A dozen Fremantle and West Coast players have been fined more than $20,000 combined following a brutal western derby clash on Saturday.
Eagles forward Liam Ryan copped the biggest punishment, a $3000 fine for striking Dockers speedster Brandon Walker in the first quarter of the Optus Stadium clash.
The incident was deemed intentional, low impact and body contact by the AFL’s Match Review Officer Michael Christian.
Ryan was also fined $1500 for his role in the first term melee that momentarily stopped play.
Fremantle star Andrew Brayshaw, who was heavily tagged by West Coast’s Jackson Nelson, was among six Dockers fined $1500 but remains eligible for the Brownlow Medal. Nelson was also fined.
West Coast midfielder Jack Redden and Fremantle star Caleb Serong, who had his shirt torn open in the scuffle, were also fined $1,500.
Eagles defenders Liam Duggan and Tom Barrass all copped a $1,500 fine for their part in the melee, while Jamaine Jones was fined $2,500 as a second offense.
Rory Lobb, Heath Chapman, Brennan Cox and Walker rounded out the Dockers hit with $1500 sanctions.
Liam Ryan of the Eagles wrestles with Luke Ryan of the Dockers during the 2022 AFL Round 22 match between the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles at Optus Stadium on August 13, 2022 in Perth, Australia. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Pictures
Ryan can accept a $2,000 and $1,000 fine, respectively, with an early plea, while Jones can accept a $1,500 sanction. The remaining 10 players fined can all accept $1000 fines with an early plea.
Meanwhile, Western Bulldogs premiership player Zaine Cordy was referred directly to the court for his bump on Greater Western Sydney young gun Tanner Bruhn.
The incident, which appeared to be a bump to the body and shoulder of the young GWS player but left him concussed, was ungraded meaning it will be up to the court to determine whether Cordy faces any punishment.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson has declared key defender Tom Barrass deserves to be selected in the All-Australian team after another outstanding display in a losing team.
Barrass received votes from all three Glendinning-Allan Medal voters for his performance at full-back, where he had 14 intercept possessions and three of his 12 marks were contested.
Having led a backline that has been under siege all season, Simpson said he deserves recognition.
“I’m campaigning now officially for Barrass to be All-Australian because he’s not just winning his position, he’s dominating it as a full-back. I think he was the highest-ranked player today again,” Simpson said.
“He’s just in the prime of his career. He’s a leader, he plays the game the right way and he’s got the balance between defending and going for his marks from him. All credit to him.
“He’s playing on the best forward in the opposition team every week and he’s not just holding his own, he is dominating. His leadership from him has been exceptional.
“We could have folded a lot worse than we are at the moment. There was that five or six-week period when we were down on personnel and we were getting touched up and I think he’s been part of the resolve that we’ve shown.”
Tom Barrass has dominated despite being under siege in defense. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
Simpson said it was clear his team played with spirit and applied pressure, and he felt they played as well as they could.
He pointed to the club’s lengthy injury list which had Jamaine Jones (back) added to it during the game. Simpson admitted star ruckman Nic Naitanui faces a challenge to be available against Geelong after playing under duress in the latter stage of the season.
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy was best on ground after winning 56 hit-outs by himself, compared to West Coast’s combined 28. Simpson said Naitanui needed a break.
“He’s playing because the club needs him, so we’ve got to be careful and don’t put any unnecessary risk on his career or next year,” Simpson said.
Nic Naitanui is far from certain to play against Geelong in the last game. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images
“He needs a good break, a good pre-season and he can come back next year ready to go. We’ve got to look at it (not playing him). We’ve tried to respect the season as best as we could.
“There’s been opportunities to maybe rest or shut down players. But to be honest, we’ve got probably 15 injuries at the moment. Some players are playing sore. I’m not whinging. It’s just the way it is.”
With just two rounds to go in the 2022 AFL season, West Coast have one eye on finishing the year and one eye on remodeling the nest for the tough years ahead.
With an important draft looming in the off-season, the Eagles will need to make room on their list to be able to bring in the young talent the club so desperately needs for its rebuild.
Following the retirement of spearhead Josh Kennedy, attention quickly turns to the other veterans on the list: Nic Naitanui, Shannon Hurn, jack redden and captain luke shuey.
The West Australian understands that Redden has reached his contract trigger, having played 19 games this season, and has earned a one-year contract extension, which he is keen to honour.
