Round 14 Recap: Eagles Dominate Blues; Leave Blogger asking Chris who?

What a win! The first win against Judd. The first win in Melbourne this season. Most importantly, we beat a legitimate top 4 team for the first time this season.
What impressed me most  was  that we were strongly challenged and yet held our nerve. Rewind back to the Essendon game. Inaccuracy early stopped us from achieving a strong lead. Come the second half, the Bombers surged and we layed down. We were poor in front of goal again yesterday, but when the Blues stormed back in the 3rd (to get within 4 points) we slowed the game down, kept possession and responded with consecutive goals.
Another sign of maturity.

I could go on and on about the importance of beating Judd. Sure, it feels good. We got over a psychological barrier, but I think the club is now at a point where the we have moved on. Still, this was our greatest win in the post-Juddas era.

In terms of individual performances, there were superb efforts all over the ground. Down back, Glass and E-Mac were beacons of strength and solidity. I still have doubts over MacKenzie's kicking, but his overhead, contested marks were a feature of a dominant backline yesterday.

The midfield was amazing against an elite unit. Priddis had a million possessions. Scott Selwood did a great job containing the Juddas. Kerr also was good. It seemed he was going head-to-head with Judd for a fair chunk of yesterday. Shuey was also damaging. I like the fact that every time he gets the ball he always assesses what's on offer. He rarely makes mistakes and always seems to find targets. I thought Cox was good and Naitanui also had an excellent game. I was ecstatic over his 'Mark of the Year Elect', but just as happy that he converted the opportunity.

Our forward line was good but not great. Lecras was the only one that seemed confident in front of goal. Kennedy and Lynch both missed a few chances they should have taken avantage of. Still, they presented well.

So, 5th on the ladder. For the first time this season I think we can (and will) finish top 4. However unlikely, we could win all our remaining games. Even the Geelong game seems eminently winnable as I sit here typing, high on the fumes of victory. Complacency, injuries and fatigue all stand in the way of this outcome.

Yet, as the boring bye week approaches, we should all just appreciate how far we have come.
From wooden-spooners to top 4 candidate. Not too shabby.

Round 14 Preview: Blues v Eagles

I see this game as the biggest challenge of the season to date. The Collingwood game was more challenging, but I never saw us as a chance against the Pies. Against the Blues we have a shot.

Yesterday I took a cursory glance at the matchups and I have to say it looked promising. I know a 'team' is more than a sum of its players, but at a basic level we are fairly evenly matched. Both their forward and backlines are solid. I do have fears over their small forwards, not allayed by the inclusion of the most inflexible man in football 'E-Mac'. Carlton also lose Duigan to injury, one of their most consistent backmen. However, the midfield is where the interest lies, for more than one reason.

Firstly the Juddas factor. I call him Juddas from a combination of Judd and Judas for reasons clear enough. I don't hate the guy. I understand why he returned to Melbourne, climate not withstanding, and can respect his decisions. But I have little love left. We helped mold the guy into one of the best ever and now he's using his powers against us. I'm guessing either one or both of the Selwood's will take him tomorrow. That is, if he plays. If anyone knows the number for the Ministry of Magic I'd be grateful...

Carlton also has other very good on-ballers; Murphy, Simpson. Robinson and Gibbs. Kerr and Priddis need to have big games to keep those guys busy. Shuey and Rosa also need to rise. Swift needs to...not make too many mistakes.

I feel good about the fact the game is at the Dome as it is easier to apply an effective press. We did so, fairly well, against the Bombers earlier in the year.

I really feel this is a statement game. We haven't won in Melbourne this season. We haven't beaten a top 4 team this season. We haven't beaten the Dark Lord...ever.

Wands at the ready guys, it's time to take down the Balded One!

Round 13 Recap: Eagles make Port look like 'Western Power'

I don't want to dwell too much on my title, but it is superb. The Eagles, while not as superb, did what they needed to do to take the points.

