Western Suburbs
Final position
Fourth- 11 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw
Snapshot
One of the most active clubs in the off-season, the Magpies lived up to the hype with two wins and a draw in the opening month. Won all their games in May before an up-and-down middle part to the season. They found it hard to kick a winning score in the final six weeks as they fought hard with St George but inevitably missed out on the double chance. A poor final fortnight ensued but they still would have backed themselves in against Sydney University in the Elimination Final. They proved to be no match for the Students, however, losing by 45 points.
What worked
Most of their recruits performed well. Matthew Round and Lindsay Scown would ultimately vie for Best and Fairest honours, along with linchpin Taylor Williamson who led all-comers with 42 goals. Kevin Eynaud brought in a breath of fresh air to the club that has struggled in recent years. They brought on young players like Vasili Romanas and Yannick Milligan-Saville who will serve the club well for many years to come.
What failed
Ultimately it was a lack of depth. There is still some gaps in terms of talent after the half a dozen top liners and you have to wonder whether it is coming through their junior ranks. They could butcher the ball when not on their game and lacked the willingness to run both ways. In terms of competitiveness, the Magpies matched it with the top teams early in the season but the gap grew wider as the season went on.
MVP: Matthew Round
The 24-year old former Balmain and Clarence star added a licence to thrill to the Magpies play this year. Often playing across half-back and on the wing, he was a great user by foot and set up a lot of the Magpies attacking raids. Named on the interchange in the AFL Sydney Team of the Year.
Surprise packet: Yannick Milligan-Saville
Yannick continued his development in his second year in Premier Division with some consistent performances, executing a number of roles given to him by Kevin Eynaud. He has a good defensive focus for a utility player and played shut-down roles on players such as Selby Lee-Steere. He has great upside and the Magpies faithful will be eager to see him continue to develop in what is an improving roster.
Low point
You could raffle off a few of their losses. Their Round 11 loss to Pennant Hills (58 points) and Round 17 loss to UNSW/ES (40 points) were both disappointing and put an end to their double chance hopes. They appeared tired at the end of the season and the way they went out in the Elimination Final suggested this.
What do they need to improve?
Building the youth stocks is again top of the agenda. You can bring in all the cattle you want but you need to supplement this with depth. Their Reserves flourished more in Division Two but their key players were mainly elder statesmen who have been around the bend once or twice. They have most ingredients of a good side with a strong enough spine and good contested-ball warriors. A couple more good ball users across the middle and half-back can help them to the next level as well as improved fitness if their back-end of the season is anything to go by.
Grade: C+
The Magpies took the next step after finishing sixth last year which was pleasing. With this said, they plateaued and appeared out of legs by the end of the season. Good but you must think it could have been much better.
Last Modified on 13/10/2014 16:02
