Round 5 Recap: Eagles Down Tigers; Still No. 1

It was never going to be easy. The tigers showed great will and effort in this one, as their talented youthful midfield took it up to us for 4 quarters. But at the end of the day, with much going against us; down rotations, on the road, in front of a hostile (indeed feral) crowd we eked out a win. That's what good teams do and our last 2 games indicate that we are definitely one of them.

It really was an atrocious start. Two goals to the Tiges within a couple of minutes had me thinking back to that game against the Saints last year. But if it looked bad on the scoreboard, Mitch Brown couldn't tell as the late replacement was subbed off with a scratched eye. It was a sorry sight. Brown sitting on the bench, with a red eye, shaking his head in disbelief. This game could have been a significant opportunity for the game-starved backman, as E-Mac pulled out with an ear infection. That's something I've never had but it sounds truly harrowing. Anyway, bad luck for Brown.

Things looked bleak, but we persisted and responded. These were the key themes throughout the game. Whenever it appeared that Richmond might just run away with it, we responded and scored timely goals. JJK rolled his ankle which effectively meant he just stood in the forward line the rest of the game, but still we fought on.

Kerr was huge. He showed amazing tenacity and grit in the contest with his 28 possessions and two superb smothers. Although I think notions about a 'KerRenaissance' are a little premature, he has been near best on ground the last two weeks. He is a champion of the club and it's great to see the little guy get a clean run of games to show he's still got it. If Kerr wasn't best on ground, then Jack Darling was the guy. He kicked 4 goals straight including the sealer with 15 possessions, 5 marks and 2 tackles. With JJK's partial incapacitation, Darling really stepped up.

Speaking of stepping up, NicNat is starting to find consistency throughout games now. The big Fijian had 26 hitouts, 14 possessions, 5 marks and 5 tackles. Special mention has to go to Priddis for 2 amazing handballs in our forward line late. He found the open man twice in tight areas (no pun intended) which resulted in goals.

We could have easily dropped this one. Richmond came to play and they showed that last week was no fluke. But we showed better poise when it mattered. That's why we're 5-0 and Jack Riewoldt has that look on his face.

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On a side note, prior to this season the Dockers were without premiership and occassionally entertaining. Now under Lord Lyon, they will still be without premiership but also exceedingly soporific. Well done Dockers.

Round 5 Preview: Tigers vs Eagles

There was a time when a game against Richmond meant an automatic victory. But that time has since passed. Richmond must now be considered a 'real' football team. Not that we won't win. We will. It's just that we will have to play a solid four quarters to secure the points. The Tigers came close to defeating the Cats down at whatever-the-hell-that-dump is called last week. They also put in respectable, if uneven, performances against Carlton and Collingwood. Sure, their only one win was against the hapless Dees, but we still must approach this game like any other (which isn't against GWS). Jack 'sooky face' Riewoldt, on the other hand, should not be approached with much respect. Because, if you didn't grasp it already from my ingenious nickname, he is a sooky faced 6 year old playing full forward. Plus, he kicked 10 goals against us a couple of years ago. What a tool!

In team news, Geeves (or Nestor if you swing that way) returns for McG. It's good to see Butler back for his first game of the season. He's been very reliable over the years plus if you squint he kind of looks like Ben Cousins. Just like Beau Waters looked like the Juddas in Round 1 of 2008...scary times. Apparently, Geeves played some time in the midfield last week for Subiaco, though I don't really see him playing there much for us. He strengthens an already elite backline, underlined by the inability of Mitch Brown to nail down a starting spot.
Bad luck for McG, but I can't really see him getting a game consistently for this side. He's a rather limited player and we really have too much talent in front of him. Still, he's a useful guy to have just in case (bad things happen to good players).
In other good news, Luke Shuey has been included in the team, despite the appearance that he fyfed his shoulder.

Jack edited it himself

In other news, Clarkson is a wiener, a sore loser and worst of all he has a history of terrible haircuts. I would normally post a picture here, but his hair is just so horrible that I won't subject you to that. Not to mention his face.

Thankyou and GO EAGLES!!!

Round 4 Recap: Eagles Edge Hawks

It may not have been the most attractive spectacle, but we won. At the end of the day, winning is all that matters. It would have been nice to watch a free-flowing, high scoring display with the most talented players able to show their skills. But a combination of inclement weather and the elite defensive systems which we and the Hawks possess meant it wasn't to be. But as I say, we won. We didn't kick a goal in the first half (the first time since 2004- it was probably Judd's fault) but we won. We're 4-0. They're 2-2.

