Review 2006 Premiership "Arrogance"

[TheLoungeLizard]

Hey lads,

Don't see this as a opposition supporter coming in to lay the boot, I was reading the article on Beau Waters retirement

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl...houlder-problems/story-e6frf3e3-1227224591527

and found this part interesting:

Waters said the premiership win was a highlight but that the 2006 Eagles had a “sense of arrogance’’ that the flag would mark just the start of a premiership dynasty.

“But there was also this sense of arrogance that we were going to do it again, and do it again and do it again. And we didn’t.

It's well documented what happened post 2006 with injuries and the off field scandals that hit West Coast but is that all there was to the lack of dynasty? (hope not or this thread wont be very interesting) Or could you have held it together with a few cracks and kept going?
I have always found it interesting how you guys went from a flag to not much relatively quickly.
Was the list in the prime age bracket, would guys like Hansen have helped make a dynasty at West Coast?

Anyway, the article just got me thinking about what he said and more about the arrogance that went with it, I always saw West Coast as the rock star team with the rock star attitude.

Anyway, best of luck to Beau in retirement as well.

Cheers,
Tigerland55.

 

[eaglespremiers]

Yeah we could've been a dynasty, but then Yoko appeared and that was all she wrote.

 

[The Passenger]

Any club that wins a flag and doesn't believe they should turn it into a dynasty is lacking in self belief.

Our boys didn't lack in self belief.

If injuries had have been kinder to us Geelong 2007 v WCE 2007 could have been one of the great grand finals.

After that it fell apart pretty bad. Such is Life.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Any club that wins a flag and doesn't believe they should turn it into a dynasty is lacking in self belief.

Our boys didn't lack in self belief.

If injuries had have been kinder to us Geelong 2007 v WCE 2007 could have been one of the great grand finals.

After that it fell apart pretty bad. Such is Life.

Assuming you made the 07 GF and won, would the list have been able to back up another?

 

[The Passenger]

Assuming you made the 07 GF and won, would the list have been able to back up another?

Nope. By the end of 2007 we were hanging on by a thread. It was half a miracle we even finished the season in the top 4 but we did largely on the front of the start of the season.

People talk about how good Ablett is, and no that Brownlow Medal votes are the measure of greatness but they do tell their own story... Judd has 16 after 8 rounds and was never the same player again.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Nope. By the end of 2007 we were hanging on by a thread.

Do you mean list wise, or culture wise?
I don't remember the premiership list being particularly old, although I may be wrong there.

 

[eaglespremiers]

If injuries had have been kinder to us Geelong 2007 v WCE 2007 could have been one of the great grand finals.

After that it fell apart pretty bad. Such is Life.

Or imagine if Geelong had our injuries going into the finals series and we had remained relatively injury free.
I would've thought we would've been almost certain to win the 2007 premiership if we had retained Judd, Kerr and Cousins while Geelong sustained injuries to Ablett, Bartel and Corey. All theoretical I know but that was really the difference between us and Geelong. They had a good run with injuries where we were crueled by them come September.

 

[The Passenger]

Do you mean list wise, or culture wise?
I don't remember the premiership list being particularly old, although I may be wrong there.

Culture wise the club management was gonna change things up. And that was going to change the list, regardless of what us fans thought.

Us winning the flag would have been a PR disaster for the AFL.

But we were so close to getting a home final in the first week, so close to beating port adelaide, and lost to collingwood in overtime. And the latter was done without Judd, Kerr or Cousins.

We could have very easily been in that grand final. We may not have won. That was a great Geelong team. But we would have taken them every step of them way. Not a doubt about that.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Let's say you go back-to-back in 06/07, do you believe the club really would have made the player culls they did to rectify the off field issues?
Easy to brush it under the carpet at that stage for a champion side like that.

 

[The Passenger]

Also I hope mods don't shut this. I think this could be a real interesting discussion.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Also I hope mods don't shut this. I think this could be a real interesting discussion.

Likewise, this has already got to an interesting discussion between you and I, I'm very keen on other supporters thoughts.
Also I don't come here to to stir s**t as I said in the OP.

 

[The Passenger]

Let's say you go back-to-back in 06/07, do you believe the club really would have made the player culls they did to rectify the off field issues?
Easy to brush it under the carpet at that stage for a champion side like that.

To be honest it's hard to say cause it's a big hypothetical.

But the club was under enormous pressure off the field. Big time.

 

[eaglespremiers]

Let's say you go back-to-back in 06/07, do you believe the club really would have made the player culls they did to rectify the off field issues?
Easy to brush it under the carpet at that stage for a champion side like that.

With the off-field dramas proceeding the 2007 season that was all she wrote for West Coast.
But two premierships in two years would be nothing to sneeze at, even if it's not quite a "dynasty".

 

[The Passenger]

I think the club brushed a lot of s**t under the carpet, and the carpet was becoming very bulged... Not matter how much success we had on field.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

To be honest it's hard to say cause it's a big hypothetical.

But the club was under enormous pressure off the field. Big time.

Is this from the AFL, or just general scrutiny?
Looking back, it felt like the AFL basically said "Do whatever, just don't get in the papers" and when it all did they wanted to look like they were having a helping hand.

Let's not forget premiership team mates were belting each other in the ring at the club over another premiership tea mate if I have it right?

Also eaglespremiers, back to back is a dynasty I say regardless, also it would have been 3 GF's on the trot - like Hawthorn this year.
A lot of West Coast in how the Hawks did theirs actually.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

I think the club brushed a lot of s**t under the carpet, and the carpet was becoming very bulged... Not matter how much success we had on field.

I think I read here once in Perth Ben Cousins was the worlds worst kept secret and rumors had been going around for a while but the rest of Australia didn't know.
I think those in Perth probably know that better than anyone that West Coast had a few skeletons in the closet, but it even surprises me now how you guys were so functional on the field with what we know now.

 

[The Passenger]

"Do whatever, just don't get in the papers"

They might have been the original plan but it was never gonna last.

 

[WCErevival]

Once Rowan Jones retired it was all over

 

[eagles_4_life]

Afl would have stepped in big time unlike what we have seen with essendon we would have been stripped of points premierships brownlows which is what is frustrating watching the essendon saga unravel

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Once Rowan Jones retired it was all over

May have this completely wrong, but didn't he retire because of the scandals?
Or was that someone else?

 

[The Passenger]

May have this completely wrong, but didn't he retire because of the scandals?
Or was that someone else?

Chad Fletcher

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Chad Fletcher

I thought there was a someone who was clean of it all who was over the bullshit and retired?
I know Judd left partially of this.

 

[WCErevival]

May have this completely wrong, but didn't he retire because of the scandals?
Or was that someone else?

I dont think so. I think he was just satisfied with what he had achieved and wanted to spend time with his family. He knew he wasn't a superstar with a massive future.

Adam Selwood was unhappy at the time but stayed on.

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Oh right, also Andrew Embley wasn't happy I assume considering he boxed on over Cousins being a dick.

 

[The Passenger]

Oh right, also Andrew Embley wasn't happy I assume considering he boxed on over Cousins being a dick.

Yeah It's well known Embley and Chick had a massive dust up at a bbq over the well being of Cousins.

I think they were two concerned friends who had two different ideas of how to help him.