What a year!
A season in which almost everyone thought West Coast would slip down the ladder turned into a fairytale premiership for the Eagles.
An opening round loss at home looked like the beginning of the end, but 10-straight wins taking them to the bye had the competition on notice that West Coast was a force to be reckoned with, and the eventual flag suggests there’s more ahead.
When you take into account the Grand Final was won without Nic Naitanui and Andrew Gaff in the side, and superstar full forward Josh Kennedy missed half of the season, there’s no reason to think back-to-back is an unreasonable phrase to bandy around.
Scott Lycett and Mark LeCras are the only names of note to leave, and with a penchant for getting the best out of recycled ruckmen as well some very exciting small forwards already making a name for themselves, the list looks strong for the title defence.
List changes
In
Tom Hickey (St Kilda), Xavier O’Neill (Oakleigh Chargers), Luke Foley (Subiaco), Bailey Williams (Dandenong Stingrays), Jarrod Cameron (Swan Districts)
Eagles. pic.twitter.com/VYkEuDka74
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) November 26, 2018
Rookies
Harry Edwards (Swan Districts), Josh Smith (Collingwood)
Out
Scott Lycett, Tarir Bayok, Ryan Burrows, Callan England, Malcolm Karpany, Tony Olango, Luke Partington, Mark LeCras, Eric Mackenzie
Best Brownlow chances
Andrew Gaff $26, Elliot Yeo $26, Luke Shuey $41, Jack Darling $101, Jack Redden $101
The fact Gaff turned his back on millions to return home suggests he’s got a point to make, so expect the midfielder to come out at his best from round one … I mean round three after he’s served his suspension for hitting Andrew Brayshaw. Gaff finished just outside the top 10 in the 2018 Brownlow count so he should feature prominently again.
Yeo was only one vote further adrift in the most recent count after moving to the midfield from his more customary defensive role. Now the 25-year-old has an idea of how to play on the ball he could get right up amongst the elite in 2019.
Players to watch
Jack Darling, Liam Ryan
Jack Darling’s an interesting name to see in the Brownlow chances, but he was on fire in the first half of 2018 and if he can step up again who knows how high he can go? Josh Kennedy isn’t about to sink into the sunset just yet, but the veteran full forward turns 32 through the season and his body is starting to show some wear and tear, meaning opportunities will open for the younger Darling. Will he blossom like we know he can, or was that dropped mark in the last minute of the Grand Final a sign his weaknesses won’t go away?
Elliot Yeo says the @WestCoastEagles are still having a laugh over Jack Darling's dropped mark in the #AFLGF. https://t.co/OolZqNqUgs
— AFL (@AFL) October 3, 2018
With LeCras’ retirement a lot more is going to fall on the shoulders of small forwards Willie Rioli and Liam Ryan, but with all the promise and potential ‘Flyin Ryan’ has shown there’s been just as many worrying signs away from the game. First there was the car crash, then an alleged domestic violence incident and recently the situation where he left the Eagles’ pre-season camp early because “he didn’t handle it too well” as Adam Simpson put it. While nothing off field stops him taking big grabs and kicking great goals, there’s been plenty of careers cut short for the wrong reasons.
You just can't let Liam Ryan jump at the ball! #AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/TZXkPrMPR0
— AFL (@AFL) September 22, 2018
A last chance to watch?
Chris Masten, Dom Sheed
Many people are surprised Masten is still playing at the top level, let alone being a premiership player and the deciding factor in the age old ‘who won the Chris Judd trade’ question. The 29-year-old has been redesigned as a running half-back and put together a handy 2018, but he comes out of contract at the end of next season and wouldn’t want to get complacent. Then again, 200+ games and a premiership medallion – he can do whatever he pleases!
It was hard to fathom what was going on with Sheed in 2018. He seemed to be one of West Coast’s best throughout, but found himself dropped three times and was lucky to get back in for the Eagles’ run to glory. His round 21 recall saw him lift to an even higher level though which he carried through to the last Saturday - and the match-winning last goal - in September, but coming out of contract in 2019 Sheed will need to address more than just his on-field output or he could be on the market.
