1. Shuey injury sets up midfield test
A hamstring injury in the opening minutes to Luke Shuey should have been a significant handicap for the Eagles' midfield, but the group adjusted to control the clearances (45-31) on Saturday. West Coast is likely to be without its leading stoppage player for the next three weeks in a testing run of matches against Greater Western Sydney (Spotless Stadium), Richmond (Optus Stadium) and Hawthorn (Etihad Stadium). But the way Jack Redden, inclusion Mark Hutchings and Elliot Yeo took hold of the midfield battles should fill Adam Simpson with confidence. The Eagles got the game on their terms early, walking out of the centre square with six of the first seven centre clearances, allowing them to dominate field position. While the Power response eventually came after falling 55 points down in the third quarter, it was ultimately too late.
FULL MATCH DETAILS: All the news and numbers from Eagles v Power
2. Contest issues for Port
The Power’s midfield issues ran deep on Saturday, with a concerning trend emerging at the contest. They lost contested ball 120-162 and have now lost the key indicator six weeks in a row, against North Melbourne (-11), Geelong (-14), Essendon (-2), Brisbane (-4) and Sydney (-11). Their ascendency late in the third quarter coincided with their best quarter of contested football, losing the indicator by five, compared to 13 and 19 in the opening two quarters respectively. Sam Powell-Pepper and Tom Rockliff impressed in the SANFL on Friday night and are available to provide hard-bodied reinforcements.
3. Rioli's brilliant two minutes
West Coast livewire Willie Rioli made every touch count on Saturday, but it was a brilliant two-minute patch on the eve of half time that stood out. The crafty small forward crumbed cleanly off the pack to put the Eagles' 31 points up deep in the second quarter, and in the Eagles' next forward thrust, he slid in to win a contested ball and handballed to an open Jamie Cripps while still in motion in an act of pure class. A set shot goal from beyond 50m in the third quarter was the icing on the cake, finishing his best performance for the Eagles with 16 possessions, two goals and a team-high four score assists.
4. Difficult return for Ryder
After five matches on the sidelines with Achilles soreness, Paddy Ryder faced a stern test against in-form ruck duo Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett. While his anticipated return shaped as a boost for the Power, the star ruckman appeared to tire early and struggled on with occasional support from Justin Westhoff. The Power ended up losing the hit-outs 26-56, and the effectiveness of Naitanui and Lycett's taps was a key to the match. The Eagles' pair was also able to win the ball at ground level, combining for 12 clearances, while Ryder finished with four, nine possessions and three marks.
5. Forward line strength has Eagles flying
One of the biggest contrasts in Saturday's clash was the dominance of West Coast's tall forwards and the ineffectiveness of the Power’s big men. Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling combined for seven goals, with the latter continuing an excellent season that has so far netted 18 goals. Darling's aerial presence was also a massive factor, taking 10 marks (six contested). The Power did not have a damaging tall presence, with Charlie Dixon (1.3) failing to take his chances and Jack Watts kicking one goal. The visitors' only multiple goalkickers were Aidyn Johnson and Sam Gray, who kicked two each.