Hurn, who will turn 35 next month, is also expected to earn a new deal for 2023 on the back of solid form this season and is seen as an important figure in the club’s rebuild.
Three-time All-Australian Naitanui has played seven games this year but is in talks for a contract extension, while Shuey is also set to feature next year after managing 15 games this season.
Unfortunately for West Coast’s younger out-of-contract players, this shrinks the available space the club has on offer.
Connor West and jamine jones are both Category A rookies after signing one-year deals at the end of the 2021 season but remain without new contracts for next year.
Connor West. Credit: Mark Brake/Getty Images
West has played 14 games this season but has been hampered by injury throughout. His latest setback from him, a wrist injury sustained against Gold Coast, has ruled him out for the remaining two games of the AFL season.
Jones has played 16 games this year, including the last eight matches and is thriving in a new role off the half-back flank. Both are unlikely to be deleted.
Meanwhile, ruckman Bailey Williams you have fallen out of favor at the wrong point of the season.
Bailey Williams. Credit: Paul Kane/via AFL Photos
The 22-year-old, who has managed 16 games this season – many as the No.1 ruck in Naitanui’s absence – was dropped ahead of the western derby on Saturday.
His omission comes despite Callum Jamieson’s season-ending groin injury, with Josh Rotham brought into the side as Naitanui’s back-up ruck option.
Among the out-of-contract Eagles promoted to the 22 this week are jackson nelson and Hugh Dixon.
Nelson has been stuck playing in the twos, having not featured at the top level since reaching his 100-game milestone for the club against Geelong in round 14 – his 11th game for the season.
Dixon, the former Docker who signed with the club in the pre-season as a supplemental selection period player, has been brought in to cover the loss of Kennedy.
The 23-year-old has managed eight games this season but has been in and out of the side, playing five games in the WAFL.
patrick naishanother SSP selection for the club, played the first 10 games of the season but has only featured once since – against Adelaide in round 13. He’s listed as an emergency against the Dockers.
Tom Joycethe Eagles’ final SSP player, is on the inactive list after suffering a serious ankle injury before round one and will not feature this season.
The situation appears more dire for West Coast defender Alex Whiterden and small forward Isiah Winder.
Alex Whiterden. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Pictures
Witherden has played 13 games this season, coming in and out of the side and featured as late as round 19 against St Kilda.
But with West Coast appearing to favor other small defenders, Witherden could be one of the most vulnerable out-of-contract Eagles.
Meanwhile, Winder, 20, has only kicked three goals across six games this season, all in one match against Greater Western Sydney.
A decision on his contract may come down to premiership forward willie rioliwho is understood to be weighing up his future.
West Coast has reportedly offered the 27-year-old a two-year deal, which Rioli is yet to sign.
Fremantle should make a play for retired West Coast Eagles great Josh Kennedy to fill a whole in their forward-line as they chase a maiden premiership, according to Kane Cornes.
The former Port Adelaide player and media commentator wrote in his exclusive column for The West Australian that the Dockers should sound out the legendary Eagle in a bid to lure him across town.
The Dockers are finals-bound for the first time since 2015 this year, but are preparing for the widely tipped departure of talisman Rory Lobb to the Western Bulldogs.
READ KANE CORNES’ FULL COLUMN ON WHY FREMANTLE SHOULD CHASE WEST COAST LEGEND JOSH KENNEDY HERE
The durability of fellow key forward Matt Taberner has also come under question in recent weeks as the Dockers put the tall on ice until finals.
Cornes said Fremantle should plead with Kennedy to back-flip on his recent retirement decision on a set of generous terms which would see him not train before Christmas and be rested for a number of games, particularly away from home.
Kennedy kicked 723 goals across a 17-year career at Carlton and West Coast, eight of which came during a moving farewell to Eagles fans against Adelaide on Sunday.
Kennedy kicked eight goals in his final game for West Coast on Sunday. Credit: simon santi/The West Australian
“West Coast’s all-time greatest goal-kickers still has plenty of petrol in his tank,” Cornes wrote.
“His stunning eight-goal display against Adelaide in his final game on Sunday proved it.
“Fremantle needs Kennedy. The Dockers must pitch him an offer he cannot refuse so that he ignores the option of retirement to become a critical part of Fremantle’s premiership push.
