Biased/incompetent media coverage

[Scotland]

Classic Wallsy. Credit to him, it's 2018 and he's still got an axe to grind from 10-15 years ago. When we were unexpectedly good in 2011 you just know he was seething about it.

It's been so long I can't even remember why he hates us. Does it go back to the Malthouse days because he doesn't like him? Or is it just the evil Eagles on drugs thing?

I have us as a 7th-12th side and assuming we do slide I'd expect us to at least win 6-8 games. We've lost Priddis plus Mitchell and Petrie who we only had for one year and we weren't very good in that one year anyway. We'll get Naitanui back and at some stage should hopefully have 3 rucks to pick from. Plus we have a solid and experienced defence, so if our midfield doesn't gel it's not like we have a bunch of kids in the key posts. Compared to Gold Coast, Carlton, Brisbane and North we're less likely to fall in a big hole and only win 4 games or fewer.

 

[hudson2006]

Speaking of biased/incompetent media, looks like #Eaglesbackchat is happening again this year

I don't mind it, wish they could be a bit more insightful but I get that it's a fun project so they can't reveal anything or step on anyones toes.

It will be worse off without Butler though. The replacement... it couldn't be Masten, could it? They should rename it Royals Backchat if so.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

While I don't think we'll make the finals this year I don't think we'll be worse off than North, Brisbane, Gold Coast..that's just insanity to say we'll finish lower than those teams

 

[Scotland]

One of those sides might click but I doubt all three.

 

[Beutbrute]

I don't mind it, wish they could be a bit more insightful but I get that it's a fun project so they can't reveal anything or step on anyones toes.

It will be worse off without Butler though. The replacement... it couldn't be Masten, could it? They should rename it Royals Backchat if so.

Haha, yeah I enjoy it. Glad they're continuing.

 

[ashley12]

I don't think it is that rough to consider us the sliders. Obviously got lucky in the first final, and to make it anyway, so if you pretend we were "6th" after last year, makes sense that we wouldn't finish close to "sixth".

The top four should still be really good, Sydney will be great, so if you have to pick one of the other three we are as logical choices as any as the media would make (since we lose Priddis, Mitchell etc...) compared to other teams getting in Rockliff, Saad, Stringer etc... even if we think those players are bad at football.

 

[Gugs9]

I don't think it is that rough to consider us the sliders. Obviously got lucky in the first final, and to make it anyway, so if you pretend we were "6th" after last year, makes sense that we wouldn't finish close to "sixth".

The top four should still be really good, Sydney will be great, so if you have to pick one of the other three we are as logical choices as any as the media would make (since we lose Priddis, Mitchell etc...) compared to other teams getting in Rockliff, Saad, Stringer etc... even if we think those players are bad at football.

The alternative argument is we were ranked 1st for time in front last year in the regular season. Had we not lost the collingwood, melbourne and Gold Coast games we should have won we would have been 15-7 and top 4. We also lost games to GWS, tigers and saints by less than 10.

Sure we weren't convincing all year but to be in a position to win 18 of 22 games last year suggests we weren't that far off the mark

 

[Agent93]

Mmmmmm trading out that top 10 draft pick.

 

[Obeanie1]

Walls what a flog.

Credibility at an all time low calling the 2018 spoon ours.

Norths and Suns will fight forthe spoon.

Lions and Blues may improve but a couple of injuries and they will slide.

Its not like we dont have a decent goal to goal line FFS

 

[ashley12]

The alternative argument is we were ranked 1st for time in front last year in the regular season. Had we not lost the collingwood, melbourne and Gold Coast games we should have won we would have been 15-7 and top 4. We also lost games to GWS, tigers and saints by less than 10.

Sure we weren't convincing all year but to be in a position to win 18 of 22 games last year suggests we weren't that far off the mark

In that case, the media will spin some narrative about how WCE weren't "clutch" and faded out etc... to lose games they shouldn't. It is also easy to say we should have won the three games you list, but on the flipside it is very easy to make a case that we shouldn't have won games we did (i.e the Adelaide win only happened because they were setting up for the finals series etc...)

