The West Coast Eagles have their critics.
Many wear purple, but after an interesting off-season, others jumped on the bandwagon.
Some believe they started to get ahead of themselves with their focus on an aggressive rebuild. Whilst I understand their school of thought, I can’t say I agree.
I admire a team that knows where they want to be, and takes immediate steps to get there. West Coast, as bad as their 2022/23 performances were, have shown signs that they refuse to stay in the depths of the ladder. They want to be contending again sooner, rather than later. They’re a team that leaves the long rebuild to other teams.
The acquisition of Liam Baker, Jack Graham, and Matt Owies, make West Coast a stronger, deeper team. Sure, it came at the expense of pick three, which was a point of consternation with many preferring a longer-term build, but the Eagles were able to draft a West Australian product despite trading even further down in the draft.
Whether you agree with the Eagles’ approach, or not, you have to hand it to the club – they’re not going to die wondering.
Overall, it has been a pretty handy off-season for the Eagles. Now, it is time to see whether the boldness of the West Coast off-season translates to more on field success.
It’s that time of year, already.
The break after Christmas and New Year is over. The holidays are finished for AFL players, and the hard stuff starts now. Yes, the teams had been training for well over a month prior to Christmas, but as we head into 2025, the stakes are raised, and the intensity increases.
This is where premierships are won and lost. This is where improvements are made and lists come together. This is where we find out whether the kids mean business, or are in it for shits and giggles. New faces, new colours, old heads with renewed passion… so much feeds into the making of a contender. And as the days tick down toward the intra-club clashes, practice games, and eventually the real stuff, questions are raised about each team and how they’re going to perform in this new season.
And that’s where HB and The Mongrel come in.
We don’t do things by halves here, at The Mongrel Punt. When we do a season preview, we go all out to make sure it is the best, most comprehensive coverage you’ll receive. We pride ourselves on it. If you are going to read one season preview for your team, or any team, this series will provide it.
The way it works is as follows.
Each club has a minimum of 15 questions asked about the upcoming season, their coaches, their players, and their expectations. The answers are not glossed over. We dive deep on each and every one of them – some singular answers would normally be long enough for an entire column. The first five questions/answers are free for you to consume. The next 10-14 for each club are for our members, including a special appearance from Mrs Mongrel to throw her two cents in the mix.
Isn’t it a bit early for a season preview? Well, I suppose, but do you know how long it takes to write seven-to-nine thousand words? That’s 18 x 8,000… gets out the calculator… that’s 144,000 words. The average novel is about 85,000 words, so buckle the hell up with these previews.
Also, if there are any issues that arise after the publication of the preview for any team, they will be covered in standalone articles to act as additions to this preview.
You will not read a deeper season preview than this – I guarantee it. This is where we start the run to the new season, and believe me – nobody does it better than The Mongrel.
Second up, we’re heading out west, and taking a look at the Eagles.
Enjoy.
1 – WERE WEST COAST PLAYING CHESS DURING TRADE PERIOD (BOLTON TRADE, PICK 12/14 SPLIT)
They certainly seemed a step ahead of the game this trade/free agency period.
I loved the way the West Coast Eagles approached this off-season, and will happily defend it against whoever says different.
West Coast entered the period with pick three, and turned that into Liam Baker, Matt Owies, and Jack Graham (via free agency). Oh, and they still managed to draft the highest-rated West Australian product in the draft. I am not the type that gives teams a grade for the off-seasons – they come back to bite too often. However, if I did, I would happily hand the Eagles an A+.
In a series of deals, the Eagles saw their draft capital fall from pick three to pick 16. Initially, the protests came thick and fast from a segment of the Eagles’ fan base. Weren’t they rebuilding? Were these guys crazy? Did they ‘need’ high draft picks?
Well, need is a very strong word. Sure, high draft picks are great, but for every Chris Judd, there is a Will Phillips, and nothing is ever guaranteed when it comes to young players. With Graham signing on, and Baker preferring the Eagles to the Dockers, it soon became apparent that West Coast were going to have to be industrious in terms of what they had to play with.
Some said they should have sat on pick three and simply walked Baker to the draft. That’s all well and good, and in theory, that could have worked… but at what risk?
Baker had already stated he wanted the trade to work and wanted Richmond compensated. The thing that these people missed is that Baker stated he was happy to stay at Punt Road if a deal wasn’t worked out. The bloke was leaving, but didn’t want his former club thrown under the bus, either – that’s a sign of good character. Do you thumb your nose at his request in order to “get one up“ on another team? It’s a pretty narrow way of thinking, and in doing so, you risk putting a prized recruit offside, immediately.
