Snelling, Beech shine as West Adelaide wins first game to leave Eagles in an early season hole

West Adelaide’s first scalp was a good one as it upset SANFL premiership fancy Woodville-West Torrens on Friday afternoon.

West Adelaide’s first scalp was a big one.

With former local AFL players Will Snelling and Jono Beech starring, the Bloods ended their unwanted run as the SANFL’s last winless team this season with a stunning 37-point upset triumph against perennial powerhouse Woodville-West Torrens at Richmond on Good Friday.

After being competitive in its opening three matches without ever being in a winning position, West stunned the suddenly struggling Eagles with an early goal blitz and then broke their hearts with a devastating, seven-goal third quarter.

Former one-game Power rover Snelling led the charge with 43 disposals while ex-Crows forward Beech kicked four goals and took 14 marks in an influential display.

“That removes a little bit of pressure and starts our season,’’ said a relieved Bloods coach Gavin Colville, a former Eagles star.

“The difference for us with this game was that we didn’t let up. We’d had patches (of good football) in the other three games but this time we had a ruthless approach for the whole day.

“It was better footy - and greater intensity - for longer. I challenged them about that and they responded really well’’

The Bloods cut the Eagles apart in the middle of the ground, where Snelling was well supported by Kaine Stevens (30 disposals), Murray Waite (27) and the speedy John Noble (27 and two goals).

Beech’s prime attacking sidekick, captain Tom Keough, was strong with 22 disposals, nine marks and two goals.

SANFL match between West Adelaide and Eagles at City Mazda Stadium. Eagles Jimmy Toumpas tangles with Wests Aaron Anderson. Picture: Dean Martin

The defeat was the third on the trot for the Eagles under new coach Sam Lonergan following a decade of success under previous mentor Michael Godden, who has become an AFL assistant coach with the Adelaide Crows.

It puts them in an early season hole.

The injury-hit Eagles won their first game of the season against reigning premier North Adelaide but have fallen to successive losses to Sturt, the Crows and the Bloods.

They were slow and error-riddled against West and are clearly still finding their feet under their new boss.

A disappointed Lonergan locked his players behind closed doors after the game and was unavailable for comment.

Former Sydney Swan Jordan Foote, who has enjoyed an excellent start to the season in his return to his former clnb, was strong in the midfield for the Eagles with 26 disposals.

2012 No. 4 draft pick Jimmy Toumpas - playing his first league game for WoodvilleWest Torrens since 2012 after AFL stints at Melbourne and Port Adelaide - won plenty of the ball across half-back to finish with 28 possessions and nine marks.

But the visitors had far too many passengers.

SCOREBOARD

WEST 5.6 8.7 15.8 18.8 (116)

EAGLES 1.4 4.10 6.13 11.13 (79)

BEST - West: Snelling, Beech, Waite, Stevens, Noble, Willsmore, Keough, Hill. Eagles: Foote, Toumpas, Lonergan, Thompson, Boyd.

GOALS - West: Beech 4, Keough, Noble, Turner 2, Snelling, Willsmore, Stevens, Hill, Middleton, Johnson, Anderson, Waite. Eagles: Haylock, J. Hayes, Sharrad 2, Johansen, Goldsworthy, J. Gaffney, Hall, Rowe.

INJURIES - West: Schiller (shoulder), Evans (hamstring). Eagles: Boyd (head knock).

UMPIRES - T. Burke, A. Crosby, H. Hughes.

CROWD - xx at Richmond Oval.