1. Medal-gate continues with two winners announced
A large chunk of the WA football public sighed with relief on Thursday when it learned Fremantle and West Coast had reached an agreement over the future of the Ross Glendinning Medal. And in a moment befitting of the drama that ensued last week, Shannon Hurn and Lachie Neale were awarded the medal with six votes apiece. It is the first time two opposing players have shared the gong, which will have the name of a Fremantle great attached to it the next time it is handed out. Who that great is remains to be seen, but Sunday’s result proves its worth in WA football folklore.
WATCH: Hurn and Neale share the spoils
Eagles skipper Shannon Hurn with Ross Glendinning. Picture: AFL Photos
2. How will Fremantle deal without Walters?
If the loss of Matt Taberner was significant to Fremantle's structure, Michael Walters' injury could prove catastrophic. The creative small forward has been central to the Dockers’ revival and looked at home rolling through the midfield when his team needed a boost at stoppages. But when the 27-year-old left the field late in the first quarter with a suspected PCL injury to the same knee he hurt last year, Fremantle never fully adjusted inside 50. Short of restructuring again, there's not a lot the Dockers can do to cover a player the calibre of Walters. It'll be interesting to see what Ross Lyon pulls out of the hat, because the long-term prognosis doesn't sound good.
3. McGovern was in yellow, not purple
But you might've thought it was the other way round, given how regularly Fremantle kicked to him. The out-of-contract defender positioned himself perfectly down the line and impacted the contest nearly every time he was involved. The Dockers have been lauded for their dare and dash from half-back this year, but McGovern’s clean hands effectively stopped them in their tracks. And when he didn’t mark it, the 26-year-old brought the ball to ground for the likes of Shannon Hurn and Brad Sheppard to mop up. It was another big derby from the restricted free agent, whose stocks – as if they weren’t high enough – are rising with every game.
Jeremy McGovern was everywhere for the Eagles. Picture: AFL Photos
4. Eagle rucks floor Sandi
You could count on one hand the amount of times Aaron Sandilands has been beaten in the hit-out count, and it almost happened on Sunday afternoon when Nic Naitanui drew level with 32 hit-outs. Back to full minutes and in strong form, Naitanui was craftier than his veteran opponent and gave West Coast the edge in the middle – an area where Fremantle was expected to flourish. But somewhat surprisingly, Eagles back-up Scott Lycett was the most influential big-man on the ground. Lycett notched 18 disposals, 20 hit-outs and looked comfortably more versatile than his counterparts, who seemed to run out of gas halfway through the last term. The Eagles won the clearances 31-44 in an encouraging victory for an oft-maligned midfield.
EAGLES PREVAIL LATE: Full match coverage and stats
5. Kennedy sets the pace
At the sixth minute mark of the first quarter, Josh Kennedy became the most prominent goalkicker in West Coast history, surpassing the 514-goal marker set by Peter Sumich. In a manner befitting of his career, Kennedy led hard into the pocket on Alex Pearce before calmly slotting the set shot from 40m. The Eagles’ spearhead was well held by Pearce thereafter but still managed three goals from seven touches and played an influential role in a tight West Coast win. It’s a fair effort from the former pick four, who struggled to make an impact in two years at Carlton. It’d be interesting to see what the Blues would do with the benefit of hindsight. Keep Kennedy or jump on Judd?