Cornes ruled the Dockers out of premiership contention, despite them circling a top-four finish, but said they could put themselves well and truly in the mix next season with the recruitment of a big key forward.
“Unfortunately, Fremantle is not good enough to win this year’s flag,” he wrote.
“However, the Dockers are capable of saluting next season if they address the big, critical need to find a match-winning forward.
“Lobb will not be at Fremantle next season. He is joining the Western Bulldogs.”
Two separate but intertwining careers began their journey to an end last week.
I was in primary school when David Mundy played his first game for Fremantle and high school when Josh Kennedy first stepped out on to Subiaco Oval for the West Coast Eagles.
You can measure the impact of a footballer in the wake of their leave, in the flowing tributes and flowery obituaries for their playing careers.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.
In Kennedy and Mundy, both West Coast and Fremantle fans are losing people who represented their teams with grace and brilliance, but also perfectly reflected the ethos supporters clung to.
The Eagles have prided themselves on their big name players and they have not had many bigger than the generational key forward with an iconic beard, who ended his career as a member of the 700-goal club.
Kennedy arrived as the consolation prize in the Chris Judd trade but as it turned out, the three-time All-Australian helped West Coast win an unwinnable trade.
West Coast’s Josh Kennedy waves goodbye after his final game. Credit: simon santi/The West Australian
It is rare a club trades away a generational midfielder and winds up happier in the long-run but Kennedy, who kicked 429 goals between 2011 and 2017 and kicked three crucial majors in their 2018 grand final, became the Eagles’ greatest forward of all time .
Kennedy may not have actively sought out the limelight, but like so many bullet passes inside 50, fame found him as he became one of the AFL’s star forwards.
If West Coast are kings of the big game, Kennedy was football royalty and even among a plethora of fellow stars — Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Jeremy McGovern — he stood and head and shoulders above them.
Throughout his spell at West Coast, the club have been driven by a pursuit of excellence and sustained success and no Eagle has personified those traits more than Kennedy.
His final bow was a fitting finale, an eight-goal avalanche showcasing his prodigious talents one final time to drag West Coast kicking and screaming into a close contest, his star shining brightest among the on-field mire that has plagued the side this season.
If Kennedy was the perfect West Coast servant — a loyal clubman with a star profile and elite ability in spades — the reliable and understated Munday was an equally excellent representative of Fremantle.
When Mundy had the ball, the sense of relief among Fremantle fans was palpable; the level of comfort was akin to settling on to the coach with a bucket of popcorn to watch your favorite film.
David Mundy following Fremantle’s win over the Western Bulldogs. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images Credit: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
You could count on your hand the amount of times Mundy, the epitome of the savvy veteran, made the wrong decision and even when he did turn the ball over, the intent was right.
Part of the allure of Mundy for Fremantle fans was not just his dependability, but also how underrated he was around AFL circles.
Mundy won his lone All-Australian jersey in 2015 as a 30 year-old, but Fremantle fans had known how good and consistent Mundy was long before then.
He was understated around the league, never getting the headlines his more famous teammates Nat Fyfe and Matthew Pavlich earned, even though he was almost as deserving.
In many ways, Mundy reflected the Purple Haze, and Fremantle fans saw so many of the traits they revere and have bought into Mundy.
He has always been a hard-working, passionate battler who has gone about his work to the nth degree, despite perhaps not always getting the wider plaudits he has served.
The Dockers’ history book devotes many a page to their identity as an industrious outfit who may not always have been the star attraction in a footy-mad town, but will always be honest in their performance and Mundy fits the bill to a T.
For all of Pavlich’s goals and Fyfe’s game-breaking ability, Mundy’s steady hand and unerring consistency made him the Docker’s Docker, a player best equipped to embody the anchor.
In Kennedy and Mundy’s retirement, Perth has lost two icons who served their club to perfection not just on the field, but off it too.
West Coast star Tim Kelly has failed in his bid to have a one-game suspension downgraded at the AFL Tribunal and will miss Saturday’s western derby against Fremantle.
Kelly was cited for engaging in rough conduct against Adelaide’s Sam Berry during Sunday’s clash at Optus Stadium.
His dangerous tackle was assessed as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, resulting in the offer of a one-game suspension.
West Coast lawyer David Grace QC said the club agreed Kelly’s tackle was careless but the Eagle did everything possible to protect his opponent.
