Five takeaways from our 54-point loss to Melbourne on Sunday
1. One of the clear positives from a disappointing overall result was the performance of co-captain Oscar Allen. After missing 12 games with a knee injury in the opening round he has re-discovered his match day mojo and was a focal point up forward, finishing with four goals. That said, a man who you might nominate to ‘kick for your life’ missed a couple he would generally convert and will undoubtedly nail those opportunities as his touch gets right back to its peak.
2. Building on the presence of Allen inside the forward 50, the cohesion with Jake Waterman was also effective. Questions were asked on the return of Allen as to how that might work given Waterman had been the primary target this season but their skills have complemented each other. Waterman added another two goals despite playing under duress with a gash behind his knee.
Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman
3. The inability to stop a run-on from Melbourne proved decisive in the first term as the Dees rattled on seven goals before the break. After a see-sawing first 10 minutes, Melbourne took control thereafter and broke the contest open as they surged forward to slice through the Eagles defensive structure with slick ball skills and aggressive running.
4. While the Eagles matched Melbourne in many of the key areas, including the inside 50 score which was 49 apiece, Melbourne were sharper with their ball use and more dangerous in hitting the scoring areas. West Coast won the clearance battle 35-30 and centre clearances 18-8 but were beaten in the areas of contested possession (104-129) and stoppage clearances (22-17).
5. One of the important metrics the Eagles have been chasing this season has been to get the game played in their forward half. And that means pressure the attacking side of centre. While young forward Jack Hutchinson had only eight possessions, he laid 10 tackles, eight of them inside the attacking 50 and was also involved in a team high 16 pressure acts. Clearly he has some attributes that will help this team rise an d the next step for him is to win more of the ball and hit the scoreboard.