HoneyBadger35
They're not going to pick him, Mitch.
- Aug 11, 2011
- 28,153
- 79,322
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Moderator
- #1
West Coast's AFLW season has been a roaring success thus far. At 3-1, the Eagles have already notched their most victories in a season and are playing some structured, disciplined football under Daisy Pearce.
The future of the program looks brighter than it ever has, with the club reaping some early dividends for finally, finally taking this competition seriously. The absolute darkest days of the Eagles approach to AFLW looks to be behind us, and we're all hoping to never go back.
And yet, this is the perfect week to look to where we've come from, as we celebrate the first ever player to record 50 games with the West Coast Eagles: Belinda Smith.
B has pulled on the blue and gold in every single game that the club has played, debuting in our inaugural fixture vs Collingwood. Equal parts durable and reliable in a backline that has lived under siege, she's offered a steady presence and some rebounding flair to a team that has lacked creativity throughout her tenure.
It's fantastic that the team is starting to turn around, and even better that some of the players who have ridden out some extremely tough times on the field are now getting a chance to showcase what they can do in a more balanced side.
Congratulations B - absolutely smash it.
Last time they met: West Coast 4.0.24 def by BRIS 15.8.98
It's been three seasons since the Eagles faced the Lions, which saw the dominant visitors set the then-record for highest score in an AFLW game. Moving on.
Teams:
There's been several forced changes from Tuesday (who knew playing on four days rest wasn't ideal).
A quad strain rules Jess Hosking out for around a month, which is an enormous blow after everything she's shown in her debut season in WA. Amy Franklin had her best game of the year last week, including a monster goal after seemingly dislocating her finger, but is now sidelined due to said injury. Jaide Britton enjoyed a breakout trip to Victoria with two strong games, but now misses with concussion. Brutal outs, with the absence of Hosking's physicality looming as a real issue against an experienced Lions side.
Ones to watch:
Another inaugural Eagle, Sophie McDonald, plays her first game for 2024 in what will certainly be quite the trial by fire against the reigning Premiers. Beth Schilling has stormed onto the scene in 2024, earning a Rising Star nomination and showing a great nous for intercept marking, and McDonald should be another West Coast veteran who will benefit from the improvements throughout the team.
The pairing won't get too long to settle in, as this rampant Lions side has had no problems scoring in recent weeks. A big test early for the KPDs.
Prediction:
In many ways, this game is coming at the perfect time. Riding the momentum and good vibes of a 3-1 start, the Eagles get something of a free hit to see how they stack up against the league's elite. You could also argue that the team is in an ok position to absorb a tough loss should it come to that.
However, the absences from Tuesday's game will hit hard, and there's really never a good time to face a Brisbane side that made much lighter work of our past two opponents than we did.
All in all, the best footy of this year's West Coast outfit is good enough to keep this one reasonable, but I'm expecting any fadeouts to be punished. If the girls can display a few periods of momentum and the discipline to stick to the plan, that will represent another step forward in this journey, so I think we'll all forgive the scoreboard getting away.
The future of the program looks brighter than it ever has, with the club reaping some early dividends for finally, finally taking this competition seriously. The absolute darkest days of the Eagles approach to AFLW looks to be behind us, and we're all hoping to never go back.
And yet, this is the perfect week to look to where we've come from, as we celebrate the first ever player to record 50 games with the West Coast Eagles: Belinda Smith.
B has pulled on the blue and gold in every single game that the club has played, debuting in our inaugural fixture vs Collingwood. Equal parts durable and reliable in a backline that has lived under siege, she's offered a steady presence and some rebounding flair to a team that has lacked creativity throughout her tenure.
It's fantastic that the team is starting to turn around, and even better that some of the players who have ridden out some extremely tough times on the field are now getting a chance to showcase what they can do in a more balanced side.
Congratulations B - absolutely smash it.
Last time they met: West Coast 4.0.24 def by BRIS 15.8.98
It's been three seasons since the Eagles faced the Lions, which saw the dominant visitors set the then-record for highest score in an AFLW game. Moving on.
Teams:
There's been several forced changes from Tuesday (who knew playing on four days rest wasn't ideal).
A quad strain rules Jess Hosking out for around a month, which is an enormous blow after everything she's shown in her debut season in WA. Amy Franklin had her best game of the year last week, including a monster goal after seemingly dislocating her finger, but is now sidelined due to said injury. Jaide Britton enjoyed a breakout trip to Victoria with two strong games, but now misses with concussion. Brutal outs, with the absence of Hosking's physicality looming as a real issue against an experienced Lions side.
Ones to watch:
Another inaugural Eagle, Sophie McDonald, plays her first game for 2024 in what will certainly be quite the trial by fire against the reigning Premiers. Beth Schilling has stormed onto the scene in 2024, earning a Rising Star nomination and showing a great nous for intercept marking, and McDonald should be another West Coast veteran who will benefit from the improvements throughout the team.
The pairing won't get too long to settle in, as this rampant Lions side has had no problems scoring in recent weeks. A big test early for the KPDs.
Prediction:
In many ways, this game is coming at the perfect time. Riding the momentum and good vibes of a 3-1 start, the Eagles get something of a free hit to see how they stack up against the league's elite. You could also argue that the team is in an ok position to absorb a tough loss should it come to that.
However, the absences from Tuesday's game will hit hard, and there's really never a good time to face a Brisbane side that made much lighter work of our past two opponents than we did.
All in all, the best footy of this year's West Coast outfit is good enough to keep this one reasonable, but I'm expecting any fadeouts to be punished. If the girls can display a few periods of momentum and the discipline to stick to the plan, that will represent another step forward in this journey, so I think we'll all forgive the scoreboard getting away.
