeff Farmer in doubt with a hamstring injury.
Much maligned forward Paul Medhurst didn't line up for Claremont yesterday so it would be no suprise if Farmer doesn't take his place in the 22.
Farmer's absence would be a big loss for the Dockers, with the enigmatic forward bagging 21 goals in his past five matches and being a major reason behind Fremantle's stark form reversal.
The Dockers have played only the one final since their inception into the competition in 1995, and are destined to embark on their second finals campaign.
Today is about as close as you can get to a final, and will be a test to see how the young Dockers brigade cope with the pressure and hype surrounding the match.
The contest between Sandilands and Cox will go a long way to determining the result- both sides possess quality midfields and it's just a matter of who can get on top in the clearances and provide their forwards with more opportunities.
It's a contest between the Fremantle forward line, which has been the most productive in the competition in the past seven weeks against the best midfield division in recent memory.
Even if Kerr doesn't take his place, the Eagles have a band of quality players who can cover his loss.
West Coast's midfield depth should prove too much too bare for Fremantle, and with Lynch hitting form at the business end of the season the Eagles should get over the line in a classic. Eagles by 7 points.
WEST COAST
B: Wirrpanda, Glass, Graham
HB: Waters, Hunter, Stenglein
C: A.Embley, Cousins, Braun
HF: Fletcher, Hansen, Staker
F: Chick, Lynch, Cox
FOLL: Seaby, Judd, Kerr
I/C (from): Armstrong, Banfield, Butler, B.Jones, R.Jones, Sampi, Selwood
IN: Hunter, Hansen, Chick
OUT: -
FREMANTLE
B: Hayden, McPharlin, Parker
HB: Dodd, Johnson, Grover
C: M.Carr, Black, Mundy
HF: Schammer, Pavlich, Headland
F: Peake, Longmuir, Farmer
FOLL: Sandilands, J.Carr, Bell
I/C (from): Webster, Hasleby, Medhurst, McManus, Cook, Polak, Crowley
IN: Crowley, Hasleby, Medhurst, Polak
OUT: Gilmore (hamstring)
Field umpires: Vozzo, Rosebury, Ryan
WHERE & WHEN: Sunday August 27 at Subiaco at 2.40pm (WST)
TV & RADIO: Fox Footy Channel - Melbourne (4.30pm), Adelaide (4pm), Sydney (4.30pm), Brisbane (4.30pm). Channel 9 - Perth (3pm). RADIO: 6PR, ABC, 3AW (second half only).
HEAD TO HEAD: West Coast 17, Fremantle 6
LAST TIME: Fremantle 12.16 (88) d West Coast 12.11 (83) at Subiaco, round six, 2006.
TAB SPORTSBET ODDS: West Coast $1.72, Fremantle $2.05
The match of the round, the biggest game in WA football history, use whatever superlatives you like there is plenty on the line for both sides.
West Coast have been in stellar form for the past month, and deserve to be flag favourites at this stage.
The Eagles were clinical in their dismantling of the Lions at the Gabba on Sunday, but perhaps the most positive aspect to come out of the game was that stars Chris Judd and Daniel Kerr were restricted to ten and four touches respectively.
Reflecting the depth of the Eagles much vaunted midfield; youngster Sam Butler gathered 27 possessions in arguably his best game for the club and the underrated Michael Braun helped himself to 35 touches.
Having said that, the most pleasing thing coach John Worsfold can take out of last Sunday's win was the career best eight-goal haul of forward Quinten Lynch.
Lynch is arguably the most important player for West Coast, and this season has been a consistent target up forward, something which the club has lacked in previous seasons and probably cost them last year's premiership.
The form of All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox is another positive for the Eagles and his clash today with Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands will be crucial in determining the outcome.
Kerr remains in doubt with a calf injury and forward Ashley Hansen is under an injury cloud with his knee not fully recovered.
The Eagles have held over their three emergencies; Brett Jones, Ashley Sampi and Steven Armstrong so you would expect their to be a late change.
The loss of Kerr would be a bitter blow for West Coast, with the tough midfielder in career-best form and collecting six Brownlow votes in last year's two Western Derbies.
On the other side of the river, Fremantle have won a club record seven straight and confidence would be sky high.
However, today's match is a must win for the club, lose this one and the Dockers could most likely kiss a top four berth goodbye; with their poor percentage to be their achilles heel.
The Dockers aren't without their own injury concerns, with last weekend's first quarter hero Jeff Farmer in doubt with a hamstring injury.
Much maligned forward Paul Medhurst didn't line up for Claremont yesterday so it would be no suprise if Farmer doesn't take his place in the 22.
Farmer's absence would be a big loss for the Dockers, with the enigmatic forward bagging 21 goals in his past five matches and being a major reason behind Fremantle's stark form reversal.
The Dockers have played only the one final since their inception into the competition in 1995, and are destined to embark on their second finals campaign.
Today is about as close as you can get to a final, and will be a test to see how the young Dockers brigade cope with the pressure and hype surrounding the match.
The contest between Sandilands and Cox will go a long way to determining the result- both sides possess quality midfields and it's just a matter of who can get on top in the clearances and provide their forwards with more opportunities.
It's a contest between the Fremantle forward line, which has been the most productive in the competition in the past seven weeks against the best midfield division in recent memory.
Even if Kerr doesn't take his place, the Eagles have a band of quality players who can cover his loss.
West Coast's midfield depth should prove too much too bare for Fremantle, and with Lynch hitting form at the business end of the season the Eagles should get over the line in a classic. Eagles by 7 points.
WEST COAST
B: Wirrpanda, Glass, Graham
HB: Waters, Hunter, Stenglein
C: A.Embley, Cousins, Braun
HF: Fletcher, Hansen, Staker
F: Chick, Lynch, Cox
FOLL: Seaby, Judd, Kerr
I/C (from): Armstrong, Banfield, Butler, B.Jones, R.Jones, Sampi, Selwood
IN: Hunter, Hansen, Chick
OUT: -
FREMANTLE
B: Hayden, McPharlin, Parker
HB: Dodd, Johnson, Grover
C: M.Carr, Black, Mundy
HF: Schammer, Pavlich, Headland
F: Peake, Longmuir, Farmer
FOLL: Sandilands, J.Carr, Bell
I/C (from): Webster, Hasleby, Medhurst, McManus, Cook, Polak, Crowley
IN: Crowley, Hasleby, Medhurst, Polak
OUT: Gilmore (hamstring)
Field umpires: Vozzo, Rosebury, Ryan
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