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West Coast battling manfully despite injury woes

Expert
5th May, 2015
86
1025 Reads

Over the 2013 and 2014 AFL seasons, West Coast had a 0-20 win-loss record against the finals teams. Many of you will know this as it has been regurgitated by those who deem the Eagles ‘flat-track bullies’.

I don’t disagree that the Eagles are an average side. But they are not as bad as many AFL fans claim and their efforts so far this season after being maimed by injuries deserve some respect.

In the lead-up to the season I saw numerous AFL pundits and followers tipping them to finish bottom four. Even now, as they sit fifth on the AFL ladder with a 3-2 record, some people continue to lump them in with the likes of Brisbane, Carlton and St Kilda as lost causes.

Admittedly, West Coast’s draw has been soft, as has been the case for the sides who finished in the bottom eight last year. But they have turned in four good performances, with their awful start against the rampant Fremantle the only stain on their season to date.

In Round 1, they ventured to Melbourne and pushed a rejuvenated Western Bulldogs, who have since shocked the entire competition. Next up they destroyed Carlton in Perth, with a 10-goal haul from Josh Kennedy.

The Eagles spearhead gets branded with the flat-track bully tag more than any other player. Yet over the past two seasons he has kicked bags of four goals or better against the likes of Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide (twice) and Port Adelaide. Yes, his biggest returns have come against weaker sides but why wouldn’t they?

In Round 4, the Eagles went to Brisbane and dismantled the woeful Lions before last weekend facing a Greater Western Sydney side in brilliant touch. Fresh from smashing the Gold Coast in Round 4 and troubling Sydney the previous round, the Giants were widely expected to present tough opposition for the Eagles.

But it was not to be.

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The Eagles were far cleaner, more tenacious and better organised. They monstered the Giants. While West Coast were impressively slick and potent when in possession, it was their work ethic and defensive application which shone most vividly.

Smothers, run downs, diving tackles, desperate spoils and hard running into their back half were hallmarks of the 87-point win. Their effort was rewarded as they kept GWS to just 33 points, the second-lowest total in their history.

This was a remarkable effort when you consider the Giants boasted a pair of in-form tall forwards in Jeremy Cameron and Cam McCarthy, while the Eagles were missing their two premier key defenders.

When Mitch Brown joined All-Australian backman Eric MacKenzie on the long-term injury list in Round 1, it raised questions of how the side possibly could recover from such a blow. With legendary fullback Darren Glass now retired, surely sides with talented key forwards would make a mess of the Eagles, many thought.

Into the breach have stepped a couple of versatile big men in Will Schofield and Jeremy McGovern. Schofield had long been a fixture of the Eagles defence, but McGovern had started his AFL career last season as a marking forward.

Together they have relished the challenge and provided West Coast with an invaluable level of stability down back.

Aside from the absence of MacKenzie and Brown, the Eagles have also been cruelled by the loss of potent tall forward Jack Darling, vice-captain Scott Selwood and, more recently, pacey goal-kicking midfielder Luke Shuey.

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It is arguable that no other side has been so badly affected by injury so far this season. Taking that into account, it would seem many have been harsh in their assessments of the Eagles.

I don’t think they will make the finals but their appetite for the contest displayed in four of their first five games should see them compete strongly with most sides.

Of course, their first genuine test is this weekend. After a slow start to their 2015 campaign, Port Adelaide have generated heavy momentum.

West Coast face a massive task to reel them in at Adelaide Oval. But if they lose to Port, even heavily, it won’t be evidence they are flat-track bullies, rather that they just don’t boast anywhere near the same level of talent as the Power.

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