Realistic Expectations

[Mr Eagle]

Originally posted by |D_J^B_J|
(and no, 170cm Phil Matera does not count as a key positional player).

It does if we consider the pocket a key position

 

[Streaker]

8th

Our lack of experience in the Key Positition areas will be our biggest hurdle. We needed to give our young talls more opportunities last year rather than playing Seirakowski, Wilson and McIntosh. When players were injured (Jako and Gardy), they should have been rested.

 

[Clayton]

8th three years in a row i wonder what the odds of that are lol.

 

[Frodo]

It's not so much about us but about the other teams in the competition, andapart from Brissy and Port there seems to be no other teams of higher calibre than us.
We are in with Collingwood, Freo and Adelaide. So in theory will finish between third and fifth.

But there are two crucial factors...injuries (that cost us at the tail end last season) and unexpected talent emerging. The former is always a key factor and the latter this year is very important because we have a lot of fringe players and the chances are that one or two or more will do an 'Embley'

 

[Streaker]

Originally posted by Frodo
But there are two crucial factors...injuries (that cost us at the tail end last season) and unexpected talent emerging. The former is always a key factor and the latter this year is very important because we have a lot of fringe players and the chances are that one or two or more will do an 'Embley'

As to injuries. we are already on the back foot compared to the majority of the other teams who we would be competing with for a top 8 finish. The area we are lacking in (KPP), has already suffered with the interupted pre seaon of Gaspar, Hansen and Glass as well as the retirements of Seirakowski, McIntosh and the delisting of Wilson and trading of Haynes. You laso need to take into account the fact that Gardiner, Morrison and Kerr have been on restricted programs.

We need to see a lot of "unexpected talent emerging" if we are to see us expecting to move up the ladder this year.

Looking at last year we see that these players took up the role of 2 Key Position Players

Troy Wilson 5 games
David Haynes 20 games
Seirakowski 3 games
Ashley McIntosh 14 games

At the least we need 2 KPPs to fill the void

The question we need to be asking is who takes over these roles.

With their interupted pre season Gaspar, Hansen and Glass won't have the required fitness levels until at least round 10, providing they get a fair amount of game time. Staker and Hunter don't seem strong enough as yet to be able to hold down a KPP for a full game. Johnson seems to be making inroads and Lynch is supposedly on the outer. Beeck, Seaby, Cox and Carroll just seem too slow for a KPP.

So far our starting spine would look like this.

FF ----Johnson
CHF--McDougall
C------Fletcher
CHB--Jakovich
FB-----Staker

Maybe Lynch could take on the role at FB' but from what others are on this board are saying, that won't happen.

Not a bad line up but one that doesn't have a great deal of experience in those positions at AFL leve .

 

[pav_is_god]

If Gardiner is fit, you could probably get away with an inexperienced spine due to your on ballers getting first hands on the pill, though you'd get showed up by the top echelon of talls (e.g. Loyd, Tarrant, Tredders, Goodes etc). If Gardiner gets injured, and the odds aren't too good when considering previous years, then the youngsters are gonna struggle. IMO these younger players should have been given more games in 2003 (excluding Haynes - why the fukc did he get traded?) to harden them up for the forthcoming season.

Unless someone "pulls an Embley" the value of your talls will hinge on the fitness of Gardiner.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

The WCE coaching staff chose to let our young talls develop in the WAFL, rather than throw them into the deep end and see if they can swim. Who knows, maybe it was a mistake and their development is not what the club expected, or maybe letting their bodies mature before they take on the rigours of AFL could prolong their AFL careers. We won't know until these guys either perform or get delisted. Yes, our expectations of the WCE's talls are mostly based on their potential, but its a bit premature to predict doom and gloom for the eagles in 2004 simply because we don't have a KPP brigade like Freo or Hawthorn or St. Kilda.
Some teams have class talls, others have class smalls. We are the latter, but hopefully our talls will hold their own in crucial games and we improve on 2002/2003.

 

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by West Coast Stre
Looking at last year we see that these players took up the role of 2 Key Position Players

Troy Wilson 5 games
David Haynes 20 games
Seirakowski 3 games
Ashley McIntosh 14 games

At the least we need 2 KPPs to fill the void

Looking at the above names and theri form last year I find myself filled with more optimisim then ever after all it will not take much to replace these players and their production.

 

[bluey17]

Originally posted by West Coast Stre
8th

Our lack of experience in the Key Positition areas will be our biggest hurdle. We needed to give our young talls more opportunities last year rather than playing Seirakowski, Wilson and McIntosh. When players were injured (Jako and Gardy), they should have been rested.

The problem was alot bigger last year and we finished higher than 8, so why 8 now?

 

[bluey17]

Originally posted by West Coast Stre
8th

Our lack of experience in the Key Positition areas will be our biggest hurdle. We needed to give our young talls more opportunities last year rather than playing Seirakowski, Wilson and McIntosh. When players were injured (Jako and Gardy), they should have been rested.

