New colours, new logo, new stadium. More than that, in 2018 West Coast changed its approach to football, built on its strengths – and now they’re a four-time AFL premier.
No one gave the Eagles much hope coming into the 2018 AFL season. They looked like the prototypical topped-up loser that would wither and die.
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Scrapping into last year’s top eight, then winning an away elimination final with a kick after the siren in extra time, the Eagles were not one of the best six teams in the 2017 competition.
A year or two plumbing the depths and restocking with young talent looked in prospect.
Even West Coast fans had no idea what to expect. Fortunately for them, coach Adam Simpson and his refreshed assistant coaching panel knew what they had and knew what it would take to keep the club relevant on the field.
A ten-game winning streak after a Round 1 loss was far better than relevant – the Eagles were setting the pace.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
They did it with their legs. And in keeping with the strengths theme, the Eagles kicked the ball.
Gone were the attempts to fix up a midfield lacking in pace and power. Instead Simpson had his team playing a style of football more in keeping with last year’s grand final loser – as a direct counter to last year’s grand final winner.
The ball moved swiftly, but through the air, not on the ground. When it came off it was football at its idyllic best.
The doubters doubted, as they always seem to when something that doesn’t conform to their preseason expectations comes to pass.
West Coast’s dominant 47-point Round 9 victory over reigning premiers Richmond changed minds. The Eagles’ start to the season was real, and they were a genuine premiership chance.
Finishing second on the ladder was a just reward for the team’s performance in 2018. For all the previous talk of the Eagles being ‘flat-track bullies’ – as sure a sign as any of a person with little intellectual value to add – West Coast was 8-3 away from Perth Stadium in 2018, racking up victories against GWS, Hawthorn and the Pies twice at the MCG in the process.
Winning away is a challenge for every club, but one which is magnified for teams outside of the Melbourne bubble. The Eagles care not for your foolish labels.
How did they do it? Evolution rather than revolution. Simpson and his list management team made some surely challenging calls at the end of last season, including ending the careers of some champion players, such as 240-game Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis.
In their stead came an injection of youth across the ground and in relatively minor roles around the established and hardened core.
Consider this: just 12 of West Coast’s 2015 grand final 22 played today, and only 15 of them remain on the Eagles’ list. It has been a retooling, but a significant one, and it has won the club its fourth premiership.
Change has been a theme of West Coast’s year. On 1 November the club unveiled its new logo (very modern) and team colours (a throwback to its early days).
It obviously played its home games at a new stadium but had been spreading itself over training facilities across a number of venues, including the rapidly deteriorating Subiaco Oval.
West Coast’s assistant coaching panel changed significantly from last season, and from the bits and pieces we’ve heard this week, the ethos of the team has changed since 2015.
A club chock-full of young families, West Coast appears to have embraced the chaos of that life and bought the positive change in attitude it fosters to the way it goes about its business.
From my experience anyway, you just sort of go with the flow, learn to take things a little less seriously and have clarity of purpose. It is a far cry from the culture the club created for itself just over a decade ago.
Those dark days seem long gone, and it isn’t just club culture that has strengthened. West Coast, already the richest club in the land by way of accumulated equity, will surely grow richer on the back of both a larger stadium and the lucre that flows with a premiership.
The Eagles are a serious commercial enterprise masquerading as a public trust, and that has played a far more important role than anyone from within or without the club may care to admit.
Consider the Eagles have now won four premierships in the AFL era, the second most behind the three-peat Hawks, and have appeared in seven grand finals over that time, equal with Geelong.
That comes despite the disadvantage of having to travel outside of its own state every other week.
That would be a damn sight more difficult to achieve were it not for the stability and strength of the club’s administrative arm.
But more importantly perhaps is the manner in which West Coast has managed its list. Managing the turnover from 2017 is impressive, but it goes further.
When Nic Naitanui went down with his second ACL tear in Round 17, that was supposed to be it. When Andrew Gaff had his moment of madness, that was supposed to be it. These are two of West Coast’s most important players, but critically are two of its most highly paid.
Even if Naitanui’s cap hit isn’t quite the $1 million that’s often quoted, it would be close. West Coast has built a premiership-quality list without much production from its highest-paid player. It has managed to win three games in September without its most important midfielder.
These are the sorts of blows which should prove fatal, particularly for a team that convention says should be in a transition period. But the Eagles have overcome them, built on its strengths and stand here today as the best team in football.
Not bad for a flat-track bully.
michael RVC
Roar Pro
Well said.
