Analysis Are we better in 2018 than in 2015?

Are we better in 2018 than in 2015?

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Sep 8, 2011
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We kicked ass in 2011, but everyone knew it was going to be Collingwood or Geelong

2012 was a ‘weak’ year. Noone took Sydney seriously. Hawthorn got off to a rocky start. We lost to Collingwood by 3 or so points in a midseason top of the table clash. When we dropped that game, we kinda dropped our bundle

2015 we had the marvellous web. Guys like Ellis, Rosa, Wellingham don’t seem as good as our rookies for mine though. We would’ve won the flag if Mayne kicked that goal straight in front to put the Dockers about 20-25 points ahead. Alas hawks rebounded and it was the classic 12 point play

2018 we are rejuvenated for sure by the new stadium and rebranding. Simmo has gone serious shorter cut for his gray hair, NicNat is single and slaying on and off the field, Darling is a happy dad, JK is loving being the second banana, Sam Mitchell has set the midfield alight
2012 we were much better than 2011, if JK didn't miss 17 games that season I think we would have been a serious threat.
 

Rowan18

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 20, 2018
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I was surprised to find this article by David King on the herald sun website not sitting behind the paywall.

It does mentions both the 2015 and 2018 versions of WCE so this seemed like the most appropriate place to put it...

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...y/news-story/727616c94de7bdf5d7003117dacb9caf
Wow - great to see a Victorian journalist take pot shots at other journos for all the unfair crap they write about the Eagles. Though I suspect Kingy was being a bit hypocritical as I'm sure he's done similar in the past.
 
Uh oh, media praise and heightened expectation

You seem tense...

606037238.gif
 

Candiru

Premiership Player
Jan 27, 2018
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Wow - great to see a Victorian journalist take pot shots at other journos for all the unfair crap they write about the Eagles. Though I suspect Kingy was being a bit hypocritical as I'm sure he's done similar in the past.
Like when he wanted to end LeCras?
 

WCE1987

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Sep 3, 2014
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http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-18/why-are-the-eagles-flying-so-high
Why the Eagles are flying so high
May 18, 2018 4:32PM

590909-tlslargeportrait.jpg

The Eagles players are enjoying their football
You do need to talk about enjoying footy because it goes out of the game a little bitJeremy McGovern

HOW DID we get West Coast so wrong?

It's the question many in the footy world are asking, as gloomy pre-season predictions of the Eagles' demise prove about as accurate as St Kilda's forwards.

Of the 17 AFL.com.au reporters who gazed into their crystal ball before round one, not one placed West Coast higher than 10th on the ladder.
 

Yippy Yi Yeo

Premiership Player
Jul 10, 2015
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http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-18/why-are-the-eagles-flying-so-high
Why the Eagles are flying so high
May 18, 2018 4:32PM

590909-tlslargeportrait.jpg

The Eagles players are enjoying their football
You do need to talk about enjoying footy because it goes out of the game a little bitJeremy McGovern

HOW DID we get West Coast so wrong?

It's the question many in the footy world are asking, as gloomy pre-season predictions of the Eagles' demise prove about as accurate as St Kilda's forwards.

Of the 17 AFL.com.au reporters who gazed into their crystal ball before round one, not one placed West Coast higher than 10th on the ladder.
goes to show the quality and competency of journos afl.com use
 

avishka5

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Kinda wish that we got one more year out of waters. He might not have been the difference between winning and losing the game but imo the whole team would have been a much more mentally tougher that season.
 
Aug 4, 2003
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Anyone else feel like we are being set up to fall here?

‘Real Deal’

‘How did we get it so wrong?’

‘GF Preview’

‘Biggest game of the season so far!’

....

You know that all gets thrown away if we don’t win tomorrow right?

Nobody will actually call David King out but they’ll all fall over themselves to remind us that they were never ‘fooled’...
 

Astro7

Official Halftime Oranges Man
Aug 6, 2017
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Anyone else feel like we are being set up to fall here?

‘Real Deal’

‘How did we get it so wrong?’

‘GF Preview’

‘Biggest game of the season so far!’

....

You know that all gets thrown away if we don’t win tomorrow right?

Nobody will actually call David King out but they’ll all fall over themselves to remind us that they were never ‘fooled’...
Exacto-mundo!
If we win watch the lid explode off the box..and this thread.. and the media will go ballistic!
If we lose, then we know where we're at...regroup+re-boot!
If we lose it's just 4 points and a lot of stupid media yakkety-yak..
This team looks like it will march on regardless of tomorrows result or 'press set-ups to fall.'

