It was 2015 when West Coast and Fremantle were last both in the top four, ultimately each vanquished by a Hawthorn side on their way to a threepeat.
In the subsequent years, the Dockers have fallen away limply, unable to finish higher than 13th. The Eagles have made the finals each season since, and tasted premiership glory themselves.
Can we expect more of the same from each club, or do they have some surprises in store?
West Coast
While the Eagles worked their way into their premiership defence in 2019, rising into the top four after a 3-3 start and winning 12 out of 14 games from that point, they never really clicked for any length of time or played their best football.
Sitting in second with two rounds to go, they lost to Richmond after holding a 29-point lead at the MCG and then with a top-four position to play for, lost in Perth to a Hawthorn side that didn’t make the eight.
A loss to Geelong in the second week of finals was a meek end to a season, and an opportunity was lost.
West Coast best 25
B Brad Sheppard Tom Barrass Liam Duggan
HB Shannon Hurn Jeremy McGovern Lewis Jetta
Foll Nic Naitanui Elliot Yeo Luke Shuey
C Dom Sheed Tim Kelly Andrew Gaff
HF Jamie Cripps Jack Darling Jack Petrucelle
F Oscar Allen Josh Kennedy Liam Ryan
Int Tom Hickey Jack Redden Mark Hutchings Will Schofield
Em Nathan Vardy Tom Cole Jake Waterman
Over the off-season, the Eagles lost premiership player and 215-game veteran Chris Masten, but gained Tim Kelly from Geelong, fresh off a top-five finish in the Brownlow. It’s a serious get, and all but ensures they will stay a contender.
Nic Naitanui will be raring to go after only five games last year and only 20 in the last three seasons, but will have the same spring and athleticism at 30 after two knee reconstructions. If he can stay fit, and give first use of the ball to Kelly, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed and Jack Redden, West Coast are going to be awfully hard to stop at clearance.
With Josh Kennedy coming off his best pre-season in years and Jack Darling cementing his status as one of the premier key forwards in the competition, the midfield will have plenty of opportunity to have their work finished in front of goal.
In support of the twin towers, Oscar Allen turned heads as an impressive young mobile tall, Jamie Cripps has been underrated for years, while Jack Petrucelle and Liam Ryan are excitement machines with different electric skillsets.
Down back, the Eagles have the best attacking defence in the league. Jeremy McGovern prefers to mark than spoil, knowing he will usually have Tom Barrass to perform the latter if he’s in a tight spot. Lewis Jetta is one of the best kicks in the game from halfback, and Shannon Hurn and Brad Sheppard turn defence into attack as well as anyone with their intercept and rebound game.
There really isn’t a weakness, and Adam Simpson has his best 25-30 players available for Round 1. If a little bit of complacency did replace 100 per cent hunger last year, then that shouldn’t be a problem now.
The Eagles’ best football is at least the equal of a team like Richmond, and it’s arguably better. If they can get their clearance game and pristine ball movement up and running at the pointy end of the season, they’ll be a threat all the way until the final siren of the season sounds.
Predicted finish: first
How good are the Eagles? (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )
Fremantle
The Dockers started 2019 brightly, sitting second on the ladder after six rounds with a 4-2 record and a percentage of 128. Even after 13 rounds, they were in sixth place, a game and percentage clear of ninth.
In the football world, things can go south real quick.
They lost eight of their last ten matches, even losing to St Kilda, and terminated the services of Ross Lyon with one game to go. It felt like time.
After eight years of Lyon drudgery, what can new coach Justin Longmuir do with this side?
Fremantle best 25
B Luke Ryan Joel Hamling Alex Pearce
HB Nathan Wilson Griffin Logue Stephen Hill
Foll Sean Darcy Reece Conca Michael Walters
C James Aish Nat Fyfe Darcy Tucker
HF Blake Acres Matt Taberner Andrew Brayshaw
F Sam Switkowski Rory Lobb Brandon Matera
Int David Mundy Adam Cerra Connor Blakeley Ethan Hughes
Em Travis Colyer Cam McCarthy Brennan Cox
Michael Walters (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Brad Hill and Ed Langdon have defected to St Kilda and Melbourne respectively, each deciding to leave one basket-case for another. Aaron Sandilands has retired, but had provided minimal service in his last four seasons anyway. Hayden Ballantyne won’t be missed by opposition sides.