It was a game in which we were never really threatened. Port put some goals together a couple of times, but we responded. Like the Crows encounter, this performance showed our level of maturity as a group. We have begun to respond to challenges and beat teams whom we should beat.

The Interceptor-saurus (aka Shannon Hurn) was superb again. Not only does he have the ability to pierce the defensive veil but he can also kick goals. He kicked 3 yesterday. If his right leg were a woman...

Lecras also continues to be awesome. I know he was great prior to the glove, but it's taken him to the next level. Plus it gives him an edge, fashion wise.

We are now 5th on the ladder. Let us appreciate that for a few moments...

...

...

That felt good.

We've come along way, but how far can we go? Based on my predictions, we will finish 5th or 6th. But hell, what do I know?... Quite a lot actually, but that's not the point.

The point is this: Beat the Death Eaters and Lord Juddermort on Sunday and we can make the top 4. It's a mammoth task. But it was a mammoth task for us to make the finals this year. That mission is essentially achieved.

We haven't beaten the Blues since the Juddas fled. I would be lying if I said I were confident. But this is our time. We can shock the world, well like 0.000000000000000000001% of the world.

I can't wait. 5 days and counting....

Round 13 Preview: Eagles v Power

....

It's hard to get excited for games like these. We're expected to win by every man, woman and bogan (outside of SA). That's South Australia, not South Africa....I've been to South Africa (well an airport therein) and they seem to have an unhealthy obsession with Toblerone. It was everywhere.

"South Africa, proudly brought to you by Toblerone "


But I digress.

How do we 'win' when we already know we're going to win. I know I'm being complacent, but blame that on success not me. A 10 goal victory? Surviving the game with no injuries? I'm really not sure. I guess we should look to the performances of younger players and others under pressure.

Speaking of which, Swift replaces Masten as the only change for the side. I would usually take this opportunity to rag on Masten, how disappointing he has been, how he hasn't improved, how his facial hair is an affront to human dignity...but I won't today. Swift, from memory, has pointy hair...so good luck with that. Seriously though, it will be interesting to see how he fares.

I would have thought we would have seen some other youngsters included, but that is not the case. No Weedon, no Strijk, no Koby Stevens, No Brennan, still NO GAFF. What's the deal with the Gaffer? From the little we've seen he's been highly impressive. I especially like the fact he wears numero tre. The Juddas is Dead! Long Live the New Juddas!

Blogging of Juddas, we have a far more enticing matchup next week against the dark forces. We haven't beaten Juddas since he betrayed/left us. Even though it's in Melbourne, this is our greatest oppurtunity yet to do so.

On a related note, can you imagine if we won a premiership before Carlton did? I would be tempted to fly to Victoria find the Juddas, look right into his traitorous eyes and say:

I love you!

...I mean

In your face!

Hmmm...interesting tangent.

 I hope you enjoy a victorious weekend.

For more on my thoughts on Port Adelaide click here .

Round 12 Review: Eagles Beat Crows; Make it 2 from 2 at AAMI

In the words of MENSA member Shane 'Crawf' Crawford:

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!"

I was very impressed by our performance on Saturday. It wasn't perfect but we showed grit, determination and above all class.

Early on I thought we were in real trouble. Adelaide had a heap of the ball but couldn't convert it into scoring. To be honest I was thinking that this was beginning of the end. Though, it seems my tendency to over react was at work. With the influential wind at our back in the second we burned the Crows to set up a commanding lead at the half. During the 3rd again I thought we were done, but my concern was again premature, as we piled on the goals in the last quarter.

I know the Crows aren't a good team. But it was at AAMI, where we historically struggle, and we were challenged several times throughout the afternoon. That's what makes it such an impressive win. We were expected to win, we didn't have it easy but we got the points and in the end got them comfortably. We showed the maturity of a finals contender.

