Eagles' Tarnished 2006 Flag

[mcs]

I think West Coast would gladly hand that 2006 trophy back if it meant that they never lost their way with recreational drugs and that players such as Cousins and Kerr could lead healthy normal lives.

I think some consideration needs to be given to good West Coast people of that 2006 side such as Judd, Embly and Glass. They deserve their premiership and were very good people.

Oh please..... as if they would. Clubs couldn't give two hoots how they get their hands on the cup - even if they bend the rules or act outside the spirit of the game in doing so. There is no way in hades the Eagles would give the cup back in exchange for that....

[stevoswan]

Those West Coke Eagles got to love them. So lets look at what Melbourne storm got for cheating their way though a couple of season and lets not mention poor old Essendon so surely now the cats out of the bag again those weak gutted people at the AFL should act.
West Coke Eagle - YouTube

That clip is freaking hilarious! Missed that one ten years ago.......

[Steve]

I think West Coast would gladly hand that 2006 trophy back if it meant that they never lost their way with recreational drugs and that players such as Cousins and Kerr could lead healthy normal lives.

Along the lines of what others have said, they turned a blind eye at the time because they were in a premiership window.

The only thing I think long-term senior club figures would be haunted by is that the culture they tolerated led to the death of one club legend and the strong likelihood another will follow. Also a near-death from another player in Las Vegas.

Maybe they couldn't have prevented them becoming drug addicts anyway, but not doing anything was a disgrace on many levels.

I don't think it would have been 'performance enhancing' though - I think most of the evidence is that they went on benders after games and in the off season, not prior to games where there would have been any impact. And in actual fact, it is a remarkable effort that they kept that group performing at a high level across the whole season (and the seasons prior) when so many players were riding that rollercoaster of drug taking.

[Hotpotato]

I'll call absolute BS on that. I think even now Worsfold is showing very little contrition about the situation, his view is that nobody gave him proof, I say he was quite happy to accept lies because they were what he wanted to hear because the men in question were doing the business for him on the weekend - Cousins, Gardiner, Kerr, Mainwaring, Fletcher, Chick is quite a list and they are just who we know of.

I worked with WA Boys in early 2002 and it was an open secret in Perth that the police had seriously bad information on Gardiner and Cousins re their criminal links and drug taking but is all got hushed up and swept under the carpet. That is four full seasons before their flag year.

And I'll say this too. Not a single West Coast fan I know would swap the Flag for the players health. In fact the ones I know are still ultra defensive about the whole situation and always claim Cousins never failed a drug test. And until the health issues became really serious many thought it was really cool their skipper could play at such a high level whilst being such a party animal.

Yeah, we'd all have liked to live our lives differently, show me anyone that with the chance wouldn't trade a F-Up for something else. But I take Nesbitt's claim with the contempt it deserves. As CEO he HAD the chance to do something as he was in possession of all the facts at the time - he CHOSE to not do anything because he CHOSE success on the field as being more important than the welfare of his players. Having second thoughts about that decision when they start dying 10 years later just doesn't cut it with me.

I feel sorry for Judd and he did the right thing and got out. And I feel for the players that were clean. But for Woosha and Nesbitt I feel contempt and I don't see how James Hird can be hounded within an inch of his life over his (very serious) duty of care breaches when Worsfold gets off scott-free.

Actually I can see and we should all see this - the West Coast Eagles Drugs Scandal and the AFL response was right out of the AFL PR "make the problem go away" Handbook. It is exactly the same Handbook they initially tried with the Bombers, not once but twice but WADA had the guts to call them out.

This whole thing makes me feel sick and it has nothing at all to do with the fact it also cost us a flag

Well said .

There should be a full and thorough investigation of this , but there won't be of course .
But the deleterious effects of it all will surface for decades ....

[Nico]

Strange coincidents.....

