In an era of unexpected premierships, West Coast’s 2018 flag wasn’t as storied as the Western Bulldogs in 2016 or Richmond in 2017.
The Eagles had played off in the grand final only three years earlier, but they had to overcome a number of burdens all the same.
Andrew Gaff was having his most outstanding season yet, and was on track for the best and fairest, but missed the last three rounds and the entire finals series due to suspension. Nic Naitanui had gone down with an ACL only two weeks earlier, and this was not long after they had stumbled out of the mid-season bye with three losses in a row.
But West Coast put it all behind them with a superb finals series. A fighting win at home over the Pies where they had to lift late to put the game away; a stunning pulverisation of Melbourne in the prelim – and of course coming back from five goals down against Collingwood in the grand final.
The Dogs haven’t made the finals since their flag. Richmond got better after their premiership and finished on top, but failed on the penultimate weekend. How will West Coast fare as the reigning champ?
West Coast best 22
B: Tom Cole Tom Barrass Brad Sheppard
HB: Shannon Hurn Jeremy McGovern Lewis Jetta
C: Dom Sheed Luke Shuey Andrew Gaff
HF: Jamie Cripps Jack Darling Jake Waterman
F: Luke Ryan Josh Kennedy Willie Rioli
Foll: Nathan Vardy Elliot Yeo Jack Redden
Int: Tom Hickey Liam Duggan Mark Hutchings Jack Petruccelle
Em: C.Masten D.Venables W.Schofield
Nic Naitanui was not considered for the above, given he is expected to miss at least 3-4 months on his return from injury, but would obviously come straight into the side. With Scott Lycett moving to Port in the off-season, the ruck division at the Eagles will look very different.
Nathan Vardy will lead the ruck in Naitanui’s absence, as he did in 2017 when he performed serviceably. Tom Hickey has been brought in from St Kilda as support, and will likely play given Adam Simpson’s penchant for having two rucks in his side.
Vardy and Hickey will feed a midfield that looks more dangerous than ever given Dom Sheed’s emergence as genuine game-shaper in the finals series last year and Jack Redden coming off his best season.
Regardless of ruckmen, clearances are never going to be an issue when you have the hardness of Elliot Yeo and the explosiveness of Luke Shuey to complement Redden’s extraction skills. Yeo loves to drive the ball long into the West Coast tall forwards, and Shuey loves a goal from a centre square clearance – and the new rules should play perfectly into these strengths.
Sheed is an all-round contributor, and if his pre-season form is anything to go by he is ready to step into the league’s elite off that finals series. Andrew Gaff has gradually gotten better and better over the course of his career, becoming more rounded and damaging as time has gone on.
Dom Sheed of the Eagles celebrates kicking a goal during the 2018 AFL Grand Final match between the Collingwood Magpies and the West Coast Eagles at Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 29, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Mark Hutching has enjoyed success as a tagger, and his hatchet job on Steele Sidebottom in the grand final will ensure he stays a West Coast favourite son for many years to come.
Jamie Cripps is another coming off an excellent season, finishing fourth in the best and fairest – his second half of the year was the best football he has produced, and in no small way covered for the loss of Gaff.
Up forward, Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling are part of what looks the best spine in the competition.
Kennedy is succumbing to more injuries as each year passes, and has produced diminishing returns in regards to games played in the last three seasons. Admittedly, his touch was outstanding each time he returned from missing matches last year, which was a credit to the man himself and the Eagles coaching staff.
Darling became a beast last season, the most dominant power forward in the comp in the first half of the year. His maturity was shown in the grand final when he had a horrible first half but was the key player on the ground in the third term.
That showed real character, especially as someone who was remembered for a less-than-stellar moment in the 2015 grand final against Hawthorn.
Liam Ryan and Willi Rioli were wonderful finds up forward, both averaging more than a goal a game in their debut seasons. Natural improvement can and must be expected from both of these players.
Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen look to be in competition for the third tall forward role, and Jack Petrucelle is seen to have the inside running on the pressure small forward position. With Kennedy ever in doubt with injury, Cripps facing a delayed start to the season, and the retirement of Mark LeCras, the West Coast forward-line will have a number of different looks about it this year.
Jeremy McGovern was rated the 12th best player in the league by The Roar Top 50, and some would have him higher still. While Alex Rance has been seen by most as the best key defender in the competition over the last five years, McGovern has claims to that mantle too.
Jeremy McGovern (Photo by Ryan Pierse/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Between McGovern and Tom Barrass, who between them took almost 100 contested marks last year, it’s a tough ask to break them down. Backmen that can win their own ball in the air are a valuable commodity in the modern game.
And this is the strength of the Eagles backline, because it is not just McGovern and Barrass that back themselves in. Shannon Hurn is renowned for his piercing right foot, but is also a superb reader of the play. Brad Sheppard was the hard-luck story in missing the premiership through injury after playing 23 matches, but also backs himself in, and is a good kick.
Lewis Jetta’s kicking can be the most sublime in the league when he’s firing, and Tom Cole also delivers the ball well. Liam Duggan is improving every year, slots in well with the same set of skills as the others around him.
West Coast won their flag based off a kicking game, and a lot of it started in the back half thanks to their exceptional ball users – who turned defence into attack by winning the ball back themselves rather than having it handed to them.
The Eagles don’t have a huge amount of depth for a premiership side, although the three emergencies named above were part of the grand final team. They are only the eighth most experienced list for games played, which suggests they will gain more experience and continue to grow.
