In the fourth quarter last Saturday night, as the Eagles kept doing things that the Eagles never do, something inconceivable started to get real: Gold Coast might actually beat West Coast in Perth.
Last year it would have been laughable, and so too would it have been a month ago.
But the Eagles right now aren’t the team they were, only a drunken ode to it.
And even though they scraped across the line against the Suns, everything was off and everything was difficult.
Shannon Hurn fumbled regulation ground balls and Elliot Yeo tried to run 30 metres before taking a bounce.
Jack Darling – as he has done all season – attacked packs side-on, intent on crashing the air adjacent to the pack more than the pack itself.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
West Coast are not currently present.
Port Adelaide brought fierce intensity in the first five minutes of their game in Perth and that was enough to force the home side into submission for the whole night.
The Eagles took the field against the Cats in body but not mind or spirit. Geelong players roamed the ground as though they were at a mid-week training session, not what should have been a blockbuster clash between the reigning premier and the premiership favourite.
Strange things are happening. Players are not running when you’d expect them to run. They are taking bizarre, incomprehensible routes to cover space in defence.
Premiership hangovers are usually defined by fatigue and lethargy. But the Eagles are playing as if still inebriated.
It’s been a month now. The win over an improved Fremantle holds up fine on the scoreboard, but Nat Fyfe was out and the rest did the bare minimum to get the result.
That night, at least, they were clean, or something approaching clean. Their contested ball use has always waxed and waned but the foot skills and expert stylings in kick-mark, kick-mark football have been a constant over the journey.
Over the past three weeks, that too has abandoned them.
The names are still there and still impressive. Remembering the individual performances last season – and with Nic Naitanui to return – they might still have close to the best team on paper this year, having added Andrew Gaff, Brad Sheppard, Jack Petruccelle, Oscar Allen and Naitanui to a premiership 22 that has only lost Scott Lycett and Mark LeCras.
(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
Except, then again, this is more or less the same team that sleepwalked through much of the 2017 season, never a threat to do anything interesting or significant.
Players made a leap from 2017 to 2018.
Jack Darling became a star, Gaff a superstar, Dom Sheed an icon.
This year, though, Darling has been more first-half grand final Jack Darling than second half, Gaff is accumulating more than dominating, and Sheed is in an awkward post-hero, returned-Gaff phase with his optimal role – as well as Jack Redden’s – in the midfield machinery still being worked out.
There are too many good players around for this side to properly fall off. The team line-up is rampant with stars and competence.
A slow build and a few no-shows – the year after a premiership that came after three consecutive finals campaigns – was inevitable.
After catharsis, there is often ‘blah’.
But there are real issues, from the midfield configuration incorporating Gaff back into the fold at the expense of players who thrived in his absence, to the defence looking vulnerable and lacking in height and presence with Tom Barrass sidelined.
The biggest concern, though, is how human Darling and Josh Kennedy have looked – last year destroyers of everything, this year closer to just a couple of big blokes.
There is plenty of time for these issues to resolve themselves, and the imminent return of Willie Rioli will give the team a much-needed extra dimension of life, flare and magic.
Naitanui’s return will do so, too, and Barrass is expected to come back at some point.
When whole, the Eagles should be formidable. They clearly still have brilliance in them.
There is no crisis for a team that has – it must be recognised – crushed Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood this season.
But something is lacking and likely won’t be found in time to secure the two home finals that they did last season.
Excelling in the contest has not been the Eagles’ hallmark since 2015, and it took a superhuman, historic effort to raise their game in the contest late last season to a level where the other parts of the game that do come naturally to them – the defensive structure, the aerial game, the precision kicking – could take hold to subdue the best opponents.
With the mountain already conquered, the demons already exorcised, and a start to the season defined by sloppiness and indifference, one suspects that the Eagles’ ability to own the contest – to want everything more than the opponent at the most visceral, violent level – may be compromised.
BBQ BILL
Roar Rookie
Apparently NN is tracking well and looking very aggressive at training. Eagles won the GF without NN, he's just the sweet wrecking ball on top! Also, Rioli will be back in a week or two...makes a difference. Actually, the Eagles now seem to be coming good at the right time...
BBQ BILL
Roar Rookie
Meh, Interrupted preseason, injuries and operations to some key players. Shorter preseason for the team. Rioli, Barrass and Redden out with injuries. Being the hunted now and not flying under the radar, every team wants to try that much harder to knock off the reigning premiers. The 6-6-6 changes. The blueprint handed out by Port. All these things add up and take their toll. They look like a rabble at times, Then glimpses or quarters of play at their shining best. Rioli and NN be back soon. Rioli will help smooth them out through the middle and NN will relish the new 6-6-6 thing. I think I can see a team that has been running rough, but is starting to blow the rust out and purr nicely into the business end of the season. Expect to see the premiers return triumphantly for whole games soon! Doesn't mean they'll win another premiership though. Not calling that stuff in May?
