Match Preview and Team Selection - Preliminary Final

[beelzebub 23,313]

No point worrying about what you can't change/affect.

Just go out and play your very best.. Go Dees

We've got this

[Demon Disciple 12,065]

Powers at AFL once again trying to stop our run.

Don't mind Razor, likes to perform on the big stage but doesn't award too much crap.

Nicholls is a disgrace of an umpire. Impartial my donkey.

Meredith is the one who really concerns me though, was paying anything and everything to Hawthorn at the start of the 4th last week.

Hopefully Razor keeps them in check.

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

2 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Hopefully Razor keeps them in check.

When Razor is your knight in shining armour .... wow, we must be in a parallel universe. One where the Demons are making a serious tilt at the flag. No one wake me up please!

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

What they're saying in Weagleland. (From bigfooty.)

 

As for who we face in the prelim, I'm expecting Melbourne, and if so I feel we'll get in done in another thriller. Gotta neutralize Gawn and the rovers somehow, we got smashed by the Pies in clearances, but managed to recover. I feel with enough polish and experience we can beat them.

Expecting Melbourne in the PF, and think we'll use fresh legs to overrun them in a close game.

Don't want to meet Melbourne

At our best with our current line-up the only area they've clearly got us is in the ruck.  Our forward line will kill them.

i will be honest, im s*** scared. Much more nervous than if Hawks would have won.

Melbourne nowhere near as good as they think they are, getting the win put up em, think they know finals after 2 home game vs soft opponents. Beat us last time so we are ready for them. They think what they brought last time is anywhere near whats needed this sat. 29 degress forecast.

Hate to keep bringing it up but it’s extremely frustrating and sad how much we’d be dominating with all our guys out there. We’d be wiping the floor with all these teams and taking it right up to Richmond. Would be a clear top 2 teams (still really should be).

Weak as [censored]. Melbourne are the VFL's latest lovechild. Luckily we give zero f**** about the VFL and will fly the flag for WA yet again. I'm convinced we'll go all the way and will be hated for it, like the arrogant campaigners we are.

To be fair they have played in front of ninety thousand the last few weeks. They won't [censored] the bed this will be a dog fight !

watching the Dees the other night and seeing Gawn running amok,he reminds me of Dean Cox.dominant and athletic.but i think he is on the soft side and my No 1 priority on Saturday would be for every man and his dog to get stuck into him.bumps,elbows and abuse.Lycett cant jump with him but he can soften him up.

Be afraid, be very afraid my WA brothers. The Victorian fairytale is gaining momentum.  Please on behalf of all non Vic side supporters and smash the Demons on Saturday.

My gut has now told me this. The Dees see to be talking a HELL of a lot. Whereas we’re getting on with it, besides the usual media appearances.  This tells me we’ve got some nervous nellies coming here lads. Yeah they’ve a right to be confident due their past 3 performances v us here (2 wins and a close loss) but something tells me we’re coming out hard.

If West Coast don't lose, I reckon they will smash Melbourne. Melbourne are a team that breaks games open or gets broken.

It may be the cynical tin foil hat side of me but I can't see us smashing the dees purely because I don't think the umpires will let it happen.  They'll simply stop calling 50/50 calls for us and start calling them for the dees - below the knees, incorrect disposal have become very handy tools for them in influencing the game.

[chook fowler 19,446]

As an aside, I couldn’t be prouder of the Club in how they’ve reached out to all the fans - the lady post heart attack, James Harmes with the disabled boy, the kid who was overjoyed getting finals ticket. I’m not sure I have seen any other Club do it as well. I hear a lot of it has been driven by Goody and so massive cudos to him. He has brought grass roots front and centre, as it should be. So, whatever happens on Saturday we have been winners.

[dees-picable 211]

"Starker, release the Demons. It is time we showed theses Eagles some KAOS football....."

[CHF 2,720]

Once again I am confident we have the game to beat WC. We did it a few weeks ago in the home and away round over there and that will give us confidence to do so again. 

Kennedy available this time around and Darling fit for possibly the whole game will give them a lift up forward but our defence has surprised and is looking the goods even without Lever. The key yo our defence getting the job done will be the pressure and 4 quarter work our midfield do if we can run and exert frantic pressure on the ball and ball carrier then we can drive turnovers and mistakes.

As with last time around we need to drive the midfield to the way we want the game played. Have them chasing us and the ball. We will also need to have better control of the last kick into the forward 50 than we had against Hawthorn. 

In the forward 50 we have the fire power in our talls to really trouble the WC defence. we also have some really good pressure forwards to keep the ball in and drive forward half turnovers.

I am expecting a close game the whole way through and hope we can set up the win and and take a place in the GF with a last quarter.

[Redleg 40,841]

28 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Powers at AFL once again trying to stop our run.

Don't mind Razor, likes to perform on the big stage but doesn't award too much crap.

Nicholls is a disgrace of an umpire. Impartial my donkey.

Meredith is the one who really concerns me though, was paying anything and everything to Hawthorn at the start of the 4th last week.

Hopefully Razor keeps them in check.

Great post.

Meredith wasn’t umpiring our game for starters. 

Then you suggest the AFL don’t want us the in the finals. 

[beelzebub 23,313]

weagleland.....pretty funny stuff

I expect a well fought out tussle with us breaking the chains in the last to over power them by 18

immediately afterwards perth will fall into a deep depression.

Unleash Hell Melbourne

[What 18,810]

Nobody wants the Eagles to win besides their supporters.

They would have no chance vs the Tigers in the Grand Final, whereas we can take it right up to them and we are the most exciting team in the comp.