The article was a good read..still wheeled out a few worn cliches in the first half.
The second half had good insights into WC workings and mindset.
The media's prediction for WC never added up to me, it was obvious we had the matrix of senior talent still there. In simplistic terms we chopped off the deadwood and injected some fresh legs, and new midfield coaches (which was an indicator of things to come). Also NN+Lycett were returning. How could all this lead us to being worse?
You could see something building last season, regardless of results there was something special about the team and how tight they'd become, a new attitude or belief.

I just couldn't see us sliding so far, we finished 6th and figured we could still remain around 6-10th..
but certainly wasn't expecting the team to be as good as they've been..or new talent to have such an early impact ..I saw Venables and Ahchee as our main mids boost- and Ahchee hasn't disappointed, solid midfield grunt with skills (think average mids=Koby Stevens or Ebert or Selwood-he's better than that). Venners should be a gun of course. But the rest of the newbies, fantastic! ...with more to come!
 
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Turboman1994

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Jul 24, 2013
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Tbf our form has been a surprise to most I was a tad more optimistic then most and had us pegged at approx 6-10th
 

WCE_phil

Brownlow Medallist
Nov 14, 2009
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Where do people rate our 2011 vs our 2015?

We actually had a better record in 2011, and IMO had a stronger team (Glass, Embley, Cox, Kerr all there) and beat some better opposition IMO. That year is a bit hard to read as GC were new, Port were a worse basketcase than Brisbane or Carlton, and Geelong & Collingwood were stand out teams.

Take collingwood and geelong out of 2011 and you realistically have the calibre of opposition we are facing in 2018. No true standout side by the looks of it.

I think this year is very similar to the last 2 tbh. It'll be about being fit and firing come the pointy end of the season. Lets face it however if we were to make the grand final with our current list we'd need career best days out of our midfield to be hoisting the cup at the G.
 

Yippy Yi Yeo

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Jul 10, 2015
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Take collingwood and geelong out of 2011 and you realistically have the calibre of opposition we are facing in 2018. No true standout side by the looks of it.

I think this year is very similar to the last 2 tbh. It'll be about being fit and firing come the pointy end of the season. Lets face it however if we were to make the grand final with our current list we'd need career best days out of our midfield to be hoisting the cup at the G.
No reason that can't be the case, the midfield is getting better every week. We've broken even or beaten every midfield we've come up against so far this year, bar sydney. Nic nat and Lycett are getting better by the week, Shuey to come back yet and still hasn't hit his straps, Redden, Gaff, Sheed, Masten all in career best form, Yeo putting up consistently big midfield numbers, Ah Chee has just come into the side and looks good.

All we have to do is break even in the middle, I back our forward and backlines to beat any other in the competition this year. We just need to hope we have a relatively healthy team come finals and that we keep playing aggressive, team orientated football.
 

WCE_phil

Brownlow Medallist
Nov 14, 2009
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No reason that can't be the case, the midfield is getting better every week. We've broken even or beaten every midfield we've come up against so far this year, bar sydney. Nic nat and Lycett are getting better by the week, Shuey to come back yet and still hasn't hit his straps, Redden, Gaff, Sheed, Masten all in career best form, Yeo putting up consistently big midfield numbers, Ah Chee has just come into the side and looks good.

All we have to do is break even in the middle, I back our forward and backlines to beat any other in the competition this year. We just need to hope we have a relatively healthy team come finals and that we keep playing aggressive, team orientated football.

While i agree with this on the expanses of the MCG the midfield becomes more important too imo making it more difficult for a team like us to win a premiership.
 

Yippy Yi Yeo

Premiership Player
Jul 10, 2015
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While i agree with this on the expanses of the MCG the midfield becomes more important too imo making it more difficult for a team like us to win a premiership.
Makes it more difficult, but I think it's too early to say too difficult. I believe the biggest problem we had in previous years, that the MCG exacerbated, was lack of pace (particularly in the middle), and a less contested/pressure game style. We've done a lot to fix these problems, removing slow players, adding quick ones, improving contested possession/clearance numbers and a higher pressure game style. Bring Shuey, Venables and Ryan back into the side and I daresay we'd have one of the quickest teams in the comp, and I'd give us a chance to topple anyone at the G, at least a better chance than previous years.
 

WCE_phil

Brownlow Medallist
Nov 14, 2009
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Makes it more difficult, but I think it's too early to say too difficult. I believe the biggest problem we had in previous years, that the MCG exacerbated, was lack of pace (particularly in the middle), and a less contested/pressure game style. We've done a lot to fix these problems, removing slow players, adding quick ones, improving contested possession/clearance numbers and a higher pressure game style. Bring Shuey, Venables and Ryan back into the side and I daresay we'd have one of the quickest teams in the comp, and I'd give us a chance to topple anyone at the G, at least a better chance than previous years.

