The only game on Sunday for AFL Round 1 is between West Coast Eagles and Western Bulldogs. The match is to be played at Patersons Stadium with the opening bounce set to commence at 4:40PM with away team West Coast Eagles currently holding favouritism in the market. 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

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:

He’s been dogged by groin issues for the best part of 15 months, but West Coast “beast” Nic Naitanui has lost none of his explosive pace or dazzling leap, according to former Fremantle ruckman Justin Longmuir.

Naitanui’s 2013 campaign was ruined by a long-standing groin injury, but he’ll front up in Sunday’s clash with the Bulldogs at Patersons Stadium after making it through two pre-season hit-outs unscathed.

The Eagles are hopeful Naitanui’s groin issues are now behind him, with Longmuir predicting new coach Adam Simpson will be amazed by what the 201cm will produce in games.

“Looking at it from an opposition’s point of view as Simmo has looked at him from the past, sometimes you don’t get the full perspective,” said Longmuir, who is West Coast’s forward line coach

“It will be interesting to see what Adam’s thoughts are after he watches him for the first half of the year. He’s an exciting beast and he doesn’t need a lot of possessions to influence the game.

“He did a fair bit of centre bounce work in our scratch match last week and looked to have his leap there, so that’s exciting.

“Obviously his endurance won’t be at full peak because he hasn’t had the match fitness. But we’re hoping that his explosiveness is still there.”

Meanwhile, Eagles skipper Darren Glass will wait until later in the year before deciding whether to play on or not.

Glass indicated last week that 2014 is likely to be his last year, but he wants to sit down with the club’s hierarchy near the end of the season before making a final call.

The 32-year-old said the emergence of Eric Mackenzie, Will Schofield and Mitch Brown in recent years meant the club’s key position defensive stocks would be in good shape once he retires.

“Eric Mackenzie is our main defender now,” Glass said.

“He takes the No.1 target and that’s been happening for a few years now. It’s helped me add a couple of extra years to my career.

“And clearly Mitch Brown and Will Schofield continue to develop and improve. So we’ve been putting that (succession plan) into place for a long time.”