And what of the next time you have to deal with Richmond, and they simply are not interested in budging due to this failed deal? What then? There is a give and take within the AFL, and thumbing your nose at a potential trade despite what the player you’re trading for prefers… it’s a good way to undermine future deals.
Short term gain, long term pain.
From there, the Eagles orchestrated a trade with Port Adelaide, that saw them drop down another spot, yet, remain in front of Freo – the other team that may have taken Bo Allan in the draft. It was a free hit for West Coast, who maintained access to the draft pick they wanted, whilst improving their future draft hand.
In the end, for pick three, the Eagles picked up Liam Baker, Matt Owies, and the pick that would become Bo Allan. And don’t underestimate what Jack Graham, signed as a free agent, will bring to the group. As a matter of fact, let’s explore that a little bit more.
2 – WHAT DOES JACK GRAHAM ADD TO THIS TEAM?
Toughness, consistency, hardness… they’re traits you love to see associated with a player, and that is what the Eagles get from the unsung Tiger midfielder, who was often left doing the dirty work as Martin, Cotchin, and Prestia went ball hunting.
Every team needs a player like Graham, and luckily, the Eagles already have one, and a bloody good one, too. His name is Elliot Yeo, and he is one of the best two-way mids in the game. However, I don’t know about you, but when I watch Yeo, I almost want to see him ball-hunt more – I think he could do massive damage. What he needs is someone riding shotgun with him, and doing for him what he spent time doing for others at points in his career.
Having Jack Graham in the team allows Yeo to be more expansive and a little less concerned with the defensive side of the game. Not that I expect Yeo to drop his responsibilities – that is not the way he plays – but I can see him and Graham tag-teaming on an opposition star, and making life pretty miserable for him as a result.
Still just 26 (I had to take a minute to check this was accurate when I first read that), Graham brings so much to a developing Eagles midfield, and if you’re wondering what type of player he is (it’s fine to be a little unfamiliar with a recruit), I suggest you whack on the 2019 Preliminary Final to watch Graham do what he does best – play good, tough, hard footy.
After dislocating his shoulder in the first quarter against the Cats, Graham returned to the field following 20 minutes of treatment. I kept waiting for disaster to strike on that evening, and for Graham to crumple into a heap on the ground in pain, but such was his determination and courage, that he played out the game and helped propel the Tigers into a Grand Final.
You know what else he did in that game? Laid five tackles. With a bung shoulder (the technical term… thank you Doctor HB), he went out there and tackled more often than 36 other players – all of who had two functioning shoulders.
Whilst we tend to get excited about the recruitment of stars to a team, and even though there is a very good reason for that, a player like Graham wearing blue and gold brings a ferocity that makes others around him better. He was in the top-five tacklers at Richmond in each of the last seven seasons, including four as the number one man. That is what he will bring to this Eagles team – a no-nonsense attitude, a vice-like grip, and a defensive side that opens up the game for others.
No bells. No whistles. No bullshit.
Plenty of mongrel. And you can’t teach that.
An inspired pick up.
3 – IS MATT OWIES AN UNDERRATED PICKUP?
With 33 goals in 2024, he was Carlton’s best small forward, and not by a short margin.
I was pretty shocked that the Blues were so prepared to part ways with him – he works hard around the packs, and was their number one tackler inside 50, with just over one per game in 2024. Whilst the latter number is probably not enough (small forwards should be at least 1.5 tackles per game), his acquisition should, at the very least, put the heat on a couple of other players in terms of what they produce.
The first is Liam Ryan.
Ryan’s laid-back style is a blessing and a curse. He makes things look effortless, but as he does so, I often find myself wondering whether he is giving enough effort. I guess that’s the issue with making things look that way, huh?
In the last five seasons, he has averaged one tackle inside 50 per game just once, and whilst his best offensive game counters that defensive lapse, we haven’t really seen much of his best offensive game, either.
It’s a shame, because when he does tackle, Ryan is brilliant. A few years ago, I charted every player and the free kicks they won for holding the ball. Ryan was so far out in front in terms of the quality of his tackling, that it was ridiculous. Maybe Owies’ presence could put some heat on him to lay those tackles more often.
The second player is Tyler Brockman, who was nabbed from the Hawks in last year’s trade period. He showed a bit at the Hawks, but injury prevented him from playing more than ten games in 2024. And with just two goals to his name last season, he would be pretty keen to make inroads into the Eagles’ best team.
Is there a place for all three in the West Coast forward line?
