Have we recovered from last week’s game yet…?
Yeesh! Not the best start to the 2019 season for the reigning Premiers however, it’s very early days! The Eagles were bamboozled by the Brisbane Lions in round one, suffering a 44-point loss at the Gabba. Jack Darling and Oscar Allen finished with two goals each, while Dom Sheed managed 38 disposals and a goal.
The West Coast Eagles were without many of their star players including Nic Naitanui, Josh Kennedy, Andrew Gaff, Willie Rioli and Jamie Cripps. While JK and Cripps are both set to return this weekend, we still don’t have an ETA for Nic Nat (knee) or Rioli (foot) and Gaff will return from suspension in round three. On a positive note, Jack Darling and Nathan Vardy have been given the green light to play this weekend after copping heavy knocks against the Lions.
This week the West Coast Eagles take on the GWS Giants at Optus Stadium. The Giants come into this round on the back of a HUGE 72-point victory over the Bombers last weekend and they will be riding that momentum wave all the way over to WA. Jeremy Cameron kicked a handy four goals for the Giants, while Stephen Coniglio was the stand out, finishing with three goals and 31 disposals.
The Eagles have got a little bit of work to do this weekend. If last week’s results are anything to go by, I think GWS will be liking their chances. I know, and everyone else knows, that the West Coast Eagles are going to bounce back from their performance in round one, especially with the home ground advantage of Optus Stadium. Eagles skipper Shannon Hurn will play his 250th game, while Josh Kennedy and Chris Masten will both play their 200th game. I’m sure the team would like to make these milestone games memorable!
I’m tipping the West Coast Eagles to beat the GWS Giants by 18 points!
Let us know your #AFLEaglesGiants predictions at @TweetPerth and @EmmaPaynes
Photo cred: @WestCoastEagles
