Blog log from P1 of 2026: Western Australia vs Victoria

Warner roves boundary-side of the first ball up in the pocket 25m out after Pickett gets the opening clearance, he tumbles through the first goal to get the home crowd buzzing! (Q1 1:11)
Weitering falls over to allow his man Hogan to mark a long speculator by O’Meara from the HFF to the goal line for the second goal. Gropers have the jump! (Q1 2:11)
King marks a long Dangerfield floater in front of Lobb 30m out on the HFF and boots the first goal for the Vics. (Q1 6:41)
Greene draws an arm chop free on Humphries 40m out on a slight angle after a careful rebound around outer wing by the Vics. Crowd hoots, Greene makes no mistake, Vics lead. (Q1 11:21)
Butters switches from outer wing but hits traffic and gets stripped of the footy by Naughton, Cameron pounces and slots the turnover goal from 45m! (Q1 13:08)
King marks again over Lobb for his second goal from 30m. Already a shoot out. (Q1 14:10)
Warner catches McCluggage HTB at the next bounce, Bontempelli gives away 50m by playing on but the Chad misses to the right. (Q1 16:02)
Hill’s handball to Warner on the HBF is bobbled to ground, Daicos pounces and jinks a very short pass to Bontempelli 25m out on the flank, who goals. (Q1 18:07)
A lull as Weitering is assessed for concussion. (Q1 20:07)
Merrett sidefoots a crumb 20m out for a goal after Lobb’s rebound kick is off hands and turns over on members wing. (Q1 33:10)
Darcy it was who halved a contest to a Bontempelli kick against two WA defenders. (Q1 34:07)
Rowell reefs out a clearance handball back to McCluggage in the pocket whose checkside off a step curls in, but everyone knows it was touched off the boot by Warner. (Q1 37:08)
McCluggage gets another chance for a quick snap from half forward after a Stewart spoil, this one is also a curler but goes through for a goal from 40m. (Q1 41:08)
Dangerfield fluffs a set shot from 30m on the flank. He’s in midseason form already! (Q2 1:03)
After a terrible Georgiades kick clanger on members wing, Gunston passes inboard to Daicos 40m out on a slight angle, who delivers. (Q2 2:02)
Jackson marks a Naughton pass from members wing to the hotspot and squeezes in the goal. (Q2 3:58)
Bolton misses from behind a stoppage 30m out on the flank. (Q2 6:57)
Daicos misses a snap off a step from 40m on the flank. (Q2 7:59)
Anderson delivers a lovely long pass from outer wing to the hotspot for Smith who hits the post. (Q2 10:00)
Georgiades marks a short Baker pass to 35m on a slight angle who misses. (Q2 10:58)
Georgiades mows down Daicos at half back to start a turnover play, finished by Hill to Waterman 45m out on the flank who delivers a Sumich-esque curler for the goal. (Q2 14:55)
Warner goes long after the next bounce after beating the Bont, Bolton free at the fall but Cameron plays on to advantage and goals from 15m. (Q2 16:03)
Darcy marks a left-foot sizzler by Bontempelli from the centre to 45m out on a slight angle, Taylor paces behind, but the Unicorn just misses to the right. (Q2 17:56)
Daicos runs into trouble at half forward but Dangerfield roves and feeds King to slot a snap from off a step from 25m in the pocket. (Q2 20:03)
Bolton receives from Cameron and has a ping from 30m near the boundary, low-percentage and it’s across the face. (Q2 21:02)
Cripps is penalised for timewasting on the mark in the centre to bring Xerri to the hotspot for a cheap goal. (Q2 22:01)
Gawn starts a convoy of Vics streaming out of the next bounce, Gunston finds Butters at the hotspot for another one. (Q2 23:01)
Ah Chee releases Warner to jet ahead of Bontempelli on outer wing and pass to Hogan at the hotspot for a much-needed goal. (Q2 26:03)
Hill roves a Pickett contest and rolls through a goal from 20m. (Q2 26:58)
Greene pokes a pass to the pocket for McCluggage to mark going back with the flight, he goals from 20m around the corner. (Q2 31:57)
