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West Australian
6 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
West Coast defender Rueben Ginbey on how Eagles plan to tame Fremantle's forward monsters
Young West Coast defender Reuben Ginbey is about to find out whether three-headed monsters really exist. Fremantle triumvirate Josh Treacy, Patrick Voss and Jye Amiss are fast becoming a nightmare for opposition defences. They can stop one. Maybe two. But all three? Unlikely. The trio have combined for 76 goals this season, making it one of the most potent attacking threats in the competition. And it doesn't end there. Shai Bolton and Michael Frederick have also kicked 22 each, Murphy Reid 18 and Luke Jackson 14. It was Voss's turn in the spotlight in Sunday's thrilling win over Collingwood at the MCG when he kicked six goals in his first game at the storied venue. Ginbey's form against talls, mediums and smalls is one of the few positives in a season that has produced just one win, while Harry Edwards has been impressive in another key defensive post, his 15 intercept marks over the past two weeks the equal 11th most ever. They, along with either Rhett Bazzo or Sandy Brock will be the Eagles called on to guard the three beasts in the 61st western derby at Optus Stadium on Saturday. According to Champion Data, Ginbey's longest match-up in the round three clash between the two sides was a 36-minute duel with Treacy. The forward had just two disposals and was goalless in that period. Ginbey also spent time on Voss, who kicked a goal from 12 possessions, on that afternoon. 'I've seen what he did this week, and he looks pretty good, he gets up and about and plays with a lot of excitement,' Ginbey said of Voss. 'What we love down back is playing against those exciting forwards. And obviously they have got their big three down there. I don't know which one I'll line up on yet, but definitely something to look forward to later in the week.' Ginbey has been used successfully against a range of opponents of all shapes, sizes and threats this season. He's kept Adelaide's Izak Rankine goalless, held Carlton's Charlie Curnow (in a half), Collingwood's Jamie Elliott and North Melbourne's Cameron Zurhaar to one goal and in round 12 restricted Geelong's Jeremy Cameron to one major by three quarter time before the floodgates opened. Cameron finished with five, but fullback of the century Stephen Silvagni would have struggled to defend the Cats' forward entries in that final quarter. 'I play my better footy when I'm challenged about playing on those better forwards,' he said. 'I guess with Freo, they're probably more even, like they don't have that one superstar forward, it probably was (Josh) Treacy. But you know what Patty Voss can do, what Jye Amiss can do when he's up and about. So yeah, I love to get challenged every week and try to stand up to the challenge if I can,' he said. 'I'm loving it down in defence. We've seen a lot of growth in Harry Edwards. 'He's a real leader down there for us. Like he's played 50 games now, and he's been super strong, probably one of the best players of last month, and then we've still got the experience of Duggo (Liam Duggan) and Coley (Tom Cole) down there. 'The likes of Tom (McCarthy) coming in. He's been a great midseason (pick up), and we got Bo Allan, Tyrell Dewar all running through there. 'We've got a young group down there, and I guess I'm trying to build on my leadership and trying to get my game sorted first as well.' The Eagles have let themselves down with poor individual quarters this season, often in the opening term, but against the Tigers, it was the third, when Richmond put 44 points on the scoreboard, mainly from defensive 50 chains. It followed a competitive first half, inspired by Harley Reid, when the Eagles led disposals (177-171), inside 50s (26-21), clearances (18-16), contested possession (66-60) and uncontested possession (115-104), but still trailed on the scoreboard. 'That's not the footy we want to play, but I think there's a lot of positives in the first half as well,' he said. 'I think we just weren't able to capitalise on our dominance. 'Harls (Reid) started the game awesome in our midfield. 'And then, I guess the third quarter wasn't the footy we want to play, but it's not all doom and gloom. We reviewed that pretty strongly. 'A few things to work into our team defence and our contest as well. I think it goes back to the simple things of footy, just trying to turn the momentum. 'We're just trying to work on those small things, but it's definitely going to come.' Ginbey won't take for granted playing in Saturday's derby after he grew up a Fremantle fan. 'Going down and watching some of my favourite players, like (Nat Fyfe) Fyfey and (Michael) Walters. 'I've won one derby so far. So definitely looking forward to doing that again, hopefully. But just love the atmosphere of them.'