I certainly agree we are a better chance now than in 2015. I think one of the key things now is Jetta and Hurn playing well together in defence. Venables while i think he could be a very good player in the future i don't see him as a key cog or even potentially best 22 this year. Assuming everyone is at peak fitness this is the 22 i would have for us at the end of the year.

FB Hurn Barrass Sheppard
HB Jetta Mcgovern Duggan
C Masten Redden Gaff
HF Rioli Darling Cripps
FF Ryan Kennedy Lecras
R Nicnat Shuey Yeo
I Lycett Sheed Cole Ah Chee
E: Hutchings Waterman Venables Petrucelle Schofield Ainsworth Nelson Vardy (mckenzie not listed due to indefinite injury)

Rotham, Brander are imo 2 years away from best 22 depending on injury and Matt Allen is a very good backup to have as well. As everyone knows i dont really rate Oscar Allen so we shall see. I really rated Brayshaw pre draft and knew he was slow but didn't realise he was slower than priddis and it may cost him a career. Watson for all his talent is still making the same mistakes he did before being drafted so unless something significant changes he wont make it.

Our other rookies and unlisted senior players i see as having no place at afl level this year or in the future. England a very slight chance, maybe.
 

Yippy Yi Yeo

Premiership Player
Jul 10, 2015
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Weve got a tough draw the next few weeks. Id be happy to make the 8.

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Lmao come on mate. We're 7 and 1, the expectations should be realigned to top 4. If you look at the fixture and the way we're playing at the moment, games you could pencil in at this stage Stk, WB, Ess, Freo all at home, Brisbane away, Gws and melbourne at home are likely wins, that puts us on 14 wins, with 50-50s against Richmond, Hawthorn, Adelaide, North and Port should get us to 16 wins. Likely losses against Sydney and collingwood away. Top 4 at this stage should be the pass mark.
 

Yippy Yi Yeo

Premiership Player
Jul 10, 2015
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I certainly agree we are a better chance now than in 2015. I think one of the key things now is Jetta and Hurn playing well together in defence. Venables while i think he could be a very good player in the future i don't see him as a key cog or even potentially best 22 this year. Assuming everyone is at peak fitness this is the 22 i would have for us at the end of the year.

FB Hurn Barrass Sheppard
HB Jetta Mcgovern Duggan
C Masten Redden Gaff
HF Rioli Darling Cripps
FF Ryan Kennedy Lecras
R Nicnat Shuey Yeo
I Lycett Sheed Cole Ah Chee
E: Hutchings Waterman Venables Petrucelle Schofield Ainsworth Nelson Vardy (mckenzie not listed due to indefinite injury)

Rotham, Brander are imo 2 years away from best 22 depending on injury and Matt Allen is a very good backup to have as well. As everyone knows i dont really rate Oscar Allen so we shall see. I really rated Brayshaw pre draft and knew he was slow but didn't realise he was slower than priddis and it may cost him a career. Watson for all his talent is still making the same mistakes he did before being drafted so unless something significant changes he wont make it.

Our other rookies and unlisted senior players i see as having no place at afl level this year or in the future. England a very slight chance, maybe.
Agreed on Jetta and Hurn in defense, they've been a huge part of our success so far this season. A point of difference from the other elite defenses is their laser like precision and distance kicking out of defense to set up attack. I don't think Venables will be a key cog, but I expect he will establish himself as best 22 by the end of the year after returning from injury, plus his pace just means we have another quick and agile player in the lineup. Genuinely quick best 22 regardless which should help drastically on the G.
 

Gugs9

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I said this in my Best 22 for 2018 post in September last year, I genuinely expected us to push for top 4 this year. Where we are right now is not a massive surprise.

Maybe i was being optimistic, but we were FIRST last year for time in front. Add to that the fact we had no ruckman last year, and were welcoming back the best ruck duo in the comp, there was no reason why we wouldnt improve on last year. Yeo clearly had the tools to replace pridda, and despite the stupid media articles petrie and mitchell retiring hardly impacted us given they were on our list for 1 year... Guys like sheed and redden who were wasted for far too long on a HFF would also help to maintain midfield output

The one aspect you couldnt predict that has improved us even further is the young fwds coming in with immediate impact. If it continues and ryan/waterman/rioli/petch etc continue to impact the scoreboard as they have, no reason why top 2 cant be achieved this year
 
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