Mead
24 Jun 2002, 01:04
WCE Season 2002 Midway Report Card- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Well, we’re halfway there, and since there isn’t a game this weekend, I thought it would make sense to instead do a run through of just how things have gone in the first half of our season. I’m going to discuss how our forward line, backline, midfielders etc. have been functioning as a whole, and talk about what’s been good and what hasn’t in 2002 so far. If anyone actually manages to read the whole way through this weighty tome without falling asleep at their computer, my sincere gratitude to you :D
The Good: Well, as has already been said, it’s a pretty good time to be an Eagles Fan. Things are looking up with our team sitting sixth on the ladder on 7 wins and 5 losses, and within striking distance of the eight. We’ve been one of the most potent goal scoring teams in the AFL, despite lacking several of our main avenues to goal in recent weeks. Our midfield is by and large fast, direct and skilled and when on its game, can match it with the engine rooms of any team. We haven’t lost a game at Subiaco all year, and indeed, have looked a lot like the invincible West Coast of old when playing at home. Speaking of which, its also been excellent to see the old blue and gold jumpers on several occasions, and what looks like the imminent demise of the DBs. Halfway through the season, we’ve already won more games than we did all last year. After such lean times, you have to ask what exactly has been responsible for this resurgence.
First off John Worsfold should take a bow. Coaches tend to live or die on their teams’ performances, and on the basis of how poor we were last year, Woosha needs to take a bow. He’s a very poor team, and without any major trade coupes, has transformed them into a confident, aggressive outfit, with an incredible never say die attitude. Every single game we’ve played this season, even our worst losses, there has been a period where the team has done its damndest to win the game, even after it seemed more or less impossible. That might not sound like much, but last year there were games where we gave up in the first ten minutes. With an astute eye for talent, rock solid commitment, and a considerable amount of footballing nous, Worsfold has remade this team in his image. If our form continues, Woosha would have to be the odds on favorite for coach of the year.
Also significant in our rebirth has been El Kapitan, Ben Cousins. Okay, time to make an embarrassing confession. Over the last few years, whilst acknowledging Cuz as a hard running, superbly skilled and consistently committed player, there have been times when I’ve wondered if he really had what it takes to be a great leader. This season has seen an older, more mature Ben, and one who, at times, has taken it upon himself to win games for the club. Perhaps a watershed was the most recent game against Carlton. After an even duel with Camporeale all game, in the final quarter, with West Coast looking down and out, Cousins single handedly ignited a team-wide revival, and got us back in the match. It is a sign of his new status as a true champion and superb captain that when a game is in the balance, Cousins turns it up a notch, and takes the team with him. This is just a hunch, but if we do get some September action the Energizer Bunny strikes me as the sort of player who will become superhuman when the pressure is on in a finals situation.
Next off the rank, some of the ‘almost-there’s’ and even one or two of the ‘never will be’s’ have finally arrived. Wilson, Chambers, Wooden, Cox and Wirrpunda are some of the players who have significantly improved.
Finally, the veterans have lifted significantly. Roo, Jako, and Milli have all increased their output by leaps and bounds. I’m guessing having Worsfold in charge has something to do with that. In the old days, these guys used to run through walls (or Glenn Archer, as the circumstances might dictate) for their captain, and with him in the coaching box, that sort of spirit has been evident again. Particularly amazing, indeed, almost spooky, has been the resurgence of Glen Jakovich. It could be 1992 again for Jako, except for the lack of mullet (bring it back, I say!) Jakovich has been totally revitalized as a player, to the point where I wonder whether Woosha’s degree in pharmacy has led to the development of some nifty anti-aging drugs. For me, the best things about the season so far are:
a.) Beating Fremantle in the first game of the year- (after this, everything seemed like it was going to be fine)
b.) The huge upset win over the Lions which proved that every team had better fear the trip to Subi.
c.) Adam Hunter’s inspirational goal against Carlton. Always great to see the young guys get their moment in the sun
d.) Josh Wooden’s entire year. Maybe its just me, but I’ve always had a thing for the underdogs of the competition, and it has been absolutely wonderful to see Wooden step up to become a respected midfielder.
e.) Cousins. As already mentioned, the captain has taken his game to a new level.