Scott
Guest
This was my comment on your article in January Ryan. Yeo became the A grade midfielder they needed and the rest fell into place. Scott Guest January 31st 2018 @ 8:20pm I’ve put a lot of thought into how my team will go this year. Very good article Ryan. A few in the comments section have been pretty spot on as well. It will all come down to the midfield. According to champion data they had the best key defender pair (McGovern, Barrass) the best general defender pair (Yeo, Hurn) and the best key forward pair last year (Kennedy, Darling). If Nic Nat and Lycett can get back to fitness, along with Vardy, then they easily have the best ruck pair. I think Rioli, Venables and Liam Ryan are all incredibly skilled players. From watching training sessions they actually look close to the 3 silkyist in the team. Priddis slowed down massively last year and also didn’t suit having to defend ruck knocks without Naitanui. He got a step slower then he already was. Whoever plays his position will offer as much as Priddis did last year. Petrie played awesome and will be missed, but lycett or Vardy will cover his loss. Mitchell is the big loss, even if he was only there for a year. He was guaranteed to always contribute. That’s what the Eagles are missing. Midfielders that show up each week. They are one A grade midfielder short of being a top team. I think Yeo will determine where they finish more then anyone. He has Superstar written all over him, if he can translate that into the midfield, then they will be a top team. He didn’t play well there in 2016, but I think that might’ve been confidence more then anything. His whole skill set improved massively last year and if he can play that way in the midfield, then they are set. If not then I see them as a middle of the ladder team. This stadium is gonna be worth way more than people think. 60000 fans at every game screaming is gonna be worth about 4 goals a game. There are too many good players for them to be bottom 4. I can see them copping a flogging more than once, by teams with really good midfields. If they can sort the midfield out they will be a genuine top 4 chance, but it doesn’t look promising. I still truly believe if Mitchell played 1 more year they would’ve given it a real crack.
Gary
Roar Rookie
Nah mate, just a bit over the onesided coverage of the lead up to the game. But I understand that you are still bitter about being walloped by Collingwood in the prelim, and destroyed by West Coast earlier on in the season. When the Tigers are good enough to win away from home you will be back in the mix.
User
Roar Rookie
Its a myth that's been peddled much like 06 is tainted.
Gecko
Roar Pro
Seems like a pretty speculative article Ryan - not really providing persuasive reasons why the Eagles won the flag. You've noted that 'coaching panel changed significantly from last season....bought the positive change in attitude it fosters to the way it goes about its business [and]...are a serious commercial enterprise masquerading as a public trust, and that has played a far more important role than anyone from within or without the club may care to admit. But you haven't explored those factors in any detail or explained how they might have impacted the Eagles' season. Your best analysis of why the Eagles won the flag was your observation that 'The ball moved swiftly, but through the air, not on the ground'. Or maybe I'm just feeling grumpy 'coz I'm a Pies supporter.
Lroy
Guest
How many Eagles in the 92 premiership side played in the 1986 WA state of origin side?? ONE!! All the best WA players were signed to Victorian sides before the Eagles were incorporated , feel free to google it.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
And losing by less than a kick!
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Crows supporters sooked when they lost. Fair enough. And here you are Joe, a-Johnny-come-lately, sooking after you win. Poor form.
Gary
Roar Rookie
The qualifying final and the grand final between these two teams were outstanding. Whilst I wanted WCE to win, I was thinking something a little less stressful. Well done, you traveled 3500km and beat Collingwood on their home ground, you lost some quality players leading up to the game, and according to Victorian media reports you were mentioned somewhere as the other team in the grand final. Well done.
Gary
Roar Rookie
Tiresome fallacy. VFL clubs raided the wafl of all the talent before WCE got a look in at the end of 1986... WCE had to recruit what remained, and develop young blood they recruited via the draft. It was never a WA state side.
Nev
Guest
WAFL side maybe
Seano
Roar Rookie
Only thing better than a Carlton wooden spoon is Colingwood loosing a GF! Great season, finals here we come next year!
Hiru
Guest
2.45pm
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
*langley park
Brian
Guest
All credit to wce. The better team won and without nicnat too. Shuey, Kennedy and McGovern were great but I did not expect such good games from Schofield, Vardy, Rioli and Barrass. The 5 points flatters Collingwood. Not sure about the public trust though. Eagles won 2 early flags because they came in with a WA state side and had the best list by a mile 1991-1994.
BBQ BILL
Guest
Great game! That should lay all the tags and cliches to rest for awhile? Eagles win in almost trademark style, the dying minutes! Next season looks good. Go the mighty Coasters!
Simoc
Guest
Great game. All you could want for a neutral except maybe a kick for goal from Collingwood after the siren.
Chris
Guest
Collingwood was fifty possessions down on its 2018 average. Poor coaching? Yes. From late in the first quarter to the final siren after the initial five goal burst the scores were Collingwood 6.8.44 to WCE 11.11.77. You can't win Grand Finals with thirty-three point deficits in 95 minutes of football.
UseR2006
Roar Rookie
You don't need to lead all game, just need to be in front at the end!
Angela
Guest
Great game. Excellent, satisfying result.