Hurn is the oldest player but is coming off an All-Australian year, while Kennedy is the second oldest and injuries are taking their toll, but he is still a powerful force when fit.
Looking at last year’s ladder at the end of the home and away rounds, West Coast only plays one top six side in the first eight weeks. They will certainly get their chance to build a platform from which to mount a flag defence.
It’s hard to see the Eagles defence breaking down and their attack is multi-dimensional, with both areas of the ground built around a strong key duo. The midfield has no obvious weakness, and they have proven they can cover injuries.
Add in a distinct home ground advantage and a game style that is made to resist the pressure game favoured by some rivals, it’s hard to see West Coast not challenging again.
Prediction: fourth
Aus in Engerland
Guest
And Matera got the 1992 Norm Smith in the first winning Eagles GF. But Lroy is correct that it is one of the strange things that McLeod and Matera (also in my opinion the best ever WCE) never got a Brownlow. Both 5 x AA, both 2 x Premiership medals, Mcleod 2 vs. 1 Norm Smith. Two greats, and I use the word very sparingly.
Sam D.
Guest
What an ill-informed sweeping generalisation about an entire state of people. Stupidity abounds.
BBQ Bill
Guest
Haven't we all moved on from the Chardonnay thing yet? That was a distinctly 80's trend and now a cliched meme. Why does it have to be cheap? Okay, I get that you're joking. Whatever it is that they're spitting out, I think a top 4 finish is more likely. Don't forget it's almost a given to have to finish top 2 for a serious crack at the cup, if you're a WA side. They need that travel break/time off in between (raises the equitable chestnut again).
BBQ Bill
Guest
Don't understand your comment, were you suggesting WC got an easy run? If so, that's unbelievable given the advantages the Melb. sides receive. How many home games did Pies and Tigers get? How many times did they have to travel interstate let alone to WA? Look at the Eagles travel itinerary/mileage in any given season, it's huge compared to other teams (except Freo). Even this season, for 1st round the reigning premiers have to travel the long haul to Brissy to play a game with a small crowd that barely rates with broadcasters? No respect! They should have been in a blockbuster, but the Melb. teams seemed to have got all those big games! It's not easy to win a GF let alone a B2B, and it's even harder still from WA, so more power to Optus stadium and the home crowd advantage if it helps tip the Vic concept of 'equitable'. This team is being underrated again, which is perfect. It's in an ideal window to go B2B, with added newbies and improved depth and good coaching, but there are no guarantees of course.
Jack
Guest
@TomC - the inclusion of Rioli and Ryan has most likely been a contributing factor in the rise of Cripps.
Jack
Guest
@TomC - I think Hurn has grown into the captaincy and others have followed. With Priddis & Mitchell retiring Redden finally had the opportunity to settle into the role that he is most comfortable playing and best suited to. Masten is similar to Redden, Simmo gave him the belief that he had an important role to play in the side which is the linkman, gut-runner that wills himself to each contest to add pressure and to receive the release handpass or kick when WC wins the ball. Sheed, he’s always had it in him, U18 WA captain, watch him back it up this year, he’s a very determined young man. Cripps, has been underrated for a few years now, he’s been getting better each year for a number of years and last year looked little more than natural progression. In saying all of this, confidence is an amazing tonic and that run of 10 straight wins no doubt built the early internal belief that carried them through to premiership glory.
Jack
Guest
@bdsoi - I simply have more confidence that WC can produce a better season. Crows may well finish higher, they do have the potential and the list but players like Betts and Walker aren’t as reliable as say a Rioli and Kennedy. I could name a few others that have at times gone missing - but again, AFC has an impressive list and I wouldn’t be surprised if they made the GF. It’s just that I have more confidence in the WCE.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
bdosi, I think you might be confusing the top four, with the top eight. Neither of which they were able to make.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Can't create an equitable fixture with so many irrelevant vfl teams still holding on.
Grand-Dag
Roar Rookie
Agree with your Colliewobbles assessment and with not wanting the Crows to win anything.
Danny
Guest
McLeod won something better than a Brownlow ...back to back Norm smiths in a winning team....bet there are w few Brownlow winners who would trade for one of those
Jack
Guest
I simply don’t see pies being top 3 I expect a sharp drop for them. As a blues fan I hope crows don’t bounce but I am pretty sure they will. As long as they don’t win the flag
Mr B
Roar Rookie
I went back and had a look at the VFL/AFL premiers over history. Historically, the premiers come up again about one in four. Since the Eagles and Brisbane joined it's dropped to more like one in five, but that's still pretty good odds.
Mr B
Guest
I'm pretty sure his forecast for West Coast is 4th. It's a shame you can't read. I'm actually fine with that. His top five looks pretty sensible to me, and the actual order will be a bit of a raffle.
@ Jack – AFC we’re minor premiers and played off in the GF a little over 12 months ago – had a bad game on the big day but hey. Last year just everything that could go wrong did and they still only finished a game and % outside the top four. I’m a little confused as to why you reckon they shouldn’t be as highly rated as any other club at that pointy end??
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Yeah but they didn't Rob, the Cats that is and don't forget the Hawks nearly got kicked out in prelims too. It's damn hard to win one let alone three in a row
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
In 1990 the comp changed to AFL.
danno
Guest
AFL trying to offset Richos 'noise of affirmation' at home ground.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I think you’ll find Aaron Sandilands gets to more contests than almost everybody…when he’s playing. Who’a’thunk.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Scary side the Lions back then. If Burns had hit Vossy a fraction cleaner in 2002 it may have ruined their threepeat.