The Eagles selling their future to win a flag has caught up to them.
There’s a common notion amongst sports fans that supporters of a club would give up anything for the ultimate glory in their sport but in actuality, it isn’t that simple.
The Eagles won the flag in 2018, after finishing runners-up in 2015 and enjoyed six consecutive seasons in the top eight.
They were a good team over that period of time. Josh J Kennedy was unbelievable, Nic Naitanui incredible, Jeremy McGovern at his peak, unstoppable.
Elliot Yeo’s toughness, Luke Shuey’s explosiveness, Andrew Gaff’s exploits on the wing, Jamie Cripps was the most underrated small forward going around and Jack Darling’s work as an undersized key forward was great.
That was 2018. The fact almost all these players are not only deemed as best 22 in 2023, but also in the top dozen players at the club speaks of the harsh reality that the Eagles have created for themselves.
For a while, it has felt that the Eagles are a club that hasn’t quite had a proper grasp on where they’re at.
Maybe it’s blind loyalty to their heroes, most of whom are injury-prone, but right now there’s no avenue to success for the Eagles.
We’re coming off a good showing in the Derby in terms of competitiveness, following a win against the Giants for West Coast.
The concentration of so many injuries happening at one time feels unlucky and a dampener on what has been a period with positive signs, but really, luck has nothing to do with the Eagles at the moment.
Between 2015 and 2020, all those seasons that the Eagles played in finals, they had two first round picks – Daniel Venables and Jarrod Brander.
Reuben Ginbey of the Eagles. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Nailing draft picks is difficult, having later picks than most other clubs makes it even harder. Taking Oscar Allen and Liam Ryan in the second round of 2017 was a wonderful feat, but the Eagles have handcuffed themselves with poor draft since 2014, until recently.
There were the recruitments of Jack Redden and Tim Kelly that demanded such prices, as well splitting into further second round picks.
Redden was a big part of the flag team. Kelly is a super talent and worth recruiting, however he was seen as the cream on top to extend the window, when he should’ve been seen as the next player to usher in a new generation.
It’s been four seasons since the Eagles won the flag and they’re cellar dwellers with no clear path to climb the ladder.
Injuries to Naitanui, Shuey, McGovern, these aren’t unlucky. Heavily relying on these players in the team’s structure, that’s not unlucky.
There’s no clear backup ruck option – Bailey J Williams is having a crack and some will see it as developmental minutes for a young player, but he’s more suited to a forward/ruck role if anything and is only a serviceable fill-in. Drafting Harry Barnett was important.
McGovern is rumoured to be getting another deal with the Eagles but there was an opportunity to perhaps cash in and try get a decent return out of contending team who’d have overpaid for a veteran with pedigree.
The toughest aspect that faces the Eagles is that they should clearly commence the rebuild, which one suspects they’ve finally accepted, but all their best players bar Oscar Allen, are 26 years of age and older.
Ultimately, it means that if this is a slow burn for the Eagles, which it inevitably will be, the timelines are way off for this playing group.
Perhaps the biggest slice of luck to come out of the Derby in terms of the injuries, is the fact that coach Adam Simpson will finally have to give the kids an extended run in important positions.
Already, the last two drafts have been positive – Reuben Ginbey was the highest pick the Eagles have had since Andrew Gaff in 2010 and is playing as a full-time midfielder, while fellow first round pick Elijah Hewett is the perfect, modern day option.
In taking Harry Barnett, Coby Burgiel and Noah Long, the Eagles arguably won the 2022 draft and have five players who can be a part of their next premiership team. Add Jai Culley to this group and it’s six.
Despite having a great name for a politician, Jeremy McGovern decided to try his hand at AFL.(Photo by Ryan Pierse/AFL Media/Getty Images)
2021 saw them take more speculative players, but ones that should get playing time nevertheless.
Trying to form a core group cannot be done through one or two drafts, though.
Now is the time where we need to find out if the Eagles have any other players on hand, the ones that have been around a while.
