2012 West Coast Eagles: A Flash to the Future.

[dajesmac]

2012 West Coast Eagles: A Flash to the Future​

Alot has happened between the end of 2009 and the beginning of the 2012 season. West Coast Eagles coach John Worsfold was sacked after failing to take the club into finals footy for the second consecutive season, to be replaced by fetching young Jesse McLure, aged just 16. We're pretty sure that's not actually legal but still.

Season 2010:

The Eagles' 2010 season was similar to 2009, but saw an improvement. More game time was given to the young likes of Luke Shuey, Tom Swift, Brad Sheppard and Koby Stevens. The club finished 10th with a 9-13 record. Mark LeCras was named as AA FP, Brent Harvey won the Brownlow medal with 20 votes and Geelong smashed the Western Bulldogs in the Grand Final by 64 points. During the offseason coach McLure made several ballsy list management decisions, which saw the axings of players such as Adam Selwood, Andrew Embley and Brett Jones and saw Matt Spangher get traded to Carlton. West Coast then received young guns Todd Banfield (traded from the Brisbane Lions) and Michael Barlow (preseason draft). They also drafted hard running midfielder Shannon Bortz in the National Draft. Bortz was taken at pick 8 in 2010 and has the capacity to play in the middle, forward or back. Powerfully built centre half back Lynden Powell also joined West Coast via the preseason draft.

Season 2011:

2011 saw a rejuvenated West Coast jump out to a 10-2 record early in the season. A mid-season slump followed with consecutive losses but West Coast worked hard to finish the year off in style, taking out the minor premiership for the second time in five seasons. The Eagles' finals series was shocking however, and they dropped out in straight sets largely due to youth and inexperience. Mark LeCras was surprisingly the only West Coast Eagle to be selected in the All Australian team, again at forward pocket. Scott Pendlebury was the runaway Brownlow medal winner with 28 votes, while Collingwood accounted for St Kilda by 9 points for their first premiership in 21 years. Coach McLure made several more list changes during the offseason, offloading Matthew Priddis to Fremantle and Quentin Lynch and Ashley Hansen made their way to Richmond. West Coast then selected Robin Deal (193cm ruckman), Jose Dutton (177cm forward flanker), Adrian Fullerton (177cm midfielder) and Larry Sunburne (183cm midfielder). The 2011 rookie draft saw them pick up several recycled players in the hope of rejuvenating them and bring out their best footy. Neville Jetta (Melbourne), Jarryd Blair (Brisbane Lions), Tyrone Vickery (Richmond), James Craig (Adelaide) and Cale Hooker (Essendon) all joined West Coast.

Current List:

Adrian Fullerton
Ashley Smith
Ashton Hams
Beau Waters
Ben McKinley
Bradd Dalziell
Brad Ebert
Bradley Sheppard
Chris Masten
Daniel Kerr
Darren Glass (C)
Dean Cox (VC)
Eric Mackenzie
Gerrick Weedon
Jarrad Oakleigh-Nicholls
Jordan Jones
Jose Dutton
Josh Kennedy
Koby Stevens (VC)
Lewis Stevenson
Luke Shuey (VC)
Lynden Powell
Mark LeCras
Michael Barlow
Mitchell Brown
Nicholas Naitanui
Patrick McGinnity
Robin Deal
Ryan Neates
Sam Butler
Scott Selwood
Shannon Bortz
Shannon Hurn
Tim Houlihan
Todd Banfield
Tom Swift
Tony Notte
Will Schofield​

We pick at the start of the 2012 preseason, where West Coast are set to play the Hawks at Subiaco Oval on Saturday Night Football. The hunger is there. The skill is there. Will the Eagles get revenge?

 

[dajesmac]

NAB Cup Round 1:

North Melbourne Vs Essendon, Etihad

St Kilda Vs Fremantle, Etihad
Adelaide Vs Brisbane Lions, AAMI
West Coast Eagles Vs Hawthorn, Subiaco
Sydney Vs Richmond, SCG

Western Bulldogs Vs Port Adelaide, Etihad
Melbourne Vs Collingwood, MCG

Carlton Vs Geelong, Etihad

I just love typos...​

 

[Covvy]

A nice start mate, with a good team. I think John Worsfold needs to read this to delist the players that you've said.

 

[hedger_14]

Go West Coast. Probably won't be Hawthorn but it still should be a good match.

 

[Roofrom50]

I'm surprised that the Eagles let go of so many good players early. Selwood is still 4-5 years left in him, i agree with letting go of Embley.

Hansen and Lynch gone to Richmond, there goes probably around 80 goals gone for the season, and Priddis? probably your best midfielder at the moment, something must of went wrong there

But it's good to see so many young players at the club we hardly know about, so it'll be interesting to see how the coach approaches this.

 

[dajesmac]

Haha thanks guys,

I'm not sure if you can see those deleted posts there but basically I got to 4:25 remaining in my game and footy Fanatic hung, so I had to start again. I'll play it sometime soon.

As for Selwood and Priddis, they're both defensive mids who can't kick hahah, nah in eral life I rate Priddis but by 2012 Masten, Shuey, S.Selwood, Stevens and Swift I all rated above both of them, so I wanted to do what was best for the team, and get some reasonable draft picks. I offloaded Lynch basically because a) I don't actually want him hindering the development of Brown/Notte etc and b) there's rumours he's actually leaving West Coast at the end of 2010 for GC17 anyway.

But thanks again guys and I should get the first game going today.

