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As most acknowledge, B2B is bloody tough. No doubt about it. So many variables.

But i feel that one thing working for us is that three A graders missed out on the flag. Its rare that a premiership team has that many missing out. These boys are tight too. All the boys were cut up for them. You could see that, and given they all return I feel this may go some way to eradicating the complacency that may creep in. I think the senior boys will be on a mission to get Nic, Gaff and Shep that premiership. And you know those three will have the fire burning for it.

One of the books on Michael Jordan tells the story of the first day at training after they won their first Championship. First warm up drill was a light easy dribble up the court with a second player providing nominal 'defence'. One of the rookies gets Jordan as the defender. It took him 5 minutes to get up the court. Jordan absolutely hives him a bath, swatting the ball away, stealing it, bumping him and harrassing the shit out of him. Applied defence as though they were in the last 30 seconds in the 7th game of the Finals. He sent the message to the team. He wasn't satisfied with one.

WCE Leadership Group take note. Would love to see Gaff and Shep come back first day and pile drive someone into the dirt (during a drill would be a bonus) to send the message.

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KamakazeSalami said:
WCE Leadership Group take note. Would love to see Gaff and Shep come back first day and pile drive someone into the dirt (during a drill would be a bonus) to send the message.

[emoji16]

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I don't think we really want to be giving Gaff any ideas do we?
 
Hansmolman said:
I don't know how you can possibly have a question mark against the squads mental strength when we just won a grand final away from home in which we were down 5 goals to zip, trailing nearly the whole game, without 2 of our top 4 most important players and 3 of our top 8.
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Errr ..im talking about the challenge facing us next year!! Its very hard to win two in a row and a lot of that is between the ears.Read above comments on Bullies premiership hangover!
 

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The gap between teams is closer than ever and seems to get closer every year. We all saw what the Bombers did to us on our home deck.

If we drop 5% and a team like GWS/Hawks gain 5%, we end up with a 5 goal loss. Margins even smaller with teams like Pies and Richmond. And that's probably looking at a level playing field before we bring injuries and other variables into it.

So many little things need to go right along the way to win a flag. And then you need to have it all happen again to go B2B.

There's improvement to be had in our side, for sure, but also a lot of areas where we could take a hit...injuries, form slumps, JK getting on, game plan getting found out, etc.
 
Chris_6678 said:
Some one on the main board said our first few games were:

Lions - away
GWS - home
Tigers - Away
Freo - Home
Geelong - Away
Bombers - Home
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All I see is 24 premiership points
 
The way flags are won these days, I don't think you can plan for a dynasty. Best thing we can do is aim for finals - top 4 for sure, ideally top 2. Even with just one home final though, right now we have enough experience and grit in the squad to grind out a couple of finals wins on the road.

Forget h&a season form, big name recruits, the most talented team 'on paper', flag droughts, media darlings, bogey teams and anything else... you just need to play finals and then make sure you show up for every game in September. The rest takes care of itself.
 
History suggests of the 4 preliminary finalists at least 2 will miss the preliminary finals the next season and probably 1 will miss finals completely.

2018 - Adelaide (*missed finals), Geelong, GWS
2017 - Sydney, Bulldogs (*)
2016 - Hawthorn, West Coast, Fremantle (*), North Melbourne
2015 - Sydney, Port Adelaide (*)
2014 - Fremantle, Geelong
2013 - Collingwood, Adelaide (*)
2012 - Geelong, West Coast
2011 - St Kilda, Bulldogs (*)
2010 - none
2009 - Hawthorn (*)
2008 - Collingwood, Port Adelaide (*), Kangaroos
2007 - West Coast, Sydney, Adelaide, Fremantle (*)
2006 - St Kilda
2005 - Port Adelaide, Brisbane (*), Geelong

That's a pretty consistent long term pattern and whilst it doesn't mean it will happen again, you'd be a strong willed person to bet against it - particularly given how even the competition is and there really is a plethora of challenges from outside this years top four, headlined IMO - as ever - by GWS.

Of this years four preliminary finalists which would be the two most likely to miss out? It would be pretty hard to say Melbourne who are improving rapidly or Richmond who are still a very strong team. But you couldn't back us to drop out of the top four with any confidence. Us and Richmond were the two clear front runners all season and even when we lost crucial players the dynamic of the team didn't change. That suggests are very sound game plan.

I can't recall too many premiership teams being able to bring in the calibre of players equivalent to NicNat, Shep and Gaff. The only one of them who has any question marks is NicNat - 1) Will he even be right to go in 2019, 2) Will he be match fit enough if he is as it will be the pointy end of the season and 3) Ruckmen and knee injuries are a terrible combination and he's now had two of them. But Sheppard and Gaff will fit seamlessly back into the starting 22.

