Wow

From WCE website.

Eagles repeat the dose
11 June 2006
Justin Chadwick
Exclusive to afl.com.au
West Coast has staged its second remarkable comeback in a row, kicking eight goals to two in the final quarter to record a thrilling 11-point victory against a valiant Carlton at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

Last week, the Eagles snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when they overran Geelong at Skilled Stadium after falling nine goals behind midway through the third term.

This week, the comeback was from 44 points down nine minutes into the third term, as the Eagles displayed the same grit from the Skilled Stadium clash to record an amazing 16.15 (111) to 15.11 (101) win.

Adam Hunter was the hero for the Eagles, kicking three of his four goals in the pulsating final term, while Michael Embley also lifted and kicked the final two goals of the match to secure the win.


Ben Cousins, Chad Fletcher, Rowan Jones and David Wirrpanda all lifted in the second half, with Quinten Lynch finishing with three important goals.

In what was billed as a David and Goliath battle, Carlton defied the odds for much of the game, and if it was any other side they were playing, would have certainly returned home with the four points.

Brendan Fevola was magnificent up forward with six goals, while youngster Marc Murphy, Nick Stevens, and Heath Scotland were prominent all afternoon.

Lance Whitnall continued his career-best form with a stellar performance in defence, while Eddie Betts was a livewire up forward with three goals.

The Eagles have now won five games on the trot since a narrow loss to Fremantle in round six, while in contrast, Carlton has lost its past four matches and can look forward to some early picks in this year's national draft with just two wins to its name.

West Coast entered the match as the shortest-priced favourites in modern AFL betting history, with odds of $1.04 to win the match with TAB Sportsbet, and Brent Staker got them off to the perfect start with a goal after just 80 seconds.

But for the remainder of the term it became the Fevola show, as the Blues' spearhead slammed home four goals for the quarter opposed to Darren Glass.

Simon Wiggins also chipped in with two, as the visitors opened up a surprising, but well-deserved 17-point lead at quarter time.

The margin was reduced back to seven points early in the second quarter after goals to Lynch and Ashley Hansen, but the Blues settled, with Betts posting consecutive goals.

Fevola's influence was quelled by Glass for most of the second quarter, but he managed to find space in the final few seconds, snapping a magnificent goal right on the half time siren - his fifth - to stretch the lead to 26 points at the main break.

The Blues were simply more effective when they had the ball in the first half, highlighted by the fact that West Coast had 13 more possessions, yet six less scoring shots.

If the Eagles weren't hitting the panic button at half time, they certainly were early in the third term, as the Blues kicked three unanswered goals as the lead ballooned out to 44 points at the nine-minute mark.

Lynch broke the trend with his third goal four minutes later, and when Mark Nicoski goaled on the run at the 23-minute mark, the momentum was beginning to shift the Eagles way.

It was left to Fevola to step up once again, and the 25-year old didn't disappoint, slotting through his sixth to extend the lead back out to 34 points with five minutes remaining in the quarter.

However, the home side continued to push, and with Carlton flooding back to protect its lead the Eagles feared midfield began to kick into action.

Hunter reaped the benefits when he drifted forward, threading through a goal deep inside the left full-forward pocket to reduce the margin to 29 points heading into the final change.

The Eagles' forward then kicked the first goal of the final term to ignite the 40,090 crowd and bring West Coast back to within 23 points, but Scotland kicked truly at the five-minute mark to restore the lead.

With the margin 28 points at the 13-minute mark, the Eagles needed something special and it was Hunter who once again delivered, slamming home consecutive goals to lift his side.

The tempo had lifted, and the Eagles began to run all over Carlton as the Blues' tired legs became apparent.

Daniel Chick somehow managed to get boot to ball as he was slung to kick an important goal, and when Cousins streamed into an open goal and kicked truly, the margin was just two points with less than four minutes remaining.

Stand-in captain Embley brought his team home, kicking two goals in as many minutes to give the Eagles the lead, and a few seconds later the win, as the final siren sounded to the jubilation of the West Coast players.

An in-form Port Adelaide side awaits the Eagles at AAMI Stadium next week in what will be an interesting match, while Carlton has a bye before returning to Telstra Dome to tackle fellow strugglers the Kangaroos.


WEST COAST: 3.3, 5.6, 8.11, 16.15 (111)
CARLTON: 6.2, 9.8, 13.10, 15.11 (101)
GOALS – West Coast: Hunter 4, Lynch 3, Embley 2, Jones, Staker, Hansen, Nicoski, Wirrpanda, Chick, Cousins
Carlton: Fevola 6, Betts 3, Wiggins, Scotland 2, Murphy, Stevens
BEST – West Coast: Hunter, Rosa, Wirrpanda, Embley, Braun, Chick,
Carlton: Fevola, Whitnall, Betts, Scotland, Murphy, Houlihan
INJURIES – West Coast: tbc
Carlton: Nil
CHANGES – West Coast: Nil
Carlton: Nil
REPORTS - Nil
UMPIRES - Rosebury, Margetts, Hendrie
CROWD - 40,090 at Subiaco Oval, Perth