 

[dajesmac]

Quarter Time
WCE 5.1.31 vs HAW 6.2.38​

​

West Coast got off the a flier in the opening minutes, kicking three of the first four goals through Mitch Brown, Tom Swift and Nick Naitanui. Young and Ladson then responded for the Hawks with running goals from the wing and Frankling converted a set shot near the boundary line, before Ashton Hams bobbed up forward for the Eagles with two great crumbing goals to restore the lead. Ladson then registered his second major for the match before Campbell Brown stretched the Hawks' lead to seven with a free kick in the goal square.

Ashton Hams has been brilliant for the Eagles with 10 possessions and 2 goals, constantly switching from the back pocket to the forward pocket. Swift has been lively aswell. Grant Birchall has rebounded fantastically for the Hawks racking up 11 possessions. The Eagles are currently leading in clearances, total disposals, hitouts and i50's and are trailing. They need to make the most of their scoring opportunities in the second quarter to be able to enforce some scoreboard pressure.

Disposals (WCE): Hams (10), Sheppard (7), Swift (6)
Goals (WCE): Hams (2), Naitanui, Brown, Swift

Disposals (HAW): Birchall (11), Morton (9), Young (8)
Goals (HAW): Ladson (2), Bateman, Young, Morton, Franklin

West Coast Eagles 5.1.31
Hawthorn 6.2.38 ​

 

[dajesmac]

Half Time
WCE 9.4.58 vs HAW 12.4.76

The Hawks dominated the start and the end of the second quarter to extend their lead to 18 points. They began with four of the first five goals through Duryea, Roughead, Hodge and Young, but West Coast clawed their way back with goals to Hams (his third), Kennedy and Gerrick Weedon. The Eagles dominated for about a five minute period where the ball rarely left their attacking half, but pathetic disposal let them down and cost many scoring opportunities (twice Ashton Hams was smothered in the goal square). The Hawks weathered the storm and capitalised on the Eagles' incompetence, rebounding with two goals to Jarryd Roughead.

Ashton Hams (3 goals, 17 disposals) and Clint Young (2 goals, 17 disposals) have been the best afield for their respective clubs. The Eagles still lead the i50's (34-22) and clearances (22-14) but are being beaten everywhere else on the ground by a far superior Hawthorn outfit.

Disposals (WCE): Hams (17), Sheppard (7), Swift (6)
Goals (WCE): Hams (3), Brown (2), Swift, Naitanui, Kennedy, Weedon.

Disposals (HAW): Young (17), Mitchell (16), Birchall (16).
Goals (HAW): Roughead (3), Young, Ladson (2), Bateman, Morton, Franklin, Duryea, Hodge.

 

[dajesmac]

Three Quarter Time
WCE 13.9.87 vs HAW 13.10.88

The Eagles were a much cleaner and more aggressive side in the third quarter, booting 4 goals to one to close within one point of the Hawks. Ashton Hams has been brilliant with 4 goals and 25 touches, though he could have seven goals if it weren't for failed attempts in the goal square. Despite the Eagles' momentum, Hawthorn are looking the better side by far and will most likely run out the game by five goals.

Weedon, Brown and Hams all goaled at the start fo the quarter before a brilliant snap from the pocket by Cyril Rioli gave Hawthorn a bit of breathing space, before a beautiful running goal on the siren from Tom Swift brought West Coast within a point and set the crowd on fire. Though not literally this time.


Disposals (WCE): Hams (25), Weedon (19), Notte (18)
Goals (WCE): Hams (4), Brown (3), Swift, Weedon (2), Naitanui, Kennedy

Disposals (HAW): Young (25), Birchall (21), Morton (20),
Goals (HAW): Roughead (3), Young, Ladson (2), Bateman, Morton, Franklin, Duryea, Hodge, Rioli

West Coast 13.9.87
Hawthorn 13.10.88​

 

[dajesmac]

 

[Covvy]

Oh well, promising result. Ashton Hams is a little jet

 

[Roofrom50]

Very good game from Ashton Ham. Guess it was a good start from the Eagles, it was always going to be hard to knock off the Hawks. A good close, high scoring game is what you always want tho. good start mate

 

[dajesmac]

 

[blake]

Getting "examined"? Sounds like he was getting ***** or something...

Anyway, that's a huge blow for the Eagles as their ball handling skills will surely be not at the peak set by Tom Swift. Oh well, at least Jarryd Blair will get a chance to root himself into the first team.

 

[dajesmac]

NAB Cup Results

Round 1

North Melbourne 11.15.81 defeated Essendon 11.10.76
St Kilda 12.21.93 defeated Fremantle 7.12.54
Adelaide 12.14.86 defeated Brisane Lions 11.17.83
West Coast 15.13.103 defeated by Hawthorn 17.11.113
Sydney 15.19.109 defeated Richmond 15.10.100
Western Bulldogs 14.22.106 defeated Port Adelaide 7.6.48
Melbourne 14.13.97 defeated Collingwood 13.8.86
Carlton 11.18.74 defeated Geelong 8.4.52

Round 2

North Melbourne 11.12.78 defeated St Kilda 5.15.45
Adelaide 8.10.58 defeated by Hawthorn 11.17.83
Sydney 15.16.106 defeated Western Bulldogs 11.14.80
Melbourne 10.9.69 defeated by Carlton 10.15.75

Semi Finals

North Melbourne 14.11.95 defeated Hawthorn 9.11.65
Sydney 17.11.113 defeated Carlton 9.9.63

NAB Cup Grand Final

North Melbourne 20.15.135 defeated Sydney 10.12.72
_________________________________________________​

NAB Cup Premiers: North Melbourne​

dajesmac added 3 Minutes and 34 Seconds later...

Getting "examined"? Sounds like he was getting ***** or something...

It was a very intense examination.

But yes he was *****.