“A sportsperson who dominates inferior opposition, but who cannot beat top-level opponents.”
The flat-track bully. A term that has been pinned to the West Coast Eagles for some time now.
A word that marred their brilliant rise from the ashes over the past few years, and one that highlights the sheer ignorance of eastern AFL ‘experts’ to a tee.
As a West Coast supporter myself, the idea that the Eagles have ever been flat-track bullies is preposterous, but alas, even I can admit, there was a time when this term had some circumstantial weight behind it.
Let’s examine the facts.
In the 2014 season, the West Coast Eagles couldn’t have personified the title of flat-track bully any better. From their 11 wins in that season, not one of them came against an eventual top eight team. In fact, they were the only team, in that season, who didn’t register a win against the top eight. Instead, the Eagles tore the poor teams to shreds, with astounding wins of 90-plus margins against teams such as Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney, boasting the sixth best percentage in the league.
Of course, as we interstate-team fans have come to expect, the off-season bashing followed, with claims that the team who were predicted to win the flag just 18 months before, were looking at a bleak 2015.
Comments such as ‘their list has too many holes’ were put forward. And, ‘Their midfield is second rate’.
Some guy called Matty Priddis won the Brownlow medal that year, no one across the Nullarbor really knew who he was before then, and now that I think about it, nothing has really changed.
Enter season 2015. Eagles take the competition by storm. What happened to the second rate midfield? Who has this mystery team recruited that has made such a spectacular impact?
What’s that? No-one?
Ridiculous, I know. Here I am, claiming that ‘experts’ of the game were wrong in calling the West Coast Eagles second rate. Here I stand, defending the Eagles, with one of the most biased, unfounded ‘I told you so’ statements of all time. So what am I getting at? Hear me out.
Some part of my brain snapped a week back, when an ‘expert’ put forward the motion that the 2016 Eagles are once again, flat-track bullies, after their disappointing loss to reigning, three-time premiers Hawthorn.
I had to rewind the Channel Seven show that I was watching just to make sure that I had heard correctly. This ‘expert’ had made the astounding claim that the 2015 runners-up, were flat-track bullies. This time, I’m not taking a bar of it.
Once again, let’s examine the facts.
In the 2015 season, there was only one team that defeated every single team in the entire competition in that year.
Hawthorn you say? Ah no. Actually, they didn’t beat Port Adelaide at all last year, or the Giants as a matter of fact. So who could it be? No, Richmond fans, it wasn’t you, let’s try and beat the Demons before we make such claims…
Oh, I know, it must have been the Western Bulldogs. They are clearly the best team in the competition. I mean, look how well they played against St Kilda, may as well give them the flag.
Wait, what? It wasn’t them?
As surprised as many might be to hear this, it was actually the West Coast Eagles. They defeated every single team in the competition last year. There is no refuting it. The Eagles were the furthest thing from flat-track bullies last year, and we can all agree that, after such a good year (apart from the only game that counted), the Eagles deserve some level of respect now from the eastern states.
So, I stand before the AFL community, as an interstate team supporter, living in Melbourne, demanding some level of equality in the eyes of the media for the teams that are not situated on the east coast. That teams such as the West Coast Eagles actually get considered as an AFL team once in a while on Foxtel and free-to-air programs.
I stand here, asking for the ridiculous notion that the suggestion the Eagles can only beat the bad teams be put to rest once and for all. Because as we can all agree, it’s just becoming a cop out every time the Eagles drop a game against a decent team.
AFL 360 – Footy from all angles. Now it’s time for them to take the Western angle.
Patrick Franklin
Guest
Umm, maybe home track bullies is a better term. WIN A GAME AGAINST A TOP 8 SIDE AWAY FROM PERTH YOU IGNORANT FLOG
Don Freo
Guest
You don't think Darling, LeCras, Hill, Cripps or Yeo are any good? You don't rank Shuey?
Patrick Franklin
Guest
Who does this bloke think he is? Yeah, WCE may have beaten the hawks in a final last year but did they do it when it counted? No. And yes, I'm sorry to tell you but your midfield is second rate, yes Priddis won a Brownlow but thats only to be expected when you carry an entire midfield. And yeah, Josh Kennedy won the Coleman but thats only to be expected when you carry your (1-man) fowardline So I put it to you Eamon, you half-witted, peanut brain, where were these blokes on that last saturday in September last year when it mattered?
I hate pies
Guest
Geez the non-Victorians are bitter. Have you ever seen your own media? You'd swear the only two teams in the comp are the Eagles and Freo. It's just as bad in Adelaide with their teams. The Eagles look great at home with the most biased umpiring in the league; the umpiring there is worth at least 6 goals a game, that's why they dominate there, and why they are flat track bullies, because they flog the bottom teams at home. The top teams rarely play them there, and the duly get flogged away from home against the good teams. And Plodder, I mean Priddis, is a plodder. He only got the medal because he's under the umpires nose; he never hurts the opposition because he couldn't kick over a jam tin. The Eagle have a good forward line and that's about it.