There were so many fine performances, but Kerr's was the most heart-warming. I think I will start calling his season the "Kerr-sugence', because I thought his career was effectually over. It turns out that I was effectually wrong. Admittedly, he's still got minor injury concerns but he is playing near his best. His clearance work with Cox is reminiscent of the mid 2000s. Moreover, not only is he winning the ball but he's accelerating away from the contest. His pace, that many recently questioned, has returned.

Other highlights included the dominance of Cox and Naitanui. Lecras was superb up forward. He appears to be wearing a glove of late. Nice touch.
I thought our backline was also very good. Glass anchored the defence per usual, with Hurn playing as a loose man or as 'Interceptor-saurus'. The much maligned (well only by me) Butler was also a stalwart down back.

There was still a few negatives. Masten was ineffectual and was subbed off in the 3rd. I don't know what we do with Masten. I don't think he has improved at all since we drafted him. But as such a high pick (which I can't comprehend) I suppose we can't just give up on him. Ashley Smith continues to be a semi-liability. I write 'semi' becuase he's not E-Mac. But his disposal is poor. We can survive with him until Brown and or Waters return. Darling has started to be less and less involved in recent weeks. Although the bye is coming up I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to rest him next week.

That's about it. Except to say that the idiot that ran on the ground is... an idiot. Although he actually did more on the ground than Masten.

The Power next week. Then the bye. We're sixth at the moment with 11 games remaining. Of those 11 games only 4 are against teams in the 8. We can't get complacent though. Nor can we begin to dream of glory. Unless teams above us collapse we will probably finish 6th to 8th.

That in itself would be an amazing revival.

Round 12 Preview: Crows v Eagles

Morning all.

Apologies for the tardiness of this post, but following news of the selection of one 'Bradley Ebert' I was taken ill. I don't know what he did in the WAFL last week but I doubt whether in one week he has transformed himself into an AFL player.

Anyway, it's another critical game for the team this afternoon. The Crows have been abysmal this season. Their coach is probably on his way out. A couple of their young stars may flee to GWS. But at least they can rest in the knowledge that they are not Port Adelaide. At least more than 14 bogans in Ford jackets show up to their games.

We should beat them. If we do, for the first time this season there will be a 3 game differential between our 'wins' and 'losses'. 7-4. Incredible. Yet I'm not taking this one for granted. We looked tired and a little sloppy last week. Eking out a win against the Suns is not a good sign for form. This is a real test of our ability to win on the road against a lesser team.

In team news, other than Ebert, Kerr and Butler return. It's a comforting thought to have those two experienced hands return. Despite my reservations on Butler I will take him over Sheppard any day. Swift and Strijk are the other omissions.

Beware the wounded crow my friends. We might just lose an eye...or worse...a game.

Round 11 Recap: Eagles Eclipse Suns; Blogger uses obvious pun.

I really don't know what to blog about Saturday's game.

I was bitterly disappointed. I was also left with a feeling of great apprehension for this week and beyond. Yes, we got the points. But a 3 goal win at home against the hapless Suns is nothing to celebrate. It's even more of a concern considering we kicked the first 6 goals. At that point I was thinking we could do what the Bombers did to the Suns earlier this year. Yet our pressure dropped, our kicking efficiency fell and the Suns (to their credit) played some good football.
As for the pun well at least it's better than 'Eagles Burn Suns' which is both facile and innacurate. We did nothing of the sort.
Our second half was especially poor. After holding a 5 goal buffer at the half, the Suns outscored us in the second and we barely held on.
 After the game, Worsfold admitted as much:

"They looked [tired] … the last five or six weeks, it's been pretty full on. They certainly weren't running as well and didn't look as sharp after half-time."

If this is the case, God help us all. Is this the side effect of a high pressure game plan? Is it like selling your soul for a doughnut? Sure, it's nice in the short term but then the devil/fatigue comes a knockin'. 

So what does this mean for the remainder of the season. Well, we are 6th on the ladder; 2 wins ahead of 9th spot. I don't know if we rest players or what but we must somehow find a way to re-energise. This week we face Adelaide and that's a must win. The Crows have been awful. It's at AAMI though and we have AAMI issues, despite our win earlier this year.

