The most troubling umpiring decision of the night was the holding the ball against Dunn when he was tackled without prior right after Darling was dispossessed in an almost identical manner.

I reckon the most bafflng decision was the free against Hogan with a minute to play. Two Eagles collided and the free was given against Hogan. Absolute joke. The commentators said nothing about it. Dermie was too busy prattling on about something insignificant.

I'm calling the non-call in the third after we kicked two goals and looked like getting back into the game. Nate Jones was leading for the loose ball and Yeo tackled him to prevent him from getting to it. No call, WC get the clearance and they paid a free to a WC forward for a goal. Absolute momentum-killing moment from the umpires. Imagine if we'd been paid that free and scored from it. Suddenly we're back within a goal and have all the momentum with us.

How good was Watts though.

Watts seems to have figured out that he has time and that he can take a tackle and still get a good ball away. If you look at the way he's played the last three or four games, when he gets the ball in tight spaces rather than panicking he's accepting the tackle, keeping his hands clear and taking a little extra time to hit a target. It seems to have clicked for him that contact isn't a bad thing.

I'm calling the non-call in the third after we kicked two goals and looked like getting back into the game. Nate Jones was leading for the loose ball and Yeo tackled him to prevent him from getting to it. No call, WC get the clearance and they paid a free to a WC forward for a goal. Absolute momentum-killing moment from the umpires. Imagine if we'd been paid that free and scored from it. Suddenly we're back within a goal and have all the momentum with us.

Watts seems to have figured out that he has time and that he can take a tackle and still get a good ball away. If you look at the way he's played the last three or four games, when he gets the ball in tight spaces rather than panicking he's accepting the tackle, keeping his hands clear and taking a little extra time to hit a target. It seems to have clicked for him that contact isn't a bad thing.

Yep, and sometimes he will take the tackle and lock the ball down if there isn't a good option.

I gathered the stats, analysed them, had them peer reviewed, and presented them to the UN: since 1987 in Melbourne versus West Coast games, WC have had 52,542 free kicks to Melbourne's 23.

Mainly due to all the Weagle head duckers!

West Coast are a very good side. Some of their work in close was the best I've seen this year. They have the ability to find free and moving targets by hand while in traffic and under good (not great) pressure. I find that sort of creative handball so attractive and powerful in modern football. That ability along with their defensive set-up and multi-pronged forward line will see them into the Prelim at least.

At the moment we cannot compete with sides like them. I was far from surprised with the result or upset with our effort.

Indicative play of the night for me was an attempted tackle by Stretch on Priddis. Stretch had him cold and in 1 or 2 years time spent in the gym, would have had him holding the ball. This time though, Priddis was able to free his hands, get off an long effective handball to Shuey who goaled. We are still going to struggle against mature midfields for the rest of this season at least, but I'm confident with the guys coming into the system that it won't be too long before our midfield and therefore our team will be one of the better ones.

Mainly due to all the Weagle head duckers!

Ducking cheats.

I thought it was a very boring game to watch.

WC are very robotic in there game plan and don't play with much natural flair at all.

But if your winning games then who cares.

West Coast will come undone in the finals.

West Coast will come undone in the finals.

Maybe, but we'll have to wait and see.

I wouldn't say their game plan is exactly boring, but it's repetitive because it works bloody well. They're ball movement is the best in the league this year, from what I've seen so far. Quick, their foot skills are good and Kennedy and Darling just know exactly where to lead. Very effective but as you say, we'll have to wait and see how this style fairs in September.

West Coast will come undone in the finals.

Not if they can get Home Finals. They thrive on wide grounds

West Coast will come undone in the finals.

Agreed. Finals footy is contested one on one. They won't be able to play the web defence and their defenders will get shown up.

I thought the third quarter when Hogan moved up the ground and took a few marks we looked competitive. Dawes can stay in the goal square as he doesn't take enough marks for mine. Hoges goes for too many species when he is in the goal square but plays a different style when up the ground.

The worst umpiring decision of the night was in the last quarter when Nate Jones was pushed by by a cowardly Eagle into the ruck contest that made Nate collide with the 2 ruck man. Dangerous in any circumstance and completely ignored. 1 olde umpire schmidt and 2 rookies was always going to mean the higher ranked team got the 50 50's IMO. Not to mention the number of times Hogans run to the contest was impeded not blocked. That is under the new rules a free kick

Still cant believe their away jumper is blue.

Which is, you know, the same colour as ours. And their home jumper.

One rule for some and one for others.

Yeah we always wear our clash jumper when we're away to West Coast.

I thought the third quarter when Hogan moved up the ground and took a few marks we looked competitive. Dawes can stay in the goal square as he doesn't take enough marks for mine. Hoges goes for too many species when he is in the goal square but plays a different style when up the ground.

The worst umpiring decision of the night was in the last quarter when Nate Jones was pushed by by a cowardly Eagle into the ruck contest that made Nate collide with the 2 ruck man. Dangerous in any circumstance and completely ignored. 1 olde umpire schmidt and 2 rookies was always going to mean the higher ranked team got the 50 50's IMO. Not to mention the number of times Hogans run to the contest was impeded not blocked. That is under the new rules a free kick

I prefer him as CHF, moves well and gets the ball in his hands.

West Coast will come undone in the finals.

I actually reckon they'll go well in the finals, particularly if they can hold onto top 2.

West Coast will come undone in the finals.

Certainly hope so. When you live in Perth you get them shoved down your throat every day. I think the local press reckon they are top dogs over Dockers. NO WAY! One stat that surprised me on Saturday was the centre clearance count of 14 to 13 in our favour. Watching the replay it seemed that West Coast won just about every centre clearance. Maybe their clearances were that much more decisive.

Not if they can get Home Finals. They thrive on wide grounds

Subiaco isn't wide it is long and narrow, the narrowness of the ground allows them to put numbers behind the ball and prevents sides from exposing their defence and enables them to peel off and go third man up.

We showed on the weekend on limited occassions they really don't like the man to man hard tackle game, North exposed it in Tassie, the up tempo finals pressure of Sydney, Hawks and Freo will see there delivery inside forward 50 not be as easy and clean as it was on Saturday night, Keendy and Darling wont be getting it lace out on to the chest in finals. The Pies unfortunatley have them at Etihad in two weeks and the Pies pressure will be a big test pity it's not at the G

Meth Coast will be very dangerous next season when Brown and Mckenzie come back in and enable Mcgovern to be used as a swingman