All up, two statements by the footballing intelligentsia spring to mind- “This is the year Fremantle will finish above West Coast”- Pretty unlikely from here
and
“West Coast’s poor list should see them net the wooden spoon”- Impossible from here.
If we make finals (and I think we will) it will be good, but we’ve already defied the critics.
The Bad: Every silver lining has its cloud, and there have been some worries. Most serious has been our poor away form, of course. Part of this is probably just symptomatic of having a youngish list, but there are a lot of guys who have been passengers whenever we go away. Although its true that we could make the finals on the basis of our excellent form at home, even if that were the case, there are two things which are vital to finals success- a top four finish, and the ability to win away from home, for obvious reasons. Hopefully, the Carlton win will have broken the hoodoo, but stay tuned to see how this develops over the second half of the season.
Also of considerable concern has been our defense. At the time of writing, the Eagles have the second worst defense in the league in terms of goals conceded. On one hand, this is probably linked to the free running style of play the team has tended towards, and the consequential freedom for other team’s midfielders. However, that does go all the way to explaining this. The oft-cited problem of a lack of a small defender could have something to do with it, also the indifferent form of our number of our back players.
The Ugly: Dog’s Breakfast strips have been worn on occasions, but hopefully we won’t see much more of the hideous things. It was pretty ugly to watch Reid and Morrison go down for the second year running, ditto the unfortunate injury runs of Sierakowski and Gaspar in recent weeks. Losing to the Saints by a ridiculous margin was for me the ugliest moment of the season, as was watching us go down to the Pies by a single point. The single, ugliest disposal this season would unquestionably be Jakovich’s five metre dribble kick against the Bulldogs, the ugliest all round performance by a player was Banners getting an absolute toweling from Brodie Holland, and the worst umpired game was against the Demons at Optus earlier this year.
Finally- the report card for the various parts of our team
Forward Line; A- : Much maligned prior to this season, we’ve been kicking a bundle of goals. Prior to his injury, Troy Wilson has been doing an excellent job providing a target, the crumbers have been having a field day, and the HF flankers such as Chambers, Williams, Wirrpunda and co have down their jobs reasonably. The CHF spot has looked a little shaky at times, but with the arrival of the Lynchinator, and the imminent return of Gardie and Siera, we could have this sorted. For me, the only disappointment has been the inability of Embley and Haynes to find consistent form (although the latter has come on somewhat in recent weeks) All in all though, when healthy we have the firepower and versatility to kick a winning score against any team.
Midfield and onballers: B. Let me just say I think our midfield has the potential to be as good as any in the league- our demolition of Brisbane’s much vaunted midfield showed that. Cousins has taken on the leadership role with gusto, Kerr has matured, Braun has found consistency, Wooden has improved unbelievably, whilst Chambers and Wirrpunda have both provided some lightening pace, and lethal run near goal. Meanwhile, the Package has been exactly that, with Chris Judd signaling that he can contribute significantly now, and in the future he is most likely going to be one of the premier players in the competition. So why only 3 and a half? More than any other part of our team our midfield has been guilty of disappearing when we go east of the Nullarbor. Insipid performances against Richmond, St Kilda, Port Adelaide and Melbourne were all the more astounding considering the talent we took over there. One of the biggest issues is lack of defensive running from the midfielders, whilst skill errors also seem to take a toll. All in all, though, the potential is there in the midfield, but some questions still need to be answered.
Ruckmen: A+ We have this well and truly sorted. Gardiner is of course one of the best ruckmen in the league, but the real surprise has been Cox. He ranks in the top ten big men in the league for hitouts, and in recent weeks has stepped up significantly. With two of the classiest young ruckmen in the league, and then Siera, Gaspar, Lynch and Tuckey besides, we’re overflowing with talent in this area, and they have performed commensurately.