Lroy
Guest
Ah good to hear, Im in Asia so a few hours behind the curve up here , thanks for the heads up ;-) Waterman was a very good foil for Darling and JK last year in that first half of the season 2018. Hes a tricky match up... hes quick for a big guy, runs well. The forward line seemed to function better as a unit when he was in the side. It was unfortunate for him that he lost form or was carrying an injury toward the end of last year. Agreed the the draw, they have ended up with a tough one, but if they win 4 out of the next 5 they are in good shape to take on the second half of the year ;-) Cheers man .
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
By the time they reach Round 10 and play Adelaide 9 of their games will have been against sides either in or once in the eight. Masten's been dropped for Jake Waterman, Cripps plays his 150th, a good win coming up.
Lroy
Guest
Exactly, they had some inopportune injuries, arent quite firing on all cylinders but there best footy is as good as anyone's... So long as they dont drop any games from here and the mid season break they are right back in it.
Lroy
Guest
Ah the old Bradbury chesnut, since you raised it, how many Olympic Gold medals have you won? ;-)
Lroy
Guest
Masten doesnt seem to be finding the pill... Jetta has always had days where he looks pretty ordinary, Ryan had some brain fades and a couple of guys Kennedy and Cripps are still finding their feet afer virtually missing the pre season. The loss of Barras cant be understated either... hes an All Australian standard fullback as far as Im concerned, you cant lose a guy like that and expect it not to hurt you. They have gone ok actually, there were some worrying signs against Fremantle, but it turns out the Fockers could be the real deal again....The seven sides they have played are all in the 8!! So unintentionally, it looks like they have been handed the leagues hardest draw. 4 from 3 against the leagues top sides is not disasterous. Thats ok, as premiers you cant complain. But a few less errors by senior players and the introduction of some new blood into the midfield might be all they need. ..The next 5 games are definitely winable, and an 8-4 record going into the mid season break will be something any coach will be happy with.
Larrikin
Roar Rookie
West Coast still have Rioli & Nic nat coming back shortly , Gaffy is racking up the stats, Sheed is becoming a premium midfielder and there are some youngsters in the WAFL banging on the door for a call up. Things are looking good for the premiers
Grints
Roar Rookie
Very difficult to not see West Coast in the finals and making an impact. Right now they are not playing brilliant footy but still beating teams they are expected to beat. They lost a few games at home last year, still finished second and the rest is history -theres still plenty of time to recapture the form that saw them take the flag last year.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
If we make top 4 it's a wrap.
Gerard Klomp
Guest
Beware of the Eagles. They will come very strongly in the next couple of weeks. Yes they have not been in form but look out when they are in form just like what Collingwood and GWS Found out when they played the Eagles. Gaffy will hit form. Just like he did against Collingwood. I will be reading that the Eagles are in form in a couple of weeks and people moaning about what to do in how to stop the Eagles hot form. They have been dimissed to quickly at the moment. Look out the Eagles the Premiers are on the way back.
Gerard Klomp
Guest
Peter Look out for Gaffy to hit top form in the next couple of weeks. I believe he is coming back to form. Remember it was a couple of weeks ago he got 35 positions against your team Collingwood. It shows he do a lot damage as he did to the cold pies that night.
pm
Guest
As each week goes by, WC's premiership is looking more and more like a Bradbury. It's going be interesting to see if Nic Nat can have an impact when he comes back in. It's a shame so many players who've had multiple ACL lose quite a bit of agility. Personally I'm struggling to see them as a genuine threat to the top 8 at this stage.
shifty
Roar Rookie
One and done.
Raimond
Roar Guru
The Suns match would have been disturbing, as they lost the third and the fourth Quarters. Maybe they’ve lost the hunger already.
RT
Roar Rookie
Maybe the Eagles are just timing their run and not peaking early.
Baz
Guest
playing poorly but still winning is OK to me... it's an even season and anything can happen. I still expect WCE to make the top 4.
Downsey
Roar Pro
Ahhh, no, they weren't particularly 'clean' against Freo. Several mistakes, and costly mangled marks in the forward line.
User
Roar Rookie
Jk is playing limited minutes after very little pre season, most astute footy followers wouldn't be expecting him to be fully firing till post bye. Jack has kicked 14 goals and if you look at the Coleman table he sits there with players who are apparently superstars but he's not that good Sheesh, you'd also think the lack of fwd supply delivered by the midfield is probably the likely cause of him going goalless vs port and Geelong wouldn't you? He is also kicking his average per game as it has been across his career and if he remains injury free is likely to maintain his 40+ seasons which is pretty handy wouldn't you think?
Rissole
Roar Rookie
Don't forget O'Meara and Tim Kelly