Sunday second AFL Round 1 match is between West Coast Eagles and Western Bulldogs with the game to be played at Patersons Stadium. The opening bounce is set to commence at 4:40PM with home team West Coast Eagles currently holding favouritism. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between West Coast Eagles and Western Bulldogs.

Round: Round 1, Sunday 4:40 PM March 23, 2014
Stadium: Patersons Stadium
Weather: 31° Partly cloudy

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Odds Comparison:

West Coast Eagles	1.25	1.22	1.25	1.25	1.25	1.26
Western Bulldogs	4.00	4.50	4.00	4.00	4.00	3.90

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Preview:

The last match of Round 1 takes place at Patersons Stadium, with the Eagles playing the Bulldogs at 4.40pm on Sunday. West Coast will be favourites to win here, with a new coach in Adam Simpson after 12 years under John Worsfold. The Eagles have showed good form in the pre-season period, beating Fremantle twice and also taking out the Sydney Swans.

Big things are also expected at the Bulldogs’ camp, however, with their young team hoping to improve more in 2014 under Brendan McCartney. There will be a great match-up in the ruck for this game, with last year’s All Australian Will Minson taking on six-time All Australian Dean Cox. With both of these teams expected to improve this year, this game should offer some key insight into both camps.

Teams:

West Coast Eagles
Backs: Bennell Glass Brown
Half-backs: Hurn Mackenzie Ellis
Centres: Rosa Priddis Gaff
Half-forwards: Wellingham Kennedy Masten
Forwards: LeCras Darling Cripps
Followers: Cox Selwood
Rover: Shuey
Interchange: From: Hill Lycett Naitanui Sheed Sheppard Sinclair Yeo
New: Xavier Ellis, 26, Hawthorn; Dom Sheed, 18, Subiaco (WAFL); Elliot Yeo, 20, Brisbane Lions; Jamie Bennell, 23, Melbourne

Western Bulldogs
Backs: Picken Roughead Wood
Half-backs: Goodes Morris Murphy
Centres: Macrae Cooney Stevens
Half-forwards: Higgins Crameri Giansiracusa
Forwards: Hunter Stringer Campbell
Followers: Minson Boyd
Rover: Liberatore
Interchange: From: Wallis Dalhaus Honeychurch Dickson Young Johannisen Cordy
New: Mitch Honeychurch, 19, Eastern Ranges U18; Stewart Crameri, 25, Essendon

News:

West Coast recruit Xavier Ellis admits he was glad former coach John Worsfold wasn’t around to challenge him to a race when he arrived for the AFL club’s pre-season training.

Ellis struggled to maintain his elite fitness levels during his last three years at Hawthorn, with a myriad of foot, calf and knee injuries restricting him to just 16 games over that period.

The 2008 premiership midfielder secured a trade to West Coast at the end of last year, but he knew he was starting way behind others at the start of pre-season.

“I didn’t come over in peak condition. I didn’t play much footy for a couple of years, so I was a bit overweight, sloppy and a bit unfit,” Ellis said.

“I remember Murray Newman losing a 2km (time trial) to John Worsfold (in 2012). He would have had me too.

“But I’m fit now. The fitness staff and doctors have been great.”

If Ellis was a superstitious person, the injury-prone midfielder would have been a tad worried when he first arrived in Perth.

“I moved all my stuff over. Most of it broke on the train,” he said with a laugh.

But Ellis’ time in the west has been smooth so far.

Thee 26-year-old’s sparkling pre-season form has guaranteed him a spot for Sunday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Patersons Stadium.

Ruckman Nic Naitanui is also set to play after overcoming a long-term groin injury, with Beau Waters (shoulder) the only big name Eagle to miss the start of the season.

Dom Sheed, the No.11 pick from last year’s national draft, is a strong chance to play after an impressive pre-season.

New Eagles coach Adam Simpson spent four years as an assistant at Hawthorn, and Ellis said the former North Melbourne skipper had already won the respect of the players.

“He’s a real players’ coach,” Ellis said.

“He’s open to ideas. He loves the boys playing to their strengths and he keeps things simple for us.

“He hasn’t dropped too many vicious sprays yet, so we’ve got that to look forward to.”