How good were West Coast in 1992 when they won the flag?

[demondavey]

Sure did, but when our own backline is Sean Simpson, Tim Darcy, Andrew Rogers, Ken Hinkley, Tim McGrath and Trevor Poole...

Hinkley and McGrath were excellent. Darcy was undersized, the other three were (with all due respect) not premiership-standard players.

McGrath and Hinkley were both gun players.

 

[SC_Power]

I just remember that West Coast side all being ripped (and tanned) compared to the Victorian sides.

And every game they showed from Perth, it was always sunny, the turf always looked hard and fast, the ground always looked as big as an outback farm.

Funny what memories hold.

 

[demondavey]

And every game they showed from Perth, it was always sunny, the turf always looked hard and fast, the ground always looked as big as an outback farm.

Funny what memories hold.

They played at the WACA. An absolute bowlers paradise. It was known as a bowlers deck.

Middle of July and the sun was pouring down whilst you’d look at Waverley and it was a mud pit.

 

[Hobbes]

1997/98 is the system that gets me the most though.

Geelong finished 2nd? Lost? How about you go play Adelaide IN ADELAIDE even though they are lower than you.

Adelaide finished 5th? Got wooped in the first week? Well, it's your luck day because UNDER THIS STUPID SYSTEM YOU ARE NOT ELIMINATED! Off you go - win a flag.

Good on the Crows for two famous wins, btw. But man oh man. That final 8 system version 1. Argh.

Of course, teams are playing to the conditions of contest. Adelaide knew that the result against Melbourne was irrelevant. I'm not saying that Melbourne weren't better that day or that Adelaide weren't trying, but put yourself in Malcolm Blight's shoes. You're down 28 points at quarter time in a game that won't affect the survival of your team unless there are two specific upsets (North had already beaten Essendon). You certainly wouldn't want to risk injury or reveal whatever secret stratagems you were planning to spring in a later final.

However, I will not contest the claim that that model of Top-8 was badly flawed. The current model is just fine.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Adelaide Crows produced one of the best quarters of football I've ever seen in that 97 GF I'm thr 4th. DJ was sensational.


Wrong thread. Bode from the Crows. Another random lol.

 

[Defabs]

Ridiculous finals system only allowed WCE a sniff of winning the flag.

The old top 5 until 1990 ensured you had a double chance if you finished third. The top 8 from 1994 ensured you were only eliminated from third spot if both 1st and 2nd ranked teams lost in week 1.

But for a 3 year period you were automatically eliminated if you lost in week 1 from third.

Pies missed top spot by %. They had 16 wins too! There was no way that the eagles would have won the flag had the pies beaten the saints in the EF. It was a finals quirk that allowed the eagles to win the flag. Nothing more

 

[Billy ray]

20 Round season GAGF!

And noone can remember why

 

[Freomaniac]

Both Mark Bairstows direct opponents

I was thinking Mark Bairstow had Chris Mainwaring as an opponent on the wing in 1994. I could be wrong.

Bairstow was on the wing with Matera as his direct opponent in 1992

 

[Freomaniac]

They overcame heartbreak in 1988, 1990 and 1991 and learnt from it in 1992. They have since won 4 flags.

It was interesting on how the eagles were formed in 1987.

Victorian side poached most of the WAFL mature aged talent.

Eagles only had 35 players in 1987. Only 7 of those blokes were guys that played VFL games at other clubs. 534 VFL games of experience from only 7 players.

The rest of the 1987 squad were 19 to 22 year olds in which 6 years later were 25 to 28 year Olds in 1992.

Just like the crows. The 1991 crows squad had 8 or 9 blokes from other AFL or VFL clubs. 360 games of experience in that 1991 list. Tony McGuiness had 105 games with the dogs and Bruce Linder played 66 games with the cats.

Those 18 to 21 year Olds in 1991 were 25 to 27 year Olds in 1997.

I don't think the eagles had overcome heart break in 1988.

In 1990, eagles had completed 4 full seasons. A draw and a loss to Collingwood, then a finals win vs the demons and a prelim final loss vs Essendon in 1990.

In 1991, they got top with 19 wins , 3 losses. Lost to hawks, beaten the demons in a semi, beaten cats in a preliminary final and lost to the hawks.

