“Haven’t felt that winning feeling in a while”: Eagles triumph ignites team spirit to new heights
Round 5 was full of surprises, but none more significant than West Coast's first win for the 2024 season over Richmond.
Tipped as overwhelming underdogs, the Eagles had only given their home fans two victories at Optus Stadium last year and three in total across the 2023 campaign.
The exceptional 39-point triumph has galvanised the playing group, infusing them with a renewed sense of optimism which has left them hungry for more.
Emerging Eagles midfielder Reuben Ginbey shared his insights on the impact the win has had on the club’s internal atmosphere ahead of the Derby clash with Fremantle this coming weekend.
“That was awesome to win in front of the home crowd,” Ginbey told SEN WA Breakfast.
“We haven’t felt that winning feeling in a while.
“The mood around the place was awesome, and it’s overall a lot brighter.”
Ginbey highlights that the team's execution of Adam Simpson's game plan of playing direct football against an undermanned Richmond defence has fostered a newfound confidence in their abilities, showing to themselves more than anything that they're able to carry out a distinct style of football.
Jake Waterman was the main recipient, having a career day of six goals and 13 marks.
“It’s something we’ve been working on is playing that long game,” Ginbey added.
“When someone is as hot as hot as 'Jakey' (Waterman), he is going to mark pretty much everything.
“We’ve been going for that long and direct game if we can, but also that fast, turn-up handball receive.
“Really we hope that whatever the opposition team’s given to us, hopefully we can generate a score from that.”
The direct style of plan coincides with the recent stellar performances of 18-year-old Harley Reid, injecting a noticeable sense of excitement into the Eagles' locker room.
His performance against Richmond followed suit, with 27 disposals, seven clearances and one goal marking his career-best game and leading to a Rising Star nomination.
“He’s a superstar already,” Ginbey added.
“He just can’t be tackled, I’m zero and three trying to tackle him as he’s put me on my backside three times.
“Most of the time no one can even get a hand to him.
“His fend-off is something he’s been doing his whole life… so he definitely can do that at an AFL level.”
West Coast aims to capitalise on the upbeat atmosphere within the club as they gear up for the Western Derby on Saturday night against the Dockers.
With Fremantle enduring back-to-back losses, the stage is set for the Eagles to make a big statement on the weekend.