Back Line: C- There are, as they say, issues, in our backline. On one hand, Jakovich and Mcintosh are playing some of their best football of the last five years. On the other, Glass, Banfield, and even the normally reliable Collica have seriously struggled at times, and the statistics show just how woeful we’ve been in this department on occasions. Part of the problem has been lack of midfield support, but it also has a lot to do with some dubious performances from some of the key personnel. Hopefully we can improve in this regard as the season goes on- if Milli or Jako get a long term injury, heaven forbid, then the backline could get downright ugly.
The Coach: A: Woosha has done a superb job so far. Consider where we were this season. Now consider how well you seriously thought we’d do this season. Now consider how we’ve played so far, and we’re we are at as a club right now. Enough said.
The Vets: A- As previously mentioned, Macintosh, Matera and particularly Jakovich have been excellent so far. No doubt partly because of their captain in the coaches box, partly because of the old jumpers, and partly out of sheer cussed-minded desire to prove their critics wrong, these guys are more mentally switched on than in recent years, and seem to be licking the injury worries. Alas, the same cannot be said for Drew Banfield, who is still struggling to hold his spot, despite some improvement in recent weeks
The Young Bloods: A+ Our youngsters are a very very promising crop indeed. We have Chris Judd, the Norwich medalist if there is any justice in the world, Daniel Kerr, the Norwich medalist last year if there was any justice in the world (which there wasn’t), a very solid ruck man in Dean Cox and the hulking form of the mobster- Quentin Lynch. All almost certain to be future stars. Then there are the potentials- Hunter, Embley, Haynes, Glass, and so forth. All of these guys have shown limited amounts, and may or may not take the final step required, but they’re still in the mix. In fact, our youngsters probably summarise the whole Eagles club right now- Pretty good at the moment, and with the possibility of a very exciting future.
Well, we’re halfway there, and since there isn’t a game this weekend, I thought it would make sense to instead do a run through of just how things have gone in the first half of our season. I’m going to discuss how our forward line, backline, midfielders etc. have been functioning as a whole, and talk about what’s been good and what hasn’t in 2002 so far. If anyone actually manages to read the whole way through this weighty tome without falling asleep at their computer, my sincere gratitude to you :D
The Good: Well, as has already been said, it’s a pretty good time to be an Eagles Fan. Things are looking up with our team sitting sixth on the ladder on 7 wins and 5 losses, and within striking distance of the eight. We’ve been one of the most potent goal scoring teams in the AFL, despite lacking several of our main avenues to goal in recent weeks. Our midfield is by and large fast, direct and skilled and when on its game, can match it with the engine rooms of any team. We haven’t lost a game at Subiaco all year, and indeed, have looked a lot like the invincible West Coast of old when playing at home. Speaking of which, its also been excellent to see the old blue and gold jumpers on several occasions, and what looks like the imminent demise of the DBs. Halfway through the season, we’ve already won more games than we did all last year. After such lean times, you have to ask what exactly has been responsible for this resurgence.
First off John Worsfold should take a bow. Coaches tend to live or die on their teams’ performances, and on the basis of how poor we were last year, Woosha needs to take a bow. He’s a very poor team, and without any major trade coupes, has transformed them into a confident, aggressive outfit, with an incredible never say die attitude. Every single game we’ve played this season, even our worst losses, there has been a period where the team has done its damndest to win the game, even after it seemed more or less impossible. That might not sound like much, but last year there were games where we gave up in the first ten minutes. With an astute eye for talent, rock solid commitment, and a considerable amount of footballing nous, Worsfold has remade this team in his image. If our form continues, Woosha would have to be the odds on favorite for coach of the year.
