It was one of the best games of AFL football you could hope to see, the West Coast Eagles emerging 16-point winners over Collingwood in a classic first final at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. For much of the evening Collingwood looked like it had all the goods – they were running the Eagles off their feet and the home side was barely hanging on as they limped to three-quarter time 10 points down. But cometh the hour, cometh the men – and West Coast’s twin towers of Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling, so brilliantly contained for most of the night, booted three goals between them in the final term to deliver a 12.14 (86) to 10.10 (70) win in front of 59,585 people. The only sour note for the home side was what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury to underrated defender Brad Sheppard, who cut a forlorn figure on the bench after going off early. Collingwood was heroic in defeat, throwing everything at the home side, but in the end it was for naught – the Pies returning home to lick their wounds ahead of a cutthroat clash with a rampaging GWS next weekend. The win earned the Eagles a week off and a home preliminary final, against the winner of next weekend’s clash between Hawthorn and Melbourne. Tyson Goldsack’s inclusion, just six months after a knee reconstruction, raised eyebrows but he was well worth it – keeping Kennedy to just two touches to half-time in a brilliant defensive display. The Eagles looked the better side early on, kicking the opening three goals but Magpie hearts were warmed towards the end of the first term when Travis Varcoe slotted a beauty on the run from the boundary. That one's for Maggie. Travis Varcoe kicks the goal and every teammate gets over to him. #AFLEaglesPies pic.twitter.com/87YgS4ULPN — 7AFL (@7AFL) September 8, 2018 Varcoe sister’s Margaret Varcoe died just over a week ago after she suffered an accidental head knock during a football match in Adelaide, and the sides paid tribute to her with a moment’s silence pre-match. Collingwood’s running brigade clicked into gear in the second quarter, led by a majestic Steele Sidebottom who was in danger of leather poisoning. They booted six goals to the Eagles three, taking a three-point lead into the long break. The third quarter was as keenly fought as matter versus anti-matter – it took until the 17-minute mark for the first goal when Taylor Adams put the Pies further in front. Varcoe produced another magical moment in the third term when he chased down Luke Shuey, who was in full flight and looking to drive the Eagles forward. "Magnificent Trav Varcoe!" The sort of tackle that can win you a final. #AFLEaglesPies pic.twitter.com/MUPcs7NYnV — 7AFL (@7AFL) September 8, 2018 The resulting thrust from the Pies teed up a goal from Josh Thomas. Collingwood had all the momentum heading into the last quarter, but a big goal from Kennedy trimmed the margin, and when Darling snapped one, the home side was somehow back in front. Jordan de Goey put the Pies back ahead but a sublime Lewis Jetta snap and a big mark and goal from Darling had the Eagles out by 10 before Jack Redden extended the margin on the siren. Kennedy and Darling finished with two goals apiece for the Eagles, as did livewire forward Liam Ryan who was good early and again in the final quarter. Elliott Yeo and Redden were the key ball winners for West Coast, racking up 36 and 32 touches respectively. Adams, De Goey and Brody Mihocek kicked two each for Collingwood, while Sidebottom had 27 possessions. Swans pitiful against rampant Giants Earlier, GWS overcame the loss of gun midfielder Josh Kelly with a knee injury to end Sydney’s season with a 49-point win at the SCG. With Swans star Lance Franklin hampered by injury and shut out of the game by Giants defender Phil Davis, GWS ran over the top of their hosts from midway through the second quarter to post a 10.19 (79) to 4.6 (30) win. The only black spot came when Kelly went off with a knee injury late in the first term and despite trying desperately to get back on, he was ruled out for the remainder of the match and must be in doubt for next week’s semi-final against the Pies at the MCG. Toby Greene was electric for the Giants, finishing with 27 disposals and three goals, but he may come under scrutiny for a high kick onto Swan Nic Newman’s chest. Should this be a free kick against Toby Greene? Lingy says yes. #AFLSwansGiants pic.twitter.com/RBeul7NKCb — 7AFL (@7AFL) September 8, 2018 It was a limp effort from the Swans which saw their record in finals since the 2012 premiership slip to six wins and nine losses. Next week’s finals: Hawthorn v Melbourne at the MCG, with the winner to play West Coast in a preliminary final. Collingwood v GWS at the MCG, with the winner to play Richmond in a preliminary final.