Despite the result (did I mention that we won? We did!) there were some other positive aspects to the game. One, the weather was terrrible and yet we stayed in the game early. I know it's the same for both sides, but in terms of which team should be better able to cope with poor conditions, it's the birds from the east. It's my understanding that it never stops raining in the Republic of Melbournia. Whilst here, well, rain is nearly as rare as a Dockers premiership...except not so much...because they've never won one (see counter above). We toughed it out. Our tall forward line didn't exactly help matters, but we showed good resolve in adapting.

We also had a Daniel Kerr sighting. He truly was outstanding: 33 possessions, 5 marks plus a goal in the last which was vital to the final result. Hopefully he can build on this performance in games to come. I also thought E-Mac did well on Franklin, whilst Schofield showed great bravery in even participating in the game. Shuey also showed bravery of a different kind in returning to the game after the hit by Lewis. Hill might not have touched the ball much, but he did kick our first goal (in the third quarter!) and set up the second.

Our poise late in the game was critical to the victory. Marks by Cox, E-Mac and Schofield (I think) sealed the deal. Masten also put a great tackle on Osborne, which was definitely holding the ball.

So, still top. I think we're the only legitimate team amongst the 3 undefeated...because I hate the other two. Also, they're...Sydney and Essendon. Enough said.

Richmond next week at the Etihad.

SPOILER ALERT

We will win.

Round 4 Preview: Eagles vs Hawks; The Season Starts Now

With all (un)due respect to the Dogs, Dees and GIANTS (haha), we face our first real test this Saturday night at Subi against the flag favourite Hawks. How the Hawks became favourites puzzles me. I know they always look good on paper at the start of the season, but since 2007 they have found a way to fail at every critical juncture. Still, they're 2-1 at the moment and have had a very challenging start to the season; with wins over Collingwood and the improved, if not elite, Crows. Their only loss came in Round 2 against the Cats. But let's be honest, the Hawks will never defeat the Cats again...unless they can obtain some gypsy tears to rid them of the Kennet Curse. Perhaps this guy can help:

The contests between us and Hawthorn have been evenly split in recent years with close final margins.

We should have won last year's contest, notwithstanding the fact that we're always forced to cross 13 timezones to get to the game, but the umpires screwed us over. Or so I'm told, by myself.

This game promises to be just as hard fought and tight. On the team selection front, the three 'injured' Eagles from last week have made a remarkable recovery. Mr Glass, Priddis and Mr Pink (Rosa) are all in. Dalziell, who has a long-term knee injury, Mitch Brown and Kobe are out. For the Hawks, contrary to murmurings, Hodge will not return for his first game of the season. I think we can all be grateful for that.

Possibly the Teams...too blurry to be certain.

The Hawks are immensely talented and strong both in the midfield with the likes of Mitchell and up forward with No. 23 and Rioli (whose number escapes me). Yet our backline is extremely solid and consistent. We have 3 possible matchups for Buddy; E-Mac, Glass and Schofield all not perfect but really who is? In the midfield they may have more talent but our guys are in top form. I am a little worried that our soft start may have us ill prepared. It would've been nice to have an intermediary matchup before this game, but conversely, our confidence should be skyhigh.

Down back they are as vulnerable as Nat Fyfe's shoulder. (sorry, I actually do love Fyfe. I could have used Waters' elbow here as well) Sure, they do have some excellent disposers of the ball like the unfortunately named Suckling (literally of suck/little suck), but they lack strong key position players. I know they payed Gibson as if he was as awesome as Goldberg from the Mighty Ducks, but he's undersized and overrated. And Schoenmakers should stick to what his name indicates he would be good at- cobbling?

"I can't defend against Kennedy but I can fix this shoe!"

 They have no Mr Glass or E-Mac or even a guy to the standard of Mitch Brown. I suspect a big day could be had by JJK, Q, Cox, Darling etc.

Their rucks are similarly weak.  Though our duo makes everyone else appear medicore.

Prediction

Moment of truth. I think we can and will win.  It will probably be close, but we're at home, undefeated and eager to play a proper opponent. The Hawks have to travel across the entire country (suckers) and have experienced a tough start to the season.

Eagles by 19.

Make it happen!

Round 3 Recap: Eagles go to circus; Laugh at Giants

Who said that was going to be boring? Well me for one. And it was. I admit that I switched over to the Hawks game at the end of the 3rd quarter. The first term was all fun and games but then we went into 'Eco-Mode' and cruised the rest of the way.