Coming in as proven players are Blake Acres and James Aish, who have never cemented themselves in a best 22 even though they have the potential to do so.
Nat Fyfe is arguably the best player in the competition, and Michael Walters sits comfortably in the upper echelon, but it’s a motley crew that surrounds them. Hill and Langdon finished in the top five of the Freo best and fairest last season, behind the aforementioned two, with David Mundy in fourth.
Hill and Langdon are gone, and Mundy is almost closer to 40 than 30. It does not augur well.
We cast our eyes across the team, and while there is promise there among the homegrown talent, too many players struggle to play a full season whether through injury, form or development time. Alex Pearce, Griffin Logue, Sean Darcy, Connor Blakeley, Matt Taberner, Brennan Cox are just a few of these names.
There are still a few of us members of the Taberner fan club left, but many have deserted. Can he be the forward-line focal point with the future of Jesse Hogan up in the air? Rory Lobb should play deep, but is better suited in the ruck. Cam McCarthy can’t be trusted.
Can Stephen Hill return to be influential? If he is given a rebounding role, Freo could be hard to contain off halfback with Nathan Wilson and Luke Ryan both effective. Longmuir may set up a game style around that sort of run, freeing the players up in a way they weren’t under Lyon.
There are many questions around this line-up, and too few convincing answers. With a new coach feeling his way, and a club that has been in a hole for years, and two of their best players departing, it’s not easy to make a case for this team climbing up the ladder. More than likely, it’s going to go the other way.
Predicted finish: 17th
Predicted ladder:
1. West Coast
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Brisbane
7.
8.
9. North Melbourne
10. St Kilda
11. Port Adelaide
12. Essendon
13. Melbourne
14.
15.
16. Adelaide
17. Fremantle
18. Gold Coast
Gerard Klomp
Guest
It will be Great Eagles win in the pre Season game today. Looking at the gaps in the ladder I will fill in the teams I think will finish in 2020. 1 West Coast. 2 Richmond. 3 Brisbane 4 Geelong 5 Essendon. 6 Adelaide 7 Fremantle. 8 Port Adelaide. And I will put Great Western Sydney 13th. Sydney Swans 14th 15 Carlton 16 North Melbourne. 17 Melbourne. 18 Gold Coast. The other ones like St Kilda will stay 10th. With Essendon and Port Adelaide and Adelaide are the big movers. Hawthorn about 11th as well.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Hmmm, I did reply but 7 hours after I posted it, it hasn't appeared. Maybe the mods are having a long weekend or they just don't want pro-Freo comments. Pretty hard to post on live games on weekend when mods put you on permanent moderation then only work 9-5 on weekdays.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I will always be grateful to Ross for taking us to a GF in 2013, it was a wonderful experience in my life and something I look back on very fondly (except for our innacuracy in front of goal), but at the same time I tend to agree, he didn't win us anything and basically butchered our list in the last couple of years and we played some absolutely dreadful football. Hopefully J-Lo can get the new era going this year!
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I'm not counting on any first year players. They'll be cream on the cake when they get their games. The load will be carried by all those blokes who missed half a season or more last year (8 of them). If we get a full season from half of them (and it will probably be most of them), there won't be a load to carry.
ScottD
Roar Guru
provided they don't get injured. The list is still too thin for mine.
ScottD
Roar Guru
I think you are failing to recognise the load you are expecting first year players to carry mate. Those young guys deserve to be eased into the season not carry the expectations of the club into every game.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Freo last year were up and down like a mad persons knickers. They should have won 3 or 4 games that they lost and they lost those because they failed to turn up or they played a style that was at odds with what was needed to win the game. Slow ball movement when they needed to move it quickly etc. It seemed at times they couldn't recognise when it was time to change the tempo and just went to their default of slowing the ball down. Frustrating as hell for the supporters and probably the players as well. Plus too many players had skill fails at crucial times and Taberner somehow ended up with the goal shooting yips after a promising start. Then to top it off the injuries came. But fundamentally they were in the top 6 but as we eventually saw they perhaps weren't consistent enough to deserve to be there and then the injuries hit and they maybe lost faith in their skills/system/themselves. What they needed was a psychologist. Hopefully their new coach is the circuit breaker they need but if they don't start the season well then they are stuffed. If they do start well they might end as high as 8th but will fall outside the 8 on the last 2 games of the season.