I feel if we give our young players a run in the key position areas then our performances will improve and in saying that, that means an improvement on last season, which is not 8th.

 

[zero]

personally i hope mcdougal pulls an embley and gaspar has a full season. with these two in good form, matera another good season, and the midfield performing as we know they can, then we are realistically in the mix for a top 4 finish. at that point we could end up anywhere, but my guess is 3rd.

 

[Thrawn666]

Originally posted by zero
personally i hope mcdougal pulls an embley and gaspar has a full season.

I dont think McDougall can "pull an Embley"

Got to remember Embley had been consistently included in the 22 despite bad form, off field dramas, etc.

Doogs, really didnt even become a regular last year, and yes he has been in the squad a while, but not getting a regular game like Embers was.

I dont think "Pull an Embley" fits the bill, to "pull an Embley" to me would suggest a player who consistently ends up in the best 22 despite bad form having a stellar turn-around. Personally I hope someone like Trent Carroll does that.

I'd be happy to see Doogs just get more time on the ground.

 

[Mead]

Originally posted by Thrawn666
I dont think McDougall can "pull an Embley"

Got to remember Embley had been consistently included in the 22 despite bad form, off field dramas, etc.

Doogs, really didnt even become a regular last year, and yes he has been in the squad a while, but not getting a regular game like Embers was.

I dont think "Pull an Embley" fits the bill, to "pull an Embley" to me would suggest a player who consistently ends up in the best 22 despite bad form having a stellar turn-around. Personally I hope someone like Trent Carroll does that.

I'd be happy to see Doogs just get more time on the ground.

Yeah, after watching a lot of tape of the final few rounds, I think McDougall may very well have taken the next step without anyone really noticing.

After the Rd 17 game against Hawthorn he really hit his straps, to the point where his last proper game for the year, Round 21, was his best ever, (the following week he copped a broken jaw early on.) On the basis of that alone, I'm cautiously confident that even if he just picks up where he left off, he'll be a fixture in our best 22 and a pretty decent key forward.
If we're lucky, though,with the preseason giving him a bit of added bulk and the ability to run out 4 quarters, he may have a huge potential upside this year.

Oh.. and if Carroll does an Embley, God is officially a West Coast supporter, and I'm off to buy grand final tickets.

 

[Rocco Jones]

15th

 

[Exeter]

Originally posted by Rocco Jones
15th

Its always nice to get an impartial view

But I think we can safely discard that one.

 

[noodle]

5 - 8 seems a safe bet but i'll go for a 6.

 

[noodle]

nah **** that.

i'll go for a 3.

 

[Altum Volantes]

7-12.

I'd be disapointed to miss the finals but not suprised.

 

[Sera]

If our tall players stand up and play well I would be very surprised if we missed the finals. If Gardiner, Glass and Gaspar (all currently injured) miss large parts of the year then I would be surprised if we made the finals.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Gardiner, Cox, Glass, Gaspar, McDougall and Staker will play vital rolls in the team this year. If they continue their natural development, we should have a good season (pushing top 4). Hopefully, one of Seaby, Hansen, Johnson or Beeck steps up to provide yet another option. Embley and Jako aren't too bad either.

In fact, our teams average height is equal 2nd in the league, only behind the Bulldogs. We're not in as bad a shape KPP wise as people are screaming.

 

[carlyp]

I think anywhere between 4th and 8th. If we have no injuries and we fight tough then I reckon we can make the top 4. If we have a few injuries I reckon were still good enough to make the 8. Home ground advantage being a big advantage!

 

[eagleye]

my prediction

hi everyone im a new member
I think that if MacDougal gets some more game time and fills a key position, Gaspar gets through the season fairly injury free, and glass steps up to become a good full back then i dont see why we cant finish fourth, maybe even third if we can play at the same standard away as we do at home anddont have any extremely bad injures.

Hopefully we will finish strong unlike in recent years if so a top 4 finish is very very realistic. But unfortunatly 1 or more of the above things will probably not come true so we may only come 5 - 7. IF this happens then i can only hope we groom someone to replace jako and other key postitions in 2005 and ahead so we can become a premiership threat in the next few years. i doubt we will come 8 or lower. You can put me down for fourth.

 

[no1bankteller]

Re: my prediction

Originally posted by eagleye
hi everyone im a new member

Welcome to the Eagles Nest!

 

[sedders]

well we were #1 very late n the season weren't we.

id hope for top 2, expect top 4 and be very dissapointed if we weren't top 6.

 

[str8khlr]

8-10

i think we'll get midfield injuries this year and i don't think our emerging key position players will stand up - gaspar will be injured, mcdougall will be injured again, gardiner never makes it through the full season...but we still might be able to sneak in...