West Coast Eagles’ 2019 list
| Number | Name | Games | Date of birth | Height, weight | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Ah Chee, Brendon | 35 | 21 Dec 1993 | 188cm 89kg | Midfield |
| 33 | Ainsworth, Brayden | 3 | 27 Nov 1998 | 184cm 80kg | Midfield |
| 43 | Allen, Matthew | 0 | 18 Oct 1997 | 193cm 96kg | Forward |
| 12 | Allen, Oscar | 2 | 19 Mar 1999 | 191cm 85kg | Forward |
| 37 | Barrass, Tom | 51 | 8 Oct 1995 | 194cm 95kg | Defender |
| 10 | Brander, Jarrod | 1 | 11 Feb 1999 | 195cm 90kg | Forward |
| 22 | Brayshaw, Hamish | 0 | 9 Feb 1998 | 187cm 88kg | Midfield |
| 40 | Brooksby, Keegan (R) | 14 | 27 Apr 1990 | 197cm 99kg | Defender |
| 39 | Cameron, Jarrod | 0 | 182cm 70kg | Forward | |
| 28 | Cole, Tom | 27 | 28 May 1997 | 186cm 81kg | Defender |
| 15 | Cripps, Jamie | 144 | 23 Apr 1992 | 183cm 84kg | Forward |
| 27 | Darling, Jack | 172 | 13 Jun 1992 | 191cm 95kg | Forward |
| 14 | Duggan, Liam | 70 | 11 Dec 1996 | 184cm 83kg | Defender |
| 42 | Edwards, Harry (R) | 0 | |||
| 29 | Foley, Luke | 0 | 188cm 74kg | Forward | |
| 3 | Gaff, Andrew | 175 | 16 Jun 1992 | 182cm 85kg | Midfield |
| 1 | Hickey, Tom | 79 | 6 Mar 1991 | 201cm 99kg | Ruck |
| 25 | Hurn, Shannon | 248 | 4 Sep 1987 | 187cm 95kg | Defender |
| 34 | Hutchings, Mark | 95 | 25 May 1991 | 181cm 86kg | Midfield |
| 23 | Jetta, Lewis | 174 | 4 May 1989 | 182cm 80kg | Defender |
| 17 | Kennedy, Josh | 221 | 25 Aug 1987 | 196cm 102kg | Forward |
| 7 | Masten, Chris | 198 | 2 May 1989 | 180cm 80kg | Midfield |
| 20 | McGovern, Jeremy | 103 | 15 Apr 1992 | 195cm 100kg | Defender |
| 36 | McInnes, Fraser (R) | 14 | 19 Jul 1993 | 198cm 96kg | Ruck |
| 38 | Mutimer, Kurt | 4 | 11 Mar 1997 | 185cm 84kg | Forward |
| 9 | Naitanui, Nic | 161 | 4 May 1990 | 201cm 110kg | Ruck |
| 30 | Nelson, Jackson | 42 | 15 Mar 1996 | 187cm 84kg | Defender |
| 24 | O'Neill, Xavier | 0 | 185cm 80kg | Forward | |
| 21 | Petruccelle, Jack | 3 | 12 Apr 1999 | 185cm 80kg | Forward |
| 8 | Redden, Jack | 188 | 9 Dec 1990 | 190cm 85kg | Midfield |
| 44 | Rioli, Willie | 24 | 4 Jun 1995 | 175cm 80kg | Forward |
| 35 | Rotham, Josh | 0 | 25 Feb 1998 | 193cm 85kg | Defender |
| 1 | Ryan, Liam | 13 | 2 Oct 1996 | 181cm 72kg | Forward |
| 31 | Schofield, Will | 176 | 24 Jan 1989 | 196cm 92kg | Defender |
| 4 | Sheed, Dom | 78 | 10 Apr 1995 | 185cm 87kg | Midfield |
| 5 | Sheppard, Brad | 154 | 23 May 1991 | 187cm 85kg | Defender |
| 13 | Shuey, Luke | 177 | 2 Jun 1990 | 183cm 90kg | Midfield |
| 40 | Smith, Josh (R) | 32 | 2 Jan 1994 | 180cm 80kg | Defender |
| 19 | Vardy, Nathan | 57 | 25 Jun 1991 | 200cm 100kg | Ruck |
| 18 | Venables, Daniel | 15 | 19 Nov 1998 | 187cm 83kg | Forward |
| 2 | Waterman, Jake | 16 | 6 May 1998 | 191cm 92kg | Forward |
| 26 | Watson, Francis (R) | 0 | 29 Sep 1995 | 187cm 79kg | Defender |
| 32 | Williams, Bailey | 0 | 199cm 95kg | Ruck | |
| 6 | Yeo, Elliot | 132 | 1 Oct 1993 | 190cm 87kg | Defender |
New Eagle Josh Smith beat the heat and his teammates to claim the club's 2019 pre-season time trial crown!