West Australian
10-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
West Coast Eagles coach Andrew McQualter warns players to be wary of resurgent Port Adelaide
West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has warned his players to be wary of a resurgent Port Adelaide in Sunday's clash at Adelaide Oval. The Power have won three of five matches since the bye, including a fighting 28-point loss to Brisbane in round 17 at the Gabba, in a sharp turnaround in coach Ken Hinkley's final season. 'At their best, they're really dangerous,' McQualter said. 'They got some elite ball users that run and carry and can slice you up if you don't get it right. 'So we've done our planning around that and we'll train some things to make sure that we're ready for it, and then focus on our part of the game as well.' The Power midfield is led by Zak Butters, Ollie Wines, Miles Bergman, Travis Boak and Willem Drew, who is ranked fifth in the AFL for pressure acts. Captain Connor Rozee ranks eighth in the competition for disposals, reinvented as a halfback but no less potent than a starting mid. The Eagles have lost their past nine matches at Adelaide Oval by an average margin of 68 points, a record that was not helped by a 71-point thumping at the hands of Carlton in Gather Round and an 11-goal capitulation to Adelaide in late May. The Eagles are also coming off a 59-point loss in round 17 to the Giants at Optus Stadium, after being jumped in the first quarter. 'Yes, it has been a bit of a bogey oval for us. That's all part of it,' McQualter said of Adelaide Oval. 'We clearly didn't play the way we wanted to last week, but we've had a great review. We can't wait to get over there and compete. ' He said their first quarters had been a 'challenge'. 'It hasn't been every week, but there's been some where we really haven't come out of the blocks. So we're looking into it. Sometimes it's a tiny thing, so we'll work our way through it, but we clearly want to start games well, particularly interstate,' he said. West Australian product Mitch Georgiades has kicked 17 goals in his past four games for Port Adelaide to sit second in the Coleman Medal with 42, 10 behind Geelong's Jeremy Cameron, the first Power player to kick a consistent haul since Jay Schulz in 2014. Jack Lukosius also booted three in his return from injury against the Lions. 'He's one of the key forwards in the competition at the moment,' McQualter said of Georgiades. 'He's had a great year, really growing as a player, and he's going to be super dangerous. 'For any key forwards (it's) about supply. If we don't have good pressure on the ball, we'll struggle.' The Eagles have blooded three young key forwards this season, Archer Reid, Jack Williams and Jobe Shanahan, with Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman both sidelined for the remainder of the season through injury. Shanahan's game against the Giants, just his second at AFL level, was t he 15th highest rated ever by an 18-year-old key forward. According to Champion Data stats, he was the 10th and fifth-highest rated player for his team in rounds 16 and 17, making him only the fifth teen key forward to achieve a top-10 ranking across his opening two games. 'It's really exciting. We've got some players down there, like Jobe and Jack Williams, particularly, playing last week, Archer Reid showing some really strong signs. Bailey Williams has played more as a forward this year than he ever has. When you're missing your two best key forwards, it's challenging for any team in the competition,' he said. 'They're getting exposure, they're learning what the craft is about. There's not many easy games when you're a key forward, so they're coming up against really good opponents every week and I think they're showing some really strong signs.'
Sydney Morning Herald
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
AFL key take-outs round 17: Where have the close finishes gone?