Also significant in our rebirth has been El Kapitan, Ben Cousins. Okay, time to make an embarrassing confession. Over the last few years, whilst acknowledging Cuz as a hard running, superbly skilled and consistently committed player, there have been times when I’ve wondered if he really had what it takes to be a great leader. This season has seen an older, more mature Ben, and one who, at times, has taken it upon himself to win games for the club. Perhaps a watershed was the most recent game against Carlton. After an even duel with Camporeale all game, in the final quarter, with West Coast looking down and out, Cousins single handedly ignited a team-wide revival, and got us back in the match. It is a sign of his new status as a true champion and superb captain that when a game is in the balance, Cousins turns it up a notch, and takes the team with him. This is just a hunch, but if we do get some September action the Energizer Bunny strikes me as the sort of player who will become superhuman when the pressure is on in a finals situation.
Next off the rank, some of the ‘almost-there’s’ and even one or two of the ‘never will be’s’ have finally arrived. Wilson, Chambers, Wooden, Cox and Wirrpunda are some of the players who have significantly improved.
Finally, the veterans have lifted significantly. Roo, Jako, and Milli have all increased their output by leaps and bounds. I’m guessing having Worsfold in charge has something to do with that. In the old days, these guys used to run through walls (or Glenn Archer, as the circumstances might dictate) for their captain, and with him in the coaching box, that sort of spirit has been evident again. Particularly amazing, indeed, almost spooky, has been the resurgence of Glen Jakovich. It could be 1992 again for Jako, except for the lack of mullet (bring it back, I say!) Jakovich has been totally revitalized as a player, to the point where I wonder whether Woosha’s degree in pharmacy has led to the development of some nifty anti-aging drugs. For me, the best things about the season so far are:
a.) Beating Fremantle in the first game of the year- (after this, everything seemed like it was going to be fine)
b.) The huge upset win over the Lions which proved that every team had better fear the trip to Subi.
c.) Adam Hunter’s inspirational goal against Carlton. Always great to see the young guys get their moment in the sun
d.) Josh Wooden’s entire year. Maybe its just me, but I’ve always had a thing for the underdogs of the competition, and it has been absolutely wonderful to see Wooden step up to become a respected midfielder.
e.) Cousins. As already mentioned, the captain has taken his game to a new level.
All up, two statements by the footballing intelligentsia spring to mind- “This is the year Fremantle will finish above West Coast”- Pretty unlikely from here
and
“West Coast’s poor list should see them net the wooden spoon”- Impossible from here.
If we make finals (and I think we will) it will be good, but we’ve already defied the critics.
The Bad: Every silver lining has its cloud, and there have been some worries. Most serious has been our poor away form, of course. Part of this is probably just symptomatic of having a youngish list, but there are a lot of guys who have been passengers whenever we go away. Although its true that we could make the finals on the basis of our excellent form at home, even if that were the case, there are two things which are vital to finals success- a top four finish, and the ability to win away from home, for obvious reasons. Hopefully, the Carlton win will have broken the hoodoo, but stay tuned to see how this develops over the second half of the season.
Also of considerable concern has been our defense. At the time of writing, the Eagles have the second worst defense in the league in terms of goals conceded. On one hand, this is probably linked to the free running style of play the team has tended towards, and the consequential freedom for other team’s midfielders. However, that does go all the way to explaining this. The oft-cited problem of a lack of a small defender could have something to do with it, also the indifferent form of our number of our back players.
The Ugly: Dog’s Breakfast strips have been worn on occasions, but hopefully we won’t see much more of the hideous things. It was pretty ugly to watch Reid and Morrison go down for the second year running, ditto the unfortunate injury runs of Sierakowski and Gaspar in recent weeks. Losing to the Saints by a ridiculous margin was for me the ugliest moment of the season, as was watching us go down to the Pies by a single point. The single, ugliest disposal this season would unquestionably be Jakovich’s five metre dribble kick against the Bulldogs, the ugliest all round performance by a player was Banners getting an absolute toweling from Brodie Holland, and the worst umpired game was against the Demons at Optus earlier this year.
