Follow live: West Coast Eagles in tough road clash with GWS before Fremantle Dockers host Western Bulldogs
It’s a big Sunday for our WA clubs, with West Coast facing a monster challenge on the road against GWS before Fremantle host the Western Bulldogs.
Follow all the action below, with the Eagles to begin at 11.10am (WA time) before Freo’s 3.10pm bouncedown.
Giants 21-1
Jesse Hogan stutter-steps his way through a set-shot goal, and the Giants have the first three!
The Coleman medallist easily outmarks Ginbey and Maric and flexes his muscle early. There’s early signs that this contest could be the one-sided affair most were expecting...
Giants 13-0
Jones strikes again - with a beautiful set-up from Greene - and it’s a fast start for the home team now.
West Coast have been caught out the back a couple of times now as the Giants push forward in waves.
First goal: Giants
GWS are on the board through a Darcy Jones snap!
It comes from some slick ball movement from half-back, with Toby Greene unsurprisingly part of the build-up.
It’s 6-0 Giants after just over 2 minutes of play.
Match-ups
Sandy Brock - on debut - has Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan for company.
Sam Taylor has Oscar Allen at the other end.
We're underway!
Bouncedown at ENGIE Stadium!
Harley Reid is across half-back today after spending a bit of time there last week. Allen is up forward.
Giants’ banner humour
GWS are one of the league-leading clubs when it comes to comedy, and their banner for today’s game continues that theme.
“If a nice escape is what you need... we’d be happy to have you, Harley Reid” it says.
Harley will be looking to click into gear today after a subdued start to his sophomore season. He averaged 18.5 touches and 5 clearances per game last year, but those numbers have dipped to 14 and 2.7 to open the fresh campaign.
O’Driscoll's story
While we wait for the bounce in 15 minutes’ time, it’s worth a read of Aiden O’Driscoll’s story.
The brother of Docker Nathan had his career cruelly ripped away from him - but he’s not ready to put a fullstop on it just yet.
Allen staying forward?
There’s been a massive spotlight on Oscar Allen this week amid his meeting with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell - but he’ll be thankful the attention now turns to his on-field role.
Allen is warming up with the forward group at ENGIE Stadium, suggesting he will at least begin the game in attack.
The co-captain was thrown back in the second half of the derby after McGovern’s injury and Harry Edwards’ substitution, but the Eagles need him just as much up forward with no Waterman or Ryan.
Grim prediction
Sharrod Wellingham can’t make the case for his former club today, predicting that it could be ‘lambs to the slaughter’ for West Coast’s defence without McGovern and of course Tom Barrass.
History against them
The Giants are a near-unbackable $1.02 with bookmakers today - and it’s not hard to see why.
West Coast are missing their best defender (McGovern), their best midfielder (Yeo) and their best forward (Waterman), as well as Liam Ryan.
The Eagles are also blooding three debutants today: Davis, Sandy Brock, and Tom Gross. It’s just the fourth time in the past 35 years that West Coast have three debutants in the same game - and they haven’t won one of those since all the way back in 1996, when Chad Morrison, Brendon Fewster and Andrew Donnelly were blooded in the round one western derby.
