It ended, finally, with Nic Naitanui awkwardly spiralling a punt into the centre square and the waiting arms of an opponent.
It was fitting that West Coast’s final foray forward in the 2019 season finished like that – off balance and lacking, a figure of hope unable to make the intended impact.
There have been many worse premiership defences. The Eagles still won 15 games and a final. With a fortnight to go in the home-and-away season, they were second favourite for the flag.
Then it all came unstuck – in the second half against Richmond, the final quarter against Geelong and, most crucially, all night against Hawthorn.
The loss to the Hawks cast the Eagles’ fate. Not just in the standings, but on some deeper levels too.
It wasn’t so much that it cost the Eagles top four – it was that, in a must-win game, they’d lost by 38 points at home to a team that wasn’t going to play finals. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did, and it became clear that this wasn’t the same team as 2018.
For much of the year, things didn’t look too different. The Eagles still had their elite intercept markers creating a cruel web in defence, their clearance monsters in midfield, their two imposing key forwards and the army of skilled, pouncing crumbers at their feet.
But something was off – they looked almost as slick, but never as powerful. In the end, they went 1-5 against the top four – in all five losses they lost the contested possession count by at least 22.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
The Cats rattled them early on Friday night and broke them late. It was a familiar look this year – the first quarter of last year’s grand final recycled, where the Eagles couldn’t get their hands on the ball in the clinches, couldn’t establish any rhythm, and were made to look slow and disoriented.
This is a champion team, though, and they were never going to get blown out by a team with Geelong’s weaknesses. They arrested control through the second and third terms, playing the game as they do best – intercept marking parlayed into scything kicks into the corridor, setting up counter attacks where the speed comes in low trajectories through the air as much as pace on the ground.
Where last year the Eagles would have powered home, this year they just stopped. Geelong were harder in the contest, which could have been predicted, but also more disciplined and savvy in their structure, which was less foreseeable.
The West Coast defence is one of the strangest in the league – few high-profile back sixes oscillate as frequently between looking completely impenetrable and desperately vulnerable.
When there is pressure on the ball and it comes in high, Jeremy McGovern, Tom Barrass, Will Schofield and Shannon Hurn feast. When it comes in at pace, though, with those players isolated one on one, they can be made to look old and unathletic. The Cats took 17 marks inside 50, and that was the game.
Where the Eagles champions might have wrestled back control of a game like this last year, this year the cadences were off. Josh Kennedy is no longer a superstar – last Friday night his leap was compromised and his presence muted, as it had been for most of the year. McGovern looked eerily mortal. Andrew Gaff has looked joyless in his football, with none of the dynamism of last season, a lot of tough running leading to hurried 15-metre passes.
Gaff, Naitanui and Brad Sheppard were supposed to make this team even more unstoppable. But all year the Eagles looked more solvable than 2018, with opponents more able to take them out of their uncontested kick-mark artistry, and force them into more uncomfortable contested ground-level wars.
The absence of Willie Rioli hurt, and surely took its toll on Friday night, but West Coast’s defeat was the culmination of warning signs that had been blaring well before Rioli’s provisional suspension.
The Eagles aren’t going anywhere. Their core of superstars is still ripe enough and exciting youth is flowing through. This year ended meekly, but most premiership defences do. A reinvention propelled West Coast to a grand final in 2015 and a better reinvention earned them a premiership in 2018.
A third will be necessary to get them back to where they need to go.
IAP
Guest
Matti's back, well at least the essence of him is...
Seymorebutts
Guest
Correction it is Rotham down back with the booming kick...
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
I am hoping. They should give it a decent crack. We might beat them by stopping them scoring, like last time. Then hit them with a burst.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Backed Geelong tonight with Gaz kicking three closer to goal.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Welcome back 6x6. Even though your boys went down last week, awesome fight back. Young Kennedy will be good for one or two a week for a year.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Still need him yatz, Allen isn't ready yet, Waterman plays like adl Tom lynch so won't be a key, brander is being developed into a wing if we go on how he is being played in WAFL and Bailey Williams is a ruck/fwd. Even if Kennedy goes down again in form that will probably yield 30-40 goals next season so is far from the type you retire. Still kicked 50 goals this year so not bad considering ppl are saying he's cooked.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
I'm back just took a couple of months off. Wce have possibly 2 more seasons of contention before like your boys they'll need to refresh. Would prefer we tried to get isacc Smith in over Kelly as another quality wing is more imperative than another inside/outside mid. The loss to Collingwood was our downfall and the reckless pass to Riewoldt it wasn't the hawks loss. Need top two when you are from WA as history shows so a frustrating season but not a horror as we will rejig parts of the game plan teams did expose this year.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Come on WCE you just won a cup!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Hope so Yattz. Good luck.
Seymorebutts
Guest
ironically Brander has been doing pretty well in the WAFL as a backman. Those big clearing kicks out of the backline onto the wing really released the pressure on the WAFL side plenty of times. They might start him down back in the position Schofield was playing. Personally I think the old geezer can go around again one more time, but Brander looks like he is the next natural replacement. The beauty is Oscar Allan can go down back or forward so we have some depth in our back six.
