I had a few games up my sleeve depending on where I ended up, but with the first pick there can only be one choice.
The 2018 AFL Grand Final
West Coast 11.13 (79) def. Collingwood 11.8 (74)
Goals
3: Kennedy
1: Hutchings, Shuey, Darling, Sheed, Yeo, Cripps, Vardy, Rioli
Best
Shuey, Sheed, Barrass, Kennedy, Hutchings, Schofield, McGovern
I'm cheating a bit somewhat because I've posted a lot of this before in the heat of the moment. It's better that way. I have added it it though
The 2018 season was like living in Trumpland, where facts don't matter.
Heading into the game we were 4-1 against the rest of the top 4. 5-0 if you consider home and away ladder rather than preliminary finalists. Our one loss was a narrow loss to Melbourne in Round 22 when Kennedy didn't play and Darling was knocked out in the first quarter. The "experts" tipped against us in every single final. Our record was fake news.
Undefeated in Victoria. I'm not 100% certain but I suspect we may be the first non-Vic team to boast such a record. We even beat Collingwood at the MCG earlier in the year after losing Nic Nat before half time. Ignored and forgotten. Our record was fake news. We were the Weak Coast Eagles in the newspaper we apparently own (according to the Purple Muppets). The Nose even queried Simpson on the club's culture.
Gaff was worse than Hitler.
We were considered "lucky" to beat Collingwood in the Qualifying Final. Melbourne "didn't show up". Our Grand Final place was "wasted" on us. * off. The fairytale narrative was on.
Then the mental gymnastics continued in Grand Final week where the MCG is a neutral ground the Eagles can't win at because it's Collingwood's home ground. Similar to the doublethink whereby Nic Nat is overrated, doesn't rack up enough possessions, but the Eagles can't win without him. I love Victorian "experts" sometimes. Especially Robert Walls
It was us vs them and that's a position the Eagles thrive in.
And then the game itself. Jesus Christ a Grand Final for the ages. 5.0 to 0.2 in the blink of an eye. But what separated this West Coast team from previous ones is sheer grit. We fought and fought and fought over the next two quarters to tie it up at three quarter time. Sidebottom was a non-factor. Grundy was a non-factor. Cox was handed a football lesson by Tommy Barrass. What the * was going on?
Then Collingwood slammed on the first two goals of the last quarter and I punched the wall with both fists.
You campaigners know what happened next.
That last play. It will live on in West Coast folklore, up there with Matera setting sail for home in 92 and the Chick smother, handpass, shepherd, Hunter goal in 06.
Jeremy McGovern, the highest paid footballer in WA history, who we discovered post-match was hospitalised for two nights after the Prelim with internal bleeding, took a big contested mark in defence. He kicked with precision (a West Coast trademark in 2018) to Nathan Vardy, who marked on his chest. In consecutive weeks Vardy shut down Gawn and Grundy and was only playing because Nic Nat was injured. Vardy kicked it long and Liam flyin' Ryan lived up to his name with a huge speccy. He quickly played on with another long kick to Sheed on the boundary. Contested marking, accurate kicking. Pure West Coast. Sheed, only playing because Gaff committed a capital crime, on the boundary, on the right side for a left footer, the Collingwood faithful losing their s**t RIGHT THERE (it's OK when any supporter base other than the one that fills Optus Stadium shows passion, another Trumpland special) and he NAILED THE SHOT. GOAL OF THE ******* FOREVER. And didn't he let the Collingwood mob know all about it afterwards
2018 Premiers. To the most deserving team of the year
No Nic Nat, no Gaff, no Sheppard. PREMIERS!!!
I love this game.
UP THE ******* COASTERS!!!
CM9000 over to you
The 2018 AFL Grand Final
West Coast 11.13 (79) def. Collingwood 11.8 (74)
Goals
3: Kennedy
1: Hutchings, Shuey, Darling, Sheed, Yeo, Cripps, Vardy, Rioli
Best
Shuey, Sheed, Barrass, Kennedy, Hutchings, Schofield, McGovern
I'm cheating a bit somewhat because I've posted a lot of this before in the heat of the moment. It's better that way. I have added it it though
The 2018 season was like living in Trumpland, where facts don't matter.
Heading into the game we were 4-1 against the rest of the top 4. 5-0 if you consider home and away ladder rather than preliminary finalists. Our one loss was a narrow loss to Melbourne in Round 22 when Kennedy didn't play and Darling was knocked out in the first quarter. The "experts" tipped against us in every single final. Our record was fake news.
Undefeated in Victoria. I'm not 100% certain but I suspect we may be the first non-Vic team to boast such a record. We even beat Collingwood at the MCG earlier in the year after losing Nic Nat before half time. Ignored and forgotten. Our record was fake news. We were the Weak Coast Eagles in the newspaper we apparently own (according to the Purple Muppets). The Nose even queried Simpson on the club's culture.
Gaff was worse than Hitler.
We were considered "lucky" to beat Collingwood in the Qualifying Final. Melbourne "didn't show up". Our Grand Final place was "wasted" on us. * off. The fairytale narrative was on.
Then the mental gymnastics continued in Grand Final week where the MCG is a neutral ground the Eagles can't win at because it's Collingwood's home ground. Similar to the doublethink whereby Nic Nat is overrated, doesn't rack up enough possessions, but the Eagles can't win without him. I love Victorian "experts" sometimes. Especially Robert Walls
It was us vs them and that's a position the Eagles thrive in.
And then the game itself. Jesus Christ a Grand Final for the ages. 5.0 to 0.2 in the blink of an eye. But what separated this West Coast team from previous ones is sheer grit. We fought and fought and fought over the next two quarters to tie it up at three quarter time. Sidebottom was a non-factor. Grundy was a non-factor. Cox was handed a football lesson by Tommy Barrass. What the * was going on?
Then Collingwood slammed on the first two goals of the last quarter and I punched the wall with both fists.
You campaigners know what happened next.
That last play. It will live on in West Coast folklore, up there with Matera setting sail for home in 92 and the Chick smother, handpass, shepherd, Hunter goal in 06.
Jeremy McGovern, the highest paid footballer in WA history, who we discovered post-match was hospitalised for two nights after the Prelim with internal bleeding, took a big contested mark in defence. He kicked with precision (a West Coast trademark in 2018) to Nathan Vardy, who marked on his chest. In consecutive weeks Vardy shut down Gawn and Grundy and was only playing because Nic Nat was injured. Vardy kicked it long and Liam flyin' Ryan lived up to his name with a huge speccy. He quickly played on with another long kick to Sheed on the boundary. Contested marking, accurate kicking. Pure West Coast. Sheed, only playing because Gaff committed a capital crime, on the boundary, on the right side for a left footer, the Collingwood faithful losing their s**t RIGHT THERE (it's OK when any supporter base other than the one that fills Optus Stadium shows passion, another Trumpland special) and he NAILED THE SHOT. GOAL OF THE ******* FOREVER. And didn't he let the Collingwood mob know all about it afterwards
2018 Premiers. To the most deserving team of the year
I love this game.
UP THE ******* COASTERS!!!
CM9000 over to you
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