Can the Eagles go one better and get their hands on the Premiership Cup in 2016?

The Eagles really were the surprise packet of 2015. They failed to make the finals in 2014 so absolutely nobody could have predicted they’d be Grand Finalists the following year. Let’s be honest- what they did was bloody unbelievable.

They were fantastic throughout the season and turned Subiaco aka Domain Stadium into the fortress it once was for them, winning 11 out of 13 games at home.

To the delight of their home fans they even outshone their highly fancied arch-enemies Fremantle by making it to the Grand Final.

Everything went right for the Eagles in 2015- that was until the Grand Final itself.

West Coast’s efforts on footy’s big day were average to say the least. They looked like rabbits in headlights.

BeyondTheGame.TV caught up with plenty of excited Eagles fans at the ‘G’ on Grand Final day who’d travelled a long way and paid big money for their tickets. They gave their team a big chance, as did most experts. But the Eagles definitely didn’t give their fans much bang for their buck. The hundreds of dollars spent on tickets would have been better spent on a years supply of Emu Bitters.

We’re not sure who’s performance was worse on Grand Final day- the Eagles or Ellie Goulding?

West Coast showed they are light years away from Hawthorn. So where’s the improvement going to come from?

Ins: Jonathan Giles (trade), Lewis Jetta (trade), Jack Redden (trade)

Outs: Brant Colledge (delisted), Dylan Main (delisted), Matthew Rosa (trade), Scott Selwood (free agency), Callum Sinclair (trade), Simon Tunbridge (delisted), Alec Waterman (delisted), Beau Waters (retired), Will Maginness (delisted), Murray Newman (delisted), Rowen Powell (delisted)

West Coast will definitely welcome the speed of Jetta. It will be interesting to see how he performs at his new club. He had struggled for consistency in his last couple of seasons at the Swans.

⚡️A photo posted by West Coast Eagles (@westcoasteagles) on Feb 14, 2016 at 12:28am PST

This could be just what he needs.

The Good:

Nic Nat.

After plenty of hype, 2015 was the year that Nic Nat delivered. He was dominant in the ruck and around the ground and played a big part in giving the Eagle’s mids Priddis, Shuey, and Gaff the edge against their opponents.

He is also a handy fisherman.

Bunga, Lec and @RealNaitanui have taken our #EaglesintheCommunity auction winners on a ripper day of fishing! A photo posted by West Coast Eagles (@westcoasteagles) on Mar 4, 2016 at 10:16pm PST

Matty Priddis really is the king of consistency. He backed up his 2014 Brownlow year with another All-Australian selection in 2015. He continues to get insane amounts of the ball and must surely be suffering from leather poisoning.

Expect another big year too from the king of Geraldton. His kicking action might look like a drunk grandpa stumbling home from Bingo night but he still gets the job done. His physicality is extremely important. Few opposition defenders have the courage (or stupidity) to get in his way. The beard is looking pretty filthy though.

1️⃣0️⃣ days until #NABChallenge 1️⃣ A photo posted by West Coast Eagles (@westcoasteagles) on Feb 10, 2016 at 11:51pm PST

The Bad:

Crap kicking.

Kicking for goal was a problem for the Eagles when it mattered most last year. They kicked 18 goals, 33 behinds across their last two finals. This is simply not good enough and something they will not want to carry into this season.

Pressure.

The Hawks brought the heat to the Eagles and you can be guaranteed all 16 other AFL clubs were watching. Fortunately for West Coast the other 16 AFL clubs don’t have the same weaponry as the Hawks. But there is little doubt they will be put under a lot more pressure in 2016. It is going to be up to the Eagles to respond better than they did on the big day last year.

The Verdict:

So was 2015 a fluke or can the Eagles actually improve and take the flag?

The Eagles will definitely be in the mix again in 2016. Adam Simpson has proven himself to be a brilliant coach. He won’t be letting the standard slip. The Eagles will also be difficult for most teams to beat at Subiaco, so the key to making the Top 4 is securing those all-important wins on the road. Nic Nat will.

We think the Eagles will go top four again but will be pipped for a spot in the Grand Final by their cross-town rivals Freo.

Final Finish- 3rd.