Seymorebutts
Guest
Cheers mate, nice to have someone agree with me ;-) Eagles aren't far of the mark... but they will need to make some changes to climb the mountain again ;-)
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Great call, your right about Kennedy, i said last year after the flag they should trade JK the signs were there that the body was breaking down would have got e good return then. 33 next birthday he is cooked doubt you get anything now. Your right about Matsen, McGuinnes and Brayshaw as well.
Seymorebutts
Guest
The only thing Ah Chee has achieved was confirm Port did the right thing in getting rid of him. They need to deslist him or offer him up for a trade.
Seymorebutts
Guest
Nice synopsis ...I suspect teams have simply worked the Eagles out. McGovern has been floating in defence the last couple of years, sides have made an effort to make him accountable. The wheels fell of for Baras for a while there and agree on Schofield... he is the best pound for pound defender in the side... Everyone waxes lyrical about Jetta, fair enough, but he does make some clangers as well... you cant give away easy goals against the top sides and expect to win. Short kicks in the backline or across goal that result in turnovers and goals would get you dragged at under 14 level..team rules, boot it outside the 50 into the dead pocket , get it out of bounds, then everyone man up and take it from there. A lot went right for the Eagles, but ultimately not getting a win against the top sides meant they are legitimately the 5th best side in it this year. As for next, they need to really consider playing McGvern up forward now alongside Darling... Oscar Allen can hold down a key position, Barras and Schofield are around for the other one. This will sound terrible, but they should consider trading Josh Kennedy, hes one of the three greatest players ever to play for the club, along with Judd and Matera but they might pick up those two gun South Australian kids if they offer him to GC.... like I said, they can cover him up forward now. They should have offered them Masten last year... We have to be like Hawthorn now, and trade club favorites while they still have some trade value. Believe it or not, thats exactly what Alex Ferguson did at Man Utd... he traded all his gun, Beckham, Van Nistelroy etc while they still had a couple of good years left in them... with the money he got in those trades, he invested in the next generation of players like Christian Ronaldo. Eagles need to bite the bullet and do the same. The other guy who has looked great in the WAFL is young Brayshaw, consistently gettig 25 possesions each week in his first season was fantastic... and he has GREAT disposal.. He plays nice and direct, straightens the attack and delivers precision passes. Nothing flash, but really solid player. He could make the step up next year. Fraser McGinnes will get a game at GC so I really hope they pick him up...very unlucky not to play more games that guy. He is actually a key forward, not a ruckman and GC could really use someone with his nous.
Julian
Roar Rookie
Hear hear. West Coast couldn't go back to back in 93' when they had a superior team. It's bloody hard winning the premiership from the west. Our strike rate and consistency across seasons is remarkable given the travel. For mine, it wasn't the Hawthorn loss that broke us, but the Richmond loss. Top four isn't the same for a WA team. You can't finish 3rd/4th and play in your home city unless by some fluke, Freo manages to finish top two. We were just a bit off all year and it cost us top two. In the end as Simpson admits, we just weren't good enough. And in such an even comp where a win and percentage separates the top 5, even 5% off will get you. Having won the premiership, the Eagles had serious work put into them and a tougher draw. And perhaps the hunger wasn't there, it certainly wasn't consistent. But the Eagles will be back, because they always are. Hopefully JK will get a proper pre-season and go out on top. Regardless, there is plenty of talent in the wings. TK will be more than handy in the middle. Rioli was an absolute gut punch, both for his role in the team and how devastating it is that his career might be over. Such a bright spark extinguished by sports drink stupidity. But honestly I'm pretty fortunate to be an Eagles supporter. And you don't have to look far to gain some perspective.
Ken
Guest
Rioli's 'incident' occurred on August 20. Why did the AFL wait until the day before the Eagles Vs Geelong match to release the news?
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
I disagree about Hurn. And Kennedy. Who knows about Rioli ? You certainly don't. Would you be referring to Brad Sheppard?. Get it right. Keep your ill-informed comments to yourself. The Eagles' ordinary was considerably better than your rabble's best, wouldn't you say? The difference between the Eagles' best and their worst was as bad as I've seen. All teams have an up-side for next year. The Eagles' younger players will drive that
Lawrence
Roar Rookie
The Collingwood loss was the worst when they had the game in control but failed to man up Mihocek. Defenders showed no respect. 4 points that cost a top 4 position. West Coast played in patches throughout 2019, a hangover. Went missing for quarters and hardly got any inside 50s during games and when they had control only put a few teams away, they weren't ruthless. The kick mark style of play has been taken over by a quick ball movement style alas Richmond. To win the 2018 premiership with stars missing was a monumental achievement. West Coast need Kelly as midfield depth is their biggest problem. JK needs a full pre season if he is to play another year, this season was interrupted. West Coast defenders need to man up more instead guarding space. West Coast need a mobile second ruckman who can play forward when Naitanui continues. Bailey Williams will be a good fit. Cameron, Ah Chee, Brander, Ainsworth, Brayshaw need more games. In reality, interstate teams need to finish top 2, play 2 home finals then the G. Very difficult for interstate teams to win finals on the road.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
I remember a discussion about a-sex. BB died and became Lamb but Matti disappeared.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Surely not true? can the editor confirm that for us ? Are you out there Matti 6x6 ?