Finally- the report card for the various parts of our team
Forward Line; A- : Much maligned prior to this season, we’ve been kicking a bundle of goals. Prior to his injury, Troy Wilson has been doing an excellent job providing a target, the crumbers have been having a field day, and the HF flankers such as Chambers, Williams, Wirrpunda and co have down their jobs reasonably. The CHF spot has looked a little shaky at times, but with the arrival of the Lynchinator, and the imminent return of Gardie and Siera, we could have this sorted. For me, the only disappointment has been the inability of Embley and Haynes to find consistent form (although the latter has come on somewhat in recent weeks) All in all though, when healthy we have the firepower and versatility to kick a winning score against any team.
Midfield and onballers: B. Let me just say I think our midfield has the potential to be as good as any in the league- our demolition of Brisbane’s much vaunted midfield showed that. Cousins has taken on the leadership role with gusto, Kerr has matured, Braun has found consistency, Wooden has improved unbelievably, whilst Chambers and Wirrpunda have both provided some lightening pace, and lethal run near goal. Meanwhile, the Package has been exactly that, with Chris Judd signaling that he can contribute significantly now, and in the future he is most likely going to be one of the premier players in the competition. So why only 3 and a half? More than any other part of our team our midfield has been guilty of disappearing when we go east of the Nullarbor. Insipid performances against Richmond, St Kilda, Port Adelaide and Melbourne were all the more astounding considering the talent we took over there. One of the biggest issues is lack of defensive running from the midfielders, whilst skill errors also seem to take a toll. All in all, though, the potential is there in the midfield, but some questions still need to be answered.
Ruckmen: A+ We have this well and truly sorted. Gardiner is of course one of the best ruckmen in the league, but the real surprise has been Cox. He ranks in the top ten big men in the league for hitouts, and in recent weeks has stepped up significantly. With two of the classiest young ruckmen in the league, and then Siera, Gaspar, Lynch and Tuckey besides, we’re overflowing with talent in this area, and they have performed commensurately.
Back Line: C- There are, as they say, issues, in our backline. On one hand, Jakovich and Mcintosh are playing some of their best football of the last five years. On the other, Glass, Banfield, and even the normally reliable Collica have seriously struggled at times, and the statistics show just how woeful we’ve been in this department on occasions. Part of the problem has been lack of midfield support, but it also has a lot to do with some dubious performances from some of the key personnel. Hopefully we can improve in this regard as the season goes on- if Milli or Jako get a long term injury, heaven forbid, then the backline could get downright ugly.
The Coach: A: Woosha has done a superb job so far. Consider where we were this season. Now consider how well you seriously thought we’d do this season. Now consider how we’ve played so far, and we’re we are at as a club right now. Enough said.
The Vets: A- As previously mentioned, Macintosh, Matera and particularly Jakovich have been excellent so far. No doubt partly because of their captain in the coaches box, partly because of the old jumpers, and partly out of sheer cussed-minded desire to prove their critics wrong, these guys are more mentally switched on than in recent years, and seem to be licking the injury worries. Alas, the same cannot be said for Drew Banfield, who is still struggling to hold his spot, despite some improvement in recent weeks
The Young Bloods: A+ Our youngsters are a very very promising crop indeed. We have Chris Judd, the Norwich medalist if there is any justice in the world, Daniel Kerr, the Norwich medalist last year if there was any justice in the world (which there wasn’t), a very solid ruck man in Dean Cox and the hulking form of the mobster- Quentin Lynch. All almost certain to be future stars. Then there are the potentials- Hunter, Embley, Haynes, Glass, and so forth. All of these guys have shown limited amounts, and may or may not take the final step required, but they’re still in the mix. In fact, our youngsters probably summarise the whole Eagles club right now- Pretty good at the moment, and with the possibility of a very exciting future.