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Despite both teams going past the 100 point mark, it’s the West Coast Eagles who came away with a ten-goal win over the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.
REPORT: STARS SHINE AS EAGLES THRASH LIONS
Final score
West Coast Eagles 26.10 (166) def. Brisbane Lions 15.12 (102)
The West Coast Eagles have started 2016 off in superb fashion, putting a much-improved Brisbane Lions side to the sword in an entertaining 64-point victory.
With many expecting the Eagles to give the Lions an Easter Sunday roast, the visitors gave their opponents plenty to think about at the first break, challenging their highly-fancied opponents the whole way to trail by just 14 points at the first break.
The second quarter however proved to follow the script more, with West Coast piling on six goals to Brisbane’s two to take a very commanding 39-point lead into the long break.
Brisbane’s ball use was proving to be their undoing, with numerous poor kicks out of defence creating turnovers and easy West Coast goals, while the difference in effort offensively and defensively was painfully obvious.
The third quarter proved to be a little more of an arm wrestle, with Brisbane slotting four goals to the Eagles’ six, but the lack of a proper pre-season reared its head in the last quarter, with West Coast piling on seven goals as they romped to a 64-point win.
There were superhuman efforts everywhere for the Eagles, with Matt Priddis (43 disposals, 12 clearances, five tackles), Josh Kennedy (25 disposals, 10 marks inside 50, eight inside 50s, eight goals) and Nic Naitanui (46 hit-outs, 22 disposals, two goals) simply unstoppable.
Key forwards Jack Darling and Mark LeCras were able to slot two goals apiece, while the small forward group of Jamie Cripps, Jamie Bennell and Josh Hill combined for another eight goals in an offensive masterclass.
Daniel Rich – fresh off a contract extension – was electric with 23 disposals, 11 tackles, eight inside 50s and two goals, skipper Tom Rockliff added 21 touches, eight tackles and two goals, while Allen Christensen and Lewis Taylor were serviceable with three goals apiece.
New forwards Josh Schache and Josh Walker both finished with two goals, although they had opportunities to kick more, in what was in the end an encouraging display from the Lions. But in the end the chasm of class between the two sides proved too much to overcome.
West Coast Eagles – 7.4 | 13.7 | 19.9 | 26.10 (166)
Brisbane Lions – 5.2 | 7.4 | 11.7 | 15.12 (102)
GOALS
Eagles: Kennedy 8, Cripps 3, Hill 3, Bennell 2, Naitanui 2, Darling 2, LeCras 2, McGovern, Redden, Ellis, Yeo
Lions: Christensen 3, Taylor 3, Walker 2, Rockliff 2, Schache 2, Rich 2, Hanley
Attendance: 35,201
The pain of last year’s grand final loss still stings for the West Coast Eagles, and the long road to September begins with a clash against a Brisbane Lions team with lots to prove. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:40pm (AEDT).
Unfairly forgot after their dismal display in the grand final last year was the extraordinary season West Coast put together.
Coming off an 11 and 11 campaign in 2014 and missing their top two key defenders, it looked as though the Eagles would be struggling to avoid the bottom four.
But West Coast emphatically proved their doubters wrong, becoming one of the most difficult teams to play.
West Coast’s recent record against Brisbane is strong, with the Eagles winning five of their past six games against the Lions, including the last four.
The plight of the Brisbane Lions over the last decade has been a story of tragic misery.
After winning three straight premierships and finishing runners-up the next season, the Lions have played September football just once since.
Tipped to make an impact in 2015 after the signings of Dayne Beams, Allen Christensen and Mitch Robinson last season, Brisbane actually regressed – slipping from seven wins to four.
Coach Justin Leppitsch received a contract extension in the offseason, but if he’s to stay at the helm the Lions need to become a competitive outfit.
Brisbane have struggled away from home, but especially so in Perth. The Lions’ last win in the west came back in 2010 – by five points – and they’ve lost their last six games at the venue by an average of 52 points.
The Eagles come into Round 1 carrying a raft of injuries, with Mitch Brown (finger), Chris Masten (ankle), Sharrod Wellingham (knee) and Dom Sheed (pectoral) all ruled out. Ex-Swan Lewis Jetta is also looking to overcome a calf injury in time to make his West Coast debut.
West Coast will, however, be welcoming back Eric MacKenzie with open arms after the star defender missed all of 2015 with an ACL tear. Jack Redden also looks set to debut for the Eagles against his old team.
There’ll be some fresh faces for the Lions in the season opener, with no. 2 draft pick Josh Schache alongside recruits Tom Bell and Josh Walker all set to make their Brisbane debuts.
But it’ll be far from a full-strength line-up for the underdogs. Dayne Beams (knee), Dayne Zorko (suspension), Justin Clarke (concussion) and Jaden McGrath (shoulder) will all be missing, while Tom Rockliff (hamstring) and Allen Christensen (finger) are under injury clouds.
Prediction
Round one is tough to tip however, this match sticks out from the rest. Last year’s runners-up hosting an also-ran plagued by injuries?
Eagles by 51 points.