Kelly pinned Berry’s right arm in the tackle and spun his body as he took him to ground, but Grace said the lack of injury or treatment required for Berry meant the incident was the “epitome of low impact.”
“He got up straight away and took a free kick,” Grace said.
But AFL counsel Andrew Woods pointed to AFL guidelines stating that a lack of injury should not prevent impact from being rated higher given that the potential to cause injury can be taken into account.
He described the level of head high contact with the ground as significant.
He said there was clearly a risk of concussion or a serious neck injury.
Kelly said the pair’s weight shifted when Berry attempted to kick the ball and that it contributed to them spinning during the tackle. Kelly conceded Berry was in a vulnerable position and that he increased the level of force when taking him to ground.
Tim Kelly was cited for this dangerous tackle Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images
But Kelly said the Crow had his left arm free during the tackle and used it to brace for contact.
“My intention was not to cause any harm to my opponent,” Kelly said.
“It didn’t look like there was much impact at all. He got straight up and took his free kick and played out the rest of the game.
“My intention is to tackle him and try to disrupt him. I’m trying not to give him an opportunity to get rid of the ball. I know he’s doing everything he can to get his foot from him to the ball. I’m trying my best to not allow him to make that kick.”
The court disagreed.
“The key issue was the potential to cause injury,” court chairman Jeff Gleeson said.
“We consider here the potential was significant. Mr Berry was swung a full 360 degrees with force, his feet were off the ground and that arm that might have protected him was pinned. His head hit the ground with considerable force.
“We found the impact was medium.”
Kelly won the Glendinning-Allan Medal in western derby 52 after a dominant performance where he won 42 possessions and 13 clearances.
Kelly had 26 disposals and won seven clearances against Adelaide.
The brilliant contribution of Sydney and Fremantle’s young guns to their respective teams’ surges up the ladder this year have been recognised, with the two clubs making up a quarter of this year’s 22under22 squad.
The AFL Players’ Association on Tuesday night released the 40-man squad for the 10th edition of the 22under22 team, which recognized the best players aged 22 and under in a season.
Sydney, which sits fourth on the ladder, boasts a competition-high six nominations, while five players from the sixth-placed Dockers are in the mix for final selection.
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Nick Blakey, Tom McCartin, Chad Warner, James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney and Errol Gulden from the Swans have all been nominated, while Dockers young guns Hayden Young, Jordan Clark, Andy Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Michael Frederick are all in line to be named in the final 22under22 team.
Remarkably, Serong is in line to be selected in the final 22 for the first time, despite his impressive first two seasons that included the Rising Star award in 2020.
Surprise packets Collingwood has four nominees (Isaac Quaynor, Nathan Murphy, Nick Daicos and Jack Ginnivan) as does Melbourne (Harry Petty, James Jordon, Kysaiah Pickett and Luke Jackson).
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Daicos, the odds-on Rising Star favourite, has is one of only two first-year players in the squad of 40, with Essendon’s Nic Martin the other. Hawks midfielder Jai Newcombe was nominated just over 12 months after he was picked up in the mid-season draft.
Bulldogs forward Aaron Naughton and Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh are looking to be selected for a fourth time in their final year of eligibility. If selected, they’ll join Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli (five selections) and Bombers defender Andy McGrath as the only players to have completed the feat.
Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Bailey Smith and Max King are looking to be selected for a third time.
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Overall, 17 of the 18 clubs are represented in the squad, with no West Coast player in the squad.
The final 22-man team, which will derive from the squad of 40, will be announced online on August 23.
Players must have played at least 11 games in a year and be aged 22 and under for the entirety of the season, including the finals series, to be eligible for 22under22 selection.
Fans can vote on the 22under22 side by tapping here, with voting closing on Wednesday August 17.
