The west is best, again

With the 2007 season almost upon us, Nick Mockford looks at why the premiership cup will continue to have a distinct West Coast flavour to it, not just this season but for two or three to come.

Over the last 25 years, the footballing world has been treated to some exemplary football sides, with the competition embracing a truly national code and resulting in a plethora of success countrywide. However, despite the hundreds of great players and even greater matches, the elusive dynasty remains just that.

Perhaps it is a testament to how even the competiton has really come that the days of a single team dominating have gotten fewer and farther between. The Brisbane Lions remain the last genuine dynasty, and before that one needs to go back to the powerhouse Hawthorn sides of the 1980s to discover a truly dominant team over a sustained period.

Of course, there have been no shortage of suitors who have raised hands in voluntary fashion, but for whatever reason, haven't taken the necessary steps to greatness. Brisbane ended the last era with such claims in the 2001 Grand Final, with an Essendon team coming off a single loss in a record-breaking previous season, although a preliminary final disaster at the hands of Carlton in 1999 didn't help matters, and the age of many key players ensured 2001 would be its last real shot.

There were three teams to win multiple premierships in the 1990s, but none took the required steps to create a dynasty. North Melbourne and West Coast both made an additional Grand Final to shoot them ahead of Adelaide, with the Kangaroos perhaps closest after famously throwing away chances to wrap up the 1998 decider by halftime, culminating in a spectacular second half collapse.

Those same Crows often take the tag of 'luckiest' premiers with back to back triumphs in 1997-8, and while luck and the ability to peak at the right time shouldn't be confused as one, ordinary home and away seasons and a significant fallaway directly after the second flag restricts their own claims.

Then there are the also-rans. Carlton in 1995, like Essendon, put together one of the most dominant seasons in league history, but it remains a one off, while Port Adelaide established themselves as one of the most dominant teams of an era purely on wins to losses ratio, but it took until 2004 for Mark Williams' men to shake the 'chokers' tag in the finals. Great team no doubt, but not good enough for history's pinnacle.

As a result, while powerful teams come and go, it has taken three successes in a row, not to mention another Grand Final after that, for the Lions to stand out amongst the pack. They are now widely regarded as one of the finest teams of all time, and not just a one or two season wonder. The difference between two and three flags in numerical value may be tiny, but the impact is enormous.

The question now has to be asked however: are we seeing the makings of a fresh dynasty with the 2007 season almost upon us? The talk with this current West Coast team is almost along the lines of Roger Federer before a Grand Slam on grass or hardcourt; they will surely win, but by how much?

John Worsfold and his troops were a Drew Banfield poster away from being back to back premiers, and while only a fool would write off Sydney's chances of coming back for a third bite of the apple, it is the Eagles' mantle to lose. And now that they know how to win, it's very difficult to see them relinquishing their firm grip on football's holy grail.

Indeed it is strong crop of teams that will gear up for an assault in 2007, and every single one is not without a chance. The aforementioned Swans have proven their big game pedigree, while Adelaide will gear up for one last shot with a list of ageing stars at its disposal.

Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs both have exciting lists with an enormous array of talent, while St Kilda's top seven or eight players is as good as any side in the competition. Geelong will try and turn a predictable strong start into a consistent year, while there will be the inevitable early season candidate whose form dictates its place in initial flag discussions, such as Collingwood in 2006. That could be Hawthorn, Port Adelaide or even the Kangaroos.

So what pushes West Coast above the rest of the competition, to the point of being unbackable favourites? For starters, the average age of key players throughout the team borders on being downright scary. With most powerhouse sides, it takes mature figures to guide the ship, and as a result any potential dynasty can be nipped in the bud by age and injuries. This isn't the case out west.

The Eagles' best and most influential player, Chris Judd, is amazingly still only 23 years old. Their two most important, Daniel Kerr and Dean Cox, are 25 and 23 respectively. Their 'bookends', Darren Glass and Quinten Lynch, are 24 and 25, while fellow key position players Ashley Hansen and Adam Hunter are 24 and 25.