The Eagles have 10 players still in their teens, and 10 aged 28 and over.
In between, we know what to expect from Barrass, Duggan, Ryan, Dom Sheed. We know that Allen is the prodigal son and perhaps the only actual potential star in that bracket.
The price of winning the flag means that it’s time to see what the rest of the guys have and if they’re up to the standard of senior football and contributing.
Harry Edwards, Connor West, Jamaine Jones and Samo Petrevski-Seton have been maligned at times but have shown the best signs.
Jack Petruccelle, Josh Rotham, Luke Foley and Xavier O’Neill have games under their belt.
Bailey Williams and Callum Jamieson are athletic.
It isn’t an awe-inspiring list, but it’s what the Eagles have and it’s what they’ll have to rely upon for the rest of 2023 and in the years to come.
The most recent draft crop is the most exciting group of talent brought into West Coast for well over a decade, but they’ll need time to develop and get up to speed.
By the time that happens, the most important players on the current list will either be long gone, or in the back-end of their careers.
The light at the end of the tunnel is there, but at the moment, it’s extremely faint.
Eagles fans had the delight and joys of winning the premiership and will always have that season in their hearts but to do so, they signed themselves up for long-term pain that the club hasn’t experienced in its near four-decade existence.
Ginbey and co will lead the charge eventually, but it’ll be a long wait to replicate that 2018 feeling against for West Coast.
Eagles 18
Roar Rookie
Hi Nics, I'm late to the party but want to respond and give my 2 cents. I am very confident Eagles will be back in finals contention in 2025. I also believe Eagles will go hard for Tim English as a free agent end on 2024. We need to draft or trade in 1 key defender and small, definitely a ruckman, 1 key forward post Darling and a small for crippa, 2-3 mids and a bloody good fitness coach. Depending where Port finishes we should have 4 picks in top 40 maybe 5 top 45. I think most of these holes will be fixed by end 2024 trade and draft. In regards to Kelly, everyone keeps saying we paid overs and looks that way on face value however we also drafted Edwards from the pick received from Geelong. Besides Cooper Stephens. Do you which other players Geelong & Gws drafted with the picks we gave away? I am curious to see what we really gave up.
Patient #9
Roar Rookie
Well said, I've always seen articles in wce downtime about they've stuffed up but no side outside Vic has as many or well spread premiership eras so I'm always cynical towards the article but comfortable with the clubs direction. I see alot of classic no young talent comments but bazzo, Hough and Edwards is a good start in the backs, Hewett, ginbey, Chesser and Culley isn't bad mid start, long looks great in the fwd line so far and over time jammo will develop into a strong fwd/ruck imo. That's not a bad launching pad with the likes of cole, Allen etc who should comfortably be part of our next premiership tilt. Journos tend to forget that each club has to do it differently when refreshing the list especially after the ultimate success and make most of their advantages ie Geelong getting danger and Cameron due to locale when opportunity arises.
nics
Roar Rookie
Hindsight bias is pervasive. I am pretty sure if anyone here was managing the Eagles in 2018/2019 immediately after the flag, they would have thought the window was open and traded accordingly. Bear in mind we missed out on a top 4 spot in 2019 on % and 2020 by a game or so. Overs for Kelly was a mistake but each club has their trading disasters. The only way to rebuild would have been to clear out the seniors to clear cap space. I’m really not sure how people expected the Eagles to trim the squad of Gaff/Schuey/McGovern/Nic Nat/Hurn etc in 2019-2021 given that when not injured, they actually played relatively well for most of that time. They would have been worth 1-2 second rounders at best in those years given their age profile, and it would have been horrific for morale. There was also the small matter of covid and hubs (which affects interstate clubs and those with mature lists with families more). Likewise by the time the cliff came in mid-2021 (after that epic Richmond game), most of those guys were too old for trades. Would have been great if we had the Pies fitness coach though ;). The silver lining is the club has recognised the rebuild is on and drafted accordingly – the holes are an extra key forward and a ruck. The current group of young mids can be something special, and small forwards and backs are relatively easy to trade for.