You’d think not, and given exposed form, you’re likely looking at Owies and Ryan as your two starting small forwards, with the impetus on Brockman to push for one of those roles as the season progresses.
4 – IS LIAM BAKER WORTH MORE THAN JUST WHAT HE OFFERS AS A PLAYER?
Now, here is why I was so big on the Eagles completing the trade for Baker. You’re not just getting a player who get you x-amount of kicks, and x-amount of handballs per game. No, no… Baker is worth a bit more than just numbers.
Liam Baker is an attitude.
His aggression, his crash and bash style, his no bullshit approach to the game – he compels others to follow his lead. He sets standards. I am no Richmond fan, but I can safely say he was my favourite Tiger to watch. He is never going to die wondering, will take the game on, stick up for his teammates, and for a little bloke, makes others walk taller. As a teammate, he is the bloke you want in the trenches with you.
You often hear players like Baker described as a terrier. I’ve often thought of terriers as toy dogs who think they’re much bigger. Baker plays bigger – he has presence, and that presence is infectious.
Where he plays at West Coast will likely be a case of shifting sands. He was primarily a half-back flanker with the Tigers, but could drift through the guts when required, as well. The Eagles have a similar type, in Liam Duggan, but Baker brings the type of heat that Duggan doesn’t. Even as co-skipper of the team, Duggan will take a back seat to Baker when it comes to flying the flag for the club. Maybe Baker’s presence brings out a little more in his namesake?
When I have people tell me that pick three was far too high a price to pay for Baker and Owies, I can only surmise that they haven’t really paid attention to that which Baker is capable of. They haven’t factored in the impact he has on those around him. He has more courage than 95% of the league.
Put it this way – the last (and only) Eagle to win a Robert Rose Award for the league’s most courageous player, as voted by his peers, was Beau Waters. I have all the time in the world for Waters, as do most who love good, hard, footy. The bloke would run through walls for his club. Liam Baker has one of them to his name, as well.
They don’t just hand those awards out to anyone. West Coast have got a gem. Unpolished, in many ways, but gems like him are rare.
5 -WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OF HARLEY REID IN 2025?
More broken tackles, more exhilarating runs, and hopefully, a nice contract extension tying him to the club for years on end?
Don’t panic, West Coast supporters, even if he doesn’t put pen to paper in the early part of the season, Reid is not coming out of contract until after the 2026 season, and my guess is that part of the reason the Eagles are in a hurry to get better, quickly, is because they don’t want any of their young stars feeling disenfranchised. If these kids, Reid included, have their heads screwed on right, they’d realise that they’re in this game to win. Money is nice, but winning is where it’s at.
And West Coast want to start winning. Now.
The improvement of Harley Reid, and his process of going from a precociously talented young man to a professional footballing assassin should go hand-in-hand with West Coast’s rise. If you’ve watched him play, you would have seen exactly why he was so coveted before the draft. He is physical, doesn’t take shit, and can mix it up with the big boys.
Hell, he can start it with the big boys.
And if one of the smaller boys decides to take him on… well, there was a tackle on Darcy Wilson during the 2024 season that saw Reid cop a suspension that made it look as though he was a man tackling a boy, despite being the same age as Wilson.
Reid’s 18.5 disposals per game will likely see a bump in 2025. His power at the contest will be a little harder to handle. His burst from those contests will likely be a little quicker, and he is now settled into the team, and should be well and truly used to the attention the papers in WA lavish upon him.
Maybe he doesn’t enjoy it, but he will be getting accustomed to it.
In 2025, we’re looking at a 10-20% jump in numbers, and whilst that probably doesn’t sound too drastic, when you look at what could be, the type of player Reid is fast-becoming takes shape.
A 10-20% increase would mean he’s average Between 20-22 disposals per game. He’d be at around five tackles, and six clearances per contest. The league leader in 2024 averaged eight clearances per game. Hitting six per game would entrench Reid in the top dozen clearance players in the game.
The 2023 number one pick is destined for a long, successful career. It is no coincidence that when he started playing for the club, West Coast started to play with more mongrel, and when you look at the additions of Graham and Baker, that won’t diminish, at all.
Wanna know a secret? As much as I am looking forward to the season, itself, I am also hanging out to get a look at the West Coast intraclub match in the next month or so. Seeing Reid, Yeo, Graham, and maybe Baker thrown into the contest together… the Eagles have an enormous amount of mongrel, and that is just something you cannot teach. They’ll want to test each other out.
I expect to see a young man standing his ground in that one. He is going to make this his team, and it might happen as soon as this season.
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