THE 22UNDER22 SQUAD OF 40 FOR 2022
Adelaide Crows – 2: Sam Berry (midfield/wing), Darcy Fogarty (forward)
Carlton – 2: Adam Cerra (midfield/wing), Sam Walsh (midfield)
Collingwood – 4: Isaac Quaynor (defender), Nathan Murphy (defender), Nick Daicos (defender), Jack Ginnivan (forward)
Essendon – 1: Nic Martin (forward)
Fremantle – 5: Hayden Young (defender), Jordan Clark (defender), Andy Brayshaw (midfield), Caleb Serong (midfield), Michael Frederick (forward)
Geelong Cats – 1: Sam De Koning (defender)
Gold Coast Suns – 3: Noah Anderson (midfield), Matt Rowell (midfield), Izak Rankine (forward)
GWS Giants – 1: Tom Green (midfield)
Hawthorn – 1: Jai Newcombe (midfield)
Melbourne – 4: Harry Petty (defender), James Jordon (midfield/wing), Kysaiah Pickett (forward), Luke Jackson (ruck)
North Melbourne—1: Bailey Scott (defender)
Port Adelaide – 2: Connor Rozee (midfield/forward), Zak Butters (midfield/forward)
Richmond – 1: Noah Balta (ruck/forward)
St Kilda – 1: Max King (forward)
Sydney Swans – 6: Nick Blakey (defender), Tom McCartin (defender), Chad Warner (midfield), James Rowbottom (midfield), Justin McInerney (midfield/wing), Errol Gulden (forward/midfield)
West Coast Eagles-0
Western Bulldogs – 3: Bailey Smith (midfield), Aaron Naughton (forward), Cody Weightman (forward)
Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker says it’s “upsetting” to hear the distress past players feel towards the infamous 2018 pre-season camp, but insists he did everything he could as captain at the time to address “fractures” within the group.
The Crows in a lengthy open letter to the club’s fans on Monday night apologized to Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins and others who had a “negative experience” at the controversial camp following last week’s shock new revelations — revelations that prompted the AFLPA to indicate it’ I’ll reopen its investigation into the event.
Reflecting on the fallout at West Lakes in 2018, Walker acknowledged it was a turbulent period at the club despite his best efforts.
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“I can put my head on the pillow at night, and put my hand on my heart and say that I did everything I could,” he told Triple M.
“I knew something was not right post the camp, I knew blokes weren’t feeling that great about it, there were fractures within the group like some of the boys have said… and I was having one-on-one meetings, I was having some confidential meetings at my house to try and work out exactly the path to take, and I can honestly say that I did everything I could to try and fix it.”
Walker leads the Crows out the race alongside Betts (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Betts and Jenkins were among the former Crows to last week detail their distressing first-hand experiences at the Gold Coast Coast-based camp in 2018 that led to several players, including Betts, and officials to depart the club in the following years.
Walker maintains that he still took a “positive experience” away from it, but admitted it was tough hearing his ex-teammate’s disturbing accounts.
“Yeah I sit here as captain at the time of the footy club, and those boys being past players… not great to be honest. It’s quite upsetting to hear that those guys are still feeling the effects of the camp,” Walker said.
“What I will say is that, the camp, a lot of people took different things out of it and I personally, I’ve said it, I took a positive experience out of it… but that does not take away from the feelings of hurt that those boys are going through at the moment.”
Adelaide overcame the intense spotlight on the club last week to defeat the West Coast Eagles by 16 points at Optus Stadium.
And Walker suggested the scrutiny hadn’t affected the vibe at the Crows, estimating “10-2o per cent” of people who attended the camp remained at the club.
“Our mantra is prioritizing others and we’re certainly doing that to the best of our ability,” he said.
“As a footy club we still have to work through this, because sitting here you don’t like hearing that past players are feeling that way,” he said.
Carlton needed to use the Willie Rioli defense in a bid to free skipper Patrick Cripps to play in this weekend’s must-win clash with Melbourne, according to Jonathan Brown.
Like Cripps, Willie Rioli was banned for his mid-air collision with Sun Matt Rowell as the Eagle’s impact sent the midfielder crashing into the turf.
Rioli was given a one-match ban for the heavy bump, but was successful in overturning the suspension at the court by arguing his actions were not “unreasonable”.
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Cripps has been hit with a two-match ban for his similar action that left Lion Callum Ah Chee concussed on the Gabba turf.
Brown believes a “precedence” was set in Round 1 – with the difference being Cripps’ has been graded as high impact and not medium like Rioli’s.
“The end of the day, the precedence has been set for my belief when Willie Rioli was let off with Matty Rowell in Round 1. I don’t think there’s been a rule change,” Brown said On the Couch.
“To me, it looked like Willie Rioli was later (in making contact).
“Yes, you can argue that it was a marking contest however it was an aerial contest. One was in play, one was a marking contest.
