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It's a tough one this week folks, as our beloved Eagles make the trip to deepest, darkest, scariest Port Boganaide to take on the Bogans themselves, the Paupers from Port. At this, most Girly of Grounds, the Eagles have been slaughtered, massacred, bashed and beaten by the Bogans on many an occasion.
Squads |
| West
Coast Ruck |
B |
David Wirrpanda (44)
|
Darren Glass (23) |
Matthew Spangher (30) |
Port Adelaide
Ruck |
| Mark Seaby (14) |
F |
Brett Ebert (33) |
Brendon Lade (5) |
Justin Westhoff (39) |
Matthew Broadbent (32) |
| Brad Ebert (18) |
HB |
Adam Hunter (39) |
Eric MacKenzie (16) |
Andrew Embley (32) |
Kane Cornes (18) |
| Chris Masten (13) |
HF |
Robert Gray (17) |
Warren Tredrea (16) |
David Rodan (15) |
Danyle Pearce (6) |
| |
C |
Matt Rosa (24) |
Matthew Priddis (11) |
Adam Selwood (37) |
|
| |
C |
Steven Salopek (3) |
Domenic Cassisi (1) |
Travis Boak (10) |
|
| |
HF |
Patrick McGinnity (35) |
Josh Kennedy (17) |
Sam Butler (26) |
|
| |
HB |
Nathan Krakouer (29) |
Chad Cornes (35) |
Steven Salopek (3) |
|
| |
F |
Mark LeCras (2) |
Mitchell Brown (1) |
Quinten Lynch (21) |
|
| |
B |
Alipate Carlile (27) |
Toby Thurstans (28) |
Jacob Surjan (9) |
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| West
Coast Interchange |
Mark Nicoski (6), Nick Naitanui (9), Tyson Stenglein (5), Tim Houlihan (19), Ashley Hansen (29), Ryan Davis (45), Adam Cockie* (48), |
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Matt Thomas (21), Nick Salter (19), Michael Pettigrew (36), Nick Lower (26), Tom Logan (44), Jason Davenport (41), Matthew Broadbent (32), |
Port Adelaide
Interchange |
Weather |
 |
Fine
Maximum Temperature:17
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Changes |
The Eagles go into the game at the Girly Ground Coxless again, and it could be an early finish for the big man this season with a troublesome groin. He's forced to pull out, but other than that, the Eagles have named only additions for the Sunday match with Mark Seaby named for backup scapegoat, Nick Naitanui for hype and Ryan Davis and Tim Houlihan because we can have an extended bench.
Now, I dislike Port. Indeed, I hate pretty much their entire bogan existence. However, when congratulations are due, they're due, and dropping Josh Carr for what would have been his 200th game, well that's something I'm sure we can all agree is a stupendous move. Well done Port Boganaide. And to add to that, they've also dropped Peter "spear tackle" Burgoyne, which leaves the AFL with exactly the right number of Burgoynes playing this week: zero. To counter this, they've added a few players: Nick Lower, Travis Boak, Nick Salter, Matt Thomas and Matthew Broadbent. |
Injuries and Suspensions |
The rumour mill's pumping out rumours like a dog pumps out slobber. The rumours this week suggest that Big Cox's season has been cut down to size and that perhaps Daniel Kerr won't have another opportunity to irresponsibly whack someone this year. They're a couple of big outs. Both off to Boganaide though to visit a specialist... which would seem to be Eaglespeak for give up on that one. They join a few outs - Scott Selwood's out with yet another groin injury (though he'd be happy it's not his head this time!). Will Schofield's got a back problem, Brett Jones did a hammy, Adam Hunter is possibly having a shoulderectomy...
You'd think that the aforementioned Carr and Burgoyne, if dumped, would be an injury thing, but no.... The other Burgoyne on the other hand (Shaun) is out with a knee, while Troy Chaplin's suspended (as you'd expect from a Bogan player) and Daniel Motlop's got a broken leg. |
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Lead up |
The Eagles haven't exactly had the most productive of seasons in 2009, what with still needing another win or get awarded with a Pansy Pick at the end of the year.... surely we can't be that bad? It's only two losses in a row, but the last win was over the half-arsed Poos and Wees who've been shit this year. It's worth noting that last time we headed out past Perth Airport we lost to the Snowbunnies, and that's not exactly something to be proud of...
Of course, since we lost to Mt Buller, another team's gone and done it as well. The Boganaide. And they have even less excuse since they're supposedly still in the hunt for a spot in the eight. It appears the Demons don't want their Pansy Pick too badly after all. In fact, the Bogans have won only three games in the last nine (since knocking off the Crowbots back in round 6) - and two of those were Tankmantle and Tankmond (the other was an unexpected win over the Lions two weeks back). Hopefully we won't see an appearance of the Tank Coast Tankgles this week (and hopefully the away team this week at the Girly Ground can kick more than 1.7...) |
Matchups |
No Cox, no Eagles? Well maybe - not that it seems to have made any difference for much of this year. This week it's definitely no Cox, so we see the resurrection of Mark Seaby as number one ruck. You can't go in to a game against Dean Bogan and (Port) Bogan Lade with Lynchy as the number one ruckman.