On an unrelated matter, the Eagles apparently face a dilemna. That's right a dilemna.

Oh by the way Ablett had his 200th on Saturday:

That is all.

P.S Cox was amazing.

Round 11 Preview: Eagles v Suns

Greetings friends.

As I stated earlier this week, this game isn't one to get excited about or anticipate. Yet, it's hugely important in terms of finals aspirations.
A couple of days ago I did my first of what is likely to be a weekly activity of predicting the final 8. I believe the Eagles finished 6th, facing the Dockers in the elimination round. We ended with 13 wins. Needless to say, I had us winning this game.

When you think about it, not only would a loss be statistically harmful;  it would be emotionally debilitating. I mean, the only 2 teams to lose to the GC are the Power and Brisbane. We don't want to join that exclusive group.* It's not as if the Suns aren't capable of causing problems either. In parts, as in the first half against the Cats, they showed great flair and ability. The Eagles must ensure they start well crushing the will of the nascent Suns.

Speaking of 'nascent', Andrew Embley will play after his wife gave birth last night. Congrats to him and his wife. I do hope the name 'Lux' isn't one of those new age made-up names like D'Brickashaw. Regardless, father-son. Enough said.

In other good news, Brad Ebert was omitted. It may seem harsh to say 'good news' but the guy has had over 3 years to improve. In my opinion he has shown very little. Not that he's alone of course. Andrew Strijk comes in. We haven't seen much of Strijk. He played the last 10 games of last year, but I don't really remember much about him. That probably means he wasn't terrible. I also love his name and the spelling.
The Suns made 4 changes, which is par for the course for them. Matera and Hunt are out (meh) and other mediocre/young players return.

We should crush the Suns. They are young, weak and inconsistent.  If we maintain our pressure I expect us to win by over 10 goals. People may call it a trap game and I agree. I agree in so far as it's a trap to waste too much energy on the Suns.

So don't try too hard, just enough. Enough should be enough.

Enough so that Ablett starts crying.

Alright that's enough.

By the way, The Freo flag timer has been relocated to the bottom of the page. I found the colours a little disorienting. Never fear though, it will return in time for Derby the second and possibly a Finals Derby.




*Because they are shit.

Mid-Week Wrap; Garden Gnomes, Babies and Suns.

I think we should consider ourselves quite lucky in respect of the fixturing. Last week we played the best team in the comp, this week we play the (near) worst. That is to say, had it been the other way round the Collingwood loss would have been greater and the (expected) GC win possibly less. Not that I'm dismissing the GC, for as Worsfold has alluded to they are a very talented team whom we will face in the GF in a few years time (?). It should be fun, the Grand Final that is, not this week. I find it hard to get excited about playing such a poor side where we are expected to romp to victory. Anything less than a Darling-esque romp will be criticised.

More on that later in the week though. On to other news and it appears we may be without the services of Andrew Embley. His wife is due to give birth at any second and I have to say it's rather clever timing by the pair. Clearly, prior to achieving conception they looked at the fixturing and determined this was the game Embley could miss. Well played.

There also seems to be a few youngsters in the selection mix, with good WAFL form early in the season. I say play them. They can't be any worse than some of the first team regulars. I am resistant to name any particular players, but EBERT is one that does diddly-squat on a consistent basis. Though he is rather adept at taking strong contested marks on the wing. Pffftt.

In other slightly irrelevant news, I have recently discovered the West Coast Eagles Official Online Auction Site. I mean, most of it is out of my range, but it's still amusing to look at. Especially that Chris Masten's signed guernsey uis up to $105 and the reserve has not been reached. A couple of questions. How does it have 3 bids!? Secondly, what the hell is the reserve?
I did consider bidding on the garden gnome signed by Coach and Captain...but where to put it? It's all too weird for me.

Later.