Eagles open their account, and save on phone bills.

Last time West Coast and Essendon were gearing up to run out on Subiaco Oval, I, along with millions of other people around Australia, was giddy with joy as the 2010 NAB Cup was commencing. Now, with all of that silly stuff behind us and three rounds of the real action completed, these two sides now battle each other with 4 points on the line. The Eagles were hunting for their first win; the Bombers were looking to make it two in a row.

The game began, and the Eagles in the white clash Guernsey (insert jumper rant here) quickly made the centre clearance through Nic Naitanui, who kicked to the leading forward. Mark LeCras crumbed and snapped the goal within the first 18 seconds. Patrick Ryder received a free kick and goaled, before Naitanui goaled from a free. Josh Kennedy marked and goaled, before David Zaharakis replied with a sloppy kick through the big sticks to reduce the margin to a goal. Dean Cox snapped a great goal from a contest on the behind line, but a flurry of Essendon goals through Ryder, Mark Williams and Michael Hurley saw the Bombers lead by five points. LeCras kicked a goal off the ground to restore order by quarter time, West Coast leading 5.5 to 5.1. As I wrote the final details of the first stanza on my notepad, I felt a tickle on my exposed arm. Thinking it was just an ordinary bug, I left it, before looking down to it and seeing eight large legs crawling up my arm. I quickly flipped off the bed. But after regaining my composure, I couldn’t see the spider anywhere. I sat back down cautiously, knowing it must be around somewhere.

The second quarter started and Brad Ebert goaled after an assist from Naitanui, then a long bomb from Matt Rosa bounced through. Ash Hansen took a great mark before playing on and snapping his first, followed y Andrew Embley kicking a long goal to extend the lead out to 28 points. Adam Selwood kicked a goal along the ground, and LeCras kicked his third to extend the lead to 39 at the main break, 11.8 to 5.5. Essendon really dropped off, and didn’t look like the team that challenged in the first stanza.

The second half commenced with a goal to LeCras, his fourth, followed by a Mitch Brown major. David Hille broke the drought for Essendon with a long goal but the Eagles went into the last break with a 45 point lead, 13.10 to 6.7.

The final term started and a goal to Kennedy saw the margin out to 52 points. Kyle Reimers kicked a long goal from outside 50, before Hurley kicked a clever goal to reduce the margin to 35. Kennedy goaled from a 50m penalty x2, but goals to Hille and Cale Hooker saw the persistent Bombers come within 29 points. Zaharakis made it 23 points, but that’s where it stopped, the siren signaling West Coast’s first win of the 2010 Season, 15.11.101 to 11.12.78.

After I saw a lot of promise for the Eagles in 2010, I think it’ll be a lot more of the same. Good at home, bad away from Subiaco. But at least when they play in the west, they won’t have to worry about large phone bills.

West Coast 5.5—11.8—13.10—15.11.101

Essendon 5.1—5.5—6.7—11.12.78

Goalkickers:

West Coast-LeCras 4, Kennedy 3, Naitanui, Cox, A. Selwood, Rosa, Ebert, Hansen, Embley, Brown

Essendon-Hille 2, Hurley 2, Zaharakis 2, Ryder 2, Reimers, Hooker, Williams

Best:

West Coast-Embley, Waters, Priddis, Cox, Ebert, LeCras, Hams

Essendon-Watson, Lovett-Murray, Hille

Crowd:  38.676 at Subiaco Oval

Votes:

3: Andrew Embley (WC)

2: Jobe Watson (E)

1: Beau Waters (WC)

About Josh Barnstable

21 year old North Melbourne supporter from country Victoria. Currently living in Melbourne studying a Bachelor of Sports Media. Dreams of becoming a sports journalist and broadcaster.

Comments

  1. John Butler says

    Above and beyond under duress Josh.

    Did you ever find that spider?

  2. No I didn’t JB, I don’t know how I slept Friday night, but I seemed to wake everytime I felt something brush against me as I slept. At least the spider and the millions of spider-webs going through Waaia recently are telling me that rain is on the way.

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