WEST Coast has snapped a seven-game losing streak and put a dent in Adelaide's top-four aspirations with an upset 50-point win over the Crows at Subiaco Oval last night.
The Crows romped to a 76-point win when the teams last met in round two, but an inexperienced Eagles outfit showed new resolve as they celebrated David Wirrpanda's 200th game in style with the 14.13 (97) to 5.17 (47) triumph. It had been so long between drinks that in the rooms after the match, no less than seven players stood inside the players' circle, singing the club song for the first time.
It was an impressive performance from the Eagles, whose intense forward line pressure, slick ball movement and gut-busting runs stunned the wayward Crows.
Eagles defender Beau Wilkes and midfielder Tim Houlihan impressed on debut, while Andrew Embley starred with 29 possessions and two goals.
Matt Priddis, Matt Rosa and Chad Fletcher were also prominent, while Brett Jones kept Brett Burton goalless and Adam Selwood restricted Andrew McLeod to just eight touches.
Although Adelaide remains in fourth spot, it is now just two points above the fifth-placed Swans on the ladder.
West Coast's second win of the season ensured it avoided equalling its worst losing streak of eight games, recorded between rounds five and 12 in 2001.
The match also saw the first penalty imposed under the new interchange rules, with West Coast penalised at the in the final quarter when Houlihan wandered out of the holding pen.
Crows ruckman Ivan Maric kicked truly from the resultant free kick.
Adelaide was kept goalless in a scrappy opening term as both sides struggled in front of goal.
Wirrpanda missed a sitter from 10 metres out but Chris Masten kicked the only goal of the quarter to give the Eagles a seven-point advantage at the first break.
The Eagles exploded to life in the second term, slamming on five unanswered goals in the space of 14 minutes to break the game wide open.
Houlihan, Priddis, Embley and Fletcher were unstoppable as Adelaide's customary run was brought to a standstill.
Crows ruckman Maric produced a bit of magic — shaking off Wilkes and Darren Glass before snapping truly — to post Adelaide's first goal of the match at the 23-minute mark of the second quarter.
But a late goal to Embley ensured the Eagles led by 34 points at half-time.
Graham Johncock (23 possessions) and Nathan van Berlo (24 possessions, two goals) combined for three goals in the third quarter as the Crows finally showed some fight.
But whenever Adelaide looked like mounting a challenge the Eagles responded, with a four-goal-to-one final quarter icing the win.
Crows coach Neil Craig said his players struggled to cope with West Coast's intensity.
"I thought their fierceness and their will and their want was
fantastic, a bit similar to what we saw on Friday night with
Collingwood versus Geelong," he said.
ADELAIDE 0.3 1.7 4.12 5.17 (47)
GOALS: West Coast: Embley 2, McKinley 2, Wirrpanda 2, Cox 2, Masten, Kennedy, Staker, Ebert, Armstrong, Braun. Adelaide: Van Berlo 2, Maric 2, Johncock.
BEST: West Coast: Embley, Priddis, Fletcher, B Jones, Rosa, Staker.
Adelaide: Thompson, Van Berlo, Johncock, Maric.
UMPIRES: Farmer, Schmitt, Wenn.
CROWD 35,348 at Subiaco Oval, Perth.
THE UPSHOT
West Coast, struggling with just one win for the season,
surprised plenty with its demolition of fourth-placed Adelaide. The
Eagles didn't just win, they owned, kicking one goal to none in the
first quarter and six goals to one in the second.
TALKING POINT
The first free kick given away under the AFL's new interchange
rules. An apparent moment of confusion when Eagles debutant Tim
Houlihan wandered out of the holding pen as second-gamer Ryan Davis
came off the ground, resulted in a penalty and gave the Crows' Ivan
Maric a kick from the goalsquare.
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