EAGLES’ ENCOUNTER WITH EXPERIENCE

In the first ever AFLW derby, the West Coast Eagles succumbed to pressure exerted by the more experienced Dockers. From the outset, the chemistry between the Freo players was evident, resulting in a level of organisation that the Eagles struggled to counter. 

The Dockers’ superior experience showed throughout the game, and as they set the pace early on, it became clear that the game would be played on their terms.

West Coast seemed to be stuck playing a game of reactive football, consistently falling a few steps behind their rivals. 

The disappointed home-team supporters will need to hope that the Eagles will learn from this early run-in with such a strong opposing team; to take the opportunity to identify their weaknesses and see how they can improve over the next few weeks.

FREMANTLE’S PHYSICALITY

It was made clear in the first quarter that Freo was prepared to bring a high level of physicality to the historic game at Optus Stadium.

Understandably not as game-hardened as their opponents, West Coast were outstripped and outbodied at nearly every opportunity.

Fremantle midfielder Kiara Bowers set the standard, laying an extraordinary 18 tackles throughout the game, 11 of which were laid in the first quarter.

Katie-Jayne Grieve also stood out for her effort of 11 tackles to go along with the two goals she scored. In comparison, the most tackles any single Eagle managed to land was 5, giving a strong indication of the teams’ overall performances.

Going forward, West Coast will undoubtedly be working on developing the skills to form a more cohesive defensive line.

In the end, Freo’s physicality and tidy backline resulted in a well-deserved win with the highest score of any AFLW game this season.

 WEST COAST’S RESILIENCE EVIDENT IN DEFEAT

West Coast have been open about their goals for the club this season, saying that their focus is not on winning a premiership but on building a positive club culture that will endure for the next generation of players.

It’s possible that the result of these efforts was evident on the field today in the hardy resilience that was demonstrated by the foundation team. 

Despite the relentless physical pressure that held them scoreless until the second quarter, the Eagles attended the game with a consistently fierce energy throughout, resulting in a last-minute surge in their forward 50. 

After their struggles with consistency in the last round, the question remains whether the club culture being developed will result in any victories for the Eagles this season.

Will their resilience pay off in a win or will their supporters need to wait for the team to find its feet?