‘Twin tower’ Eagles redeemed
WEST Coast twin towers Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling can smile about it now, but both feared history was repeating itself early in the 2018 AFL grand final.
With one goal between them, Kennedy and Darling were the poster boys for West Coast’s disappointing display in their 2015 grand final loss to Hawthorn.
Each had moments to forget on Saturday as Collingwood romped to an early 29-point lead at the MCG before the Eagles rallied to score a thrilling five-point win.
Kennedy missed a set shot he would usually gobble up with the first scoring attempt of the match against the Pies, then got in Daniel Venables’ way for what should have been an easy mark right in front of goal.
“I missed that first one and then they kicked five in a row … I was thinking ‘Oh no, here we go again’,” Kennedy said.
“But it was a great fight back by the boys, great resilience. We were in that position a few years back and we didn’t handle it very well. .”
Kennedy finished with three goals, 18 possessions and 11 marks. Darling’s entire first half was nothing short of disastrous. The key forward wasn’t a factor with just three touches but roared to life after the break to be instrumental in the third quarter with six marks and a goal.
“I just had to stick at it for four quarters … as a forward it doesn’t always go your way,” Darling said.
“It was good to get a few marks … I ended up doing OK.
“It’s much better being on the other side (after 2015). I knew we were much more prepared for this. We’re premiership players and a premiership team … no one can take that away from us.”
Darling even managed to survive a repeat of a muchdiscussed dropped mark. His third-quarter flub in the 2015 premiership decider came to encapsulate West Coast’s bad day at the office.
He missed the chance to ice the game soon after Dom Sheed’s stunning goal when he inexplicably dropped the easiest of marks just outside the goal square with just over a minute left.
“I did drop a mark there but thankfully the damage was done,” he said with a wry smile. “I wasn’t worried about taking the mark … I was focused on what I was going to do with the ball. It just goes to show you’ve got to stay in the moment … I was thinking about what I was going to do next.”