Now we've touched on the lack of Burgoynes that we're all celebrating this week, but distressingly it doesn't come with an equivalent lack of Corneses; Kane being one of the leaders of the Bogan midfield, alongside the likes of Steven Salopek, Dom Cassisi, Danyle Pearce, and the annoying run of David Rodan. On the odd chance that the Eagles midfield actually shows up at an away venue, it looks one that the Eagles can match, even sans-Kerr - Andrew Embley's been showing a return to form, Matt Priddis usually brings his own footy (though if he kicks it he often brings a carcass load of butchering - handball it Sideshow Matt, handball it...), and there's been a bit of good footy from Chris Masten (despite the weekly scapegoating he seems to get) and Brad Ebert in recent weeks.
Now, to those of you who regularly visit these pages, you'll have seen an oft asked question: which small forward will torture the Eagles defence this week. (For those playing at home, last week's answer was "A", Steven Milne). There's always one, and Milne's late appearance last week resulted in Scape Nicgoateri (formerly known as Mark Nicoski) being blamed for everything from the Global Financial Crisis to the fact Robert Walls is still allowed to speak. With no Motlop, Rodan's a likely candidate for this position this week.
Up forward the Eagles actually kicked straight last week.... I know, we were all in shock. Eleven goals and only four behinds says that someone pointed out to Eagles forwards how the scoring works in Australian Rules football - about time.... So, can it be repeated this week? Of course, the Eagles leading goalkicker, Mark LeCras kicked three of the behinds, but he's the danger man up forward. Or maybe Josh Kennedy who seems tantalisingly close to a breakout game can dominate... who knows. |
Recent Meetings
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Back in round two, our nemeses came over to Subiaco, and probably expecting a normal panic attack at the sight of teal from West Coast, forgot to bother actually playing - having to slink home on the back of a 50 point loss. I enjoyed that a lot.
(incidentally, don't read much into that four goal loss last year - the Eagles kicked six of the last seven goals in that game to still lose by 24 points) |
| 2009, Round 2 |
Subiaco Oval |
| West Coast |
|
4.3 |
|
10.6 |
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16.8 |
|
19.11 (125) |
| Port Adelaide |
|
1.6 |
|
4.9 |
|
8.12 |
|
10.15 (75) |
| Sun 5th Apr 2009 |
West Coast by 50 |
| 2008, Round 5 |
Subiaco Oval |
| Port Adelaide |
|
2.7 |
|
10.11 |
|
15.11 |
|
19.14 (128) |
| West Coast |
|
3.3 |
|
5.4 |
|
9.5 |
|
16.8 (104) |
| Sun 20th Apr 2008 |
Port Adelaide by 24 |
| 2007, Qualifying Final |
Football Park |
| Port Adelaide |
|
1.3 |
|
2.6 |
|
6.9 |
|
9.14 (68) |
| West Coast |
|
2.3 |
|
3.6 |
|
7.10 |
|
9.11 (65) |
| Fri 7th Sep 2007 |
Port Adelaide by 3 |
| 2007, Round 15 |
Football Park |
| Port Adelaide |
|
5.9 |
|
10.13 |
|
17.16 |
|
22.21 (153) |
| West Coast |
|
1.1 |
|
3.4 |
|
6.6 |
|
9.8 (62) |
| Sat 14th Jul 2007 |
Port Adelaide by 91 |
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Head to Head |
| Overall: |
|
West Coast |
6 |
|
Port Adelaide |
12 |
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Draws |
0 |
| At Football Park |
|
West Coast |
1 |
|
Port Adelaide |
7 |
|
Draws |
0 |
| West Coast biggest win: |
117 points; West Coast 27.17 (179) d Port Adelaide 9.8 (62) at Subiaco Oval, 2005, Round 10 |
| Port Adelaide biggest win: |
112 points; Port Adelaide 24.19 (163) d West Coast 7.9 (51) at Football Park, 2001, Round 22 |
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Summary |
Now, if I were a betting man (which given my footy tipping it's a good thing I'm not), I'd be inclined to suggest, very quietly, that the Eagles are having a few problems when playing at venues outside of Subiaco, and that perhaps it would be financially prudent to put your money on something else. Like a three legged horse in the fifth at Upper Woop Woop. Plus, it's Port at the Girly Ground - which is one that hasn't appeared in the "W" column since 1998. And given a certain tendency to let the opposition get a five goal start the minute the venue's more than ten kilometers from the Indian Ocean, well...
Anything's possible. Josh Carr may turn out to be a good bloke for instance. Kevin Sheedy may be sane. Andrew Demetriou may retire as the most beloved administrator the game's ever seen. And yeah, the Eagles may indeed win this one. But I'm not exactly expecting it. |
Prediction: Port Boganaide by nine points |
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