Round 18 - Eagles v West @ MT Hyundia Oval (Sat 23/8)

[Big Phil]

The Eagles to get out of their downhill slide and salvage their season with a win and possibly qualify for finals...

Round 18 - Woodville West Torrens v West Adelaide

Maughan Thiem Hyundai Oval, Woodville

Saturday, August 23rd, 2014

Reserves @ 11:25am

League @ 2:10pm

Broadcast - Live Stream on: www.sanfl.com.au

Could be the last game of the year for the home side while the Bloods will be done for 2014 after this clash...

[johntheclaret]

WWT have enough in the tank to get over the line, but not enough to replenish their battered self confidence.
WWT by 3 goals

[Mr Fuller]

The eagles have an archaic game plan, an utterly pathetic midfield with poor skills, an entire team of mentally fragile players, and a coach who has given up on the season and the club.

All west have to do is to turn up to the ground, drop a spare man in defence and apply some midfield pressure and they will win by 6 goals. Its as simple as that.

BUT

Given it will more than likely be Powell’s last game for the club if we lose, you’d like to think that the majority of his team-mates (aside from those footy mercenaries currently in our team who don’t give a stuff about the club) will actually dig deep for this great servant of the club.

Similarly, if we lose this match then it may well also be the last game for Lewis, Grocke (if he plays) and more than likely the coach. We will also have much difficulty convincing Jarrad to continue next year given club has in 1 year thrown away its entire heart, respect, spirit and integrity built up since its inception.

[blueandwhite]

The eagles have an archaic game plan, an utterly pathetic midfield with poor skills, an entire team of mentally fragile players, and a coach who has given up on the season and the club.

All west have to do is to turn up to the ground, drop a spare man in defence and apply some midfield pressure and they will win by 6 goals. Its as simple as that.

BUT

Given it will more than likely be Powell’s last game for the club if we lose, you’d like to think that the majority of his team-mates (aside from those footy mercenaries currently in our team who don’t give a stuff about the club) will actually dig deep for this great servant of the club.

Similarly, if we lose this match then it may well also be the last game for Lewis, Grocke (if he plays) and more than likely the coach. We will also have much difficulty convincing Jarrad to continue next year given club has in 1 year thrown away its entire heart, respect, spirit and integrity built up since its inception.

OUCH!!!..wow
a few home truths there....
whats more I think you are on the money on quite a few points there!

[Dogwatcher]

West Adelaide, we did you a favour a few rounds back by allowing you to get off the mark.
Could you please, return the favour and allow us to extend our season?

This is what it's come to, begging

[Mark Dreher]

[quote="Mr Fuller"]

All west have to do is to turn up to the ground, drop a spare man in defence and apply some midfield pressure and they will win by 6 goals. Its as simple as that.

Just the one? I recon we can organise that and a few more!

[dedja]

West are simply pathetic away from home, Eagles will win in a canter and seal 5th spot, whilst North and Central slug out a meaningless match.

[LPH]

Hoping Eagles win, so I can see Powell's last game the following week.
Has been a great servant of that Club - elite midfielder (in this competition) @ his peak.

Mr. Fuller - you haven't held back.
Perhaps that is exactly what is required @ Oval Avenue.

[Mr Fuller]

Hoping Eagles win, so I can see Powell's last game the following week.
Has been a great servant of that Club - elite midfielder (in this competition) @ his peak.

Mr. Fuller - you haven't held back.
Perhaps that is exactly what is required @ Oval Avenue.

Yeah well I've been to most matches this year and am just calling it as I see it. Their efforts in matches this year have reminded me of how bad some of Melbourne's have been in the AFL.

Yes Powell has been a fantastic player over such a long period so it would be appropriate for the players to respond. I just can't see it happenig though.

Even if the eagles get up, our inabilty to hit the scoreboard in more than 1 quarter will mean it unlikely that we will kick more than 8 goals for the match - any winning margin will be small.

The way the dogs have been playing I'm confident they will easily beat the chooks and will overcome the percentage gap separating us.

[johntheclaret]

West Adelaide, we did you a favour a few rounds back by allowing you to get off the mark.
Could you please, return the favour and allow us to extend our season?

This is what it's come to, begging

Woah. Assuming you win at Prosvegas

[Gozu]

If the Eagles win will hold onto 5th spot unless Centrals beat North by four goals more than they beat West by.

If the Eagles lose will miss the Finals at expense of the Centrals/North winner or Centrals if the match is drawn.

[Aerie]

Powell and Grocke to retire at seasons end.

Both premiership players in 2006 and 2011 and Powell Club Champion in 2008 and skipper 2012-2014.

Powell has been the back bone and grunt of the side for a long time. Always at the bottom of the pack and as courageous as they come. His performances in big games - especially the 2011 Grand Final - will have him down as a player Eagles supporters will always admire and talk about well after he is gone. He came around the same time as McKenzie and with him, saw that the Eagles threw off the gorilla that was on their back, i.e. beating Central in a GF. He has still been effective in a midfield that has seen a changing of the guard over the last few years.

