How West Coast Eagles’ 2018 AFL premiership triumph embodied Adam Simpson’s tactical mantra

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How West Coast Eagles’ 2018 AFL premiership triumph embodied Adam Simpson’s tactical mantra

McGovern. Vardy. Ryan. Sheed.

The most famous chain in West Coast Eagles’ history was the personification of Adam Simpson’s 2018 coaching manifesto.

Kick-mark. Move the ball vertically, aerially.

23 seconds of precise ball movement, followed by 20 seconds which felt like 20 minutes as Dom Sheed lined up his kick.

Culminating in three seconds of blue and gold hearts leaping into mouths as Sheed’s kick swung through the MCG air like Wasim Akram, before disbelief gave away to jubilation.

But if that passage embodied Simpson’s mantra, the grand final itself was representative of another message: be patient and don’t panic.

To properly appreciate Simpson’s finest hour is to step back and view their achievement within the wider context of the 2018 season.

Camera IconMcGovern marks during the grand final. Credit: Scott Barbour/AFL Media

2017 ended with the retirements of Matt Priddis, Sam Mitchell and Drew Petrie and a fond farewell to Subiaco Oval, the House of Pain claiming one final scalp against Adelaide to help propel the Eagles into the finals, where reality eventually sunk in against the Giants.

By now, everyone remembers Robert Walls’ now infamous pre-season words, which aged like milk on a hot day: “I think it will be a lean season for the Eagles.”

West Coast were Walls’ wooden spoon pick, but he was not a lone voice of dissent and many experts and ******** agencies expected the Eagles to fall more so than soar.

When they broke in Optus Stadium in round one and were put to the sword by a Buddy-brilliant Sydney, a flag appeared far-flung.

But patience was their virtue as Simpson, spinner of the ‘Weagles Web’ which fueled their run to the 2015 decider, tweaked the game-plan to incorporate a shift to a possession-orientated, kick-mark style.

Camera IconNorm Smith Medallist Luke Shuey. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Media

While the previous two premierships were won by harrying and surging Richmond and Western Bulldogs sides, West Coast slowed their pace and played to their strength in the air.

Jack Darling was the best forward in the competition in the first-half of the season, him and Josh Kennedy acting as twin aerial release valves down the wings and intimidating targets inside the arc; when they could not mark it, the addition of the speedy Liam Ryan and ******* Rioli allowed the Eagles to thrive when the bodies hit the floor and pill met deck.

Behind them was a defence marshaled by two excellent distributors in Jeremy McGovern and captain Shannon Hurn and an engine room powered by the dynamic Luke Shuey and Elliot Yeo, aided by the verve of Andrew Gaff.

But when West Coast faced Collingwood on that fateful Saturday in September, there was no Nic Naitanui, no ruck unicorn to battle Brodie Grundy after he suffered a second torn ACL at the same ground against the same opponent earlier that season.

Their Jordan De Goey-stopper Brad Sheppard tore his hamstring against Collingwood in the qualifying final, and Gaff had thrown away his career-season with an act of madness against Fremantle.

Camera IconLiam Ryan’s pivotal mark. Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

They gave up the opening five goals, the ghosts of Hawthorn in 2015 still lingering as the hot Pies left West Coast with egg on their face early.

Collingwood were everywhere, methodical but swift, swarming on errors.

When Kennedy collided with Daniel Venables inside 50, Jaiden Stephenson punished them up the other end with a goal, and made it back-to-back majors when he pounced on Tom Cole’s fumble, while an uncharacteristically intercept kick by Hurn ended in De Goey snapping truly.

But while their nerves were evident, West Coast did not panic as Simpson moved the magnets around, his calmness coursing through the team.

“You’re always thinking two goals ahead so when we were a goal down I was thinking about what we were going to do if they kicked the next two,” he told The West *********** in 2018.

Camera IconEric Mackenzie, Andrew Gaff, Nic Naitanui and Brad Sheppard all missed the grand final win. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Media

“We went to something and I’m not taking credit for changing the momentum of the game, but our players responded through their own way.

“I wasn’t losing my lunch on it, I was just honest with the boys telling them what was going on.

“The players just kicked into a gear that we’ve all seen this year at stages and once we clicked into that gear, it looked like us.”

Shuey’s late first-half goal made the mountain feel more like a hill, his all-time Norm Smith Medal-winning performance culminating in 34 disposals, 19 contested possessions, nine clearances, eight tackles, eight inside 50s, eight score involvements and 663m gained.

McGovern, who had spent days in hospital leading up to the game, repelled wave after wave alongside Tom Barrass and Will Schofield, who got his chance due to Sheppard’s injury, and played arguably the best game of his career.

Camera IconDom Sheed’s goal. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Media

Vardy and Scott Lycett’s stats were far from gaudy, but they wore down Grundy and curtailed his influence; ditto Mark Hutchings on Brownlow Medal runner-up Steele Sidebottom.

Darling exorcised his grand final demons after half-time as the Eagles hit the front, hauling in four contested marks in the third quarter.

Speaking in the wake of the premiership, Hurn said they had simply kept the ****** after the early wobbles and ensured they did not overreact.

“There are things you can control. We understood the scoreboard was against us but we knew what we were meant to be doing.

Camera IconPost-game celebrations. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Media

“Sometimes you have to lift your intensity, you might have to change a couple of things.”

Collingwood were formiddable foes and kept the Eagles at arm’s length in the final quarter after two quick goals to begin the final stanza.

But when McGovern levitated, Vardy snaffled, Ryan rose and Sheed punted, it was composure at the wheel with nerves relegated to the back-seat, as glory beckoned.

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