Round 20, 1997
West Coast vs Melbourne
Friday 15 August
Venue: WACA
Attendance: 21,164
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| West Coast | 6.1 | 9.3 | 12.4 | 15.7.97 |
| Melbourne | 0.3 | 1.8 | 3.14 | 7.17.59 |
West Coast win by 38 points
Goalkickers: David Neitz 4, Anthony McDonald 1, Darren O'Brien 1, Russell Robertson 1
Brownlow votes:
Nil
Milestones:
First game and First goal
Russell Robertson
Last game
Leigh Newton
Andrew Obst
Deep in the race for the finals, the Eagles were disappointed not to boost their percentage against the worst team in the competition. The game was heading towards a massacre when the Eagles kicked six goals to nil in the first quarter, aided by a 12-1 free kick count, causing Greg Hutchison to say his team was "kicked in the head every week when we get slaughtered by umpiring decisions". He sent Todd Viney to the umpires at quarter time to question the count. The lead was extended to 43 at half time, aided by an Anthony McDonald goal being the only conversion from nine scoring shots. By three quarter time they'd only registered 3.14, and the Eagles played a casual last quarter before firing up after Andrew Obst was reported for striking Peter Sumich. Obst was suspended for two games, meaning he would miss the last two games of the year and retire on 149 games.
Hutchison said "After quarter time I think you could say we had something ofa moral victory. That doesn't help us get four points, but the players could at least look each other in the eye and say they had a go".
The league investigated allegations that Melbourne changed its official final lineup just before the match.
Best were Yze, Viney, and Glenn Lovett. Farmer (back), Schwarz (groin), and Smith (knee) were injured.
Reserves
BYE
Notes
Age 16/08/1997 gives the crowd as 21,163.
Lists
Tribunal
Media
Age - 16/08/1997, 17/08/1997
Football Record - R21 1997