Eagles bag 61-point triumph over Blues - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Eagles bag 61-point triumph over Blues

By Tim Clarke 22/04/2007 07:37:14 PM Comments (0)

West Coast's unbeaten start to the 2007 AFL season remains unblemished after the reigning premiers brushed away a willing Carlton 14.16 (100) to 4.15 (39) at Subiaco Oval.

Although life at the Eagles is never truly regulation, this result was, with the premiers breaking out to an early four-goal lead and increasing it at every change, racking up an amazing 469 possessions in the process.

As usual, Chris Judd and Daniel Kerr were masters of the midfield, combining for 63 possessions, eight clearances and 13 hard-ball gets, but were matched by Rowan Jones, Brett Jones and Ash Hansen's bag of four.

For Carlton, Matthew Lappin and Heath Scotland enjoyed decent days - in contrast to Brendan Fevola who ended with a consolation goal and was placed on report for a late, high forearm to Tyson Stenglein's head.

But no-one could argue with David Wirrpanda as best-on-ground, whose four goals were allied with some freakish skills in the wet conditions that arrived seconds into the game.

As if the heavens were waiting for the West Coast race to open before they did, a torrential downpour arrived on the opening bounce.

With the rain hammering, West Coast did the same to the Carlton backline - with Wirrpanda's early forward posting causing the Blues numerous headaches.

It was the veteran who opened the scoring in a quarter that was special, even by his standards.

Two goals, 12 possessions, three inside 50s, two hard-ball gets and two loose ball gets, all with the rain still descending, set up the Eagles's early buffer.

And with Judd and Kerr continuing their duel assault on a Brownlow Medal, their early opponents Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs were given a lesson in midfield dominance.

Only Nigel Lappin had managed to breach the Eagles' defence in the first term - and odds of $10 on the Blues to mount a comeback were harsh but fair.

After Wirrpanda continued his stellar day with a third goal 30 seconds into the second term, the torrent from the sky threatened to be replicated on the scoreboard.

But as the rain eased so did the home side's pressure, with the Blues slowly edging their way into the contest - a bit too forcefully in Fevola's case.

The only provocation the forward could claim for his silly contact with Stenglein was his side being taunted every time they looked at the scoreboard.

But after umpire Stephen McBurney took Fevola's name, Brad Fisher got his on the scoresheet, the last goal for either side in a dour term.

With Jordan Russell continuing his education with an extended spell on Judd that left him gasping for air, the 40,000 inside Subiaco were left doing the same when Shannon Hun's third career goal in the third term hit the fence on the full from 70m to take the lead to six goals.

And the magnitude of Hurn's major, seconds after Jarrad Wait had missed a simple chance at the other end, broke the Blues' resistance, with Hansen's freakish fourth late on a fitting finale.

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