Footy is back at Domain Stadium baby!!
The last official footy game that the West Coast Eagles played was last year’s Grand Final. Oh wait… we were trying to forget about that one…
It’s a new season and a fresh start and I am looking forward to see how West Coast kicks off their first game. They had an excellent 2015 season and I have no doubt that they could take it one step further come September this year.
First of all- congrats to defenders Brad Sheppard and Will Schofield who have both just signed three-year contract extensions with the club! Schofield really stepped up last season in the absence of Mackenzie and Brown. Sheppard improved with each game last season and won the club’s Player of the Finals award, which shows how much he has grown and matured as a player.
Now, down to business. Eagles will win on Sunday. I would put money on it. With the home ground advantage, the dominant Eagles line-up will completely overrun Brisbane. Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling will lead a perfectly balanced attack with some tall support from the big man Nic Naitanui.
West Coast will have defenders coming out of their EARS this season with Sheppard, Schofield, McGovern and the return of Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown (when his finger injury is healed). I am sure we will see the “West Coast Web” executed again this season as it proved very successful last year.
Brisbane are already in injury trouble with star midfielder Dayne Beams possibly out for half of the season with knee tendinitis. Beams had only just recovered from shoulder surgery that was done in the off-season so this knee injury would put a massive downer on the first half of his season.
I am 100% tipping West Coast to take out the win in their first game of the season, I think they will do it by a very comfortable 30 points.
Tweet us your #AFLEaglesLions prediction at @TweetPerth @EmmaLianaPayne