junkscience
As an Eagles fan we seemed to drift away from our DNA of recruiting the best WA talent and looking for guys wanting to come home. We didn't handle COVID that well and had a wretched run with injuries ... but that is a real risk with an aging list. Balancing blooding new talent whilst getting value from the older guys is a balancing act but it was clear when the game changed we needed more speed and inside muscle in the midfield. This is starting to happen this year and we look better already. The Eagles financial strength as a club is huge advantage compared to some of the smaller clubs. The past suggests we wont be down for long and unless this situation is totally mismanaged expect to see West Coast back in finals contention in the next few years. Famous last words ... LOL
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
I thought patient referred to your medical status but maybe it refers to your ability to wait for results. I love Tim. He is as a great player and continue to get better and better within your team. I agree with Nics above too. Do not do a Hawthorn.
Patient #9
Roar Rookie
Wce are going to be fine, 32yrs, 7gf, 4 flags shows they know what it takes, everything said at the moment is similar to post 89, post Malthouse, post 2007, post woosha, post 2015, post 2017 and the rebound to a premiership is extremely short. Always makes good reading but most often misses the mark. Tim Kelly is a medium term investment ultimately not the short term sugar fix most think, studies of alot of professional sports teams shows it takes approximately 50 to 60 games for a player to gel and instinctively understand the team and teammates, that's where Kelly is at.
nics
Roar Rookie
Depends on your perspective. Ask your local Saints or Bulldogs fan re long times between drinks. Don't ask a Freo fan.
nics
Roar Rookie
Good article but there is a bit of hindsight bias when we look at the Eagles. I can’t think of a single club in premiership contention (which we arguably were in 2019 and 2020, and still competitive in 2021) who would have ripped up the list and started again. For the Eagles in those years – see eg Brisbane, Bulldogs, Richmond, Carlton now. Will we see the same article written re Richmond/Geelong in 2 years? Even the great Hawthorn and Brisbane sides tinkered at the edges in the years immediately post-success from recollection. Arguably we could have started “rebuilding” in 2022 (but our top draft pick was injured all season, along with Allen). We definitely overpaid for Kelly but I could understand the logic at the time. The price of relative success is a lack of draft picks, in the absence of father-sons. We’re still on schedule for our 2026 premiership in line with our 8-year average.
Tony Taylor
As a Melbourne supporter, I would be interested to know how long are your "long-term reality", "long term pain" and "long wait".
Kevo
Roar Rookie
A good read Dom. Anything can happen in 12 months of footy. Look at Collingwood, expected to be cellar dwellers last year and onwards. And now Saints are suddenly alive too. If the Eagles young 6 do turn out alright and some of the older champs have a good run with injuries it could get the wheels turning quickly, particularly with further shrewd recruitment. I like the idea of cashing in and letting McGovern go. He's likely to balloon out and become more injury prone. He's been a great defender but he's at his best when the opposition kick it down his throat, and that's likely to happen less and less in the modern game. Eagles did lose two very handy and capable ruckmen in Lycett and Vardy who delivered the goods in the absence of Nic Nat on grand final day. They also let Tom Hickey go, bet they'd love to have him now. Josh Kennedy has been the no 1 superstar at that club in my eyes and he is irreplaceable. The Pies tried to snare him out of semi retirement at the end of 2021, he may have been the difference for them last year had they convinced him to cross the Nullabor. The Kelly recruitment was always a risk but could also see the logic at the time. There's very very few players worth throwing away future early draft picks for and Kelly may not be one of them. Considering also he was sitting in their back yard at South Fremantle until his early 20s. Eagles and Freo have both overlooked local talent like he and Pickett. All that being said the Eagles have the 2018 premiership glory and the cup in their cabinet. Think of the number of clubs and supporters who wish they could say that.