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The Weagles and bottoming out.
- Thread starter Rosy
- Start date
The Eagles are not interested in finishing mid table. I heard their president a few years ago say their aim was to win one flag every 10 years on average. Nothing over the top but a realistic goal that would put them near the top teams over a long period of time. They have a solid core of players yet made a trip to the bottom of the ladder and scooped up Gaff and NicNat (lucking out when Melbourne blundered) and also got Darling cheap.
As much as I dislike them I admire the way they go about it.
As much as I dislike them I admire the way they go about it.
As others have mentioned they have some great established players - Cox, Kerr, Glass, Embley - who have had much better years in 2011 than in 2010.
This has allowed other players who are B graders to play a role - Nicoski, Lynch, Schofield, McKenzie - that their abilities allow.
Their youngsters have then had support to develop - NicNat, Gaff, Shuey, Darling - without havign to worry about tags etc.
It all starts with their top 6 being fit and consistent.
Without them they would be ordinary.
Our top 6 still need another year or two to develop the A grade consistency before we can be top 4.
This has allowed other players who are B graders to play a role - Nicoski, Lynch, Schofield, McKenzie - that their abilities allow.
Their youngsters have then had support to develop - NicNat, Gaff, Shuey, Darling - without havign to worry about tags etc.
It all starts with their top 6 being fit and consistent.
Without them they would be ordinary.
Our top 6 still need another year or two to develop the A grade consistency before we can be top 4.
Harry said:
But at Richmond if we finished low this year we would be moaning about no improvement going backwards and someone, the cooach, would have to pay. KB would be on radio drumming up support for Hardwicks head there would be petitions demands for a board spill and it would be rather ugly.
I guess can't win either way.
They key to the Eagles resurgence is that they have stuck with their coach, pure and simple.
People laughed at Worsfold last year when he said they were not that far away from challenging for a flag. And really, it isn't hard to see why we laughed given they won a spoon.
But at the end of the day, if they hadn't stuck with their coach, you probably would have seen a new coach make personnel changes, like trading out Kerr and Lynch (who were being chased by other clubs), which would have destroyed the fabric of the team and set them back.
I have heard people say that Worsfold is not a great game day coach, that he lacks vision etc. etc. This might be true, but the Eagles have shown that a coach with the right support structure can turn things around pretty quickly. They key is to stick with your man unless you really absolutely have to change.
People laughed at Worsfold last year when he said they were not that far away from challenging for a flag. And really, it isn't hard to see why we laughed given they won a spoon.
But at the end of the day, if they hadn't stuck with their coach, you probably would have seen a new coach make personnel changes, like trading out Kerr and Lynch (who were being chased by other clubs), which would have destroyed the fabric of the team and set them back.
I have heard people say that Worsfold is not a great game day coach, that he lacks vision etc. etc. This might be true, but the Eagles have shown that a coach with the right support structure can turn things around pretty quickly. They key is to stick with your man unless you really absolutely have to change.
The West Coast teams from mid-2009 have been the tallest in VFL/AFL history. Also, their sides in that period have been comparatively young. I don't think in their wildest dreams they'd have expected top four this year, but the combination of
- return to form and fitness of good older players
- soft draw
- improvement of S.Selwood, Ebert, Mackenzie, Schofield
- emergence of Shuey, Darling, Gaff, Smith
is responsible for their meteoric rise.
2011 being a result of good planning bolstered by serendipity, I suspect they'll find it tough for a couple of years to take the next step. Of course, if they beat Geelong this weekend and reach the GF, that opinion is worthless. :bs
- return to form and fitness of good older players
- soft draw
- improvement of S.Selwood, Ebert, Mackenzie, Schofield
- emergence of Shuey, Darling, Gaff, Smith
is responsible for their meteoric rise.
2011 being a result of good planning bolstered by serendipity, I suspect they'll find it tough for a couple of years to take the next step. Of course, if they beat Geelong this weekend and reach the GF, that opinion is worthless. :bs
spook said:
Yeah but apart from all that spook...........what have the Eagles really got going for themselves?! ;D
The key to the Eagles is pretty simple.
The older group of 25-30 stood up and got a good run with injury.
They had two men (Cox & Glass) stand up in the spots that you need mature bodies.
Then the Eagles got a flow on of three to four years drafts all coming on.
But that core older group was the back bone.
We have pretty much the same level of talent under 25 as the Eagles if not more. We just don't have anything over that age to prop the group up.
The older group of 25-30 stood up and got a good run with injury.
They had two men (Cox & Glass) stand up in the spots that you need mature bodies.
Then the Eagles got a flow on of three to four years drafts all coming on.
But that core older group was the back bone.
We have pretty much the same level of talent under 25 as the Eagles if not more. We just don't have anything over that age to prop the group up.
SCOOP said:
Yep.
Cox, Glass, Embley and Kerr. They have set the standard on the field and the younger players have been able to follow.
I wouldn't underestimate the role played by Beau Waters and Sam Butler, either. They have a solid group of experienced players who have finally got out on the field together for the first time in years.
IMO they obtained injuries to a portion of their players early last year. This year had luck also to their senior group not going down with injuries.
Believe they pulled the pin on that season & put the cue in the rack and got all their players right for this year. Not that "tanking" occurs in the AFL but it has been hinted by a couple in the media that it might have occurred. They played the kids & did not care for the results that happened in 2010.
Good management imo. from last to top 4 at the moment. You just might find them in the GF playing for a GF.
Believe they pulled the pin on that season & put the cue in the rack and got all their players right for this year. Not that "tanking" occurs in the AFL but it has been hinted by a couple in the media that it might have occurred. They played the kids & did not care for the results that happened in 2010.
Good management imo. from last to top 4 at the moment. You just might find them in the GF playing for a GF.
Al Bundy said:
I think the idea that the Eagles tanked, rested players, or got them right for this year is a bit overstated and in danger of becoming an urban myth.
The outs from round 22 last year: B.Ebert, A.Hams, J.Jones, A.Smith, M.Spangher, K.Stevens, A.Strijk, C.Wilson.
Ins: Darling, Gaff, Kerr (4 games), Butler (5 games), Nickoski (6 games), Lynch (14 games), Priddis (19 games), A.Selwood (16 games).
Priddis played the first 19 games, Lynch and A.Selwood both played in round 20. Nicoski and Lynch were available but on the outer.
LeeToRainesToRoach said:
Nicoski kicking goals has been a revelation. He was a fringe player not long back from memory.
