Eagles win third premiership in nail-biter

West Coast 12.13 (85) def. Sydney 12.12 (84)

The West Coast Eagles are celebrating their third flag, with a remarkable one point victory over the Sydney Swans at the MCG today.

Adam Hunter’s goal provided the breathing space required at the 24 minute mark which allowed John Worsfold’s men to run out premiers.

Best players for the Eagles were Dean Cox and Andrew Embley. Cox dominated the ruckwork all over the ground all day with 20 possessions and 34 hit outs, while Embley collected 26 possessions and two goals. Also good for the Eagles were Chris Judd, Adam Hunter, Adam Selwood and Michael Braun.

For the Swans, co-captain Brett Kirk was their best with 27 possessions and nine tackles while Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes was on fire in the second half.

With the Melbourne Cricket Ground basking in sunshine on a perfect day for football and with both teams entered the game with their selected sides intact it was West Coast captain Chris Judd who correctly called the toss, and elected to kick towards the City End of the MCG.

It took seven minutes for West Coast to gain first blood thanks to Ashley Hansen. After Sydney had taken a one point lead thanks to a rushed behind a couple of minutes earlier Daniel Chick hit Hansen on the lead. Hansen goaled from around 45 metres.

Then a minute later Judd capitalized on a horrible mistake from Amon Buchanan. Buchanan was stuck in his defensive goal square trying to pick up the bouncing ball when he was knocked off the ball by the Eagles champion to allow himself to soccer the ball through from five metres out to extend the lead to 11 points.

With Sydney making some costly mistakes, West Coast pounced again four minutes later. After disposing Darren Jolly on the outer wing, the Eagles ran forward in numbers. Brett Jones’ kick aiming for Quinten Lynch missed the target, but Adam Hunter was backing up the pack and he handballed to his former skipper Ben Cousins and he slammed through the Eagles’ third.

The Swans finally had a chance to get on the board at the 14 minute mark, however Hall’s set shot from 25 metres missed after Darren Glass was adjudged to have held on to him in a marking contest.

At the 17 minute mark Beau Waters had a chance to kick West Coast’s fourth, however his shot on the run from 50 metres missed slightly to the left, leaving the Eagles with a 17 point lead.

But from the ensuing kick out, the Swans took the ball the length of the field thanks to Ryan O’Keefe, who eventually found a leading Michael O’Loughlin on the chest. O’Loughlin converted from near the boundary line as he tried to give the Swans some momentum.

O’Loughlin’s goal did give Sydney some momentum. The reigning premiers went about shutting down the game, with seven scoreless minutes until Jude Bolton was given a free kick within kicking distance after Beau Waters made high contact. However Bolton’s kick missed the target, leaving them 10 points in arrears.

This behind was instantly replied to by a flying snap shot from Eagles defender Brett Jones, but with the Swans growing in confidence, Jude Bolton had another attempt at bridging the gap after Chad Fletcher was penalized for holding on after a mark and was taken back 50 metres. Bolton unfortunately missed again and from the ensuing kick out, the Eagles took the ball back to the Ponsford Stand end to see Hansen kick his second of the quarter thanks to a lovely pass by Judd.

As the siren sounded, the scoreboard showed the Eagles leading by 16 points, however the Swans are by no means out of this contest.

Better players for the Eagles were Hansen who looms as a constant threat, while Brett Jones, Judd, Waters and Braun are all running hard through the midfield.

For the Swans Kennelly and O’Keefe have been their best, while O’Loughlin looked the best avenue to goal at this stage.

Sydney scored first again in the second quarter, thanks to another rushed behind and again from the kick out, the Eagles found clear space and Andrew Embley capitalized after Hansen put him into space to goal on the run and stretch the lead to 21 points.

The game was getting very dangerous after Dean Cox hit Adam Hunter on the lead from a left foot pass, but Hunter missed, adding to the margin only by one at the six minute mark and a minute later Embley had another \chance to goal, but also missed.

The Swans made the Eagles pay for their misses, with Nic Fosdike finding Ben Mathews in the clear 30 metres out directly in front. Mathews’ goal steadied the tempo and reduced the margin to 17 points.

Sean Dempster attempted a speculative shot from 55 metres after a free kick against Waters at the 11 minute mark which just missed to the left which bridged the gap back to 16 but the Eagles kicked the next big major after a wonderful piece of play by Daniel Kerr saw the ball end up with big Quinten Lynch. The big man that missed last year’s Grand Final just snuck through his shot to see the West Australian’s lead by 22 as the quarter reached its halfway mark.

Three minutes later the big “Q” had another chance to take off his glove, after a three bounce run by Fletcher and a long kick inside 50 saw Lynch outmuscle Leo Barry and take an easy chest mark 15 metres out. His second in three minutes, saw the margin extend to 28.

O’Loughin marked in front of Daniel Chick after a wonderful kick by Nick Davis saw O’Loughlin in ample space. O’Loughlin slammed through his second just on the stroke of time on as he kicked a much needed goal.

The Swans surged forward again a minute later, however Lewis Roberts-Thomson dropped an uncontested mark 40 metres out. The Eagles looked to make them pay and Embley searched out former Demon Steve Armstrong on a lead. Unfortunately Armstrong’s kick strayed to the left, but Kennelly made the mistake of trying to go around Cousins and after he slipped over, he got caught and was penalized. Cousins’ set shot from 40 metres sailed through and the West Coasters were up by 29 at the 23 minute mark of the second quarter.