Sure, the mercenaries, old men and wayward youth of the Giants tried to decapitate some of our guys and end the careers of others, but in football terms they were abysmal. Brogan and Palmer in particular were completely reckless on two occasions as was some other guy whose name I can't be bothered remembering.

Their orange guernseys were also a true travesty. But at least a bumper crowd showed up to their first home game as the figure easily eclipsed the 6000 mark...But at least the ground was in good condition. Well, except for the mud and the fact that it looked like a WAFL ground. If only GWS had've played like a WAFL side then we may have had a half decent contest.

Here are the 5 areas meant to keep things interesting...SPOILER ALERT: They didn't.

1. Margin
It didn't reach the high hundreds. Though we did  have the biggest scoring 1st quarter in our history.

2. Cox and Nic-Nat vs Giles
Giles was predictably dominated by our duo.  He did kick 3 goals in the end though with 11 hitouts. Nic-Nat (26) and Cox(14) combined for 40 hitouts.

3. JJK's Kicking
Okay he only kicked 2.1 with both goals coming early. Still, he didn't need to do anything and like the rest of the team went to sleep after the first.  Shuey with 5 goals and Masten with 3 did a great job converting.

4. H² Goals (Hill/Hams)
H² were rather silent with a goal for each H.

5.The Replacements
 These guys didn't have a great day. McG was the sub and Dalziell injured his right leg when a kamikaze GWS kid flew into him in the second quarter. Kobe had 19 possessions but he wasn't influential. Mitch Brown was solid.

Needless to say, I'm glad this game is over. 3 weeks against teams that have collectively gone 0-9 through  has been like an extension of the preseason. The real stuff is next week, 5:40 at Subiaco against the Hawks.

Bring it on.

Round 3 Preview: Eagles Win!

No, there is no error in the title. I have seen the future my friends and let me tell you...WE WIN! If you thought the Demons game was a demolition then well...you were right, but this will be bigger.
Okay I haven't seen the future. But we are going to win. The Minnows know it, we know it, I know it, you know it, this guy knew it...

"Eagles by 167"

Safe in this knowledge, the Eagles have made several omissions thinly veiled under the veneer of 'injuries'. Priddis (quad), Rosa (quad) and Glass (groin) will all stay home. Although the club argues they are legitimately injured, they're not fooling anyone. I don't care. In fact I think it would've been nice to rest Kerr and Cox and others...but then we may not have enough players to field. I mean, sure, we would still beat GWS with 15 guys, but it would be just too arrogant. Kind of like the title of this post, but the GWS don't have any fans to complain so I should be fine.

 Embley will also miss around 16 weeks after undergoing shoulder injury, which, as I try to maintain a positive outlook, will mean he is ready to rejoin us as we push for a flag. At this point injuries may be one of the few things holding us back. Lecras and Embley are in our top 10 players. Nicoski is a permanent fixture in our forward line. But, as I have argued before, the team's success is a system thing. Sure, the loss of talent hurts but we can overcome it by solid efforts from replacements.
Mitch Brown. Dalziell, McG and Koby Stevens (hereafter known as simply 'Kobe') are the lucky inclusions.

As it is a given that we will win, I thought I would preview 5 aspects to the game which may keep it mildly interesting.

1. Margin
GWS didn't kick a goal in the first half last week. The Roos won by 129. We are far better than the Roos. Will the Giants rise for their first home game and keep it below 100 points? I doubt it. Look to 150 I say.


2. Cox and Nic-Nat vs Giles
Giles is a real player. Well, fantasy football wise. I haven't really watched him. But I'm told he is good....so hmmm.

3. JJK's Kicking
Brilliant in Round 1 with 7.1. Atrocious in Round 2 with 1.4. It's important he finds form ahead of next week's blockbuster against the Hawks. Plus, imagine how many he could kick if does get going against the inexperienced backline of the Giants.

4. H² Goals (Hill/Hams)
I admit I am a little obsessed with Hill. He's like a new toy. But his and Ham's production is critical to filling the Lecras-Nicoski gap. 5 and 6 between them in the first 2 weeks.

5.The Replacements

Huge opportunity for these guys. Dalziell has been especially disappointing since trekking over from Brisbane. But to be fair he never really showed all that much for the Lions. Brown and McG are both solid contributors who are probably unlucky not to be regulars. As for Kobe, well I can never remember anything about this guy. I know a lot of dream-teamers thought he would be a good inclusion this year. If I come away from this game remembering what Kobe looks like it will be a success.

