You received’t discover many groups with extra slows on them heading into 2022 than West Coast.
Despite nonetheless sitting in seventh with two rounds to go, their late season type in 2021 had a stench about it, dropping their final four video games of the 12 months to go down with out a battle. In truth, if we return even additional, regardless of getting into the bye with a greater than respectable 8-5 report, they got here house 2-7, and with some ugly losses.
In Round 20, the Eagles had been stored to at least one objective at half-time and ended up dropping by 45 factors to Collingwood, who completed seventeenth. Round 21 was at the very least a decent loss to Melbourne.
In Round 22, with their season on the road, they let by eight Fremantle targets within the opening time period and by no means mounted a critical problem. In Round 23, they let Brisbane kick seven within the first quarter and by no means threatened. This was a crew that couldn’t look forward to the season to finish.
West Coast’s worst loss within the again half of the 12 months was both a 15 objective thumping by the hands of Sydney or the following week at house when solely kicking three targets to three-quarter-time once more the picket spooners North.
It all hardly speaks to a crew on the up and hitting the following season stuffed with vim and vigour. The prevailing sentiment is the Eagles are too previous and too banged as much as do something but slide down the ladder.
What’s new
Not heaps, it must be mentioned.
Sam Petrevski-Seton has joined West Coast from Carlton, buying and selling a life in Melbourne for a extra acquainted one in his native Perth surrounds. He by no means fairly grew to become what he promised on the Blues, and was too typically an nameless contributor whereas from time to time providing a glimpse of one thing extra. It was becoming his final recreation at Carlton was as an unused sub.
Premiership ahead Willie Rioli shall be one thing new, given he hasn’t performed for the reason that 2019 elimination remaining. We’ll see what sort of impression the now-26yo can have.
The Eagles forward-line could have a brand new look if Jack Darling doesn’t cross over from the darkish facet, given he’s solely missed 9 video games within the final six years.
Star on the rise
This is the place we run into bother at West Coast. The are *previous*, and it’s not simple to see the place the following begin is coming from, a light-weight to cling onto in darkish occasions.
Tom Cole or Josh Rotham? Both 24, and jobbers. Liam Duggan? 25 now, and an excellent peculiar participant at finest. Jack Petrucelle? Not seeing it.
Oscar Allen is clearly the highest seed in relation to the beginning on the rise on the Eagles. He’ll flip 23 the day earlier than West Coast performs in Round 1, and his time should be now if his crew has any probability of contending for finals this 12 months – significantly if the Darling saga continues.
Allen began final 12 months like a home on hearth, with 16 targets and 17 contested marks in his first six matches. He solely kicked 12 extra targets in his remaining 15 video games as he battled minor accidents and type fluctuations.
The pre-season hasn’t been incident free for Allen both, which means he’ll virtually actually miss the beginning of the 12 months, so shall be making an attempt to have an effect off restricted preparation. Hopefully he can present his finest at some stage.
Who’s below the pump
West Coast nonetheless have 14 premiership gamers on their record from the 2018 flag, plus Nic Naitanui and Andrew Gaff, and each considered one of them is below the pump not directly.
The common age of the Eagles high 10 within the B&F final 12 months was north of 27, and that doesn’t embody Shannon Hurn, Josh Kennedy, Luke Shuey, Jeremy McGovern and Elliot Yeo.
What does this era of Eagles gamers stand for? It seems they’re on the sting of a cliff, much like the Brisbane Lions after 2004, besides they at the very least had three flags to point out for it.
Maybe one premiership is sufficient. They’ll retire heroes in a method or one other, given flags are so exhausting to win. But this group of gamers had the expertise to contend for and win extra premierships than they did, and can go down in lots of minds as unfulfilled expertise.
Best-case situation
The West Coast veterans collect for one final tilt at a flag, but even you then’d be exhausting pressed to make a convincing case for high four.
Oscar Allen and Jamie Cripps are already lacking Round 1, Luke Shuey and Liam Duggan are up in opposition to it, and who is aware of what Jack Darling is going to do. Yeo is extra banged up than a 1984 Holden Commodore, and the way for much longer can Hurn and Kennedy actually final.
Maybe they will discover their option to tenth or one thing prefer it, if different golf equipment are beset by accidents they usually can one way or the other put collectively a aggressive crew. But they’ll nonetheless must take that crew on the street 10 weeks out of twenty-two, and that’s not at all times going to finish effectively for them.
Worst-case situation
It’s a grim one, but it is actually on the playing cards. Bottom four is not just attainable, but possible. The Eagles know methods to backside out shortly, if we bear in mind again to 2008 – two years after profitable the 2006 premiership, they completed second final with a proportion of 65, just above one of many worst groups of all time in Melbourne.
West Coast additionally received the picket spoon in 2010, earlier than rebounding into the highest four in 2011. Don’t be stunned, in any respect, in the event that they plummet all the best way.
Best 22
B Shannon Hurn Tom Barrass Tom Cole
HB Joth Rotham Jeremy McGovern Liam Duggan
C Dom Sheed Elliot Yeo Andrew Gaff
HF Jamie Cripps Jack Darling Jack Petrucelle
F Oscar Allen Josh Kennedy Liam Ryan
Foll Nic Naitanui Luke Shuey Tim Kelly
Int Bailey Williams Jack Redden Zac Langdon Sam Petrevski-Seton