Sydney hit back thanks to Nick Davis after 28 minutes. Davis found himself all by himself inside forward 50 and marked a scrappy kick forward by Jarrad McVeigh. Davis’ first Grand Final goal in his third Grand Final kept the Swans within distance as half time approached.

Lynch had a chance for a third for the quarter, however his shot from outside 50 was touched just before the line by Goodes and Hunter also had a snap shot punched over the line to make the margin 25 points at the main break.

Andrew Embley loomed as a possibility for the Norm Smith Medal at half time with 15 possessions, three marks and a goal, while Dean Cox was having a field day in the ruck with 13 touches and 17 hit outs.

For the Swans, Buchanan was starting to have an impact while Brett Kirk was working hard in the midfield with 11 possessions.

Quite simply, the Swans need more of the ball in the second half to have a chance, as West Coast have had 76 more possessions and 14 more marks so far in the match.

The Bloods kicked the first of the third term, thanks to O’Loughlin who pushed off Fletcher and dribbled through an easy goal from 10 metres after some great forward line pressure by the Swans.

Embley, however continued his fine form with a marvelous running goal in front of the old Great Southern Stand race at the five minute mark to nullify O’Loughlin’s goal.

Hansen had a chance to kick his third at the seven minute mark, however he hooked his set shot badly to the left, after he outmuscled Kennelly in a marking contest. From the kick in, Davis out-positioned David Wirrpanda and kicked his second as the Swans started to gain some ascendancy.

O’Loughlin was the next player to score as he attempted to kick his fourth, however his snap shot after roving a boundary throw in also hooked to the left. But the margin had been reduced to 19 points.

The Eagles made the Swans pay for their misfortune. Kerr wonderfully pounced on the crumbs of a pack and found the leading Lynch on the boundary line, 50 metres out. His set shot was dead straight from the moment it hit the boot, and despite the Swans pressure, at the 13 minute mark, the quarter was dead level in terms of the scoreboard.

When Braun hit the leading Embley on the chest at the 16 minute mark, Embley had the chance to extend the lead to 31 points if he could kick his third goal. Unfortunately for him and his teammates, he couldn’t convert an easy set shot, and when Cousins also missed a snap shot from close range, the margin was out to 27 points and time was running out for Sydney.

But Sydney kept coming back as expected. Roberts-Thomson just snuck his running shot over the masses on the goal line as he was being run down and lowered the margin back to 21 points.

Davis had the chance for a third just on time on, although he was unlucky when his straight shot just landed short and was rushed through by the desperate Eagles defense. Kirk then had a shot from 35 metres around his body which cannoned into the goal post. The margin was back to 19, and the Swans needed one more before three quarter time to give them some hope.

Barry Hall had a golden opportunity after being awarded a very contentious free kick by umpire Vozzo. However his shot from 25 metres missed to the right. But the Swans were coming hard now with Eagles players tiring. Ted Richards then had a chance from 45 metres, but his shot missed badly to the right, and then a minute later Richards marked the kick out, and hit the leading Davis who was awarded a mark infront of Drew Banfield. Davis’ shot from outside 50 sailed over the goal umpire’s hat, as the Swans finally hit the target. Davis’ goal saw the margin bridged to 11 points as the three quarter time siren sounded.

With the game in balance, it appears Waters has succumbed to a shoulder injury, and with the Eagles tiring, the Swans may very well be in the box seat to go back to back.

The Swans hit the ground at full bore in the final quarter. Hall marked a scrambled kick out of the centre, and handballed to the 2006 Brownlow Medallist in Goodes, who goaled after 14 seconds in the final quarter, which saw the margin reduced to five points.

With the Swans coming hard, the Eagles surged forward, with Hansen bombing long into the goal square, however the ball came off hands and hit the goal post to leave the margin at one straight kick with the crowd at fever pitch.

A minute later, with the Eagles snookered in their back pocket, Embley had to backtrack over the goal line as he was completely void of options running forward. It was a psychological boost for the premiers.

Hansen had the chance to build a buffer zone between the two sides from a set shot after he marked strongly in front of Richards, however his shot was never on target and the margin was six points at the nine minute mark.

With the Eagles pressing again, a Hunter kick forward saw a foot race back to the ball, the ball ended up around eight metres from the goal and Kennelly had no option but to rush a behind.

It wasn’t until the 17 minute mark that there was another goal, and it was Adam Schneider. He roved a pack and wobbled through his first goal to put the Swans behind the Eagles by only one point.

But the Eagles hit back on their last legs. A short kick forward saw two Swans defenders run into each other, and this cleared a path for Armstrong to step up. The man that was a Sandringham premiership player last year, snapped truly from 25 metres to promote the lead back to seven points.

However, the Swans hit straight back as the match wound into time on. O’Keefe swiveled onto his left foot in front of the Members Pavilion and snapped. His shot weaved it’s way through four players in the goal square somehow and made the margin one point yet again.

Adam Hunter, the finals specialist then capitalized on a vital smother by Daniel Chick in the forward 50. Chick followed up and handballed to Hunter as he ran into an open goal square to stretch the margin back to seven points at the 24 minute mark.

But pandemonium reigned in the crowd three minutes later, when youngster Nick Malceski made the biggest impact of his career when he accepted the handball by Buchanan and snapped on his trusty left foot to reduce the margin back to a solitary point once again.

Unfortunately, that was the final score despite the valiant attempts of the Swans. The match ended right on the stroke of 31 minutes in the same pocket that Leo Barry took his matchwinning mark last season.

Congratulations West Coast Eagles – 2006 AFL Premiers.

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