West Coast v North Melbourne: All the news, intel and key takeaways from AAMI Community Series pre-season match
West Coast gave up plenty in their trade for Liam Baker, but the former Tiger might already be a fan favourite. Plus the young Kangaroo in line to play round 1.
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West Coast fans were filthy when the club traded away pick three in pursuit of Liam Baker.
But the 7,000 odd in attendance at Hands Oval were screaming his name as the former Tiger kicked the winning goal against North Melbourne in a surprisingly thrilling pre-season clash.
In a dramatic finish, wingman Jayden Hunt put West Coast ahead by one point with a ridiculous snap from the pocket late in the fourth quarter. Nick Larkey had the opportunity to respond but missed from a tight angle. Then Baker, infringed upon in a marking contest, kicked the sealer from the paint to secure a memorable two-point win.
Jack Darling threatened to be the villain late with a late goal against his former side but West Coast held on despite the Kangaroos dominating large parts.
In a game largely dictated by the Bunbury wind, West Coast started sluggishly but fought back to kick 5-1 goals in the second term to take a three-point lead at half-time.
Without captain Jy Simpkin (virus) and experienced recruit Luke Parker (managed), North Melbourne’s emerging midfield brigade was slick, skilful and dominant. Led by Harry Sheezel (36 disposals), the Kangaroos came out firing in the first quarter and quickly led clearances 9-1, resulting in a 27-11 half-time lead in inside 50s.
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North Melbourne continued to dominate scoring shots but kept the Eagles in the game with their inaccuracy. Andrew McQualter’s new high octane game plan showed glimpses of promise but was let down by skill.
Jake Waterman was prominent in attack for the Eagles, kicking three first half goals. No.1 draft pick Harley Reid had Tom Powell for company at most stoppages and was quiet bar a spectacular marking attempt late.
The two sides will meet again in Bunbury in June.
NEW RECRUITS
Jack Darling very nearly enjoyed the perfect start against his former side. Second in West Coast’s all-time games played and goals tallies, it was a strange sight to see Darling in the blue and white stripes. But while there were a few isolated boos, Eagles fans were generally respectful of their former whipping boy, except when he got off the leash early. The 32-year-old reeled in his first mark of the match within the opening minute of play, breaking away from All-Australian defender Jeremy McGovern on the lead. He missed the set shot and he missed two more within the space of 15 minutes, spoiling what could’ve been a productive start. Liam Baker was the pick of West Coast’s new faces, providing plenty of bounce and drive at half-back to finish with 18 disposals. Fellow former Tiger Jack Graham applied plenty of defensive pressure around the ball. The 27-year-old floored Bailey Scott with a massive bump in the third quarter. Caleb Daniel was composed and efficient in defence.
HOT TAKE
One of the big positional queries at West Coast this pre-season has been the ruck battle between Matt Flynn and Bailey Williams. Flynn is the more traditional ruck of the pair but has been injury-prone. While Williams is mobile but undersized. In their final pre-season audition, neither made a significant statement. Flynn got the first crack in the middle but gave away three free kicks in the first quarter alone and struggled to connect with his midfielders. Williams spent a lot of time forward and launched for several marks but finished with just three disposals and four hitouts. The pair were comfortably outpointed by Tristian Xerri (16 disposals, 34 hitouts).
ROOKIE WATCH
It didn’t take long for Finn O’Sullivan to announce himself as a contender for a round 1 debut. Pick two in last year’s AFL draft, coach Alastair Clarkson has already earmarked O’Sullivan as a player ready to make an instant impact this year. And with his first touch of the game, the 18-year-old went from tracking backwards to turning sharply and hitting a target. Minutes later, he had his first goal assist to his name after calmly assessing his options and kicking to Nick Larkey who had 12cm on Tom Cole. As one of eight top 10 draft picks playing for North, O’Sullivan is making a strong case for a round 1 debut after finishing with 18 touches. West Coast first-round pick Bo Allan continues to grow in confidence in defence, using his physicality, athleticism and speed to have an impact at half-back. Archer Reid got the nod ahead of fellow ruck/forward Jack Williams, who spent the first three quarters on the bench, and showed glimpses in attack without taking his chances.
WHAT THE COACHES SAID
North Melbourne assistant coach Xavier Clarke has praised the Kangaroos newfound mix of youth and experience, headlined by off-season Jack Darling.
Despite dominating large parts of the contest, the Kangaroos went down to West Coast by two points after Liam Baker kicked a late sealer.
But Clarke believes there is still plenty to take from the narrow loss, including the form of Darling.
The 32-year-old threatened to be the villain against his former side, kicking a late goal that kept North Melbourne within touching distance. He also had three shots on goal in the first quarter playing on All-Australian defender Jeremy McGovern but missed them all.
“It would’ve been nice if those first two shots were goals for us and for him,” Clarke said. “But I thought he did a really good job.
“He’s going to be fantastic for us. That last quarter, he laid a couple of big tackles.
“He’s going to be valuable for our young group. As the season goes on, hopefully we start to see his polish come and finishing off his work.”
Darling also backed-up Tristian Xerri in the ruck, finishing with six hitouts.
Without Luke Parker (managed) and Jy Simpkin (illness), North Melbourne’s young midfield inspired a powerful first half against the Eagles, leading inside 50s 27-11 at the main break. While West Coast eventually got a foothold in the contest and made the most of their chances, Clarke said there were plenty of positives to take from the inaccurate 11.5 (71) to 9.15 (69) defeat.
“Our job as coaches is to still believe in this team,” he said. “We’re young.
“We want to get continuity and consistency in this game plan. The challenge is how we continue to get better.
“We all want to win games. We’ve got work to do. But hopefully during the season, we start to turn these games into wins.
“Some of the key indicators of the game really went our way. The disappointing thing is that we left goals out on the table. It’s something we’ll need to continue to work on.”
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter was full of praise for off-season recruit Baker who finished with 18 disposals and five inside 50s to go with the sealer.
“Liam is an incredibly good player,” McQualter said. “He’s experienced and has played under a similar system.
“He’s in the leadership group for a reason and he has great values.”
Both sides will return to Bunbury in round eight for premiership points after a successful dress rehearsal.
“I love community grounds and this is one of the best I’ve seen,” McQualter said.
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Originally published as West Coast v North Melbourne: All the news, intel and key takeaways from AAMI Community Series pre-season match
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