After Barrass catches Merrett high and hard at half back, Rowell centres for Bontempelli who misses from 45m on a slight angle after the HT siren. (Q2 34:09)
King leaves a set shot near side right from 30m on the flank. (Half Time)
Holmes has a long snap from half forward touched on the line, after a few set shots from both sides from similar distance don’t have the legs. (Half Time)
Baker is pinged for HTB after a hospital handball from Clark 20m out, Smith pinches the chocolates. (Half Time)
Waterman marks a Powell long ball to the pocket in front of Stewart 20m out, he curls it in. (Q3 10:44)
Bolton roves an Ah Chee contest 15 out in the pocket and beats his man to run into the open goal. (Q3 12:38)
Waterman and Naughton link up across half forward to release Jackson for a snap goal from the hotspot. WA doing enough to keep it interesting but this is as close as they may get. (Q3 14:33)
Bontempelli’s long kick from the centre on rebound allows Gunston to gather and give a Joe the Goose to King. (Q3 16:39)
Powell bullets a pass to Waterman 40m out on a slight angle who hooks to the left. (Q3 18:31)
Hill delivers a sensational low long pass from members wing to Pickett 40m out on the flank, who misses a much easier one. (Q3 19:39)
Charlie Cameron draws a high contact free on Daicos at a ball in 15m out but he too sprays a solid chance. (Q3 21:35)
Humphries fumbles a ground ball at half back and the Vics pounce in great numbers, Greene on the end of it for the goal. (Q3 22:35)
Dangerfield wheels on the HFF and kicks long to the square, misses his target Smith but hits grass and skids through. (Q3 28:36)
Bolton takes a contested grab against Holmes 45m out on a slight angle. Finish is by no means guaranteed… a shank for no score. (Q3 29:33)
Hogan marks over the pack on the behind line for the first goal of Q4 to give the Gropers some hope of a home win. (Q4 1:51)
McCluggage has time and space running to half forward from outer wing, he picks out Darcy at the hotspot whose set shot is a horrid shank. (Q4 3:42)
Hogan has the sit over Rivers to mark a long Bolton ball to 20m out on a slight angle for goal number four. (Q4 6:42)
Jackson roves Bolton’s kick from the next bounce at the hotspot and flips a give to Pickett who sets up Charlie Cameron for another one! (Q4 8:27)
Humphries storms around outer wing on rebound ahead of a flagging Daicos and finds that man Hogan again 40m out on a slight angle. Hogan brings the Sandgropers within a kick! (Q4 9:41)
Anderson pokes the next clearance off his left to Greene who beats Humphries to mark 45m out on the flank. WA crowd hoots, the champ hooks it left for a point. (Q4 11:42)
Turnovers galore as the pressure on the ballcarrier is high now, but Anderson misses the latest counter attack from 40m. (Q4 13:43)
Ash burns off Jackson with a couple of bounces on rebound, Dangerfield on the end of Butters’ pass and he eventually goals from 45m. (Q4 14:43)
Powell is livid at being pinged for a marginally high tackle on Daicos in the centre, loose Vics everywhere but McCluggage sprays the set shot from 20m. (Q4 16:42)
Greene does the same from a bit further out. (Q4 17:34)
Serong tumbles through a snap from 30m, Vics have put a gap on again. (Q4 19:43)
Humphries misses to the left from CHF. (Q4 20:43)
Waterman draws a push free on Holmes 30m out on a slight angle but misses near side right. (Q4 22:43)
Merrett strokes through the sealing goal from 35m on a slight angle on the end of a rebound. (Q4 24:43)
Warner releases Bolton for yet another miss from a gettable running snap from 40m on a slight angle in space. (Q4 25:43)
Coniglio misses from a stoppage 25m out in the pocket. (Q4 27:44)
Gunston gathers a ground ball in the pocket and just misses from 25m. (Q4 28:43)
Jackson marks a short pass by Hogan 25m out on a slight angle in the last minute for a poster. (Q4 30:32)