 

[Pates 9,660]

I honestly can’t get a read on this game, both my heart and head don’t know who I think will win! The fact we’ve beaten them the last two times in Perth and had a close loss the one before gives me a lot of confidence. We are a VERY good traveling team. 

The fresh legs in the warmth could be telling, if it’s close at 3 quarter time you would back the eagles. For any chance I feel like we need a big first and 3rd quarter. Catch them on the hop early and silence the pro-eagles crowd, then break them open in our favourite quarter (the 3rd). Their tales loom as dangers so we have to make sure they don’t get clean runs and the midfield is stopping easy delivery. 

Our unpredictable forward line could be the key to us winning, last week Tom stepped up while the week before it was Weiderman. Last time we played them Vanders had a cracker and the likes of of Petracca/Hannan/Melksham are all capable of kicking 3+. Last time we played them was when we started lowering the eyes more, we must keep doing that. The moment we went for the long bomb to no one last week the Hawks started getting on top. 

West Coast are absolutely rightfully favourites, particularly with Kennedy back. But we have fantastic momentum coming in and we just need to keep up with the relentless pressure as that seems to create the rest of our game. 

1 hour ago, Mazer Rackham said:

WhatWeak as [censored]. Melbourne are the VFL's latest lovechild. Luckily we give zero f**** about the VFL and will fly the flag for WA yet again. I'm convinced we'll go all the way and will be hated for it, like the arrogant campaigners we are.

Had to laugh at quote, such a typical eagles nuffy. Also love the ones saying we’ll get the bias of the umpires, do they even realise how badly the umpiring favours them at home 99% of the time? 

[Skuit 10,031]

I have been dreading all year that we'd finally make the finals and then run into Nicholls. Throw in Razor to boot and I would ordinarily be swamped with doom. But I think Nicholls now respects us and Gus has obviously been charming Chamberlain. 

These guys are ego personified, and as mentioned, probably wont take too kindly to being booed all day. They will also over-officiate, and if something trivial goes against the Eagles early it will set the tone for the afternoon. 

It could also be in our favour if West Coast tries to nullify our mids with hard tags, as the umps will be watching closely for scragging at the breakdowns. This includes Max, who will need to focus on his natural traits for dominance. 

My bigger concerns are for their penchant to over-enforce the protected space and pay minor infringements up forward, which with the big bodies of Kennedy and Darling could be a problem.

For us, unfortunately, Hogan is the one who usually draws the soft forward infringement frees. But they will also pay anything that looks like a block, so we should look to exploit that up both ends of the ground and on the wings.  

We need to play honest contested footy and let the Eagles bring the niggle to us. That said, Nicholls is an A-grade dick. 

[layzie 33,752]

3 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

My gut has now told me this. The Dees see to be talking a HELL of a lot. Whereas we’re getting on with it, besides the usual media appearances.  This tells me we’ve got some nervous nellies coming here lads. Yeah they’ve a right to be confident due their past 3 performances v us here (2 wins and a close loss) but something tells me we’re coming out hard.

Quite the contrary actually. As much as I’d hate to dispute the brilliant pulitzer WC mind that wrote this. I think being open to the media exudes confidence and shows we are taking it on our stride whereas being hunkered down and avoiding it shows they might be a bit cagey. Think the nervous nellies are down the road!

[Willmoy1947 4,081]

Just because it will be his farewell game, based on decisions by The Media and the AFL, doesn't help us much. Maybe he is going to try and make up for it, but you would think with just two games going they could have got the penultimate selections right.

However i do think that there is a soft spot for us in Perth (Brayshaw Farmer Nev etc) and they would rather lose to us than the two wowsers...............

 

[Cards13 9,117]

Couple of points:

The media have lauded the Dees and how they have been so open to the media, kudos to the club. 

I do hope Nicholls is wearing a hat on Sat, would hate for him to get sunburn or sunstroke.

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,839]

anyone heard any rumours about OMac?

[david_neitz_is_my_dad 4,083]

1 minute ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

anyone heard any rumours about OMac?

Didnt look great today, but im sure he will get up

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,839]

1 minute ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

Didnt look great today, but im sure he will get up

there's some information flying around.

[DubDee 25,669]

WC fans whinging about how they’d win easily with their injured players out there? Nic Nat and Shepard and who?

joke. Get on with it

[rjay 24,886]

14 hours ago, Redleg said:

Nicholls, Razor and Meredith.

The one good thing about Ray is he's belligerent & more likely to go against the crowd just to prove a point.

Jordan Lewis must have known we had Nichols again this week, did some serious sucking up on 360. Thanked """Matty""" for not paying a free when he robbed off.

A serious game killer is Nichols.

[DubDee 25,669]

6 hours ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

there's some information flying around.

What’s the rumour QD?

would be a massive loss if he did not play 

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,839]

59 minutes ago, DubDee said:

What’s the rumour QD?

would be a massive loss if he did not play 

my understand is that it is not an improbable scenario as of yesterday. 

[Copuchas 758]

13 hours ago, Demon Disciple said:

Powers at AFL once again trying to stop our run.

Don't mind Razor, likes to perform on the big stage but doesn't award too much crap.

Nicholls is a disgrace of an umpire. Impartial my donkey.

Meredith is the one who really concerns me though, was paying anything and everything to Hawthorn at the start of the 4th last week.

Hopefully Razor keeps them in check.

Do you mean Stevic or Rosebury?   Meredith wasn't umpiring HAW v MEL last Fri night.

[Thehardtackler 785]

Has anybody looked at WC results at Optus Stadium this year? They have lost a few there, including to Essendon and Sydney. Their best win there was against the Tigers. 

[dazzledavey36 54,283]

The jungle drums are definitely beating for Joel Smith inclusion coming into the side.

Bayley Fritsch could be the unlucky one.