Can we remember who the people were who stated the Eagles would not win a game this season?
Name and shame.
Those media “personalities”, and I use the term very loosely, were looking for a headline, and they found one. They pissed off Eagles fans supporters in the process, but they got what they wanted and needed – attention.
And now, they’ll pretend they didn’t really say that, and are thrilled West Coast found some form.
Give them the attention they wanted now, and make sure they don’t forget, because those idiotic predictions are pathetic. We’re talking about a professional sporting team, here; one with a proud history, and they’ll rise again. It might take a while, but when you play with passion, it is quite amazing how quickly things can fall into place.
Name and shame.
Ross Lyon knew this was coming.
In his pre-game interview, he spoke of how he expected the Eagles to come out in this game and play with passion. His troops had been prepared. The passing of Adam Selwood had left a scar on the round, as a whole, and the Eagles played like a team honouring his memory. It wasn’t just how they came out to start the game – it was how they applied themselves all game long that was the impressive part.
And it felt like no matter how much the Saints prepared for the pressure, it might have taken a little bit more than the St Kilda Football Club to get their hand raised against this West Coast team on this occasion.
What did you notice about the Eagles’ attack on the contest in this one?
I can tell you – it was unconditional. There were no short steps. There were no easily broken tackles. And there was no fear to take risks. It was as though this team gained perspective over the last day or so – life is short; take your chances. Make them count.
For me, the standouts were not only the continued pressure, but the sources of that pressure. I’ll get into a little more, but this wasn’t just the dwarves going off to re-take their homeland. No, no… there were some unassuming Hobbits that turned into ogres when it was their turn to go.
With that, time to look at what worked, what didn’t, and where things went very, very right for the Eagles in this one. Conversely, we will have a look at where the Saints fell over, as well.
Time for HB and The Mongrel’s Big Statements.
PRESSURE CAN COME FROM THE MOST UNLIKELY SOURCES
If I were to trot the name Jayden Hunt out to you, how would you best describe the way he plays his footy?
Outside runner?
Big tank?
Wears nice headbands?
How about maniacal applier of intense pressure?
Nah, didn’t think so. But that’s the version we got in this game, and I loved seeing it. Stats won’t reflect it, because sometimes they just don’t, but when the game was hot, early on, Hunt ran in direct lines at the footy, while the Saints seemed content to throw an arm out there and hope to rake the footy in. As he did that in the first quarter, I realised St Kilda was in trouble. You always know what you’re gonna get from blokes like Jack Graham, Liam Baker, or Harley Reid – they love the aggressive contact – but when you start to get it from Hunt, Elijah Hewett, and Liam Duggan, all of a sudden, this is a different kettle of fish.
The Eagles were relentless and uncompromising. They did not take the foot off the pedal, and played like there was a 19th player out there on the field with them.
In some way, maybe there was.
And this was a wonderful way to honour him.
TWO HEADS BETTER THAN ONE
Well, look… you can take that sub-heading any way you like, but when we’re talking about rucks, especially against one of the premier big men in the game, having two blokes out there is a bonus. And whilst the combination of Matt Flynn and Bailey Williams may not strike fear into the hearts of opposition coaches, when they work cohesively, they can provide West Coast with a nice one-two punch.
The Eagles have long envisioned Williams as a likely forward, but too often, he has been up there attempting to contest the footy with the ball simply hacked inside 50 in some ramshackle attempt to get the ball as close to goal as possible. The system for the Eagles has been to either look for Waterman on the lead, or bomb it long and hope for the best.
Sadly, “the best” has been nowhere good enough for some time, particularly with Oscar Allen either on the sidelines, or playing in defence. It has meant that Williams has had to fly at the footy against two or three well-positioned opponents, and though he makes contests, he hasn’t really clunked marks.
Things were different in this one.
Not only was Williams afforded space by a defence that looked completely out of kilter, he was able to hit the scoreboard, which is something he has been unable to do in 2025.
The St Kilda backline, once again without Dougal Howard, looked tiny, so having Williams plonked in the forward pocket was always going to stretch them.
And they were stretched until they snapped in this game.
The Saints had Anthony Caminiti and Cal Wilkie back there, but when you consider their next biggest defender was Liam O’Connell, you can see how this was an issue. I like him quite a bit – he is hungry and determined. But he is not a key defender. As long as West Coast kicked to the advantage of their talls, the Saints were going to be punished.
