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The Eagles’ season-saving performance against Hawthorn last week was tempered with the devastating news star ruckman Nic Naitanui faced the next 12 months on the sidelines.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for club and supporters, with Naitanui’s dominant performances quelling Greater Western Sydney and three solid quarters against Hawthorn emphasising his place as the Eagles’ most important player.
With Naitanui effectively ruled out for the entire 2017, West Coast is facing a 201cm hole in its midfield brigade that can only be filled with a big, bold move during this year’s trade period.
Earlier this month Sydney CEO Andrew Ireland was special guest on Fox Footy’s Open Mike, not only to reminisce on his modest playing career but provide a rare insight into the wheeling and dealing behind some of the biggest trade deals in AFL history.
Ireland was the brains behind high profile multi-million dollar contracts luring Alistair Lynch and Leigh Matthews to Brisbane and, more recently, Lance Franklin to the Swans.
It’s this kind of ambitious recruiting West Coast must undertake ensure they keep up with the premiership pack in the short term.
Historically the AFL’s two Western Australian clubs have faced an uphill battle persuading bonafide stars to uproot and start a new phase of life in Perth.
If the constant travel doesn’t put them off, many stars in their mid to late twenties are preparing to settle down with a partner, buy property or start a family.
Fremantle’s track record for wooing talent west is nothing to crow about, but at very least they’ve had a crack.
While numerous high profile recruitment deals at the Dockers have come unstuck (think Colin Silvia and Jack Anthony), they were also rumoured to be particularly active in discussions with players who, in their prime, boasted some of the competition’s most coveted signatures (think Travis Cloke, Jay Schultz and Alex Rance).
On the other hand, many would struggle to recall a year in which West Coast has publicly or privately declared their hand in the hunt for an out-of-contract AFL superstar.
Traditionally the club has focused its attention on the draft; either in its own sprawling backyard (think Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr and Jack Darling) or by hand-picking teenagers from interstate to grow champion footballers (think Chris Judd, Beau Waters and Luke Shuey).
In 2015, West Coast shocked everyone by reaching the grand final on the back of a handsome draw, an innovative defensive zone and career-best years from some of their most important players.
This year teams exposed the Eagles on wider grounds and key players failed to maintain form, resulting in a sixth-place finish many feel is about where they belong.
Naitanui’s knee couldn’t have buckled at a worse time for the Eagles, with Adam Simpson this week revealing a list management meeting had been brought forward to discuss covering the ruckman’s absence. Speculation remains rife that GWS rising star Rory Lobb is West Coast’s top priority, and rightfully so.
The Eagles’ premiership window is very much open, but it will be boarded up for 2017 without a dynamic ruckman providing the midfield first use, applying pressure around the ground and impacting the scoreboard.
Scott Lycett has enjoyed a career-best year as support for Naitanui but has struggled to stamp his authority when leading ruck duties this year.
West Coast may have missed a chance to snare local boy Lobb in part thanks to generous GWS draft concessions, but that doesn’t mean they can’t lure the game’s most promising young ruckman home.
In 2016 West Coast has enjoyed the third highest membership in the league and last year returned a AFL’s highest club profit – a whopping $5 million – so it’s not as if the club is short of a penny.
It’s about time West Coast channelled their inner Andrew Ireland, opened their cheque book and made a big, bold offer to for a big, bold player come trade time.
It might just buy them their next premiership cup.
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