Glen Quartermain: Efficiency edges out control as scrappy West Coast find positives in pre-season win

It was all about rebirth at Hands Oval in Bunbury yesterday. The South-West town was hosting an AFL pre-season match for the first time since 2011. And there were two teams taking early infant steps in their journey from cellar-dwellers as they look to climb back up the ladder. It was a game of control (North Melbourne) versus inside 50 efficiency (West Coast). New Eagles coach Andrew McQualter will de-scramble this practice match and find solace in the way his young squad found a way to win. North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson will be content with their midfield dominance, illustrated by 367 to 256 possessions, with the disparity in marks also wide (104 to 61) but concerned with their inability to convert from 43 to 36 inside 50s. Countering that, the conditions were difficult, the Bunbury breeze playing havoc with kicks and minds, and the Roos have now had a good look at Hands Oval, where they will play for premiership points this season. The Roos had eight more scoring shots but were behind on the scoreboard at the final siren, 11.5 (71) to 9.15 (69) as the Eagles edged back into the game after North Melbourne’s early stoppage dominance. The Eagles started with Matt Flynn, Tim Kelly, Harley Reid and Liam Duggan as their centre square formation, with Jack Graham another key part of the midfield mix. Kelly (22), half-back Liam Baker (18) and his Richmond premiership teammate Graham (17) led the Eagles’ possession count, the latter stamping a physical presence on the contest. Harley Reid has had better games – he was shadowed by Tom Powell who had 25 possessions to the Eagle’s 14 – but showed flashes of electricity. There were no don’t argues or goals on the run, but there were 10 handballs and he survived his first game back from a lower leg injury. For the Roos, Harry Sheezel showed he had no intention of slowing down with 36 most clean possessions. The two forward lines were revealing - Jake Waterman’s dead-eye was back with 4.1, while at the other end an old teammate Jack Darling mace his first appearance in royal blue and white in his home State since crossing from the Eagles. Darling had two set shots inside the first 45 seconds and finished with 1.3 and looked reborn himself, backing Tristan Xerri in the ruck. Flynn was competitive against Xerri, one of the AFL’s premier rucks, who laid 14 tackles. McQualter said before the game he was still unsure what their centre-square set up would look like – whether it was Bailey Williams or Flynn in the ruck. He might have a better idea now after Flynn’s performance with Archer Reid his backup. Reid showed plenty forward while Williams was used to fill the void left by Oscar Allen, who missed to attend a family wedding. Apart from his ruck work, Flynn took a strong mark at the top of the goal square and converted, laid a strong tackle near the centre of the ground that resulted in a goal and fed Waterman for another.