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“They were both scenarios where the player’s had to leave the ground. I don’t think Patty Cripps could do much. I actually think that (Rioli’s) looks worse and was let off.”
Fellow panelist Nick Riewoldt agreed that the Blues needed to use Rioli’s appeal as the basis for their challenge, should they decide to make one by 11am AEST on Tuesday.
“Whether you are jumping in the air in a marking contest or to intercept the ball from a handball is irrelevant,” he said as Brown added: “It should be irrelevant.”
“So they walk in (to the court), you press play on the Willie Rioli tape and you walk out five minutes later – that’s how it should go down,” Riewoldt said.
Brown felt Rioli’s argument that his conduct was “not unreasonable” should apply to Cripps as well.
“The argument for Willie Rioli (was) he couldn’t reasonably expect contact in that situation and obviously had to brace – but so did Patty Cripps.”
Fans were shocked back in Round 1 when Rioli escaped sanction for the hit on Rowell, with some calling on the Eagle to “buy a Lotto ticket”.
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Gerard Whateley said the Blues were in the process of preparing for an appeal on Monday night, but didn’t think the Rioli comparison was as “cookie cutter” as some believed.
“First they have to show it’s not a bump. The second part is there an alternative?” he said.
AFL360 co-host Mark Robinson agreed with coach Michael Voss that it was a “split second decision” for Cripps.
“My flinch reaction was: ‘You’re gone Patrick Cripps’ … but I said the same with Willie Rioli,” he said.
“We were gobsmacked at the time they appealed and got off. I don’t think the court can suspend him if they put up the Rioli (vision).
“But my gut feels is you can’t have that in our sport anymore.
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“He didn’t mean to do it – but what’s more important? He didn’t mean to do it or the health and safety of Ah Chee?”
On the Couch host Garry Lyon believes Cripps’ actions are worthy of suspension, claiming it was “not a great surprise” the Match Review handed down a two-game ban on Monday.
“It’s a hold your breath moment,” he said.
“I don’t think in this state that we are in and the game we’ve got, if that goes unpunished, then we are kidding ourselves.”
West Coast have given the AFLW a taste of their new-look forward line, comfortably kicking their highest-ever score in a pre-season clash with Hawthorn.
Pitted against the expansion side in what marked the Hawks’ first taste of match practice, the Eagles showcased a much-improved midfield-forward connection on their way to an 11.4 (70) to 6.5 (41) win.
Time will tell whether the 29-point victory stacks up against seasoned AFLW opponents, but the reigning wooden spooners’ improved fitness allowed the Eagles to put more speed on the ball.
Their forward line capitalized. Aimee Schmidt kicked two goals in the first two minutes of the game, Hayley Bullas hit the scoreboard, Kate Barlett looks ready to make the most of her second chance at the club, and 2020 draft pick Shanae Davison looks ready to cement her spot after a lively outing.
The club’s first draft selection Ella Roberts was strong in the air and used the ball cleanly going inside 50, while 2021 club champion Bella Lewis looks to have recaptured her best form after a subdued season.
West Coast’s first draft pick Ella Roberts in action. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Pictures
Pre-season signings Ella Smith and Sasha Goranova started in defense for West Coast, with the Eagles again undersized down back as Hawk Tamara Luke did the most damage with four goals.
But the Eagles midfield competed well even in the absence of Dana Hooker (illness) as West Coast also managed the minutes of their stars ahead of Saturday’s pre-season clash with Fremantle.
“There’s some really positive signs,” midfielder Aisling McCarthy said.
“We had a lot of new girls out there who brought a lot of energy and it’s always good to see some new girls pull on the blue and gold.
“We worked on a few things from last season. Our fitness and our run out there….we’ve worked on a lot on our standards and professionalism.
Beth Schilling was strong in defense for the Eagles. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Pictures
“Our composition at times probably needs a bit of a lift but I think our fight and work around the ball was good.”
Despite losing 14 players from their list at the end of last season, McCarthy said the Eagles’ off-field bond had helped them fast-track on-field cohesion.
“We’re still getting to know each other out on the field. But that’s what these two weeks are for,” she said.
“I think we have good standards and we all respect each other and I think no matter whether you’re 17 or 33, you can stand up and make your voice heard.
“We’ll get feedback from the coaches and things that we have to work on and bring that into the next week against Fremantle.”