AFL do a deal with ANZ Stadium for all games to be played at SCG. (Fitzpatrick has a pecuniary interest in this stadium)
AFL buys out Ethihad Stadium years before the due date. (Fitzpatrick has a pecuniary interest in this stadium)
WCE enquiry becomes public the week after he retires.

...or not.

[Joel Ridge]

I believe that the West Coast Eagles squandered a potential dynasty due to their off field behaviour and cultural destruction. Being at the GF game in 2006, we should have been beaten by 40 points instead of 1. I went away from the game thinking we were lucky to get that close. They were a far superior team at half time, but there lack of total professionalism and weak culture almost allowed the Swans to win two in a row.

West Coast at the time had the greatest midfield I had ever seen.
Cousins, Kerr, Cox and Judd were amazing. Just chuck in Embly, Fletcher and Braun for support.

West Coast severely underperformed in that era and and they will have to live with that. By 2008 the cultural destruction was complete and they fell away totally.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Powerful comparison between Woosha and Hird, MP. And also about the AFL in those two instances.

The difference is that there was proof in Hirds situation, but there wasn't in Worsfolds situation.

Had the AFL done its job they would have targeted the WC players in response to the rumours and that evidence might have been obtained. How there could be such a high level of drug use (they were constantly using) and not a single player tested positive is beyond belief.

[takeheed]

If there was evidence Cousins was on illicit drugs on GF day, then it would be this youtube.com/watch?v=FDs-VlYCp4Q&t=4878s as he sprints on stage chewing his face off. If you've ever seen a bloke on pills, they cannot stop doing this.

[crackedactor]

Not sure why you are posting something on this site. You are obviously a West Coast supporter. West coast were good but did not the best midfield of all time? I believe that the Swans played about the poorest they played all 2006 season up to the half time break (Common for us in GFs) . Yes WC should have been 40 points plus in front of half time, but weren't. We came out running after half time and I thought we were going to run right over the top of them bit alas, somehow a handful of West coast players found a second wind and looked much fresher than most of our players did.

[Steve]

I believe that the West Coast Eagles squandered a potential dynasty due to their off field behaviour and cultural destruction. Being at the GF game in 2006, we should have been beaten by 40 points instead of 1. I went away from the game thinking we were lucky to get that close. They were a far superior team at half time, but there lack of total professionalism and weak culture almost allowed the Swans to win two in a row.

West Coast at the time had the greatest midfield I had ever seen.
Cousins, Kerr, Cox and Judd were amazing. Just chuck in Embly, Fletcher and Braun for support.

West Coast severely under-performed in that era and and they will have to live with that. By 2008 the cultural destruction was complete and they fell away totally.

They had an amazing midfield, but that made up for a fairly average team elsewhere - their spine was weak and other than Glass, none of the rest of their defenders or forwards were any better than role players.

We just started very poorly in the 2006 GF, and after half time when we better nullified their midfield, it showed up their deficiencies in those other areas. Unfortunately we just gave them too much of a head start.

[dimelb]

They had an amazing midfield, but that made up for a fairly average team elsewhere - their spine was weak and other than Glass, none of the rest of their defenders or forwards were any better than role players.

We just started very poorly in the 2006 GF, and after half time when we better nullified their midfield, it showed up their deficiencies in those other areas. Unfortunately we just gave them too much of a head start.

They had some decent players who may not have been outright stars but still made an impact on the day: Hansen, who turned the tables on LRT from 2005; Wirrpanda, who was better than ordinary; Banfield who was a solid contributor; Hunter, whom I never liked but who turned it on that day (I wonder how?). I agree with the view that they underachieved in that window.

[Industrial Fan]

Fair old troll from Matt Ridge..

Banfield won several key one on ones with Davis in the 4th. BLT had a broken foot, so couldnt deliver as mr finals.

But Kirk, Goodes and Ted nearly dragged us over the line. The fatigued OOB from Ted late in the game said everything about how much he'd put in.

The goal from Goodes and "the brownlow man, THE BROWNLOW MAN" commentary was electric - making my hair stand on end as I write it!