<doc-sep>THERE were plenty of huge moments in tonight’s thrilling qualifying final clash, but here six that made a massive difference. Q1 19 min: Brad Sheppard races out to a contest and gets boot to ball to beat his opponent Jordan de Goey. But he gets up clutching his left hamstring and goes straight to the bench in a huge blow for West Coast’s defence. Q1 23min: Travis Varcoe produces a special moment amid an emotional build-up to the match following his sister Margaret’s death. Varcoe pounces on a loose ball outside 50m and dobs a fine goal from deep in the pocket for Collingwood’s first. Q3 19min: Josh Kennedy steps up after a quiet first half, marking in the forward pocket and snapping truly. It breaks the spearhead’s run of three consecutive behinds to open the term and he gives the crowd a big fist pump. Q4 17min: Cometh the moment, cometh Jordan de Goey. The star forward marks on his chest from a scrambled ball forward and holds his nerve to kick truly, putting the Pies back up by two points. Q4 24 min: Jetta! The speedster intercepts a Taylor Adams handball, baulks, and then snaps truly from 45m to bring the house down. Jetta caps the goal with a Cristiano Ronaldo-like celebration as he is mobbed by teammates. Q4 26 min: Jack Darling, take a bow. The forward marks in traffic and converts to a raucous Optus Stadium ovation. The very next play, he takes a grab on the lead, kicks into the man on the mark but immediately wins back a free to help wind the clock down.<doc-sep>The AFL has confirmed the dates of the next four finals, with flag favourites Richmond to enjoy an extra day off than their opponent should they reach the grand final. In this week's semi-finals, Hawthorn meet Melbourne at the MCG at 7.50pm AEST on Friday while Collingwood host GWS at the 'G at 7.25pm AEST on Saturday. Richmond will play either Collingwood or the Giants on Friday, September 21 at the MCG at 7.50pm AEST. Camera Icon West Coast will host a preliminary final on Saturday, September 22, against the winner of the Hawks v Demons clash. Credit: Getty Images West Coast will host the other preliminary final, against the Hawks or Demons, on Saturday September 22 at Optus Stadium but the AFL has yet to decide a starting time. The AFL executive responsible for the fixture, Travis Auld, says the starting time for the Eagles' final will depend on travel requirements of their Melbourne-based opponent. Auld says Richmond have been given what could be an extra day's break heading into the grand final as a reward for finishing top in the home-and-away season.<doc-sep>
VETERAN defender Will Schofield is in line to receive a finals lifeline for West Coast’s home preliminary final showdown in a fortnight, after Brad Sheppard’s heartbreaking hamstring injury. The Eagles lost Sheppard in the first quarter of their epic 16-point qualifying final victory over Collingwood at Optus Stadium. West Coast coach Adam Simpson stopped short of ruling Sheppard out for the season ahead of scans on his left hamstring on Sunday, however the classy defender grabbed high up on his hamstring and was in noticeable pain in a worrying sign. Playing his 95th consecutive game, the longest current streak at the club, Sheppard’s night was over early in a blow that leaves the Eagles to try to win the flag without Nic Naitanui, Andrew Gaff and now Sheppard. Sheppard had been in a sprint with opponent Jordan De Goey and stretched to soccer the ball out of mid-air before collapsing to the ground. Simpson remained defiant despite the likely loss of another key player and said the club’s unity and spirit would stand them in good stead. Camera Icon Brad Sheppard stands with injured teammate Nic Natanui. Credit: Daniel Wilkins “He’s got a hamstring, so how bad we’ll find out in the next few days,” Simpson said. “Unfortunately Shepp might miss a game. He might miss a couple. But the squad mentality and the way they handle it…telling Schofield he wasn’t going to play this week was I think the hardest thing I think I’ve done as a coach.” The Eagles will have a week off, their second bye in the space of three weekends, before hosting either Hawthorn or Melbourne in the second preliminary final at Optus Stadium on either Friday September 21 or Saturday September 22. Another win would send West Coast into their seventh grand final. Saturday’s victory ensured the Eagles will avoid having to play Richmond before the decider. However the Eagles and Tigers are already locked in a battle over preliminary final scheduling. West Coast are emerging as a genuine chance of being given the Friday night preliminary final and an eight-day break leading into a potential grand final appearance, despite finishing lower than Richmond. If the Tigers played first on the Friday night, their opponent Collingwood or Greater Western Sydney would have to play off a six-day break. The AFL had not given any club an indication of the preliminary final schedule on Saturday night. Simpson said he was not worried about when the Eagles would play and said he was comfortable with having another bye after a bruising contest. “That’s a good problem. We’ll take the bye this week. That was a cracker tonight. That was on. So we’ve got some sore boys,” he said. “I’m assuming it was a pretty good game to be watching. It was a quality final. I’m really proud of our players to produce a game like that. “And you’ve got to take your hats off to Collingwood and what they came over with and obviously what the Varcoe family has been through as well. It’s been a tragedy that they’ve had to deal with.” Simpson said the Eagles were better prepared than they were in 2015. “We’ve been here before. The experience of our players I really thought shone through tonight. We’ve been there before and I’m sure at some stage they would have drawn on that. “We’ve been in the finals for four years now and been in a couple of prelims, so I’m hoping the maturity of our players means we’re more ready than we were in ’15.”