There's no real reason to think any of our top line players will drop off. LeCras is retired but he has been only at serviceable level for some time. JK and Hurn are the only others above 30 from the GF team and both look like they are at least a year or two away from either retirement or the inevitable drop off that forces players into retirement. Jetta, Masten and Schofield are the only others who will hit 30 in 2019 and neither of them are - usually - crucial to our team (Schoey was obviously a beast in the GF but that's quite comfortably his best performance in an Eagles guernsey - even before factoring in that it was a GF). There is every chance neither of those three will be best 22 by the end of 2019. There's also every chance all 3 will be best 22. That's just the bracket those guys belong to.

The above being said we do have a glut of players entering or already in the second half of their 20's so there is definitely going to be a hard thump in the not too distant future. But if it were too happen in 2019 or 2020 I would say that's earlier than expected. There's no reason we shouldn't be there or thereabouts next couple of seasons.

Can we go B2B? Definitely. But it's bloody tough. Since the name change to the AFL only Adelaide, Brisbane and Hawthorn have done so. Of the last 14 premiers only 8 have even made a preliminary final the next year (the 6 bolded teams above were the previous years champions).

Already pumped for 2019.
 
The Passenger said:
History suggests of the 4 preliminary finalists at least 2 will miss the preliminary finals the next season and probably 1 will miss finals completely.

2018 - Adelaide (*missed finals), Geelong, GWS
2017 - Sydney, Bulldogs (*)
2016 - Hawthorn, West Coast, Fremantle (*), North Melbourne
2015 - Sydney, Port Adelaide (*)
2014 - Fremantle, Geelong
2013 - Collingwood, Adelaide (*)
2012 - Geelong, West Coast
2011 - St Kilda, Bulldogs (*)
2010 - none
2009 - Hawthorn (*)
2008 - Collingwood, Port Adelaide (*), Kangaroos
2007 - West Coast, Sydney, Adelaide, Fremantle (*)
2006 - St Kilda
2005 - Port Adelaide, Brisbane (*), Geelong

That's a pretty consistent long term pattern and whilst it doesn't mean it will happen again, you'd be a strong willed person to bet against it - particularly given how even the competition is and there really is a plethora of challenges from outside this years top four, headlined IMO - as ever - by GWS.

Of this years four preliminary finalists which would be the two most likely to miss out? It would be pretty hard to say Melbourne who are improving rapidly or Richmond who are still a very strong team. But you couldn't back us to drop out of the top four with any confidence. Us and Richmond were the two clear front runners all season and even when we lost crucial players the dynamic of the team didn't change. That suggests are very sound game plan.

I can't recall too many premiership teams being able to bring in the calibre of players equivalent to NicNat, Shep and Gaff. The only one of them who has any question marks is NicNat - 1) Will he even be right to go in 2019, 2) Will he be match fit enough if he is as it will be the pointy end of the season and 3) Ruckmen and knee injuries are a terrible combination and he's now had two of them. But Sheppard and Gaff will fit seamlessly back into the starting 22.

There's no real reason to think any of our top line players will drop off. LeCras is retired but he has been only at serviceable level for some time. JK and Hurn are the only others above 30 from the GF team and both look like they are at least a year or two away from either retirement or the inevitable drop off that forces players into retirement. Jetta, Masten and Schofield are the only others who will hit 30 in 2019 and neither of them are - usually - crucial to our team (Schoey was obviously a beast in the GF but that's quite comfortably his best performance in an Eagles guernsey - even before factoring in that it was a GF). There is every chance neither of those three will be best 22 by the end of 2019. There's also every chance all 3 will be best 22. That's just the bracket those guys belong to.

The above being said we do have a glut of players entering or already in the second half of their 20's so there is definitely going to be a hard thump in the not too distant future. But if it were too happen in 2019 or 2020 I would say that's earlier than expected. There's no reason we shouldn't be there or thereabouts next couple of seasons.

Can we go B2B? Definitely. But it's bloody tough. Since the name change to the AFL only Adelaide, Brisbane and Hawthorn have done so. Of the last 14 premiers only 8 have even made a preliminary final the next year (the 6 bolded teams above were the previous years champions).

Already pumped for 2019.
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Great analysis, I'm going in with low expectations and will just enjoy the ride. Collingwood and Melbourne had pretty easy draws in 2018 so they will be on the back foot to start with. I could see either missing the prelim. Richmond I think will likely make it.
 
I'm confident we'll be better next year, but so will other teams. The good news is, I don't think there are many clubs that will improve much and even less that are serious challengers.

In my opinion, Essendon is the only 'threat' club likely to improve their ladder position. Hawthorn should be better, but I can't see their position change much. Similarly, Melbourne and Collingwood will be thereabouts, but both will need to improve significantly as, like Hawthorn, they benefited from soft draws.

I think we're in a better position than the Bulldogs or Richmond to go B2B. Unlike those teams, WC has a list full of finals hardened players and a better gameplan. Richmond proved their 2017 wasn't an aberration, but they've also had a ridiculously good bill of health, which was only really challenged in their final game of the season. They've now further eroded their depth, it could be a big issue.

Our position is quite similar to Sydney in 2012 and Hawthorn in 2013 - sustained success ending in a premiership. Unlike Sydney, our team hasn't squeezed out important players with big acquisitions. Like Hawthorn, we don't need to be the best H/A team, just the best, most experienced come finals. And unlike any of the above, we've won a premiership with 3 of our absolute best players not in the team.

