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Giants Step Over Eagles

Whitfield kicks (file photo/AFANA)

It wasn't a giant leap for the Greater Western Sydney Giants, but it was a small step towards their first Premiership flag. For the first time in their history, the Giants have started a season with three wins. Their opponents, the Eagles, have landed with a thud. After a boost in optimism, having drafted the number one draft pick, Harley Reid, the Eagles have been brought back to Earth. The Giants were expected to win this game, they did what they had to, without really breaking stride. For a large part of the match the Eagles impersonated traffic cones as the Giants weaved towards repeated goals. Both teams were evenly matched in terms of games played and player age, but that is where the comparisons end. The Giants are loaded with talent and the Eagles have a few good men who try hard but can't carry a playing list that had been neglected while the club relied on its aging stars.

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Power and Bulldogs Delist Players Plus Lycett Retires

Scott Lycett Contests Mark (file photo/AFANA)

The past week provided yet more delistings and retirements. The Western Bulldogs delisted Hayden Crozier and Roarke Smith. Port Adelaide delisted Orazio Fantasia, Sam Hayes, and Jake Pasini while Scott Lycett has retired. Sam Naismith has found his way back into the AFL at Richmond.

Lycett, a former Port Adelaide SANFL player, was drafted by West Coast in 2010 and played 75 games for the Eagles, including the 2018 premiership. At the end of 2018, he moved to Port as a free agent and played a further 71 games. Port Coach Ken Hinkley said, "Scott has been an outstanding contributor for two clubs ... He was an incredible workhorse for our club during the last five seasons and was totally focused on putting his teammates first. As a former Port Adelaide junior, Scott was Port Adelaide through and through.

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Collingwood Delistings and Free Agents Moves

Flynn tackled (Dave Woodley/AFANA)

Collingwood delisted Trey Ruscoe, Trent Bianco, Tom Wilson, Arlo Draper, and Cooper Murley. Sydney picked up unrestricted free agent James Jordon and West Coast added unrestricted free agent Matt Flynn.

Ruckman Flynn has joined West Coast from Greater Western Sydney. Flynn, 26, was drafted by GWS in 2015 and played 33 games. The Eagles believe will add size with the retirement of Nic Naitanui. List manager Rohan O'Brien said, “We prioritized adding to our ruck stocks this off-season so we’re really pleased Matt decided to join the club ... Matt has spent eight seasons in the AFL system and is physically mature so we expect he can come in and make an impact.”

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Hibberd Retires from Melbourne and Eagles Cull Six

Hibberd Handballs (File photo/AFANA)

Demon defender Michael Hibberd, 33, announced his retirement after 12 seasons and 197 for Essendon and Melbourne. The West Coast Eagles have delisted defender Luke Foley, Xavier O’Neill, Greg Clark, Connor West, forward Isiah Winder, and utility player Sam Petrevski-Seton.

In making the retirement announcement, Hibberd said, “I have really loved my time at the club. I love the boys and I feel like I could play until I am 40, but I know that’s not the reality. The body gets a bit slower as you get older, and although I like to think that I have a little bit left in me, I feel like going out with a little left in the tank is the right way to go about it ... ".

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Nic Nat Retires

Nic Skies at tip (Woodley/AFANA)

West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui has retired. Nic, 33, was contracted through 2024 but has not played this season due to an Achilles injury. He played just eight games in 2022 due to knee injuries. In making the announcement, NIc said, "I feel like I have exhausted every avenue to work my way through my injury, but my body is sending a strong message that it is time ... I’m content in the knowledge that I have given it everything ... Being a power athlete who has relied on my ability to jump throughout my career this injury was probably going to take that away from me. I am also looking at a lengthy rehabilitation from my latest surgery and there are no guarantees of making it back to AFL level even if everything goes to plan." He said he had given plenty of thought about his future and decided retirement was the best decision. Simpson also described him as one of the all-time great ruckmen.

Coach Adam Simpson said, "Nic has been a legacy player for our football club and has been one of the most influential players of his generation ... it is the end of an era and we will certainly miss Nic. In the last couple of years when he has been limited in the amount of games he has played his impact around the group has remained significant. There have been few ruckmen in history to have a bigger impact on the game and he will always hold a special place in the history of the club." He was also a marketing powerhouse for the club as well as a multicultural ambassador."