In other words, their entire Premiership winning spine, plus arguably the two most damaging onballers in the competition, all have at least five seasons left in them, barring injury. Throw in Norm Smith medallist Andrew Embley at 25 and a clear pattern really starts to emerge. The forgotten man of the midfield, Tyson Stenglein, is almost a grandfather at 26.

This doesn't even account for a number of other players. Beau Waters, Sam Butler and Adam Selwood all proved they could cut it on the biggest stage in last season's finals, and none is older than 22. All three will play big parts in 2007, and yet none will have to assume a starring role due simply to the phenomenal depth of this West Coast outfit.

The potential for slipping under opposition guards will remain for a while yet. The likes of Mark Nicoski, Jamie Grayham, Shannon Hurn, Mitch Morton, Mark Seaby and Matthew Rosa have all hinted at a bright future, and all still have the best part of 10 years left. It is almost as if Worsfold is simultaneously rebuilding while dominating, and no doubt laughing at his 15 counterparts while doing so.

Alternatively, maybe the best way to judge is to look not at the young players in a team, but who is in the twightlight of his career and what role he has to play, and this is where the make-up really kicks in. Of the 2005 team, only Drew Banfield was lost to retirement, and looking over the list for 2007, not many names jump out in the same vein.

Daniel Chick is the only player on the wrong side of 30, and his enforcing role has already been taken over by the emerging Waters. The evergreen Ben Cousins seems older than he actually is due to his emergence as a teenager, while Michael Braun and supporter scapegoat Rowan Jones are still yet to hit the big three oh, although the latter will surely be squeezed out by year's end.

Perhaps the best comparison this outfit can draw with Brisbane is the lack of any standout weakness. Both sides had undisputably the best midfield in the league, with some quarters suggesting that, by throwing Cox into the equation, West Coast's engine room may even shade the 'Fabulous Four' of the Lions' heyday, with Luke Power making up a quintet.

Darren Glass is no Mal Michael, but does have the All Australian jumper that the current Bomber could never quite grasp, while Justin Leppitsch and Adam Hunter share the ability to hold down a key defensive post, but also go forward and change a game.

Up forward, Quinten Lynch is not his namesake Alistair and Ashley Hansen will never be Jonathan Brown, but both are good enough to compliment a midfield that kicks more goals than any other.

Lynch in particular enjoyed a breakout season with 64 goals in 2006, and will surprise a lot of people with his tender years, while Hansen is more a workhorse than a flair player, but his relentless leading and willingness to work hard is the perfect foil for his onballers. Depth of key position stocks is probably the only thing that is lacking, but injuries can derail even the heftiest of trains.

Every other team has a notable weakness, with the exception of maybe Sydney, although a key injury or two will severly test its depth moreso than West Coast. St Kilda also has depth issues, and question marks over its ability to perform when the heat is genuinely on. Their fans will argue the depth is there, but much of it is unproven under duress, and still a dependancy on older heads.

The Dockers look the likeliest challengers, and last season's finals run will leave them in good shape. They have a very good head to head record with the Eagles in recent time toos, and most experts agree the captaincy may be the best thing for superstar Matthew Pavlich, but it's still hard to see them coming up trumps over a finals hardened West Coast outfit.

The Bulldogs are everyone's flavour of the month, but still don't have the necessary talls, while Adelaide's reliance on ageing players will ensure them another top four finish, but maybe not much more, although an injury free run at the business end of the season would certainly yield interesting results. They were afterall only a kick away from meeting the Swans in last season's decider.

However, at this stage the smart money is on the reigning premiers, not just this season, but for the next two or three. Of course it only takes injuries or even indiscretions - something they seem to specialise in - to turn a potentially great season into merely a good one, but with every team on a clean slate, the ingredients are there for a season cooked up with West Coast dominance, and maybe they'll serve up dessert in 2008.

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