Ultimately winning a premiership is contingent on so many things that it's impossible to say, but I do think we're the best-positioned team to win the flag next year. Another year at Perth Stadium doesn't hurt.

B2B? Why not.
 

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equiv_clearly said:
Another year at Perth Stadium doesn't hurt.

B2B? Why not.
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I believe this is one of the other massive factors that will give us a chance.

The boys love the new stadium. So many of them made mention of what an advantage it was, not just about the support at home but that it helped to make the MCG feel familiar. Simmo has made mention of it too. Constantly. And he has been subtly pushing the fans to get in and make it an unsociable place for teams to play at.

The new dimensions have taken all that 'can't play at the MCG' thoughts out of the minds of the players (who gives a toss what the media think really??). And while we may have lost some advantage in playing at a unique dimensioned venue, theres no doubt the increased capacity and cauldron-like design has more than made up for it.

The team knows they have an advantage playing at Optus. I just hope they don't get complacent in thinking they just have to rock up for the win. Hopefully the Bombers game stays fresh in the memory.

I LOVED the fact that the Vic media made such a big deal about the stadium and the noise and the atmosphere and the booing and the umpiring. Loved it. It's out there now. Playing the Eagles at Optus is possibly the toughest game on the road. Beautiful. Get that into you before you've even boarded the flight to Perth.

Chalk up at least 10 wins at home I reckon. With some thumping wins thrown in for good measure. Then it's a matter of putting away half a dozen road trips, which I'm hoping we should be able to do. That puts us in the frame for top two at least. If we get that....boy oh boy...woweee!

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Slim to no chance? Are you serious? Lol. It won't be easy, but we have to be a fair chance.

I think I'd be less nervous if we made the gf in 2019 than this year, since we have one in the bag. Also it'll be the first time we get a chance to even win back to back.

Could go either way, but i just hope we're at least in the mix next year.
 
My predicted top 8 is

1. Richmond
2. The Mighty Coasters
3. Melbourne
4. Adelaide
5. Collingwood
6. GWS
7. Essendon
8. Geelong

Richmond likely playing 16+ games at the MCG again makes it hard to see them not finishing top again. End of they day they will likely still be the team to beat next year - they had one off night which ended their season.

I said all season long that if we finished top 2 we'd win the flag. I'm willing to run with that again.
 
I wouldnt be banking to heavily on Richmond killing the pig.They have gotten rid of some of their depth to accommodate Lynch and now have to juggle Lynch with Reiwald and a system which leans towards a "run run little ferrets '.Lynch isnt renown for his heavy work ethic so it will take some time for all parties to adjust to each other.Also the other big factor is the legalising of the hands in the back.People like Thommahawk will become bigger factors .Strength will now rank with mobility for power forwards.
 

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1993 : Finished 6th with 12 wins (from 20 games). Defeated North in elimination final then lost to Essendon in Semi Final

1995 : Finished 5th with 14 wins. Lost to Essendon in qualifying final then North in Semi Final

2007 : Finished 3rd with 15 wins. Lost to Port in qualifying final then Collingwood in Semi final

Our record after a premiership isn’t good. Have always made finals but haven’t gone further than semi final stage and have a 1-5 record in finals the following season. Straight sets exit the last two times
 
Keys said:
1993 : Finished 6th with 12 wins (from 20 games). Defeated North in elimination final then lost to Essendon in Semi Final

1995 : Finished 5th with 14 wins. Lost to Essendon in qualifying final then North in Semi Final

2007 : Finished 3rd with 15 wins. Lost to Port in qualifying final then Collingwood in Semi final

Our record after a premiership isn’t good. Have always made finals but haven’t gone further than semi final stage and have a 1-5 record in finals the following season. Straight sets exit the last two times
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Draw will have a lot to say how we finish for instance pretty sure we finished 17-5 in 05-06 and in 2011 it was only good enough for 4th 2016 was 16-6 and we finished 5th our 2015-2018 finishes of top two with approx 6 losses is down to the strength of the draw and who knows top two in any year gives us a very good chance of grand final appearances
 
Keys said:
1993 : Finished 6th with 12 wins (from 20 games). Defeated North in elimination final then lost to Essendon in Semi Final

1995 : Finished 5th with 14 wins. Lost to Essendon in qualifying final then North in Semi Final

2007 : Finished 3rd with 15 wins. Lost to Port in qualifying final then Collingwood in Semi final

Our record after a premiership isn’t good. Have always made finals but haven’t gone further than semi final stage and have a 1-5 record in finals the following season. Straight sets exit the last two times
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Also every year we have made the top two we have made the grand final
 
EagleEgo said:
B2B is highly possible, but only if:

5. McInnes improves his second and third effort as ruckman/forward or we will draft another high standard ruckman in 2018.
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I cant see how this has any bearing on our potential to go B2B. If McInnes is part of the conversation in any way at the pointy end then we wont be near a GF.
 

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