Grocke circa 2006-2011 was sensational. Along with Jarrad who came in at the same time, added an extra dimension to the Eagles to carry them that extra mile to a premiership. He's probably been talked up more in the last few years as a player - but was extremely effective as soon as he came to the Eagles - generally playing up the field more under Fuller as a roaming CHF and then closer to goal under Godden in 2010 and 2011. His athleticism and strength was his real weapon and his body caught up with him by 2012. An achillies injury in 2013 and suspension this season see him end his career in a disappointing way, but has been a very good player and a great player to watch over the years.

Well done to both on great careers at the Eagles.

[LPH]

Well said Aerie...

Grocke has had his fair share of critics over the years but his contributions to Finals Campaigns have been outstanding.

Powell has been a wonderful player for your Club & deserves the accolades for his Mid-field performances over a number of years.
Always gave 100% & has been a fine servant of your Club.

[FlyingHigh]

Third year in a row these two have met in last round. Last two years West have been a better side but have rested players and it's enabled the Eagles to scrape into the finals in '12 and get the double chance last year. This year they have a worse side than the Eagles, but imagine they will play full-strength and would be ironic if they won and knocked the Eagles out.

And well done to Powell and Grocke. Powell has been one of my favourite players with his tough, understated approach. Grocke, while the last couple years haven't gone how he'd like, has always given his all for the club.

[matt1]

Eagles ok, West pathetic. I'm not getting carried away with this win at all. Souths form is too good for us.

[Mr Fuller]

West allowed the eagles to play the way they want to. If they had dropped players back behind the ball like the other teams had we would have been going around in circles. Luckily they didn't so we were able to go long and direct which helped us to a big win.

Good move by Godden putting Batley on the wing - used his pace well and perhaps his best game for the club.
Templeton - the fogotten man. Killian showed last week how clueless he was as a key back so we needed another tall to step up. Templeton did just that and was exceptional.
Von Bertouch - Yet again showed why he would be close to the best big defender in the competition. Certainty to get drafted IMO
Ainger - Another who probably had his best game with the club to date. He has kicked more goals in other matches but finally today we saw him competing hard rather than for frees, taking strong marks and giving assists to his team-mates.
Wundke - just took all his chances and they paid off.
Lane - special mention to this guy. I wrote this guy off a year ago as a forward. He's come back as a small defender and played really well the last couple of matches. Unlike Sumner, he has tidy disposal, goes a bit harder at the ball and most importantly, is reliable. Could be too late, however, as I believe he is off to the country next year.
Lloyd - was really important. Needs to improve his disposal but is probably the most promising young player we've got at the moment

Couple of others who still didn't do enough IMO. Boyd with 22 disposals in a big win was ineffectual. Hall showed again he isn't up to it both from his lack of hardness and poor disposal.

All up though, a massive improvement. I'm actually confident we can beat South this week.

[holden78]

Trial game for die hards........ nice weather though to send off two dual premiership players who can't be replaced; these young players nowdays just don't roll the same way.
The standard of SANFL has really dropped off alarmingly but what can you expect going from 8 to 10 teams

The SundayAdvertRag claims Sell-Out Slaven is close to completing his 5 year quest for glory on the Commission, with much support, unlike at his own club where he's about as popular as Swine Flu ....... watch the "Real" membership drop off a cliff next year as a result of the club's failure to bring supporters through this transition both on and off the field.
The collective that have run the Eagles have been just like the Australian Democrats! Remember them............. and they will get the same result for the exact same reasons!

[Wedgie]

Trial game for die hards........ nice weather though to send off two dual premiership players who can't be replaced; these young players nowdays just don't roll the same way.
The standard of SANFL has really dropped off alarmingly but what can you expect going from 8 to 10 teams

The SundayAdvertRag claims Sell-Out Slaven is close to completing his 5 year quest for glory on the Commission, with much support, unlike at his own club where he's about as popular as Swine Flu ....... watch the "Real" membership drop off a cliff next year as a result of the club's failure to bring supporters through this transition both on and off the field.
The collective that have run the Eagles have been just like the Australian Democrats! Remember them............. and they will get the same result for the exact same reasons!

Don't worry, there might be a couple of big litter's of puppies in the off season to keep the members numbers up.

[holden78]

Trial game for die hards........ nice weather though to send off two dual premiership players who can't be replaced; these young players nowdays just don't roll the same way.
The standard of SANFL has really dropped off alarmingly but what can you expect going from 8 to 10 teams

The SundayAdvertRag claims Sell-Out Slaven is close to completing his 5 year quest for glory on the Commission, with much support, unlike at his own club where he's about as popular as Swine Flu ....... watch the "Real" membership drop off a cliff next year as a result of the club's failure to bring supporters through this transition both on and off the field.
The collective that have run the Eagles have been just like the Australian Democrats! Remember them............. and they will get the same result for the exact same reasons!

Don't worry, there might be a couple of big litter's of puppies in the off season to keep the members numbers up.

Yeh, or do you mean some of the Doggies who have dropped off, moving West to our new old area on the Port Peninsula?
All this boundary rezoning bs just to prop up the Gays
How's North's real member numbers? Going down?

[wristwatcher]

How about the comps premier versatile forward "The Big Bird" Andrew Ainger tearing apart West yesterday and booking the Eagles a spot in the finals.

Watch out for another BOG display from A double next week against the club he carried into the 2011 finals series.

Eagles by 7 points with A2 kicking 4.