He might be on the wrong side of 30, but West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui is still at the peak of his powers. Photo: AAP
WEST COAST
2021 record: 10 wins, 12 losses (9th)
THE INS
Sam Petrevski-Seton (Carlton), Campbell Chesser (Sandringham Dragons), Brady Hough (Peel Thunder), Rhett Bazzo (Swan Districts), Jack Williams (East Fremantle), Greg Clark (Subiaco), Hugh Dixon (East Fremantle)
THE OUTS
Brad Sheppard (retired), Jarrod Brander (delisted – GWS), Nathan Vardy (retired), Daniel Venables (retired), Mark Hutchings (delisted), Brendon Ah Chee (delisted), Brayden Ainsworth (delisted), Ben Johnson (delisted), Will Collins (delisted), Jarrod Cameron (delisted)
THE STRENGTHS
They still have a large core of 15 premiership players on the list which includes the likes of Josh Kennedy, Shannon Hurn, Liam Ryan, Luke Shuey, Jeremy McGovern, Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed and Tom Barrass. Add to that the fact that they also have Nic Naitanui, Andrew Gaff and Tim Kelly at their disposal, and things look fairly hunky dory on the surface (but as you’ll see in the ‘Weaknesses’ section, things aren’t all as they seem). In 2021, on differentials, they were ranked fifth for marks, second for contested marks (thanks largely to Jack Darling and Oscar Allen) and sixth for clearances, with Naitanui the driving force behind that statistic for the club. Naitanui had another fantastic season last year earning back-to-back All-Australian nods, taking his career tally to three, after averaging 15 disposals (12 contested), 31 hitouts and seven clearances to maintain his standing as one of the elite ruckmen in the competition. West Coast really unearthed a gem down back too in Josh Rotham who had a breakout year in 2021, ranking No.6 in the league for total marks. The long-awaited return of Willie Rioli will also serve as a huge morale boost. And while they uncharacteristically struggled at home last year, having 12 games in Perth, assuming WA doesn’t decide to secede from the nation again, always serves as a nice foundation to try and mount a finals assault from.
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THE WEAKNESSES
West Coast couldn’t have scripted a worse off-season if it tried. The Eagles have already been smashed by injuries to key players and we’re barely in March. Captain Shuey (hamstring) has suffered yet another soft-tissue injury and is in a race against time to be fit for Round 1; Sheed (ankle) and Tom Cole (ankle) aren’t expected to feature in the first half of the season; Jamie Cripps (torn pectoral) could also be facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines; Allen is battling a stress reaction in his foot; and Yeo (calf) will be sidelined for about a month. Meanwhile, new recruits Campbell Chesser (ankle) and Greg Clark (shoulder) have also suffered serious injuries. Compounding all of that was the early retirement of Brad Sheppard due to concussion and, of course, the Darling situation. Darling’s future remains in limbo as he continues to refuse the COVID vaccination. With such an horrific personnel crisis, the last thing the Eagles needed was having one of their most important and healthy players being unavailable due to non-injury related issues. Darling was in the top 10 in the AFL for contested marks last year, and his absence means that the Eagles’ reliance on 34-year-old spearhead Kennedy won’t let up. Kennedy was still the Eagles’ No.1 target in attack last year, taking the most marks inside 50 for the club. But rather than carefully nursing him through the 2022 season, the veteran doesn’t look like he’ll get a significant respite with Darling a strong chance of not playing this year. In fact, three of their top five goalkickers from last year – Darling, Cripps and Allen – are either injured or are refusing to take the COVID vaccine leading up to the start of the season. A large chunk of their top players are also getting on in age, with Gaff, Darling, Cripps, McGovern, Jack Redden, Shuey, Naitanui, Hurn and Kennedy all 29 or older. Have the Eagles got adequate reinforcements to ensure a smooth transition to the next generation? It remains to be seen. And Optus Stadium is no longer the fortress it was once was. After enjoying a strong 28-7 record at the ground heading into 2021, the Eagles almost doubled their entire loss tally at the venue in one season last year, losing five of 12 games to take their overall record there to 35-12. It wasn’t so long ago that they boasted a proud record on the road, but those days already feel like a distant memory. Their record away from Perth in 2021 was shocking, winning just three of 10 games, and humiliating performances against Geelong (97-point loss), Sydney (92) and Collingwood (45) exposed just how soft they had become. There was also an element of ‘flat-track bully’ about West Coast last year, winning just one of nine games against top-eight teams. In 2021, on differentials, the Eagles were ranked 17th for disposals and contested possessions as well as 15th for tackles – simply not good enough. Their forward efficiency was very good, ranking fifth for goals per inside 50, but the problem was that their supply was dreadful – 14th for total inside 50s. Their backline was really poor as well. Despite the Eagles conceding the fourth fewest inside 50s to the opposition last year, they were way too leaky, allowing the most goals per inside 50 in the league. That’s a damning statistic and a huge reason behind their inability to make the finals.
ONE TO WATCH
Rioli hasn’t played a game since West Coast’s 2019 elimination final win over Essendon. Due to his own stupidity, he copped what ultimately amounted to a backdated two-year suspension for breaching the Australian Football Anti-Doping Code three times. But the electrifying small forward has paid his dues, and has already shown some exciting signs in the Eagles’ pre-season. If he can have the same impact he did when he burst onto the scene in his first two years with the Eagles, he will be a huge asset.
UNDER THE PUMP
It might seem harsh to nominate a four-time All-Australian but McGovern could definitely be more consistent. There are times when the 29-year-old appears to be coasting along, and because he is very much a barometer for his side, his body language can permeate throughout the team. In many respects he is a victim of his own high standards, but he has just dipped below them in the last couple of years. His embattled team really needs him to reach those lofty pre-pandemic heights again.
BEST 23
B: Josh Rotham, Tom Barrass, Tom Cole
HB: Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Liam Duggan
C: Andrew Gaff, Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed
HF: Jamie Cripps, Oscar Allen, Jack Petruccelle
F: Liam Ryan, Josh Kennedy, Willie Rioli
R: Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Tim Kelly
Inter: Jack Redden, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Alex Witherden, Jackson Nelson, Jake Waterman
Emerg: Zac Langdon, Luke Edwards, Jamaine Jones
Yes, this best 23 is littered with many players who are currently sidelined, some of whom won’t be available until the second half of the season. But remember this is what West Coast’s best team should look like this season, this isn’t the Eagles’ Round 1 team. But with Shuey, Sheed, Cole, Cripps, Allen, Yeo and Darling out, that will give players such as Jake Waterman, Jamaine Jones, Luke Edwards, Luke Foley and Connor West more opportunities in the first half of the season. With Darling’s future under a huge cloud, he remains out of the side for now, and that could mean Barrass and/or McGovern might be used forward in his absence as well as new recruit Hugh Dixon. The flow-on effect of that could see Harry Edwards get more game time in the senior side down back.
