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West Coast Eagles to face either Collingwood or Western Bulldogs in finals opener

Craig O'Donoghue & Catherine HealeyThe West Australian
VideoBulldog Aaron Naughton has gone to hospital after this collision with Dockers big man Sean Darcy.

West Coast will host an elimination final at Optus Stadium after Geelong sneaked over the line against Sydney to earn the coveted double chance.

The Eagles appeared on track to finish in the top four when the Swans jumped the Cats, but Chris Scott’s men showed their experience in the second half to win by six points.

West Coast will have to wait until after Monday’s Collingwood game against Port Adelaide to discover their opponent.

West Coast have never won the premiership after missing the top four. They were eliminated in the semifinal last season after finishing fifth.

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Geelong’s win avoided a showdown between the Eagles and AFL over the right to host finals at Optus Stadium beyond the opening weekend.

It also means the Eagles face tough decisions over their injured players, given they don’t have the guarantee of advancing to the second week of October.

Tim English and the Dogs could be heading to WA for their finals opener.
Camera IconTim English and the Dogs could be heading to WA for their finals opener. Credit: Ian Hitchcock/via AFL Photos

Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Jack Redden, Lewis Jetta, Mark Hutchings and Jeremy McGovern are all working their way back from injury, Josh Kennedy hurt his ankle in the final round while Jamie Cripps hasn’t played since August 27 after returning to Perth for the birth of his first child.

Speaking early today, Eagles coach Adam Simpson said Kennedy was expected to line up for the club’s first-week final, as was Shuey, but Yeo was unlikely.

“We will have Yeo sit down and assess where he’s at,” Simpson said.

“He hasn’t really run in four or five weeks… so it will be difficult (for Yeo) to make an assault on the finals.”

The 2018 premiership coach said the prospect of winning a flag from outside the top four would not be a daunting one for his side.

This is our sixth year in a row playing finals,” he said.

“The maturity in our group means we think we can win anywhere against anyone.

“Getting our personnel back is the next step in front of us, but belief is not the issue.

“We were terrible in the first hub… our style and our intensity was off.

“We started to click in the late games and came back to Perth and found our sweet spot.

“(But) every game and every quarter counts so much. We lose to the Bulldogs and we miss top four.”

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