With 14 wins needed to qualify for finals there should be plenty of desperate finishes in the final seven rounds. We need them. The winter hibernation has gone on too long. Do scores win premierships? History says defences do Western Bulldogs defeated North Melbourne by 49 points We said last week that it was not outlandish to think the Bulldogs could still make the top four, considering they have one of the easiest runs home, according to Champion Data. They made the most of a banged-up North Melbourne on Thursday night, and now await Essendon at Marvel Stadium. Then comes Melbourne and West Coast – an excellent run for this time of the year. But what we really have been drawn to are the number of scoring options Luke Beveridge has at his disposal in the league's highest scoring team, and how the complexion of their forward line changes when Aaron Naughton gets going. Naughton is something of a lightning rod for criticism for Bulldogs' fans. Held goalless by Hawthorn and St Kilda last month, there were public questions again, including by prominent commentator David King, whether he would be better suited to playing in defence, a switch Beveridge has long eschewed. But Naughton's five goals against the Kangaroos, four of which came in the second term when fellow tall Sam Darcy was well held by the emerging Will Dawson, highlighted why he is needed up forward. Naughton also had five marks for the term, and was the reason why the Bulldogs led at the main break. He appears a far more dangerous weapon when Darcy is by his side. Since the latter's return in round 14, Naughton has booted 12.5, leaving him with 31 for the season [Darcy has 29 for the season]. Naughton was instrumental in the Bulldogs scoring 100 or more points for the tenth time this season, including in their past four games. Their efficiency, as we mentioned against the Swans last week, is superb. From 66 inside 50 against the Kangaroos, they had 34 scoring shots. And what should be particularly frightening for opponents is that, outside of Darcy and Naughton, they have 10 other players with double-figure goals, including Rhylee West [24] and former Blue Matt Kennedy [19]. That's the recipe of a team that could inflict some serious damage come September. The only concern for the Bulldogs is their defensive profile is not where it was by the end of last season. They have conceded more points than any top eight team after 16 matches and gave away 78 points in the first three quarters against North Melbourne before tightening up. Work is to be done in that area. – Jon Pierik Forget 'eyes in' motto, Vossy. Bring fresh eyes only Collingwood defeated Carlton by 56 points at the MCG, Friday night After Port Adelaide's loss to the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, Ken Hinkley – who is handing over the coaching reins to Josh Carr at season's end – was positive about the future and said he wanted to encourage his players to enjoy their football and lead them in a way that fosters that. Carlton coach Michael Voss might feel as though he is in a different position to his former mentor, but his strong suit is, and always has been, his leadership. He needs to open the floor to understand what has stopped his team from playing four quarters of combative football and work with his most in-tune players to ensure he facilitates an environment they want to enter for the next seven weeks. The team looked tired and broken from playing a contested brand over many years, and they have stopped believing it can work. Their ball movement was awful against the Magpies. Their effort in the second and third quarters was way below par. Voss's greatest assets right now are a senior core of Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman, George Hewett and Sam Walsh who can give an unvarnished opinion on what is needed on the field. The skipper Patrick Cripps is obviously a key, but he seems so wounded he might be better off taking direction for once rather than being called on to give it, adopting a subservient leadership approach for the remainder of the season, and just focusing on keeping the group connected. Assuming he remains, as he should, the warrior Cripps should consider handing over the captaincy at season's end to Weitering. Scott Pendlebury did so with grace at the end of 2022 and has continued to excel since that point. And Voss needs to take every opportunity he can to play younger players who will be there next season and try other more senior players in different roles with Zac Williams move to the middle a good start. Ashton Moir showed signs of his talent against Collingwood and Matt Carroll's run along the Shane Warne Stand wing in the third quarter was a glimpse into his ability. Harry O'Farrell was exposed, but his lack of strength can be rectified over time, and the VFL team won again with both Camporeale boys impressing. The players can't do what Voss wants them to do right now after 82 matches of brutal football. The coaches need to find each players' strength and let them go after it for the final seven rounds regardless of results. That doesn't mean ignoring competitiveness. That will be judged but the players need to be fresh to bring their competitive best for four quarters. Right now, they have a bad case of the mid-winter Blues. - Peter Ryan More antagonistic Suns are starting to shine Gold Coast beat Essendon by 41 points at Marvel Stadium Gold Coast would have lost the match to Essendon last season. They would have definitely lost it the year before. Challenging them for three quarters away from home would have been enough for them to wilt. But with more mature stars Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell in the middle and two players inside 50 – one reliable in Touk Miller, the other a future star in Bailey Humphrey – the Suns kicked 6.3 (39) to 0.1 (1) in the final quarter. The 38-point gap was the biggest final quarter margin in their favour in the club's history. Even