Seymorebutts
Guest
Well that warms the cockles of every west coast fan ;-) Even though I think they paid too much for him, Kelly is that extra A-Grade midfielder they have been missing. Shuey, Yeo, Kelly, Redden, Sheed and Gaff should be able to match it with the best mid fields in the comp.. Who to tag, Shuey, Yeo or Kelly? will be interesting to see how sides set up defensively against them. Only worry is that sides may have worked out how to crack our defensive set up... maybe one of the wingers needs to drop back and be that extra man in defence to free up the Guv to let him go for those intercept marks. With Naitanui and Kennedy apparently fit and raring to go theres plenty to look forward too for Eagles fans in 2020 ;-) Pies should have a good year too. Tigers, Eagles Pies and GWS for top 4 ?
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
When looking at 2020, you go to 2019. Strange. That year has been.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Walters is more forward than mid...3 years ago. Brayshaw is way better than a battler and Cerra is on his way to being the next Pendlebury. Hill is a great in and under player. He will play wing as our half backs like Young and Hughes nail down spots. Hill to Hogan...goal! Those you decry are great depth players with Aish probably a bit better than that. Certainly not passengers. If you don't watch, you won't know. Enjoy the year as it unfolds.
Macca
Roar Rookie
In the first half of last year Freo lost to the Suns (18th), Adelaide (11th) and Essendon (8th) and beat St Kilda (14th) by 5 points why 5 less scoring shots. That doesn't indicate "they were very much a top 6 side".
coaster
Roar Rookie
Don?? One of the best midfields in the AFL? Good God man! Hill wont play mid,Munday tho' a great servant,is done,Aish and Acres are journeymen,Conca if he improves may make journeyman.Walters more forward than mid,Fyfe obviously,Brayshaw is a good battler and Cerra is yet to prove himself.You have the basis of a good side but gee youve got a ways to go to match the best.
coaster
Roar Rookie
WC biggest problem last year was between the ears
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
To be up there until just before the mid-season break would indicate they were very much a top 6 side. That midfield is way stronger than you think. Tucker, Blakely, Conca, Aish, Acres add depth to the A graders in Fyfe, Mundy, Hill and Walters. The kids like Brayshaw and Cerra are entering their 3rd seasons. This is one of the best midfields in the AFL. They have one of the best defenses, a top ruck and, if Hoges joins Tabs and Rory, good luck everybody else. You are going to be pleasantly surprised as the year rolls on. Get a taster on Saturday. I expect Freo to shine...and to win.
berrlins
Roar Pro
they were in the top 6 but weren't top 6. they might be a top 8 side when all goes right but they aren't a top 4 side, there are too many sides better then them, their midfield is too light for one. aside from Fyfe and Mundy they've got some kids that'll probably be good but still have a ways to go. they won't be top 4 this year.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You've got most of that selectively skew-wiff. Still, you have an agenda so that would be why.
Seymorebutts
Guest
Yes good point. Schofeild always give a good contest. The only time he had goals kicked on him was when he had to man up on a big key forward.. Will was always a halfback flanker, who could pinch hit in a key position if someone got injured... he was never a designated key defender. Probably his last year, but if the young guys want his spot they'll have to force him out. Him , Sheppard and Hurn are clearly the best smaller defenders on the list IMO. Then is a toss up between Jetta and Duggan for the guy who gets the ''run it out of defence'' role ;-)
Seymorebutts
Guest
Yes Don, hes a good player is Muddy (assuming he got his dads nickname ;-) hes a walk up start in my book ;-)
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't hazard a guess that the correct person needed to deliver the charge in person.
1DER
Guest
Lachie Neale plus pick 30 was traded for Picks 6, 19 and 55. Pick 6 was surrendered as part of the Hogan deal. Pick 19 was part the Robb trade. That leaves pick 55 that was ontraded together with picks 47 and 49 for for pick 31. Fremantle picked 4 recruits via the AFL draft in 2018, 2 mature age in Bewley and Schultz, plus Sturt (pick 17) and Valente pick (32.) "Half of the current under u20's squad" is bit of a rant.