In 1992, eagles were finals hardened and ready. 4th spot with 15 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats.

Beat hawks in an Elim final, beat cats in a semi final, then beat the cats again in the grand final

 

[Grumpyshades]

It was interesting on how the eagles were formed in 1987.

Victorian side poached most of the WAFL mature aged talent.

Eagles only had 35 players in 1987. Only 7 of those blokes were guys that played VFL games at other clubs. 534 VFL games of experience from only 7 players.

The rest of the 1987 squad were 19 to 22 year olds in which 6 years later were 25 to 28 year Olds in 1992.

Just like the crows. The 1991 crows squad had 8 or 9 blokes from other AFL or VFL clubs. 360 games of experience in that 1991 list. Tony McGuiness had 105 games with the dogs and Bruce Linder played 66 games with the cats.

Those 18 to 21 year Olds in 1991 were 25 to 27 year Olds in 1997.

I don't think the eagles had overcome heart break in 1988.

In 1990, eagles had completed 4 full seasons. A draw and a loss to Collingwood, then a finals win vs the demons and a prelim final loss vs Essendon in 1990.

In 1991, they got top with 19 wins , 3 losses. Lost to hawks, beaten the demons in a semi, beaten cats in a preliminary final and lost to the hawks.

In 1992, eagles were finals hardened and ready. 4th spot with 15 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats.

Beat hawks in an Elim final, beat cats in a semi final, then beat the cats again in the grand final

yes and completely obliterates the salty 'state team' rubbish spouted by most freo fans

It was a very young inexperienced and smaller than the rest of the league squad

hard to believe these flags were well over 30 years ago

 

[Grumpyshades]

Must have been pretty good to have 14 players from their list included in the 1991 WA state team and 13 players from their list included in the 1992 WA state team.

• 1991 - 14 (Heady, Jakovich, Kemp, Lamb, Langdon, Mainwaring, Matera, McIntosh, McKenna, Pyke, Sumich, Turley, Waterman, Watters)
• 1992 - 13 (Hepburn, Jakovich, Kemp, Lamb, Langdon, Lewis, Mainwaring, Matera, McIntosh, Waterman, Watters, Wilson, Worsfold)

you do realize that none of them were state players when they were drafted by the Eagles

The Eagles were top of the ladder for the entire of 91 and won the flag in 92. Hardly surprising they accounted for a large portion of the state teams

 

[Grumpyshades]

Ridiculous finals system only allowed WCE a sniff of winning the flag.

The old top 5 until 1990 ensured you had a double chance if you finished third. The top 8 from 1994 ensured you were only eliminated from third spot if both 1st and 2nd ranked teams lost in week 1.

But for a 3 year period you were automatically eliminated if you lost in week 1 from third.

Pies missed top spot by %. They had 16 wins too! There was no way that the eagles would have won the flag had the pies beaten the saints in the EF. It was a finals quirk that allowed the eagles to win the flag. Nothing more

boo hoo...we also had to regularly play 'home' finals in Victoria

we were also shafted in 91. After finishing 1st (by a long way) we had to go thru a 1st semi route (all in Vic)
No team ever done that before

 

[iameviljez]

But for a 3 year period you were automatically eliminated if you lost in week 1 from third.

Pies missed top spot by %. They had 16 wins too! There was no way that the eagles would have won the flag had the pies beaten the saints in the EF. It was a finals quirk that allowed the eagles to win the flag. Nothing more

If you were good enough to beat the Eagles in 1992, you would have beaten the Saints in the first place.

 

[iameviljez]

you do realize that none of them were state players when they were drafted by the Eagles

The Eagles were top of the ladder for the entire of 91 and won the flag in 92. Hardly surprising they accounted for a large portion of the state teams

On one hand, the Eagles got to pick the eyes out of the best WA talent for the first few years.

However, we are ignoring the fact that the wealthiest Melbourne clubs (hello, Carlton) just hoovered up all the best of WA and SA for years and nobody called them a "state side".

 

[Grumpyshades]

On one hand, the Eagles got to pick the eyes out of the best WA talent for the first few years.

