Season 2022 marked a brand new low in West Coast’s illustrious historical past.
Injuries and COVID marred the early a part of the 12 months earlier than questions over their health and sport plan in trendy AFL dogged them.
Instead of the anticipation of finals, followers and sure these on the membership itself, discovered themselves wishing for the season to be over as fast as potential.
Luckily for the Eagles, it’s nearly not possible for 2023 to be as dangerous.
Winning greater than two video games is a low benchmark and because of a pre-season which, for essentially the most half, has been with out the damage troubles of the final, they need to simply exceed it.
And whereas they’re unlikely to make finals this season, there are many sub-plots.
The return of retired spearhead Josh Kennedy’s inheritor obvious in Oscar Allen is thrilling many.
A naturally gifted ahead who was seen by many as the following massive factor earlier than his damage, Allen could have the benefit of not having outlandish expectations on his efficiency after greater than a 12 months with out soccer.
Allen is just not the one winged Eagles set to return, with the likes of Dom Sheed, Tom Cole, Elliot Yeo and Nic Naitanui set for extra of an impression. They make the Eagles’ greatest 22 immediately higher.
Then there may be the thrill of the following technology.
Credit: Martin Keep/AFL Photos/by way of AFL Photos
We are but to see 2021 first spherical draftee Campbell Chesser and, whereas there’s no must rush him into the AFL, glimpses of him throughout the pre-season have been thrilling.
And final 12 months’s prime choose, Reuben Ginbey, is nearly sure to debut early, arriving on the membership as ready-made as you will note an adolescent.
All of those elements make it onerous to gauge the place West Coast ought to be aiming. Their prime finish expertise suggests finals usually are not out of the query, however their trajectory doesn’t.
The greatest challenge mendacity forward of the Eagles is what occurs if their older gamers are nonetheless performing however the workforce is just not profitable video games.
While Shannon Hurn deserved a contract after ending second to Tom Barrass within the John Worsfold Medal and the likes of Luke Shuey and Naitanui appear previous their damage troubles, it’s unlikely they are going to be round for his or her subsequent premiership.
It can be counterproductive this season for a number of youthful Eagles to not characteristic lots this season as they proceed what they’ve been actively avoiding calling a “rebuild”.
Rhett Bazzo has proven sufficient in defence to warrant extra video games, whereas Brady Hough was the Eagles’ greatest first-year participant in 2022 for a motive. He might both play on a wing or at half-back, presumably placing stress on Shuey, who has made the transfer to defence this season.
Then there are final 12 months’s different draftees in Elijah Hewett and Noah Long, who’ve been spectacular on the monitor and can characteristic sooner or later.
It is crucial the Eagles get as many video games as they’ll into the following technology to quick monitor their rebuild and get one other shot at a flag earlier than the likes of Sheed, Allen and others start to fall away.
Not to say this 12 months’s draft is about to be one of many strongest in years, so a mid-table end could possibly be extra detrimental than in the event that they completed within the backside six.
While they will not be premiership contenders, West Coast are nonetheless one of many extra attention-grabbing groups in 2023.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
