North’s venture to Western Australia begins in underwhelming fashion

For North, it was the win they had to have. For the Eagles, it was the one that got away. But for the neutrals, it was an unmemorable day to kickstart North’s WA venture.

It’s football’s answer to an oxymoron – a historic day for the South West but an unmemorable game of football.

In case you couldn’t tell by the poor skill, broken passages of play and abysmal conversion, Sunday’s clash in Bunbury pitted 17th against 18th. And neither club will want to speak about it again.

For North Melbourne, it was a win they just simply had to get, even if they made it hard for themselves. The Kangaroos pocketed $2 million to take two home games to Western Australia and a loss would’ve been a disastrous sacrifice.

For West Coast, it’s the one that got away. The Eagles coughed up an 18-point lead in the final term, an inexcusable choke against a side that didn’t look like scoring until they did.

West Coast dominated inside 50s 63-41 but will be left to rue its inaccuracy, kicking 6.16. The Eagles couldn’t capitalise on their momentum but they couldn’t stop it either when the Kangaroos kicked four unanswered goals to seal it, dominating clearance 10-3.

“I thought we played our brand for the majority of the game,” key defender Harry Edwards said. “We just didn’t capitalise on the scoreboard and they ended up running over the top of us in the end.

“(We’re) gutted to not get the win.”

It makes the Eagles’ path off the bottom of the ladder even more challenging. With just one game to play until the club’s mid-season bye, West Coast is now two wins behind Richmond and two and a half behind North Melbourne.

The Eagles only play one of them, the Tigers, in the run home.

In the last five games, West Coast has shown genuine signs of improvement. But they only have one win to show for it. Learning to win is something Andrew McQualter can’t teach on the training track. It’s up to the players now.

The Roos took home the four points in WA. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

“I think we’re starting to see a better brand of footy than we did at the start of the year,” Edwards said. “We’d rather win but it’s good to see some growth.”

Bad kicking is bad football. The Eagles ran out of petrol tickets late but the game should’ve been in the bag by then.

In the most underwhelming of statistics, West Coast required 34 inside 50s to kick its first goal. The Eagles had collectively racked up 142 disposals and 0.8 before Jack Williams finally saluted late in the second term.

It didn’t stop the rot though. West Coast continued to dominate the contest and inside 50s but couldn’t get reward.

Harley Reid missed a set shot after winning a holding the ball free kick. Oscar Allen’s snap from the pocket deviated off Tristan Xerri’s outstretched finger. Elijah Hewett’s attempt from the pocket was offline.

And with each miss, the crowd groaned, an audible acknowledgment from the 12,715 fans at Hands Oval that the Eagles’ dominance wasn’t being rewarded.

The Eagles couldn’t capitalise on their early dominance. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

“It means we’re doing the right thing,” Edwards said. “That’s where the ball is meant to be. We’re just not kicking that well. We gave ourselves plenty of chances to kick goals.”

Finally, after an avalanche of minor scores, Hewett put West Coast in front midway during the third quarter after sensing the turnover and bursting into attack.

Liam Ryan made it two in two minutes from a set shot, the most free-flowing passaging of play of the contest to date.

North Melbourne had just 12 inside 50s from the end of the first quarter to Jy Simpkin’s late goal in the third term. The Kangaroos racked up 13 in the space of four majors in the last.

The positives for West Coast include a breakout game from Edwards, keeping Nick Larkey goalless, the continued rise of Hewett and some new-found territory dominance.

It’s time to turn those little wins into something tangible. ­

SCOREBOARD

NORTH MELBOURNE 3.2 3.3 5.3 9.8 (62)

WEST COAST 0.5 1.8 5.14 6.16 (52)

BEST

Kangaroos: Xerri, Simpkin, Sheezel, McKercher, Powell, Curtis.

Eagles: Hewett, Edwards, Baker, Graham, Duggan, Maric.

GOALS

Kangaroos: Curtis 3, Zurhaar 2, Simpkin 2, Parker, O’Sullivan,

Eagles: Williams 2, Ryan, Hewett, Cole, Brockman.

INJURIES: Kangaroos: Comben (shoulder). Eagles: Hewett (ankle).

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: BRAD ELBOROUGH’S VOTES

3 Tristian Xerri (NM)

2 Elijah Hewett (WCE)

1 Harry Edwards (WCE)