WHERE & WHEN: Subiaco Oval, 4:40pm (AEST), Sunday, June 11
TV & RADIO: Fox Footy (Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane), Channel 9 (Perth), 6PR, 3AW (second half)
OUR COVERAGE: live scores, stats & audio, Game Day News Desk, match replay (24 hour delay)
HEAD TO HEAD: West Coast 14, Carlton 15
LAST TIME: West Coast 21.13 (139) bt Carlton 9.8 (62), Subiaco Oval, Round 14, 2005.
TAB Sportsbet: West Coast $1.04, Carlton $8.50
THE MEDICAL ROOM: 2004 Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd is the Eagles' biggest injury concern and he is not expected to return until after the split round. The Blues' injury list is not long either, however it features two of their best young forwards in Jarrad Waite and Brad Fisher. Waite's injured knee will sideline him for a further four to six weeks, while Fisher is at least five weeks away from returning. Troy Longmuir suffered a shoulder injury in his first game of the season against Port Adelaide on Sunday and the Blues are still waiting to see how many matches the former Docker will miss.
THE STORY SO FAR: The Eagles came back from the dead last week to topple Geelong in a thriller at Skilled Stadium. Trailing by 54 points in the third quarter, the Eagles lifted themselves off the deck and conjured one of their most amazing wins. The triumph took their record to 9-1 and they are a game clear at the top of the ladder. In contrast, the Blues remain down in the doldrums in 15th place, propped up only by the hapless Bombers. After opening the season in encouraging fashion with a gritty victory over Melbourne, the Blues have managed to beat just Essendon and is favoured by punters make it back-to-back wooden spoons. The season is only 10 rounds old but Blues fans are already looking towards the prospect of an early pick in this year's draft, which has been likened to the superdraft of 2001.
THE WHITEBOARD: Whether you look at this match on paper, on a whiteboard or through a pair of bottleneck glasses, the view is dim for Blues fans. The Eagles' midfield is supreme because of its mixture of class, pace and toughness, while the Blues are found wanting in at least two of the three areas. Such is the discrepancy in the quality of the two midfields, the Eagles' second best centre square quartet would still give the Blues plenty of nightmares. And if the Blues continue turning the ball over, then their supporters may want to switch off and watch a replay of last year's NAB Cup grand final instead. The absence of Waite and Fisher may force the Blues to start Lance Whitnall at centre half-forward, but Denis Pagan is likely to swing him into defence should he be forced to move into damage control. Quinten Lynch is a maligned forward, but he should get an endless supply of opportunities this week against.
THE VERDICT: West Coast is a genuine contender for the premiership and Carlton is the favourite for the wooden spoon. The Eagles have won 33 of their past 41 matches and the Blues have collected the four points in just six matches since the end of 2004. Furthermore, the Eagles have won 29 of their 31 matches at their Subiaco fortress and have not lost at home to a Victorian-based club since August 2002. There are two things that are certain in life: death and taxes. This week there is a third. West Coast by 72 points.
