In his series of list analyses for Telstra AFL Trade Radio, Terry Wallace turns his eyes to last year’s premiers, the West Coast Eagles and looks at whether another grand final win is in their future.
“It’s incredibly difficult to go back to back in this AFL competition, which is exactly what the Eagles discovered this year,” Wallace said.
Wallace said there are some questions surrounding West Coast:
“Number one: What Happens with the Rioli saga?”
Willie Rioli was suspended last month following an accusation that he tampered with a urine sample, and two weeks later tested positive for cannabis on a match day.
“Is he a small replacement or is it a long-term replacement and you’ve got to look past him?
“Number two: Can Nic Naitanui’s body hold up for an entire season to give them a real chance at having a crack at it?
“Three: Can Josh Kennedy continue to be the key position force he has been in the past… you know, the body is starting to age.
“Four for me: Can Tom Barrass find the form that eluded him in 2019? I thought he was going to be a really, really top-end player and he became just a player.”
Wallace also said the Eagles needed to find players of the next generation who were able to step up.
“They’re all potentially manageable things that they’re dealing with, but all of those manageable areas – if they can tick the boxes of them all, 2020 looks great.
“If they only tick half the boxes, well where does it sit?”
Wallace said West Coast needed to focus “a ball distributing back”.
“Either the potential of the players that they’ve already got like a Liam Duggan stepping up and doing that job for them, or finding somebody else who will do it.”
Wallace said the Eagles will be competitive again in 2020.
“I think the West Coast can hit back again in 2020 and be up the high end of the AFL ladder. The Eagles at the very least will hold ground but I think they’re more likely to make ground,” Wallace said.