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In other news. Check this out. Disappointing efforts all round. Especially the fact there are no Lakers Jerseys.

No Nic-Nat dunk though, so relax Mick. He is wearing a Lebron James jersey though...ew.

Round 2 Recap: 108 Reasons to Love this Eagles Team

Well, that was predictable. In a totally satisfying way. The Eagles made it 2 from 2 by absolutely destroying the Demons by 108 points. We essentially performed an exorcism on the entire Melbourne Football Club, but without the projectile vomiting, although I can't account for what their fans were doing back East.

We dominated from start to finish. You can read the match report here, but neeldless to say, we controlled every facet of the game.  We fell just two short of tying the record for the most inside 50s with 78, whilst also destroying the Dees in clearances, tackles, team spirit and Fijians. Our ball movement was just superb, with guys like Schofield and the Centurion Hurn influential down back. Moreover, we seemed to have endless runners as we came forward, nay 'flocked' forward as the mids picked out one of the many ents we have upforward.

I thought Masten had an excellent game with 34 disposals and 5 tackles. He just seemed to have a little extra pace whilst his usually suspect disposal was improved. But really, Priddis, Scott Selwood, Shuey and Gaff were all outstanding.

Another pleasing aspect was the spread of goal kickers; Darling 4, Lynch 4, S Selwood 3, Hams 3, Hill 3, Waters 2, Kerr, Naitanui, Shuey, Kennedy, A Selwood, Gaff. Hill and Hams again helped fill the Lecras void by kicking 6 between them. Hill was especially important in terms of his pressure in the front half by putting on a whopping 10 tackles. I liked the trade when we initially got him and so far it is working out great. We also rid ourselves of Ernie's friend who, let's face it, couldn't hit a target by foot if it was as big as his brother's head.

His Head has been scaled down to fit onto the Internet

The only sour note to come from the game was Embley's shoulder injury. According to The West, Embles has two options; shoulder reconstruction  with 4 months on the sidelines or he can try to get through the season as is. He would be a huge loss for us, but with the young guys playing like they are, the long route may be the the best choice for his and our future.

If you look at our upcoming fixtures, there is a realistic chance that we will be undefeated to the bye in round 11.

The round 4 clash with the Hawks will be the biggest test, whilst away to Essendon and the Derby will also be tough. But it's a very soft start, which makes you wonder what Eddie was thinking when he sat down to make the fixture.

So next week off to the land of the minnows, the greatest noobs to ever play in the AFL. I honestly think we will win by 150-200 points which should make our percentage quite solid after Round 3.

I know we should try and keep things in perspective...but we are going to be contenders for the premiership. Yay!

Free Eagles Supporter Bag

The SGIO Eagles Zone is giving away free Eagles Supporter Bags...so get one. I know the scarf they gave away last year wasn't exactly 'premium' quality but it was free!!! Apparently you can also sit on this bag at games so your posterior doesn't die. Added bonus.

Round 2 Preview: Eagles vs Demons

 It is usually a joyous occasion for any team when the Demons come to town. They have been mediocre, nay, damn right diabolical (sorry) for what seems like nearly a decade. But when the town is Perth, and they're playing the Eagles, and they've been in the news all week for all the wrong reasons...then this should be quite the celebration indeed. I know I should have pity them for the (apparently) unfair racism allegation levelled against new coach Mark Neeld, but really it's none of my concern. It's a mess, which reflects where they're at. They are quite shambolic. On the field, off the field, on top of the field, behind the field? Whatever position they occupy relative to the figurative field, it isn't an enviable one. And now apparently the CEO of their (now former) sponsor went crazy on FB 'attacking Aborigines, Asians, women, Muslims and Jews'. I mean, how does one attack that many groups? He clearly favours equal opportunity when it comes to being an asshole.

Anyway, back to the footy.

Neeldless (intentional) to say, I expect us to win big. I know there's the possibility that they 'respond' but even if they do, they are inferior as a team. They have made several changes, including dropping mole Davey.
There's also the fear of complacency, but does that exist in round 2? I for one don't think it does, at least not for us in these circumstances. I'm not really one for saying a good win is so many points. I'm really far more interested in our performances in these situations...in saying that at least plus 60 right? Unsurprisingly, we have made no changes to the team that domesticated the dogs.