better they are not altering their ways at centre bounces because of a knee-jerk AFL ruling which threatens to suspend Matt Rowell if he inadvertently touches an umpire. It's healthy to hear as the Suns have been the 'how high do we need to jump?' club in relation to the AFL for too long. Of course the AFL's financial support is necessary, but they need to adopt a public position of club first in all their public utterances and Hardwick's criticism of the new ruling and Rowell's steadfast refusal to change the way he sets up at a centre bounce despite the idle threat of a suspension if he touches an umpire in play is a good sign the club is maturing. The recession the Saints had to have Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 20 points at Marvel Stadium Saints' coach Ross Lyon employed then treasurer Paul Keating's famous quote in 1990 to convey to Saints' supporters a message that the club's decision to temporarily go back to go forwards would eventually pay dividends. That strategy is appropriate and consistent with Lyon's utterances since he took over from Brett Ratten who was in fact, despite president Andrew Bassat's words at the time he was sacked, doing a very reasonable job with the list he had. What Bassatt also said at that time though was that the club needed to 'have a stronger crack at getting the foundations right.' That's why the club's decision to end their alignment with Sandringham to have their own standalone team is a significant part of their restructuring as they look to get the best out of what is now a promising crop of youngsters. What is at stake was obvious on Saturday night. Alix Tauru's first quarter tackle and third quarter mark was brilliant enough for Saints' supporters to thank rather than boo departed free agent Josh Battle. Tauru was the player they chose using the compensation pick received for losing Battle. They have obvious talents in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Marcus Windhager, who they must re-sign, and Mitch Owens but there are also players who can be excellent, consistent AFL players with the right development program. Max Hall, a rookie pick, was excellent while Darcy Wilson and Liam Henry have shown their talent but need intensive work to become consistent AFL performers. Tobie Travaglia is also promising and when they get Max King and Matteas Phillipou back fit and firing they will match it with Hawthorn soon enough, particularly if Tom De Koning, even at a price beyond what ruckman are worth, joins them. Amid all that they should pause too and pay more credence in public forums to the excellent job their skipper Jack Steele has done to keep things together while such change was occurring. He laid 15 tackles against Hawthorn and his leadership role has been underrated.
The Age
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
AFL key take-outs round 17: Where have the close finishes gone?
With 14 wins needed to qualify for finals there should be plenty of desperate finishes in the final seven rounds. We need them. The winter hibernation has gone on too long. Do scores win premierships? History says defences do Western Bulldogs defeated North Melbourne by 49 points We said last week that it was not outlandish to think the Bulldogs could still make the top four, considering they have one of the easiest runs home, according to Champion Data. They made the most of a banged-up North Melbourne on Thursday night, and now await Essendon at Marvel Stadium. Then comes Melbourne and West Coast – an excellent run for this time of the year. But what we really have been drawn to are the number of scoring options Luke Beveridge has at his disposal in the league's highest scoring team, and how the complexion of their forward line changes when Aaron Naughton gets going. Naughton is something of a lightning rod for criticism for Bulldogs' fans. Held goalless by Hawthorn and St Kilda last month, there were public questions again, including by prominent commentator David King, whether he would be better suited to playing in defence, a switch Beveridge has long eschewed. But Naughton's five goals against the Kangaroos, four of which came in the second term when fellow tall Sam Darcy was well held by the emerging Will Dawson, highlighted why he is needed up forward. Naughton also had five marks for the term, and was the reason why the Bulldogs led at the main break. He appears a far more dangerous weapon when Darcy is by his side. Since the latter's return in round 14, Naughton has booted 12.5, leaving him with 31 for the season [Darcy has 29 for the season]. Naughton was instrumental in the Bulldogs scoring 100 or more points for the tenth time this season, including in their past four games. Their efficiency, as we mentioned against the Swans last week, is superb. From 66 inside 50 against the Kangaroos, they had 34 scoring shots. And what should be particularly frightening for opponents is that, outside of Darcy and Naughton, they have 10 other players with double-figure goals, including Rhylee West [24] and former Blue Matt Kennedy [19]. That's the recipe of a team that could inflict some serious damage come September. The only concern for the Bulldogs is their defensive profile is not where it was by the end of last season. They have conceded more points than any top eight team after 16 matches and gave away 78 points in the first three quarters against North Melbourne before tightening up. Work is to be done in that area. – Jon Pierik Forget 'eyes in' motto, Vossy. Bring fresh eyes only Collingwood defeated Carlton by 56 points at the MCG, Friday night After Port Adelaide's loss to the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, Ken Hinkley – who is handing over the coaching reins to Josh Carr at season's end – was positive about the future and said he wanted to encourage his players to enjoy their football and lead them in a way that fosters that. Carlton coach Michael Voss might feel as though