No Nic Nat but Eagles still a flag contender

WEST Coast’s fortitude without Nic Naitanui will face bigger tests in the weeks to come, but on the evidence of yesterday’s demolition of the Western Bulldogs, few will be putting a line through the Eagles as contenders just yet.

With one of the best intercepting backlines in the competition and an efficient and dangerous forward line that should improve as key pair Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling find their feet after injury lay-offs, the Eagles need only to break-even in the midfield battle to win most games.

Workmanlike ruck pair Scott Lycett and Nathan Vardy are now pivotal and they shared the points with Jordan Roughead and Tom Boyd yesterday.

Vardy, recalled in place of Naitanui for just his second senior appearance of the season, is no stranger to injury heartbreak himself, having missed out on Geelong’s 2011 premiership with a hip issue.

He took a couple of strong contested marks to go with a goal in an attempt to convince coach Adam Simpson that continuing with a two-ruck strategy is the way to go.

With percentage looming as crucial in the race for top-two and top-four spots, second-placed West Coast’s 54point win at Perth Stadium enabled it to keep a small but valuable percentage buffer on the chasing pack.

In-demand free agent Andrew Gaff had 13 of his 34 touches to drive the first-quarter onslaught, while Elliot Yeo and Luke Shuey were strong contributors in the midfield.

For the Bulldogs, there was little to take away from their eighth loss in the past nine games.

It’s also 11 losses from their past 12 trips to Perth and that sole win — the remarkable 2016 elimination final upset of the Eagles which set up their flag run — seems a long time ago now.

Goals to Mitch Wallis and Luke Dahlhaus in the opening two minutes provided an early spark, but there was little substance to follow as a more clinical and efficient Eagles outfit piled on the next seven majors.

The Bulldogs kicked just four goals after the two-minute mark of the first quarter on another depressing day for the undermanned outfit.

With goals hard to come by for much of a contest played in slippery and swirly conditions, West Coast’s six consecutive goals in the first quarter were worth their weight in gold.

The Dogs were able to limit the damage in the second term as both sides missed a string of chances in front of goal, but the half-time deficit of 34 points always looked a huge mountain to climb for Luke Beveridge’s men and the margin eventually blew out from there.

The Bulldogs had fought a fairly even battle when it came to hitouts and clearances, but they had no answer to West Coast’s slick possession game.

The Eagles were able to get the game on their terms to set up the win.

West Coast took 67 marks to 34 in the first half, and finished the game with 56 more marks, in a sign of its control of the ball.

The Eagles were driven by outside runners Gaff and Lewis Jetta, who had 35 disposals between them to half-time.

Midfield pair Shuey and Jack Redden also did their best work on the spread.

The game almost ground to a halt in an ugly third term in trying conditions.

The sides kicked one goal each as the Eagles remained firmly in the driver’s seat.