However, we are ignoring the fact that the wealthiest Melbourne clubs (hello, Carlton) just hoovered up all the best of WA and SA for years and nobody called them a "state side".

nope..every Vic club had the opportunity to draft any WAFL players before the initial Eagles squad was formed

 

[iameviljez]

nope..every Vic club had the opportunity to draft any WAFL players before the initial Eagles squad was formed

I'm talking about the years from 1988 through to 1991, where West Coast got a pre-draft crack at the best players from WA before any draft picks were taken.

That netted Jason Ball, Glen Jakovich, Mitch White, Peter Mann, Ryan Turnbull, Don Pyke, Peter Sumich, Craig Turley and Scott Watters.

 

[Grumpyshades]

I'm talking about the years from 1988 through to 1991, where West Coast got a pre-draft crack at the best players from WA before any draft picks were taken.

That netted Jason Ball, Glen Jakovich, Mitch White, Peter Mann, Ryan Turnbull, Don Pyke, Peter Sumich, Craig Turley and Scott Watters.

now do the list each Vic club were able to draft out of their zones

 

[Freomaniac]

yes and completely obliterates the salty 'state team' rubbish spouted by most freo fans

It was a very young inexperienced and smaller than the rest of the league squad

hard to believe these flags were well over 30 years ago

1992 was a weird season.

Considering how well the eagles played in that 1992 finals series, you would thought they were top 2 that year.

If you want to get technical, The eagles were a state side.

All 35 players in that west coast side were all from and played in the WAFL.

It's more of a fact that WA blokes in their prime like Gary Buckenera, Simon Beasley and Mark Bairstow were not in that eagles squad.

It was just ironic that the eagles had a lot of talented 20 or 21 or 22 year Olds in that 1987 side. They were in their prime in 1992 as 26 or 27 or 28 year Olds.

No different to North Melbournes 1996 squad. Carey, Mick Martyn and John Longmire had their 1st seasons In 1988 or 1989 and were 25 or 26 year Olds In 1996

 

[iameviljez]

now do the list each Vic club were able to draft out of their zones

Bit different to having a whole state.

Look, as I said before, the "state team" tag is pretty accurate for West Coast's golden era. However, it does undersell the VFL wealthy clubs' power base from before the entry of West Coast and Adelaide.

 

[Freomaniac]

I'm talking about the years from 1988 through to 1991, where West Coast got a pre-draft crack at the best players from WA before any draft picks were taken.

That netted Jason Ball, Glen Jakovich, Mitch White, Peter Mann, Ryan Turnbull, Don Pyke, Peter Sumich, Craig Turley and Scott Watters.

Scott Watters didn't play in the 1992 or 1994 flag sides

 

[Grumpyshades]

Scott Watters didn't play in the 1992 or 1994 flag sides

neither did Peter Mann

 

[iameviljez]

It was just ironic that the eagles had a lot of talented 20 or 21 or 22 year Olds in that 1987 side. They were in their prime in 1992 as 26 or 27 or 28 year Olds.

Not true - the Eagles in their prime at the time were around 22, 23, 24. Jakovich and McIntosh were 19!

But careers were a lot shorter then, so younger players could have an impact much earlier than now.

 

[iameviljez]

Scott Watters didn't play in the 1992 or 1994 flag sides

neither did Peter Mann

I know. Still good footballers, so they were relevant to the conversation.

 

[GC2015]

you do realize that none of them were state players when they were drafted by the Eagles

A lot of those 92/94 premiership players were playing for WA's underage state teams in the mid-to-late 80s when West Coast were created so that wasn't even really possible, but even still, what you've suggested isn't true. Dual West Coast premiership players Dwayne Lamb (Subiaco) and Peter Wilson (East Fremantle) represented the senior WA team in 85 & 86 before entering the VFL/AFL competition.

Might pay to do a bit of research before making such claims

 

[Grumpyshades]

A lot of those 92/94 premiership players were playing for WA's underage state teams in the mid-to-late 80s when West Coast were created so that wasn't even really possible, but even still, what you've suggested isn't true. Dual West Coast premiership players Dwayne Lamb (Subiaco) and Peter Wilson (East Fremantle) represented the senior WA team in 85 & 86 before entering the VFL/AFL competition.

Might pay to do a bit of research before making such claims

wow really...AFL players were gifted juniors..the mind boggles
Peter Wilson 1st played for Richmond..maybe take your own advice