HUNGER by Meggs

Master and the Apprentice

Epic battle alert.  This Sunday, Casey Fields hosts a coach’s showdown pitting the wits of the master Mick Stinear (92 games, 71.7% win rate) against his protégé Daisy Pearce (16 games, 43.8%).  

Still early in her coaching journey, Daisy’s record doesn’t yet reflect her impact — but she’s already the best-performed coach at West Coast.

Dais’ is mythic.  Like Katniss Everdeen, everyone either wants to kiss her, kill her (sporting metaphor) or be her.  To others Daisy Pearce is a role model, someone admired for their heart, humility and humour.  

After taking maternity leave during the 2019 AFLW season to care for her twins Sylvie and Roy, she returned to conquer the football world captaining the Demons 2022 Season 7 premiership team.  

Casey Fields will be as familiar to Daisy as her old footy boots.  She will instruct her charges as to its nuances and have her team primed, ready for action.

Mick on the other hand will be shedding any negative juju from last week’s shock loss to the Power and will fully expect a bounce back aided by the welcome return of defensive divas Goldie and Gillard.

Forecast: 14 degrees, overcast, showers likely, and a Casey wind to boot. A true leveller.

The Match-up

It’s 2^nd versus 7^th.  The Demons have four wins and a percentage of 228.8%, while the Eagles have three wins and 124.5%.  On paper, we hold the edge, but footy isn’t played on spreadsheets — it’s at Casey.

West Coast and Melbourne have met 3 times, with the Demons victorious on each occasion.

The Eagles have a developing group of young stars.  Watch out for Ella Roberts, Bella Lewis, Courtney Rowley, Charlie Thomas and the speedster Mikayla Western.

For the Dees, we will be hoping our key forwards Alyssa Bannan, Georgia Gall, and Eden Zanker bring their kicking boots this week as Meggs expects our midfield to provide lots of forward-fifty opportunities.

Leaders, Kate Hore and Tyla Hanks are having stellar seasons, as is Maeve Chaplin, and with this week’s defensive line inclusions, expect the fly-in Eagles to find it hard to kick a winning score.

Selection this week

Fantastic news.  Sinead Goldrick and Tahlia Gillard return to add defensive steel.

Their presence will not only shore up our backline but inject confidence across the field. 

If, as predicted, the weather is inclement there may be talls substituted for smalls as we appeared top-heavy in the wind last week.  

Did anyone catch former Eagles skipper Emma Swanson’s ill-advised strike on Freo’s Gaby O’Sullivan?  A one-week penalty.  It’s footy, not boxing, Emma.

Milestone - Eliza

Congratulations to our number 22, fan-favourite Eliza McNamara, on playing 50 games.  

Lize continues to amaze us with her energy, courage, footy nous and her smile.  She’s the heartbeat of our midfield — relentless, reliable, and radiant.

In the last 12 games she has averaged 23 disposals (10 contested), 5.4 tackles and nearly 400 metres gained.  A Dee-star and a joy to watch week in, week out.

Meggs’ musings

Weathering the Storm

With Casey’s notorious wind and wet forecast, this won’t be a pretty game.  Expect a bruising midfield battle, and don’t be surprised if the scoreboard reflects the conditions more than the talent on display.

Watch the Wings

With Daisy’s inside knowledge of the Field of Dreams, expect West Coast to exploit the wide spaces and test our outside run. Players like Ella Roberts and Bella Lewis could be key in breaking lines but it cuts both ways.  Meggs is backing in Paxy, Heater and Lize to excel on Sunday.

With both teams coming off losses last week, there’s no room for complacency.

Bring the hunger, Dees — and feast on the opportunity.

Melbourne starts favourites ($1.20).  May the odds be ever in our favour.

C’mon Dees!  

Tip: Melbourne by 11.  PS: Don’t forget to pack your poncho.