With 108 points on the board, it was about time the Eagles got to punish someone.
Allen played like he remembered he was a key forward, and Waterman kicked a couple of vital goals, as well, as the three Eagles talls notched two apiece and looked as good… no, scratch that. They looked BETTER than they had as a unit all season.
But then, there was the problem of Marshall in the ruck… and he is a big problem.
He finished with 27 touches, 40 hit outs, 18 contested possessions, and a goal. A big day out for the big fella. However, Flynn was able to find a bit of the footy, himself, and finished with 17 disposals of his own, 30 hit outs, and five clearances.
Many will tell you that Marshall was the best big man on the field, and they’ll be right, but the distance between him and Flynn was not the gulf they’ll make it out to be, and when you consider the two-head monster in the ruck finished with three goals, suddenly, it does not look too bad at all, does it?
HR – HIGHLIGHT REEL
Oh yes, we got some highlights from the young star of the Eagles in this one, but there was more to sizzle from his game. In this one, there was plenty of meat on the bone, as well.
You know, I have been a little critical of Harley at times this season. Most have, if we’re being honest. My criticism of him has revolved around his reluctance to do the hard yards when his team doesn’t have the footy. Now, this comes due to lack of conditioning, which comes from an interrupted pre-season, which comes from injury, so I understand. However… it was happening quite a bit, and you’d have to be blind to have missed it, particularly early in games.
In recent weeks, though, there seems to have been a significant shift. Playing off half-back for a week or two, and now back into the middle, Harley is playing a better, team-oriented game. I mean, he has become so team-oriented, that he is using Oscar Allen as a stepladder to clunk big marks!
He “only” had 15 touches in this one, but you get the feeling he may be destined to be one of those players who doesn’t need 30+ touches to wield significant influence on a contest.
He kicks goals, but he doesn’t have to be inside 50 to do it. He applies heat around the contest, and he doesn’t have to register a tackle to do so. Some say he courts controversy, but that is not a detriment, if you use it properly.
If he draws the heat from multiple sources every time he gets the footy, and can stand in a tackle before dishing off, it means his teammates are open. You cannot fabricate this – players either do it, or they don’t. Harley does it, and it is in this facet of his game that he becomes integral to the Eagles breaking open games.
I’ve heard some say that West Coast should look to trade him now. And you know, if he does want to go, so be it – no use waiting until his value is reduced. But if he is truly undecided, show him what is possible. Show him how much he can mean to this team. And to do that, you have to come with him when the heat comes on.
The West Coast team that showed up for this game is the team that would go with him. At other stages of the 2025 season… I am not so sure. But if this was the step toward becoming the team that Reid needs around him, then bring it the hell on, because watching this version of the Eagles, with Jack Graham wrapping up opposition players like they’re gifts, Liam Ryan stealing the footy and slotting goals, and kids in defence like Harry Edwards and Sandy Brock sailing into contests and killing them, then this team I heard described as “unwatchable” by some a few short weeks ago, is suddenly well worth the time and effort.
And it is hard to ignore that if you’re Harley Reid.
CHAOS
I am a creature of chaos. When things are not quite going exactly as planned, I am in my element. I work quickly and effectively when plans go out the window and I have to think on my feet, and when I see a team embrace chaos, I immediately gravitate to watching them.
The West Coast Eagles embraced chaos in this game. More than that, they hugged it close to their chest like it sustained them, and made it work for them.
To aid them, St Kilda decided to have one of those days where they couldn’t hit the ocean from the beach, and when they missed their targets, the Eagles were all over them. The Saints wanted to control the footy, but the combination of pressure from the Eagles, and their own horrid disposal, made that plan virtually impossible.
When Mitch Owens ended up with 0.1 from his first three shots at goal in the first half, alarm bells would have been going off for Ross Lyon. You only get so many chances to score when the pressure is on. I kind of felt for him. What was he going to tell his charges? Kick straighter? Be better? Stop turning it over?
The way the Saints were using the footy, he may have had more luck telling them to change genders.
In addition to their poor disposal, the Saints forgot how to tackle in the first quarter, with Jack Graham shrugging off a very disappointing Brad Hill with ease, to slot a goal, and Williams disposing of Jimmy Webster moments later in a similar manner. Moments like that imbue a team with faith and confidence. They can feel it – you know when a team is off, even just a little, and good teams go for the jugular.
