West Coast have had a solid season, boasting the same win-loss record as Geelong in third spot, but it was only good enough for sixth this season as their percentage wasn’t good enough.
All in all, 16-5 was only one less win than last season with a harder draw. Not too shabby.
However, now they have to figure out how to win the premiership from sixth.
First off they have to beat the Bulldogs in Perth. Then Geelong/Hawthorn in Melbourne. Then a Sydney team on some postage stamp ground up in Sydney, before returning for the big one at the MCG.
I believe they are unlikely to be able to win three games interstate in a row while pointlessly training on Subiaco oval in-between. I doubt anyone ever has from WA.
What would a major association football team do in these circumstances? They would move their team and all other support staff to a base either in or just outside of Melbourne.
A location that had the right training facilities and was a relaxed team bonding location where the players could train and hang out. No families, no fans, no media.
This is how big tournaments such as the Euro Finals and FIFA Word Cups are done by all teams, not just the top teams.
Being born and still having family in WA, I can say that the flight to and from Perth to Melbourne and Sydney are long, tedious, and tiring.
The Eagles should move to Melbourne, or somewhere more secluded near Melbourne, and do a deal with a local team not in the Finals that had the right facilities.
I think that with their normal approach – after the Bulldogs – they may beat the loser of Geelong/Hawthorne, but would have little hope against the Sydney team and would be completely cooked come any grand final.
Conversely a flight to Melbourne from Perth and a short one hour flight to and from Sydney from Melbourne would remove over 13 hrs of high altitude flight time with the potential for valuable extra training sessions on the MCG pending AFL/MCG approval.
The Eagles show should be moved to Melbourne. It’s in their best interest.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
West Coast defender Tom Barrass will miss the Eagles' clash with Gold Coast, after the AFL Tribunal upheld his one-match suspension for a dangerous…
It is time that the tribunal became more simplistic, closed defence loopholes, and became representative of the game that it is trying to serve.
An live drive-by from the Eagles star - but David Mundy went right back!
He's actually getting better!
Geelong coach Chris Scott has hit out at the AFL Tribunal's decision to clear Charlie Cameron for his dangerous tackle on Jake Lever, saying…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