he is in a different position to his former mentor, but his strong suit is, and always has been, his leadership. He needs to open the floor to understand what has stopped his team from playing four quarters of combative football and work with his most in-tune players to ensure he facilitates an environment they want to enter for the next seven weeks. The team looked tired and broken from playing a contested brand over many years, and they have stopped believing it can work. Their ball movement was awful against the Magpies. Their effort in the second and third quarters was way below par. Voss's greatest assets right now are a senior core of Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman, George Hewett and Sam Walsh who can give an unvarnished opinion on what is needed on the field. The skipper Patrick Cripps is obviously a key, but he seems so wounded he might be better off taking direction for once rather than being called on to give it, adopting a subservient leadership approach for the remainder of the season, and just focusing on keeping the group connected. Assuming he remains, as he should, the warrior Cripps should consider handing over the captaincy at season's end to Weitering. Scott Pendlebury did so with grace at the end of 2022 and has continued to excel since that point. And Voss needs to take every opportunity he can to play younger players who will be there next season and try other more senior players in different roles with Zac Williams move to the middle a good start. Ashton Moir showed signs of his talent against Collingwood and Matt Carroll's run along the Shane Warne Stand wing in the third quarter was a glimpse into his ability. Harry O'Farrell was exposed, but his lack of strength can be rectified over time, and the VFL team won again with both Camporeale boys impressing. The players can't do what Voss wants them to do right now after 82 matches of brutal football. The coaches need to find each players' strength and let them go after it for the final seven rounds regardless of results. That doesn't mean ignoring competitiveness. That will be judged but the players need to be fresh to bring their competitive best for four quarters. Right now, they have a bad case of the mid-winter Blues. - Peter Ryan More antagonistic Suns are starting to shine Gold Coast beat Essendon by 41 points at Marvel Stadium Gold Coast would have lost the match to Essendon last season. They would have definitely lost it the year before. Challenging them for three quarters away from home would have been enough for them to wilt. But with more mature stars Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell in the middle and two players inside 50 – one reliable in Touk Miller, the other a future star in Bailey Humphrey – the Suns kicked 6.3 (39) to 0.1 (1) in the final quarter. The 38-point gap was the biggest final quarter margin in their favour in the club's history. Even better they are not altering their ways at centre bounces because of a knee-jerk AFL ruling which threatens to suspend Matt Rowell if he inadvertently touches an umpire. It's healthy to hear as the Suns have been the 'how high do we need to jump?' club in relation to the AFL for too long. Of course the AFL's financial support is necessary, but they need to adopt a public position of club first in all their public utterances and Hardwick's criticism of the new ruling and Rowell's steadfast refusal to change the way he sets up at a centre bounce despite the idle threat of a suspension if he touches an umpire in play is a good sign the club is maturing. The recession the Saints had to have Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 20 points at Marvel Stadium Saints' coach Ross Lyon employed then treasurer Paul Keating's famous quote in 1990 to convey to Saints' supporters a message that the club's decision to temporarily go back to go forwards would eventually pay dividends. That strategy is appropriate and consistent with Lyon's utterances since he took over from Brett Ratten who was in fact, despite president Andrew Bassat's words at the time he was sacked, doing a very reasonable job with the list he had. What Bassatt also said at that time though was that the club needed to 'have a stronger crack at getting the foundations right.' That's why the club's decision to end their alignment with Sandringham to have their own standalone team is a significant part of their restructuring as they look to get the best out of what is now a promising crop of youngsters. What is at stake was obvious on Saturday night. Alix Tauru's first quarter tackle and third quarter mark was brilliant enough for Saints' supporters to thank rather than boo departed free agent Josh Battle. Tauru was the player they chose using the compensation pick received for losing Battle. They have obvious talents in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Marcus Windhager, who they must re-sign, and Mitch Owens but there are also players who can be excellent, consistent AFL players with the right development program. Max Hall, a rookie pick, was excellent while Darcy Wilson and Liam Henry have shown their talent but need intensive work to become consistent AFL performers. Tobie Travaglia is also promising and when they get Max King and Matteas Phillipou back fit and firing they will match it with Hawthorn soon enough, particularly if Tom De Koning, even at a price beyond what ruckman are worth, joins them. Amid all that they should pause too and pay more credence in public forums to the excellent job their skipper Jack Steele has done to keep things together while such change was occurring. He laid 15 tackles against Hawthorn and his leadership role has been underrated.
West Australian
25-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers' run home is one of the easiest in the competition, according to Champion Data
Fremantle Dockers' run home is one of the easiest in the competition, according to Champion Data