THE GAME

Round 6: Melbourne v West Coast Eagles Sunday  21 September 2025 at 1:05pm (AEST) at 
Casey Fields, Melbourne – Wurundjeri/Boon Wurrung

HEAD TO HEAD 

Overall: Melbourne 3 wins | West Coast Eagles 0 wins

At Casey Fields: Melbourne 2 wins | West Coast Eagles 0 wins

Coaches: Stinear 0 wins | Pearce 0 wins

MEDIA COVERAGE 7, 7Plus, Foxtel, Kayo

AFL Live Official App

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Season 8, Round 7 – 15 October 2023 at Lathlain Park

Narrm 11.16 (82) defeated West Coast 2.0 (12) by 70 points.

The Narrm offensive was in full swing for this crushing away win against the Weagles.  

Fan-favourite Alyssa Bannan starred with 10 score involvements, a career-best 5 goals plus she earned the maximum 10 Coaches Votes.  

Mick Stinear praised the high-performance team for their work in building the sides fitness and strength, and who embraced the hot stifling conditions much better than West Coast.

By contrast,  Eagles coach Michael Prior unwisely slammed the AFL about its scheduling. Although he later backpedalled the comments, the damage was done and he lost his job.  Every cloud has a silver lining, with Prior replaced by Demon legend, Daisy Pearce.

NARRM 4.1.25 4.3.27 8.10.58 11.16.82

WEST COAST EAGLES 1.0.6 2.0.12 2.0.12 2.0.12

GOALS

NARRM Bannan 5, Hore 2, Zanker 2, A Mackin, Sherriff

WEST COAST EAGLES Gibson, Rowley

BEST

NARRM Bannan, Purcell, West, B Mackin, Hore, Hanks

WEST COAST EAGLES Thomas, Roberts, Smith, Gooch

CROWD 1,232 at Mineral Resources Park

THIS WEEK’S TEAMS

MELBOURNE 

FB [28] Saraid Taylor [17] Tahlia Gillard

HB [23] Sinead Goldrick [13] Maeve Chaplin [19] Laela Ebert 

C [22] Eliza McNamara [5] Tyla Hanks [4] Paxy Paxman

HF [24] Megan Fitzsimon [6] Alyssa Bannan [29] Eden Zanker 

FF [7] Tayla Harris [9] Georgia Gall

FOL [15] Lauren Pearce [10] Kate Hore [30] Shelley Heath

I/C (from)  [1] Georgia Campbell [12] Ryleigh Wotherspoon [20] Maggie Mahony [33] Lily Johnson 

[32] Gabrielle Colvin [3] Alyssia Pisano [11] Molly O'Hehir [43] Jemma Rigoni

IN [17] Tahlia Gillard [23] Sinead Goldrick [3] Alyssia Pisano

WEST COAST EAGLES

FB [22] Georgia Cleaver [16] Zoe Wakfer

HB [7] Jessica Rentsch [24] Annabel Johnson [3] Charlotte Thomas

C [18] Jaide Britton [4] Ella Roberts [21] Mikayla Western

HF [32] Kayla Dalgleish [1] Lauren Wakfer [15] Abbygail Bushby

FF [2] Kellie Gibson [6] Isabella Lewis

FOL [23] Sarah Lakay [5] Courtney Rowley [10] Alison Drennan

I/C (from)   [26] Lucy Boyd [12] Charlotte Riggs [27] Liz McGrath[9] Roxanne Roux [19] Amy Franklin 

[20] Sanne Bakker [25] Kayley Kavanagh [14] Belinda Smith

IN Annabel Johnson, Lucy Boyd, Sanne Bakker, Kayley Kavanagh, Belinda Smith

OUT Emma Swanson (suspended) Lucia Painter (injured)

Injury List: Round 6

Melbourne

Tahlia Gillard — knee / Test

Sinéad Goldrick — shoulder / Test

Denby Taylor foot — foot / 1 week

Sarah Lampard — calf / 3 - 4 weeks

Grace Beasley — knee / 4 - 6 weeks

Blaithin Mackin — knee / 5 - 7 weeks

Olivia Purcell — knee / Season

Jacinta Hose — knee / Inactive

Aimee Mackin — knee / Inactive

West Coast Eagles

Lucy Boyd — ankle / Test

Belinda Smith — quad / Test

Annabel Johnson — knee / 1 week

Sanne Bakker — illness : 2 - 3 weeks

Beth Schilling — foot / Season