Round 15 of the AFL — on one hand, it was a great week for footy in the west with Fremantle defeating the in-form Bombers to significantly help their finals chances. While on the other hand, it was a disaster, as the West Coast Eagles had not hit rock bottom until now with a historical loss to the Sydney Swans.
Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles
Sydney Swans 31.19 (205) v West Coast Eagles 5.4 (34)
Round 15 will forever be remembered for the colossal defeat handed to the West Coast Eagles by the Sydney Swans. The Eagles suffered a historic and crushing 171-point loss, marking the heaviest blow ever endured in their club history. This severe loss has further darkened an already gloomy year for the Eagles, who have found themselves on the losing end of their last five games, with an alarming average deficit of 104 points.
Watch: Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles Highlights
Good
While Oscar Allen again was able to kick multiple goals with a very limited supply, it was the old heads of the Eagles engine room that still worked tirelessly, despite the lop-sided game. As a positive, captain Luke Shuey got through the game without injury and amassed eight tackles and 28 disposals. Tim Kelly was a bull in the middle with 27 disposals and seven clearances.
Bad
Well, everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for the West Coast Eagles. After a historic loss and without many positives or new outlooks to take from the game — the question needs to be asked how much longer will West Coast continue to do the same thing?
Fremantle Dockers v Essendon Bombers
Fremantle Dockers 14.9 (93) v Essendon Bombers 9.7 (61)
It was a season-defining matchup at Optus Stadium on the weekend. A win would keep Fremantle tied on points for a spot in the top eight, a loss would have seen Fremantle fall a game back from the top eight with a significant percentage gap to make up as well.
With Sean Darcy returning from injury and taking back the number-one ruck mantle, along with Luke Jackson’s standout performance in the forward line, and the midfield dominance of Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw, Fremantle overpowered the Bombers.
Watch: Fremantle Dockers v Essendon Bombers Highlights
Good
Sean Darcy’s presence in the ruck has been sorely missed — his All-Australian level ruck work not only offers Brayshaw and Serong the first touch of the ball, but his return to the centre crucially freed up Luke Jackson to spend more time in the forward line where his impact is most potent.
Luke Jackson led all players with three goals, proving lethal upfront for Fremantle. Fremantle’s defenders were led by Luke Ryan and his 18 marks were equally impressive, effectively silencing Essendon’s formidable forward, Peter Wright, leaving him without a single goal following his impressive five-goal haul in his season debut in the previous match.
Bad
Another slow start.
In what is becoming a weekly occurrence — Fremantle again stumbled out of the blocks and allowed the opposition to get the early lead. While the margin wasn’t as bad as seen in previous weeks — consistently playing from behind at the start of games could prove deadly to Fremantle’s finals chances as the season continues if they are unable to turn this trend around.
Up Next
- Western Bulldogs (7) v Fremantle Dockers (11) @ Marvel Stadium
- West Coast Eagles (18) v St Kilda Saints (5) @ Optus Stadium
Feature image: Richard Wainwright / AAP Photos
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