West Coast's seasom has come in ebbs and flows. Photo: West Coast Eagles. — West Coast's season has come in ebbs and flows. Photo: West Coast Eagles.

NOTE: This article was originally published on The Inner Sanctum on June 27th 2021.

Despite having one of the best lists on paper, West Coast sits on the fringes of the top eight and may struggle to make the top four.

Snapshot

At home, West Coast is formidable with a 6-1 record at Optus Stadium, but their road track record is a different story. They currently have two wins against Carlton and Hawthorn to show for their six away games.

This puts them in seventh on the ladder - eight wins, five losses and a massive dent in their percentage from a 97-point loss against Geelong.

Percentage has been a recurring issue, and has been a concern since it saw them slip out of the top four in 2019.

In four of the defeats, West Coast were contending for the win come three-quarter time, but fourth-quarter fadeouts have become a costly, alarming trend.

But it's not all doom and gloom - West Coast fans can smile over victories against Port Adelaide and Richmond, an 11th consecutive Derby win and a gutsy win against Carlton at the SCG, which snapped a 22-year losing streak at the ground.

What's working?

The three-headed monster comprising Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Oscar Allen up forward has been impressive all season.

Kennedy has wound back the clock and shows no sign of slowing down, while Allen is paving the way for the future, playing several outstanding games, including his five-goal haul against Collingwood.

The forward trio is scarily accurate in front of goals, kicking with a league-high 55 per cent accuracy and is a huge reason for their wins.

In the middle, Jack Redden has been a dark horse and unsung hero, delivering consistency in a midfield riddled with injury. He and Dom Sheed have worked well in tandem to fill the void left by Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo.

Youngster Luke Edwards has also shown some promise and was unlucky not to earn a Rising Star nomination after a breakthrough performance against Richmond in round 14.

Down in defence, Josh Rotham has begun to solidify his place in the best 22 and is ranked second highest in the league for marks.

It's no surprise given it's a signature characteristic of West Coast's playing style, with the side ranked first in the competition for marks and contested marks.

Tom Barrass has been left to do some heavy lifting in Jeremy McGovern's absence. The key defender rarely loses a contest and is performing well on the stat sheets.

What hasn't

Hunger and desire. Critics have called this into question throughout the first half of this season, as West Coast dropped away to lose winnable games.

West Coast has continuously found itself poised to take the four points, but fell away in the final quarter to cough up a defeat.

Had this not become a pattern, the Eagles would comfortably be top four.

But even in wins, the winning margins have fallen victim to this trend, with momentum always seeming to swing the way of the opposition in those troublesome final quarters.

When percentage has cost them in recent years, you would think this would be earmarked as an area to fix and make it a non-factor come season's end.

West Coast's contest work has also been under the microscope, being ranked 12th in the contested possession statistic and dead last for tackles.

It's also important to note West Coast's run of injuries hasn't made it easy, with 15 players and 1537 games of experience sidelined by round 13.

As a result, 35 players have rotated through the side to cover the likes of Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Jeremy McGovern and Tim Kelly.

Best and Fairest contenders
Nic Naitanui has been a cut above the rest and is a chance to go back-to-back in the John Worsfold Medal this year.

Although still on limited minutes, his influence is unparalleled, and he can elevate his side while in a slump.

His ruckwork, chemistry with the midfielders and clearance work alone make him a unique player, currently ranked elite in hit-outs to advantage and first in clearances and second in centre clearances.

Before succumbing to injury, Tim Kelly was also a chance, and could make another push for it upon his scheduled return in round 15.

Without Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo, Kelly was in charge of the midfield group, and did so sensationally in their absence.

Even if he cannot win the John Worsfold Medal, Kelly can be pleased with his Derby performance, earning him his first Glendinning-Allan Medal.

Could Tim Kelly add another medal to his collection? Photo: West Coast Eagles

Second half expectations

The cavalry is back.

Captain Luke Shuey has made it through last weekend's WAFL outing unscathed and is a chance to play in this week's game. Along with Shuey, Brad Sheppard, Jeremy McGovern, and Tim Kelly are set to return as well.

With these inclusions, West Coast could make a late push for the top four, but they must be at their A-game.

Although they have a 2-2 record against top four sides, they must prove themselves against the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane to be considered a serious finals threat.

Shannon Hurn should also notch up 300 games - the first Eagle to do so. If the injury curse stays away, the premiership captain is due to reach the milestone in round 20 against 2018 Grand Finalists Collingwood at the MCG.

Rebecca Ruthven

Mid-Season Review: West Coast