The club:
Formed: 1986
Joined AFL: 1987
Premierships: 3 – 1992, 1994, 2006
Last finals appearance: 2007, second semi-final (v Collingwood)

2007 at a glance:
Eagles fans will likely look back on 2007 and ponder what might have been. West Coast made it through to the second semi-final, but how much could they have achieved without the off-field woes (and, ultimately, torn hamstring) of Ben Cousins, a troublesome groin injury to Chris Judd and the September absence of Daniel Kerr?

2008 to date:
Brownlow medallists Cousins and Judd are gone, Kerr injured his hamstring in a practice match and the club has had to weather the public announcement of two separate inquiries into its culture. Yet, for all that, the Eagles’ pre-season has been largely positive. After losing to Fremantle in round one of the NAB Cup, West Coast has looked the goods in subsequently taking care of Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon.

The coach:
John Worsfold built a reputation as a hard-as-nails character as a player – and his coaching persona isn’t far removed from that. Has won 63 per cent of his 144 games in charge, including the 2006 premiership. .

Missing in action:
Midfielder Sam Butler is out with a groin injury, having failed to play a game last year with a similar problem. Youngster Mitch Brown will miss the season with a knee reconstruction, but Kerr is almost certain to return from his hamstring ailment.

The gun:
No doubt Cousins and Judd have been brilliant players, but Kerr was almost certainly their equal over the last three years. The nuggety midfielder has polled 63 Brownlow Medal votes in that time – more than any other player – and finished top three in the league’s top individual honour each year. Finds plenty of the footy and is a very difficult to tackle.

The bolter:
Josh Kennedy will forever be remembered as the player Carlton (partly) swapped for Judd, but based on his last outing against Essendon, he could yet create his own legacy at West Coast. The 20-year-old has the frame (196cm, 99kg) to make an impact and his selection at No. 4 in the 2005 draft provides an indication of his talents.

Strengths:
Ruckman Dean Cox, full-back (and captain) Darren Glass and Kerr all have claims to being the competition’s best in their positions. The supporting cast, including Michael Braun, Andrew Embley, Tyson Stenglein and David Wirrpanda, is pretty impressive too. Worsfold invariably turns out disciplined teams that run hard for four quarters and the Lions midfield will need to be at the top of its game to counter that.

Weaknesses:
You can’t lose two midfielders like Cousins and Judd and expect to replace them. Even more responsibility will now lie with the likes of Matthew Priddis, Shannon Hurn and Sam Butler, as well as Braun, Embley, Stenglein and Kerr. There are still question marks regarding the Eagles’ forward set-up, where Quinten Lynch is inconsistent and Ashley Hansen prone to injury. Those question marks won’t apply to the other end of the ground, where the prowess of Lions duo Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw is well-acknowledged.

Running hot:
Hansen kicked five goals in the final round of NAB Challenge matches against Essendon. Priddis averaged more than 23 possesions-per-game last year, including 37 touches in the finals loss to Collingwood. Kerr picked up 22 Brownlow votes from only 17 games last year – an average almost the equal of eventual medallist Jimmy Bartel. His last three round one games have netted eight votes.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club