Gary Lyon has declared on SEN that Collingwood is the team to beat in 2019.
His principal reasons for this conclusion are the acquisition of Dayne Beams and an up-and-coming list boasting depth across all lines.
There is, however one factor he has glossed over: in 2019 Collingwood play 18 games in Melbourne, 14 of which are at the MCG.
Fair enough I suppose, the collective chagrin around Collingwood’s annual travel regimen seems to have been replaced by an indefatigable belief that equalisation in AFL fixturing is a fantasy and to continue to argue this point is a waste of time.
In the same breath he has discounted West Coast on the basis that winning back-to-back premierships is just too “damn hard”. Yes, that’s right, it’s just too damn hard!
Scott Lycett winning the AFL grand final with the Eagles. (Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Robert Walls was castigated last year for shrugging his shoulders and prophesising that West Coast would claim the wooden spoon. Then, leading into the finals Tony Jones embarrassed himself by declaring that a West Coast appearance in the finals would be a waste.
In recent days Chris Pelchen has speculated that West Coast will slide to seventh in the pecking order. One can only guess where he would have had them finishing if they had lost the Grand Final. Are our east coast pundits a little biased?
Anyway, I digress, getting back to Lyon.
The 2018 grand final edition of On the Couch had Lyon asking Adam Simpson why he (Lyon) and others didn’t rate West Coast and why they hadn’t positioned them as a legitimate contender.
That’s tantamount to making a decision and then asking an unrelated party why you made such a decision. Simpson incisively and urbanely directed the question back at Lyon, “you tell me, he said”. Lyon’s confident demeanour momentarily fractured, evidenced by an uncomfortable squirm and a stilted smile.
Willie Rioli of the Eagles celebrates (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Here we are five months on and despite West Coast dismembering Richmond and beating Collingwood in all three encounters in 2018, Lyon is so enamoured by Collingwood that West Coast are almost incidental.
No one would argue that wining back to back premierships is hard, just winning one is hard! But to preface your argument on the back of this depreciates the character and commitment of the West Coast coaching group and the players. It’s also sadly lacking any form of qualitative reasoning.
As a precursor to the 2018 season Lyon had Collingwood finishing 12th and West Coast finishing ninth which meant that Lyon didn’t rate either of these teams heading into 2018. In 2019 we now have Lyon excited about Collingwood while at the same time theorising that West Coast’s 2018 success is likely to be more of a negative than a positive, using history to support his case. I wonder if his view would have been the same if Collingwood had prevailed?
Chris Mayne of the Magpies and coach Nathan Buckley (Photo by Ryan Pierse/AFL Media/Getty Images)
As I said earlier, winning a premiership is always damn hard but I can’t see any reason why a team shouldn’t be able to back it up if they’re good enough, Adelaide, Brisbane and Hawthorn managed to do it in recent times.
Notwithstanding injuries and pronounced changes to a teams playing list, there’s no logical reason why success in a previous year should adversely impact the current year, they’re mutually exclusive events.
West Coast seem to be well placed in relation to both of these factors. Even though they have lost Scott Lycett to Port Adelaide and Lecras to retirement, they have capable replacements ready to go and will regain the services of Gaff, Natanui and Sheppard in 2019, all of which missed the 2018 Grand Final.
I might be hedging my bets but I regard Collingwood as one of at least 6 teams that may well be in a group being described as “the team to beat” in the early stages of the qualifying rounds.
Including West Coast amongst those six teams appears to be a given. Should they manage to go back to back, Lyon will again need to seek out Adam Simpson to find out how they did it and why no one saw it coming – well, those on the east coast at least.
Clifford Cowaramup
Roar Rookie
Gary Lyon and Dwayne Russell are rubbish commentators,they have to lick to Eddie so they keep getting compare gigs,someone has to close these muppets out,surely more talent in the stands,Eagles have hard road to go back to back,they sure can if injuries don't prevail,and young players keep improving,Oscar Allen,young Allen from SA,Frankie Watson and 39 from Pilbara,if Nic overcomes injury young#37 best player in GF will rule back line.I think maybe we be calling 3 in a row.,awesome year 2019 eagles oh year.
RT
Roar Rookie
Yeah you could, but that would mean you don't understand what anon is saying.
peter chrisp
Guest
Very similar to Richmond in the preliminary in 2018 uesless
peter chrisp
Guest
You could say the same for Richmond in the preliminary final last they were dog turds in last years final
WCE
Roar Rookie
anything Lyon or robert walls say can't be taken seriously . They both idolize & glorify anything to do with Melbourne teams and bemoan and make derogatory remarks about any team outside of prissy little victoria.
RT
Roar Rookie
I'll give you that. Let's hope Collingwood are found out this year with a tougher draw.
Jason
Roar Rookie
Agree Don, and so they should be , they have had top draft picks for the last 10 years.
EaglesMan
Roar Rookie
You would know following the Dogs with your 2 flags in over 100 years
Grand-Dag
Roar Rookie
Last year, when the AFL website commentators made their pre-season predictions none of them had the Eagles or Collingwood in the eight let alone in the Grand Final. But the prediction we can now skewer with sarcasm was Marc Mcgowan's "The headline you won't see" was "WA footy takes AFL by storm" I enjoyed this so much that I sent it into the 'West Australian' and it was published in their 'Inside Cover' column. Just hoping for more mirth this year, just not at the Eagles expense.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I'll go Melbourne for top 4.
Klompy
Guest
Maybe Gary Lyon is still crying over the Eagles Thumping win over his dear old Melbourne Team in the Preliminary Final last year. Well Melbourne will not make the finals this year. They will not make the eight. Stop Crying Lyon Eagles will win back to back to give you more misery.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
The Suns and Saints won't win the flag this year Birdman. If either does, I'll tear up my Pies membership and buy the most expensive Carlton one money can buy along with a personalised Blues number plate. So there is two sides who will not win the flag.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
It's just one blokes opinion. He is allowed to have it. It doesn't show disrespect to the Eagles. Do you really want every commentator, ex player and media person tipping your side to go back to back?
michael RVC
Roar Pro
"perp whining; anti-whatever sentiment; paranoia"..............this is a fairly typical case of rampant pot/kettle coming from a Vic fan.
WCE
Roar Rookie
who gives a flying stuff what Lyon says , just another jealous Victorian
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Well… Have Collingwood and West Coast merged? If you refuse to be light-hearted, at least demand the same standard of yourself that you expect of others. The article is not about Eddie. The article is, however, addressing the wayward predictions of ‘experts’.
Larry1950
Guest
C'mon Don, this article is about west coast Eagles so no need to drag your beloved dockers into it, I'm sure we'll hear about them enough elsewhere. My gripe, and it's lifelong, is how Collingwood keep getting a cushy draw and no taxing travel year after year. How much say does Eddie have in this competition.
Rob
Guest
Yes - and its the first time in a very very long time we have had a home game against the Eagles and its a kick in the teeth to both teams and fans - 6000 will attend this in Alice Springs (not Darwin) as oppose to 35000 + at the G... a ground West Coast should be playing more games at given their lack of exposure to a ground they will probably play on in September.... yet their first away game since 2014 against Melbourne, an MCG tennant, and its played in bloody Alice Springs. For the record and with no form guide at all id prob still tip Melb there as they have played there a few times.
Nigel Dias
Guest
Agreed even one flag is bloody hard to win.
Nigel Dias
Guest
Spot on Tom. Don’t really care what they think it’s just an opinion