West Coast are not a good team, but they went for somewhere in the vicinity of the jugular, and with a two goal lead at quarter time, had inflicted a painful wound on their visitors. If not for Mason Wood, this game may have felt over, even at that early stage.
Chaos can be a blessing or a curse. The Richmond premiership teams embraced it and it too them to glory. The Hawthorn three-peat team before them were the opposite, opting for control. There are benefits to either, depending on your squad, and right now, I reckon I know which one the Eagles should be leaning toward.
Let there be chaos… it’s fun!
IF THERE WAS ONE MOMENT TO SUM UP THE EAGLES THIS WEEK…
… it would involve Liam Baker.
I had a smile during the week when Champion Data released their list of the worst kicks in the league in 2025. On it was Nick Daicos, and Jordan Dawson, for crying out loud. But also on there was Liam Baker, and you know what? They got that one right.
He is messy. A messy, untidy, dirty, rotten, wonderful footballer. What he may lack when it comes to lacing out a teammate, he makes up for in desperation.
He’s a desperado. He’ll do anything to help the team, and we saw it in the second quarter, when we got a fully horizontal Liam Baker, throwing himself at the boot of Darcy Wilson in the middle. It counts as a one-percnter, but for acts like this, which inspire a team and instil a standard as to what is expected from each and every player, this should be called a 90-percenter, because 90% of the players in the league would not have made this smother. Only the real ones who play with their heart and soul throw themselves at the footy like Baker does, and it is these types of acts that will make his acquisition, in the long run, look like a great one.
I know the move to get him to West Coast cost a large price. Pick threes don’t come around often, but they are a gamble. You might get a Luke Jackson or Harry Sheezel. Or, you might get a Will Phillips, or Paddy Dow. It’s a gamble that many have taken… and many have lost.
In Baker, you know what you’re getting, and it was in that moment that he threw himself at the boot of the opposition and broke up their forward fifty entry, my hope is that people were able to see past some rubbishy kick ratings from blokes who barely watch games (some do, but many who work at CD don’t… they’re number crunchers, first and foremost), and realise that his recruitment is as much to do with teaching the next group what is expected, as it is winning games right now.
I usually give players 12 full months to truly feel at home in new surroundings. The best is yet to come from this bloke, and I would be very surprised if there was not a leadership position for him at the club within the next year.
THE MARGIN WAS UNDER FIVE GOALS – SURELY THE SAINTS HAD SOME POSITIVES?
Oh, of course they did.
Jack Higgins continued to maintain his position as clubhouse leader in the race for All-Australian small forward, with five goals. You can go back years on this site, and I am writing about how his best is worthy of an AA blazer. Truthfully, I started to doubt we’d see him get there, but his story is incredible, and the way he is playing the game in 2025 is first-class. He is carrying this St Kilda forward line without their spearhead, and I reckon he is fantastic.
Jack Sinclair worked his arse off for the team, but was consistently under pressure, and had far too many turnovers.
Cal Wilike was really solid again, and without him, this margin could have been a lot worse. And I really do enjoy watching Liam O’Connell go about his business. Still has a fair whack to learn, but he will never, ever de wandering on the footy field.
YEO CLONE?
There is a long way to go here, but am I the only one that sees elements of Elliot Yeo’s game in Brady Hough?
I might be, and that’s okay, but if he can put on some muscle (preferably muscle that doesn’t tear every time he moves), the Eagles may have a sleeper power midfielder in their midst. He is still learning the caper in the guts, and has yet to develop that one-touch give to a teammate when the pressure is on him, but you can see him getting it, and he is happy to play both ways.
I would not be at all surprised that, in a few years’ time, we are looking back at 2025 as the year Brady Hough made the move into the guts and set the wheels in motion for him to become one of the better two-way mids in the game.
And that might just do me. I am leaving this open for all in celebration of the Eagles’ first win of the year (I did it for the Tigers and North, as well – other teams that weren’t supposed to win a game… how many teams were not supposed to win a game this season? Far out, people are stupid…) so if you enjoy, and want to see your team covered like this on a weekly basis, please consider joining at the link below.
The Eagles travel to South Australia next week to face the Crows. That tall forward line is going to test the dfence. Is Gov returning? I hope so…
Meanwhile, the Saints head home with their halos between their legs (I think they’re halos) and cop the Suns at Marvel. That will either renew, or kill off their year, sadly.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
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