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Is Walls not entitled to his opinion?

 

[Godfather32]

Is Walls not entitled to his opinion?

Of course, but then people are also entitled to the opinion that he's a flog

 

[Bacchus]

Is Walls not entitled to his opinion?

He is, and then others are entitled to point out that his view is jaundiced, most likely prejudiced and not in accord with reason.

 

[WCEswift]

Opinions are like arseholes everyone has one doesn't mean i want to hear it.

 

[Benji85]

Roberta Walls has hated the eagles for the best part of 20 years, none in the media have been more out and out biased toward us. I always love his classic "I didn't actually watch this Eagles game but...." or somehow skewing an amazing, and sometimes history making win like the GWS game a few years back or the Port Win into "The drug saga of 2006...."

 

[ep2018]

No way in hell we'll win the spoon. We wont even finish bottom 4. What a loon.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Walls is an almighty flog but it’s kinda like arguing over who thinks we’ll be the deepest shade of shit for the upcoming season.

Oh well. We’ve been written off before.

He is right about Freo though - I think they’ll be a chance if Fyfe and Sandilands play all season. Expectations are quite low too - generally when Freo perform at their best.

 

[WCE_phil]

If alex pearce can help control their backline and they find any improvement in their forward half freo could be pushing for top 8. They will however be very reliant on sandi, fyfe and pearce all being fit and firing.

 

[ziad]

Opinions are like arseholes everyone has one doesn't mean i want to hear it.

and walls is an arseh*le

 

[Dark Sharks]

It's not like it's a ground breaking claim by Walls, basically everyone who watches AFL, including this board has us plummeting down the ladder this year.

The only real surprise here is that Walls thinks we'll be worse than North and Brisbane, which technically could happen if our home ground advantage is completely non existent with the new stadium. It's a bit of an unknown.

Still 10-14th for me.

 

[Sammy J]

Pretty concerned that we will open up 0-2, particularly with no Kennedy. The midfield worries be a fair bit, particularly against the grunt of a Swans midfield.

Having said that, don't think we'll be spooners. Somewhere between 7-12 is probably realistic. I'll be annoyed if we hand over a top 10 pick to Gold Coast though.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Fox's attempt at our 22 for Sunday

B: Shannon Hurn, Eric Mackenzie, Brad Sheppard

HB: Tom Barrass, Jeremy McGovern, Jackson Nelson

C: Andrew Gaff, Elliot Yeo, Lewis Jetta

HF: Jake Waterman, Jack Darling, Jamie Cripps

F: Liam Ryan, Scott Lycett, Daniel Venables

FOLL: Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Dom Sheed

I/C: Liam Duggan, Mark LeCras, Jack Redden, Luke Partington

MacKenzie out indefinitely. Partington only a slightly better chance of playing than him. Hutchings no longer exists. Ainsworth and Rioli not in there presumably because they can't believe we'd play more than three debutants either.

 

[ShaunWCEFC]

Fox's attempt at our 22 for Sunday

B: Shannon Hurn, Eric Mackenzie, Brad Sheppard

HB: Tom Barrass, Jeremy McGovern, Jackson Nelson

C: Andrew Gaff, Elliot Yeo, Lewis Jetta

HF: Jake Waterman, Jack Darling, Jamie Cripps

F: Liam Ryan, Scott Lycett, Daniel Venables

FOLL: Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Dom Sheed

I/C: Liam Duggan, Mark LeCras, Jack Redden, Luke Partington

MacKenzie out indefinitely. Partington only a slightly better chance of playing than him. Hutchings no longer exists. Ainsworth and Rioli not in there presumably because they can't believe we'd play more than three debutants either.

Where is Stenglein

 

[whatis]

 

[Agent93]

Purely for Adam Treloar's sake I hope GWS win it.