Soaring Eagles smash the Dockers

Updated May 27, 2012 20:32:20

West Coast decisively won the Western Derby with a crushing eight-goal defeat of Fremantle at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

Fremantle was coming off a 56-point thumping by Hawthorn last week, but nothing could have prepared coach Ross Lyon for what happened as the Dockers went down 11.18 (84) to 5.6 (36).

It was the Eagles' eighth win of the year - for Fremantle it was the team's lowest ever score in a Derby.

The game was locked down for most of the first quarter, with only one goal scored to Hayden Ballantine.

Everything changed after the first break as the Eagles found another gear - West Coast kicked 11 goals to four after quarter-time.

Lyon's defensive game-style will again come under question after the result - the Eagles had 63 inside-50s to 30 for the match, and in the second half they had 37 forward entries to seven.

West Coast's dominance was so extensive that Fremantle kicked its third goal at the 13-minute mark of the second quarter, but its fourth did not arrive until the 13-minute mark of the final term.

Eagles defender Brad Sheppard told Grandstand his team had adjusted well after a tight opening to the match.

"We knew (Fremantle's Michael) Johnson was dropping off and playing the loose player at the back," he said.

"Whenever we looked up, Freo had the loose numbers in defence.

"We talked about that ... and using our hit-out forwards (in attack), it caught Freo out a bit, we were able to kick it over their loose players."

Sheppard said he and his team-mates were happy to get the win in John Worsfold's 244th game in charge, as he passed Mick Malthouse to become the longest-serving Eagles coach.

"John has been a great leader at this club, it was awesome to play under him today and share this milestone with him," he said.

Matt Rosa won the Ross Glendinning Medal as best on ground with 42 possessions.

Josh Hill had a great first Derby, kicking three majors including a superb goal from the boundary line.

The Dockers were dominated, with the Fremantle players waiting for the siren to go for some time before the finish.

Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands told Grandstand the Dockers' defence had been standing up all year, but that the team was still working on creating more avenues to goal.

"We practiced during the week to be more attacking, unfortunately we couldn't get the ball inside 50 as much as we would like," Sandilands said.

The heat will be on Lyon as the Dockers now have to back up against Adelaide, Richmond, Essendon and Collingwood.

"We've got to focus on next week against Adelaide," Sandilands said.

"We've got six days before that comes on, we'll hit the training track very hard and hopefully we'll come out firing next Saturday."

Eagles: 11.18 (84) - Hill 3, Darling 2, Lynch, Naitanui, Priddis, Shuey, Rosa, Schofield.

Dockers: 5.6 (36) - Ballantyne, Clarke, Mayne, DeBoer, Dawson.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, subiaco-6008, australia, wa

First posted May 27, 2012 19:34:15

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Swans smash Suns

Published:Sunday, July 10, 2011 7:25 AESTExpires:Saturday, October 8, 2011 7:25 AEST

The Gold Coast Suns have lost 106-36 at home to an aspirational Sydney side in round 16 of the AFL.

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Tags: australian-football-league, carrara-4211

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Brave Hawks smash listless Saints

By Raman Goraya

Updated May 15, 2011 17:28:00

St Kilda's languishing season was all but read its last rites by Hawthorn as a injury-cruelled Hawks produced a courageous 30-point victory at the MCG on Sunday.

The Saints bounded out of the blocks with the opening five goals and a 35-point first quarter lead before Hawthorn, after losing key defender Stephen Gilham and ruckman David Hale in the opening term, instigated an extraordinary turnaround.

The Hawks responded with the next five majors in the second period to lead by four points at the long change before totally dominating the second half as the lowly Saints Kilda added just five more goals to their promising first-quarter haul.

Lance Franklin, who was forced to alternate in the ruck with the outstanding Jarryd Roughead, revelled in the fourth term, finishing with five goals as Hawthorn eventually coasted to a 14.15 (99) to 10.9 (69) triumph and a 5-2 record.

"To come back from five goals down and losing two important big players, the resilience of the group was superb today," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.

"It was a very, very important win for our club today, and we'll hopefully build our season from this point."

The victory was soured by what appears to be serious knee injuries to both Gilham and Hale while second-gamer Paul Puopolo was forced to battle through in obvious discomfort.

But with just two fit men on the bench the Hawks responded in the best possible fashion, with 13 players registering 20 or more possessions in what was a terrific all-round display by both Hawthorn's experienced leaders and young crop.

Debutant Luke Breust, who was subbed on after Gilham crumpled in a heap trying to change direction in the first two minutes, booted two goals along with Shane Savage.

"To see Gil and then Haley go down pretty early in the game, then the boys to fight on with the 20 left was a great effort," Breust told Grandstand.

Nick Reiwoldt kicked three first-term goals to have the St Kilda faithful dreaming of a revival.

But those hopes were vanquished in another insipid performance by the 1-1-5 Saints, whose season is in crisis with clashes against the Demons, Dockers, Magpies, Bulldogs and Cats in the next five weeks.

Arryn Sipos (two goals) and Sam Fisher (31 touches, 11 marks) were the only real shining lights for St Kilda while the much talked about, poor form of Brendon Goddard showed very little sign of improvement.

Breust has spent two-and-a-half seasons on the Hawks' rookie list, but said he is ready to play his role as a high half forward and received some valuable advice from coach Clarkson when he was called in to the action early.

"Clarko just said don't worry about the possessions, that'll come, just try and get yourself in to the game with tackles and forward pressure and the ball will fall your way after that,"

"I think that was great advice."

The 20-year-old from New South Wales switched to AFL at just 15 after realised he did not have the body shape to follow in the footsteps of former rugby league star and cousin Trent Barrett.

"I was never going to be big enough to play a good role in an NRL side. I was never going to be tall enough or built enough, so that probably swayed me," Breust added.

Hawks: 14.15 (99) - L Franklin 5, L Breust 2, S Savage 2, B Sewell, J Lewis, J Roughead, L Shiels, M Osborne.

Saints: 10.9 (69) - N Riewoldt 3, A Siposs 2, J Cripps 2, A Schneider, D Polo, S Dempster.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, hawthorn-3122, st-kilda-3182

First posted May 15, 2011 16:02:00

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