West Coast veteran Matt Owies has credited a tactical adjustment in his role for his recent strong form at WAFL level as he pushes for a return to the senior side.
The small forward was among the Eagles’ best performers in their pulsating one-point win over Swan Districts at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday, slotting a game-high five goals.
Since joining the Eagles from Carlton during the 2024 trade period on the back of a 33-goal season for the Blues, Owies has struggled for consistency at AFL level, managing only eight majors across 20 AFL games at his second club.
The 29-year-old was dropped back to the reserves following West Coast’s Gather Round loss to Geelong but has responded with two strong performances. His five-goal haul against Swan Districts came after a 15-disposal, two-goal effort against Subiaco.
After the match, Owies said he had greatly enjoyed being deployed closer to goal.
“My role changed a little bit. I played a little bit deeper, which is where I found the ball at Carlton a lot, instead of playing up high and pushing onto the wing,” Owies explained.
“Playing up high, I feel like I can impact the game with a bit of speed and work rate, but I think what makes me a good footballer is my smarts and being able to read when to come up at the ball and when to rip back onto the feet.
“It was good to get back to what I’m good at. Luckily, it fell my way and I ended up kicking some goals, but I can’t do that without the team. The big boys were great in the air and I was able to crumb a couple off them.”
When asked whether his preferred position was deep in attack, Owies said modern small forwards needed to be adaptable to whatever their side requires.
“I’m happy to play wherever the team wants me to play, but I definitely feel more comfortable deeper, as well as rotating up high as well,” he said.
“It’s probably the hardest role on any team, playing (as a) small forward. It’s pretty hard when the team’s learning a new structure and those roles can get forgotten about a little bit.”
West Coast’s senior side has endured four losses in a difficult month, including two triple-digit thrashings from Sydney and St Kilda. However, Sunday’s win was the third consecutive victory for their reserves.
This winning streak is the longest for the Eagles’ reserves since they first fielded a standalone side in the WAFL in 2019. After opening their season with a 65-point loss to Perth, they have defeated West Perth, Subiaco and Swan Districts to climb to third on the ladder, behind only undefeated leaders Claremont and reigning premiers South Fremantle.
Owies said he was delighted to see some of the club’s younger players regularly tasting victory after “a couple of lean years”.
“Winning’s probably a learnt habit. When you lose, it’s hard sometimes, you go insular and think about yourself, so it’s great for them to be a part of it,” he said.
“It probably shows the depth that’s coming through as well and a lot of those guys will be pushing for (AFL) selection.”