Samantha
Roar Rookie
No one has said they are, the question was simply asked.
Don Freo
Guest
The country...and the AFL...would go broke without WA money. The TV stations would prefer to sponsor WAFL because the best players come from WA. You'll just have to cope, Stewie.
jax
Guest
You only need a heartbeat and a mouth to be a media commentator or tv personality. Some are more intelligent, and free to talk than others but most of them are parrots operating in a box. Producers give the instructions via the ear-piece - producers control practically all tv shows from their control room. Cut, paste, rinse, repeat, distract. Roughly 90% of AFL content is created in Victoria yet over 44% of teams and players are not from Victoria. It's centralised, which is very dangerous as your 'trusting' a small group of people thousands of miles away to tell you what's going on and what to think and pretty much control public opinion. It's no different than the 'global news creators' AAP, Reuters, ICIJ and Center for Public Integrity telling the entire world 'what happened' from one centralised source - people bang on about North Korea when they should be looking where their own 'news' comes from first because in principle, there is very little difference. If it's on tv, people believe it - it really is as simple and dangerous as that. When you control the information flow and the 'creation' of news you've got the people right where you want them. The more that you can support independent and alternative news sources the more intelligent you will become. No matter how much you complain the MSM is not going to improve, it will get worse - media ownership is in the hands of very select few and there isn't any real competition, it's an illusion. Source and support alternative news. I saw the Sunday Age tag line online 'always independent' - really? Pleaee tell me people don't believe that to be true? It's subliminal messaging, repeat it often enough and people will believe it.
Stewart
Guest
For every whiny WCE supporter whinging that the League is too Melbourne-centric, there would be a 100 Victorians that just wish it would go back to being the VFL. You joined someone else's competition and you got someone else's rules - don't like it, spend your money on the WAFL and your energy on getting WA to secede.
nungamuncha
Guest
you are right Samantha. Also It seems to be forgotten by interstate team supporters that Geelong has won 3 grand finals playing away from home. It is not just interstate teams that have to play away from during the finals.
nungamuncha
Guest
Yes you are right Hawthorn is an exceptional side and west coast is pretty average.
Don Freo
Guest
...and there are very few flat tracks with AFL fixturing.
dazzling jack
Guest
the fact remains, how can you call a team that has beaten every other team FTB's? time to let go of a rancid old bone and move on..oh wait they now have to beat every other team away from home to earn that mantle? Pleeease, give us a break!!...according to that irrational logic, therefore EVERY victorian team, in fact every other team are therefore flat track bullies because no other team has beaten all other teams, let alone, away from home! The AFL is quite simply full to the brim with flat track bullies, on and off the field. The sooner its truly a national game and not a melbourne-centric game, the better.Get rid of those moronic dinosaurs that occupy the twilight zone world of footy panels on TV. Get rid of the nefarious nepotism of Teddybear McSquire and reduce the number of melbourne teams in the national game i say, the perennial cellar dwellers.
Chris Moore
Roar Rookie
How can you make the claim that a team is a FTB based off 2 games? They beat Brisbane and lost to Hawthorn (the reigning Premiers mind you), how can that possibly be a large enough sample size to make that sort of a claim?
Nolzie
Roar Rookie
Of those teams you listed, this is how many top 8 teams they beat away from home last year. ADE - beat the Doggies in the final last year 1 win WCE - Beat Richmond 1 win SYD - Beat Hawthorn and North, 2 wins NRTH - Beat Richmond in the final 1 win FRE - Beat the Doggies, Adelaide and Richmond 3 wins HAW- Beat North, Adelaide, Sydney, WCE, Fremantle 5 wins Of the 6 teams you mentioned 3 of them only won a single game away against a top 8 opponent, Norths could even be argued against because it was in Melbourne anyway, hardly an away game. But you go on AB, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Nolzie
Roar Rookie
Beat Richmond at the G last year. That's a top 8 team and away from Perth.
BigAl
Guest
Yes, it takes a truly exceptional interstate side to beat a better than average side at the G, let alone the GF.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
The Bulldogs were denied the right to play at their home ground only months ago, Samantha. Most Etihad tenants don't get to do so. Same goes for Sydney being forced to play at ANZ Stadium in the past.
Paul D
Roar Guru
That’s a false argument Samantha – Geelong is the only ‘regional’ team in Victoria ie. Not based in Melbourne. You’ve got 9 melbourne based sides, 8 interstate sides, and Geelong. So no-one is going to be able to name another side that doesn’t play finals at their ‘home’ ground because Geelong’s situation is totally unique.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
^^^ Well said.
Samantha
Roar Rookie
Cats make $750k a game playing H&A games at Kardinia, they'd make more playing a a final at Kardinia due to increase ticket prices for finals versus H&A, doubt MCG would top it. Cat lose money every year because the AFL force them to play 3 'home' games in Melbourne. There is already a rule that only applies to the Cats. Name another team not allowed to play finals at their home ground?