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Crows Quell Eagle Celebrations

Tex Walker (file photo)

A quirk of the English language is that the collective noun for crows is "a murder". The Adelaide Crows didn't murder the West Coast Eagles, but they did their best to put a damper on the Eagles' farewell celebrations for retiring former captain Shannon Hurn and current captain Luke Shuey, as well as injured star ruckman Nic Naitanui. A quirk in the AFL regulations cost the Crows a position in this year's final series, when a video review of a goal umpire error at the end of last week's one point loss against Sydney, was not applied. (The umpire incorrectly judged a Crow's shot on goal as a behind [worth one point], instead of a goal [worth six points]). The Crows could be excused for feeling deflated and disinterested in the game against the Eagles. They had nothing to gain, apart from perhaps proving a point that they deserved to be finalists.  Alternatively, the Eagles had every reason to farewell their three retiring stalwarts with a win. A win for the Eagles was not an impossible dream. The previous week they had defeated the Western Bulldogs, in Melbourne, which ultimately led to the Bulldogs missing the finals. The stage was set for an intriguing contest.

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Dockers Demolish Insipid Eagles

Schultz wins medal (file picture)

The Fremantle Dockers dominated the West Coast Eagles to give the Eagles their worst thrashing in a Western Derby. In a year where the Eagles have already run up a number of "worsts", they suffered their fifth defeat by more than 100 points. The Dockers, on on the other hand, continued with their strong end-of-year form, in a season which would be rated as a disappointment for the young team. Despite having a couple of late withdrawals due to illness the Eagles started strongly and had made eleven forward entries to their oppositions two by the nineteen-minute mark of the first quarter. After five minutes of early play where defenses held sway, Josh Rotham kicked long to Oscar Allen who took a well-judged mark (catch) against Alex Pearce in the goal square. Allen's goal inspired West Coast and three minutes later Tim Kelly received a handpass to kick on the run from forty-six metres to have the Eagles thirteen points up. The Eagles continued to win clearances and dominate the first quarter, but didn't get value for the forward entries.

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Retirements, Round Two

Shuey Kicks (Dave Woodley for AFANA)

Four more players have announced their retirements: North Melbourne midfielder Ben Cunnington, Eagle captain Luke Shuey, Essendon ruckman Andrew Phillips, and Hawthorn ruckman Max Lynch. 

LUKE SHUEY

West Coast captain Luke Shuey will also retire at the end of the season, joining teammate Shannon Hurn. A string of hamstring injuries have curtailed his season and led to his decision, “As much as my mind wants to go on, my body won’t allow it and I have made the decision to retire at the end of this season. We have tried everything to get my body right ... I am incredibly grateful to the football club for the opportunities they have given me, the support I have received ... Being a part of a premiership means I will have a lifelong connection with 21 other blokes, but it doesn’t end there. The friendships I have made with players, coaches and staff over the last 15 years will remain with me forever ... ".

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The Departures Begin

Shannon Hurn (file photo)

Just days before Round 21, three players announced their retirements - Eagle defender Shannon Hurn, North Melbourne defender Aaron Hall, and young Hawthorn ruckman Jack Fitzpatrick. Hurn will see out the season by playing the last two home games for the Eagles, resting during the away games. Hall and Fitzpatrick will not see out the season due to injuries.

SHANNON HURN

Hurn, 36, is one of the most highly decorated players in Eagles history and the games record holder will finish with 334 games. Hurn said, “I love playing the game and I know I’m really going to miss it. But I also know the time is right ... you can’t go on forever and it’s time for me to step away. It has been a great honor to play for this football club over the last 18 years and I have loved it since the day I arrived. There are life-long friendships and memories that have been created here and I will always be grateful for that. There are too many individuals to acknowledge ...Obviously all of my teammates, my two senior coaches John Worsfold and Adam Simpson ... I feel very lucky to have played for as long as I have, always wanting to contribute to the team, but ultimately the game does catch up with you ... ".

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Untidy Tigers Defeat Eagles

Rioli brilliance (file photo)

The Richmond Tigers defeated the West Coast Eagles to move to within two points of the top eight. The Tigers had moments of individual brilliance, punctuated by long spells of indifferent form as they ground out a victory against the spirited West Coast. The Eagles have been enlivened by the return of some of their best players but ultimately fell short of what was required to overcome the more talented Tigers. The struggling Eagles have now won just three of the past forty-four matches and this year sit at the bottom of the ladder, with just one win, way back in the second round against the GWS Giants. The Tigers have won three of their past four games and are within striking distance of the top eight, but would need to show much more than they did against the Eagles to get ahead of the log jam in front of them.

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