WEST COAST – WHATS MISSING AND CAN THEY GEL
2021 FINISHED 9th 10 WINS 12 LOSSES
We look at the West Coast Eagles in our AFL season preview 2022 who currently have an injury list like no other. They do have talent but 2021 was not a great year and they need a hard bounce on a range of fronts. Its been a couple of disappointing seasons for the West Coast Eagles on the back of an inability to handle the hub in 2020. They looked set to rise in 2021 but failed badly.
Coach Simpson has headaches
Adam Simpson has the job ahead but it could be a task he is up to. Simpson is a highly credentialed Coach but what the fall from grace in 2021 was a big one. What will be giving Simpson sleepless nights is the fact that they seem to be failing under the very game plan that took them to the flag in 2018. The kick possession game is coming unstuck over and over again and their lack of midfield drive is seemingly a problem they can’t solve. This is despite having one of the most DOMINANT ruckmen in the competition.
Work rate a definite problem
There is also possibly an underlying work rate issue to be addressed at the Eagles. They were the lowest tackling side in the AFL in 2021. Not only did they have a low desire to lay tackles but their intent when tackling was lacklustre with teams simply walking through them. Tackling is a footy basic that gives an insight to a teams desire and the Eagles desire is lacking and needs to be turned.
Lack of connectivity
On paper the Eagles seem to have all the key names in the midfield, big key forwards and goal sneaks plus a solid defensive half. But there is a disconnect somewhere. Simply, good sides do not lose by 90 points and that happened twice to the Eagles in 2021. But probably their most embarrassing game and perhaps a reflection of lack of connectedness was the 9 goal loss to a lowly Collingwood in their Skipper “Bunga” Hurns’ 300th game. So bad was the fallout from this with the fan base that CEO Trevor Nisbett wrote a letter to the fans expressing he would get to the bottom of the on field issues.
This is a big question mark to be answered by Simpson in his coaching journey. Can he re-ignite a playing group and form a connectedness and energy within the group that gets them back to playing team footy not as a group of individuals. The Eagles have the potency to challenge for the flag, and they are coming off two underachieving years. We are tipping they can recapture there better form and make a strong march up the ladder in 2022.
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