— West Coast Eagles (@WestCoastEagles) December 3, 2018
Story: https://t.co/cKtmaOusCT pic.twitter.com/Lt680F8tKX
West Coast Eagles’ 2019 Fixture
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday 23 Mar 7:20pm | Brisbane | Gabba |
| 2 | Saturday 30 Mar 5:10pm | GWS Giants | Optus Stadium |
| 3 | Saturday 6 Apr 7:25pm | Collingwood | MCG |
| 4 | Saturday 13 Apr 6:10pm | Fremantle | Optus Stadium |
| 5 | Friday 19 Apr 6:10pm | Port Adelaide | Optus Stadium |
| 6 | Sunday 28 Apr 4:40pm | Geelong | GMHBA Stadium |
| 7 | Saturday 4 May 6:10pm | Gold Coast | Optus Stadium |
| 8 | Saturday 11 May 7:25pm | St Kilda | Marvel Stadium |
| 9 | Friday 17 May 6:10pm | Melbourne | Optus Stadium |
| 10 | Saturday 25 May 4:05pm | Adelaide | Adelaide Oval |
| 11 | Sunday 2 Jun 3:20pm | Western Bulldogs | Optus Stadium |
| 12 | Sunday 9 Jun 3:20pm | Sydney | SCG |
| 13 | BYE | ||
| 14 | Thursday 20 Jun 6:10pm | Essendon | Optus Stadium |
| 15 | Saturday 29 Jun 1:45pm | Hawthorn | MCG |
| 16 | Saturday 6 Jul 6:10pm | Fremantle | Optus Stadium |
| 17 | Friday 12 Jul 6:10pm | Collingwood | Optus Stadium |
| 18 | Sunday 21 Jul 2:50pm | Melbourne | TIO Traegar Park |
| 19 | Saturday 27 Jul 2:35pm | North Melbourne | Optus Stadium |
| 20 | Sunday 4 Aug 3:20pm | Carlton | Marvel Stadium |
| 21 | Sunday 11 Aug 2:40pm | Adelaide | Optus Stadium |
| 22 | Sunday 18 Aug 1:10pm | Richmond | MCG |
| 23 | TBC | Hawthorn | Optus Stadium |
Games played on
Thursday: 1
Friday: 3
Saturday: 10
Sunday: 7
Teams played twice
Collingwood, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hawthorn
2019 Preview and premiership odds
Will West Coast’s post-premiership form be similar to Richmond’s dominant display following the 2017 flag or more like the Western Bulldogs the year before?
They’re starting as equal second favourites at $7.00, so the bookmakers have faith they’re up for the fight, and with Naitanui and Gaff to rejoin the side through the year, why won’t they be?
However, ‘Nic Nat’ could be missing for a while and if Kennedy’s calf concerns return, and one or two stars get hurt, there could be a big drop off across the list.
Despite moving some veterans on in recent seasons, it wasn’t a young side that took to the MCG against Collingwood and aging legs can start to feel very heavy after a shorted pre-season, especially one filled with dancing.
Still, if there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past 12 months it’s don’t write off the Eagles.