I'm interested to see the the form of Naitanui, Shuey and Masten in particular. We all know Masten's issues, but this is his chance to realise his potential. A strong performance here could kick start his season. Both Shuey and Naitanui had very good seasons last year (Shuey a breakout) but they can both get better. I really want to see NicNat take over a game. Could this be the one? I'm also looking at Hill to see if he can replicate his goal-scoring from last week, or maybe have more of the ball.

Another interesting issue is that of the sub. Embley was highly influential last week as he flew off the bench in the second half. Apparently, the Eagles will use it for our 'Senior' players, but Embles doesn't want it. It's difficult to judge from the lineup who really fits as the sub. I can't imagine Kerr sporting green at all. It wouldn't be very clever. I know he doesn't always get much of the ball, but he attracts so much attention that he allows our young players a freer hand. Masten? Gaff? Again, we need Masten to find consistency and Gaff isn't going to develop sitting on the pine. I'm thinking perhaps Smith or Hams. But we shall see.

For those of you attending the game, enjoy. I hope you haven't got seats too close to the boundary as you may be sprayed with blood (ew), as the Eagles pummel the Demons unrelentingly.

Let's rock Eagles.

UPDATE: I failed to mention that Shannon Hurn plays his 100th game this week. Congrats to him. He is an integral piece of our backline and overall structure...and if there was one person who would lead me to become a foot fetishist it would be him. A right foot to be revered.

The Gaffer isn't a Mercenary; Resigns Until 2014

Andrew Gaff has resigned until 2014, as the youngster looks to play a key role in our next premiership (2012, too soon?) It is quite refreshing in the age of Abl$tt and $cully-duggery to see a young guy with great promise stay with the club who drafted him without a fuss.
The number 4 draft pick played 17 very classy games last year and notwithstanding injury is pretty much a lock in terms of team selection this year.
It should be fun watching him grow as a player in the years to come whilst wearing the blue and gold.

Round 1 Recap: Eagles Put Leash on Dogs; Take them for Walk around the Dome

A slightly creepy looking JJK

Apologies for the uber-long title, but such an emphatic victory requires a pun-heavy introduction

To be fair to the Dogs, they tried hard and kept it close for two and a half quarters. I now know the name of their Coach. It is Brendan McCartney, or in my mind Brendan McFreckles. However, in all honesty, I didn't think the ultimate victory was ever in doubt. Although the momentum seemed to swing every 10 minutes, I was more annoyed with our inability to build a lead than actually afraid that me might lose. It felt like a question of 'when' more than 'if' and in the end it was quite the doddle. Some might say a 'doggle'. But not me, that would be completely lame. A solid 49 point win away from home, with some underdone players and a missing star. You can't ask for more than that.

I think what is most promising is that it wasn't our best performance. Actually, far from it. Early on, especially, many players seemed intent on passing the ball short when the Dogs clearly had an inability to stop the long bomb to the square. We also turned the ball over several times when under no pressure. We switched off defensively at times in the first half as well, with the Cooney goal from a stoppage a prime example. More than that, some of our best players were pretty poor. Kerr, got completely Pickened out of the game with a mere 7 possessions and 2 tackles. I also didn't think Shuey was all that effectual.

However, as the game went on we moved the ball and scored with ease. The Dogs tired and when you've got men like Lake on your team you're (that's you are) not going to win many games. He played like a fool. I mean 29 in Dreamteam- C'mon Man!

In terms of our best performers, JJK was amazing with his 7 goals. An absolutely dominating game by the future Coleman Medallist. That's right, I said it. It was even more impressive considering he had a very limited preseason. As long as Cox keeps his bloody tennis ball to himself he should have a great season. Everywhere else I though we were very solid. Cox and Nic-Nat controlled the ruck. They also both provided highlights. Cox, with his tackle and goal in the first and running goal in the 3rd. Poetry in slow motion indeed. And NicNat's goal...well you know what I'm talking about. Embley provided some good running off the bench and I thought Hill was very quiet but he kicked 3 goals. I have to give Porky credit too. He provided some decent forward pressure and chipped in with a couple of goals. As Q alludes to, we really need these two to kick goals:

That's a lot of goals we're missing, but we'll cover for them and we'll get better and better every week I reckon,...It's just another challenge to mould another couple of blokes...We've got roles to be played down there; it just means different players are playing those roles.

 You can watch Q talk about how awesome we are below:




So win one in the bag. Next up is the hapless, gutless and spiritless Dees at Subi. Do you think the AFL should call it off and just give us the points? Nah, I love a good slaughter as well.


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 In totally unrelated news, I just thought it would be nice to relive this truly priceless moment from last season...