00:00Well, G'day, I'm Mark Stephens. I'm at Zero Hanger HQ and this is another episode of The Outer Winger,
00:05brought to you by Tab Touch. Real punters play here. As usual, I'll be joined by Digby Beecham,
00:11the legendary Hall of Fame journo in WA. Let's get on with it.
00:17Could a mullet with tightly tapered sides reduce wind resistance, allowing for faster acceleration off the mark?
00:23Now that's something to think about.
00:29What are you really gambling with?
00:31Now on with the West Coast Eagles. I was pretty impressed with the Eagles, given everything was in Collingwood's favour.
00:38They had the crowd, they had the gold numbers, even the umpires certainly were on Collingwood's side.
00:42Some of those softies that went, they got caught up in the crowd, let's be honest.
00:45But everyone was happy in the end. But if I was a West Coast fan, I'd be reasonably happy,
00:50but they almost could have won that big one.
00:53Yeah, they could have. And had they got the rub of the green, maybe the result's a little bit different.
00:58I'm not a big umpire basher or believer in umpires influencing contests.
01:02You have 120 minutes as a player to do everything that you can to ensure that your team wins a
01:09game of football.
01:09What I will say, Steve-O, is that that stage and the way that West Coast handled that stage,
01:16particularly some of the younger players and emerging players, players who have been in the system a little bit,
01:21was particularly heartening for mine.
01:23I could argue that that was the best performance West Coast have produced under Andrew McQualter.
01:30And it comes off the back of what we saw from West Coast the week prior, opposed to GWS.
01:36And we saw what GWS did to Brisbane out there in Western Sydney last weekend.
01:40So, look, they've won three games.
01:43They've been competitive in others, most recently, sorry, against Collingwood.
01:47So, again, they're a club that's trending the right way, West Coast.
01:51Yeah, on with you.
01:52That was the best West Coast game I've seen in the McQualter era.
01:55Forget about wins and losses.
01:56That one, considering the situation, was outstanding.
01:59Elliot Yeo kicked three.
02:01He's most in the game for nine years.
02:02So, those sort of players chipping in the experience is really helping.
02:06Yeah, it is, Steve-O.
02:07And we'll touch on Bailey Williams in a sec.
02:09But his last two games in the ruck have been sublime.
02:13They've been at a level I didn't think Bailey Williams, respectfully, was ever going to be able to get to.
02:18So, it's now his following division.
02:21And that's really exciting for West Coast.
02:23He's 25.
02:23He's 26.
02:24He's been a slow burn.
02:26But if he's going to be the player that West Coast thought he was going to be when they drafted
02:31him and have probably waited longer than they expected, who's to say this West Coast midfield can't take off?
02:37Yeah, let's stay with Bailey Williams.
02:38He jumped ahead in the rundown there, Diggers, which is fine.
02:41His tats are a little bit crazy.
02:44But he's like a cherry.
02:46He's come good late.
02:47And, look, by the age of 30, could be a superstar, the big boy.
02:52Well, he's going particularly well.
02:53He's always been athletic.
02:55Some would say he's perhaps been a little bit undersized.
02:58We talk about football smarts.
02:59There's been occasions throughout his career where you've scratched your head and thought, Bailey, what are you doing?
03:04But he is now in some really good nick.
03:07And, you know, he's taken over from Matt Flynn, who was afforded the opportunity at the start of the season.
03:12And he didn't live up to his end of the bargain.
03:15So Bailey Williams got his opportunity.
03:16He's taken it with both hands.
03:18Look, West Coast, look, are they the finished article?
03:22Absolutely not.
03:23Is there some pain ahead?
03:24My oath there is.
03:25But I'll tell you what, if you're a West Coast fan and what you've seen over the past two weeks,
03:29you're considerably more heartened now than what you were when they were beaten by Richmond.
03:33Now, there's an asterisk on all of this.
03:35And they go in this week's favourite, which I think is a big danger.
03:39They're far better going in as underdog.
03:41I like their chances to be competitive last week.
03:43And they've got the coach bounce.
03:45Essendon has wrist-held Brad Scott.
03:48He's finished.
03:48You've got Dean Solomon, who is the type of guy that will rally the troops.
03:53They love Solly.
03:54He's a man's man.
03:56You'll see a different Essendon this week.
03:58This will be a massive test for the Eagles.
04:01It will.
04:02And it's going to be played this game on Sunday, Steve-O, in conditions which are dreadful.
04:07There's a lot of rain forecast for the metro area over the next 72 to 96 hours.
04:13We're going to get some today and also tomorrow.
04:16Backs off Friday and then comes again Saturday evening.
04:18And we're expecting upwards of an inch on Sunday.
04:21So this match is going to be played in conditions which Solly would have experienced a fair bit in his
04:26career and reveled in.
04:27And he will be asking his players to give 100% effort, as they should each and every week, but
04:31they don't.
04:32And if they are prepared to get their hands dirty, they might think that they're a chance of overpowering West
04:37Coast.
04:38In saying that, West Coast at home, big crowd.
04:41It's a public holiday here on the Monday.
04:43So they should get a really good crowd here at Optus Stadium on Sunday night, even in the conditions.
04:48And in the corresponding match last year, they stretched the necks of Geelong.
04:52And Geelong slipped themselves late in that match and pulled away.
04:56But all in all, they were good on that occasion.
04:58And I suspect that West Coast would be good enough to get over the top of Essendon, who are still
05:02struggling with personnel.
05:03Yeah, I think the weather will suit the Bombers, though.
05:05Probably bigger bodies, more experienced around the middle.
05:08They'll perish these sort of guys, Merritt.
05:11They'll miss Durham, obviously.
05:13But it's going to be a test because the Eagles are good when they get sort of on that fast
05:16track and get moving.
05:18So this is, for me, is a 50-50 game.
05:21And if you're looking for an outside value bet, I think the Bombers are a chance.
05:25Yeah, look, I can certainly see where you're coming from.
05:29And you and a lot of people will make that argument.
05:32And it's hard to debate it because it's going to be a little bit of hand-to-hand combat, you
05:37would think, in the conditions.
05:38Now, it doesn't get like the old traditional VFL grounds, those boggy venues.
05:42But it is going to be rain-affected and certainly saturated off the stadium.
05:47So which side handles it the best and which side really, really wants to win the game of football will
05:51probably prevail.
05:52Now, finally, on the Eagles, Dersma just about shut the gate for the Rising Star Diggers.
05:58Even Pendles has fallen in love with him.
06:00He's the best young player he's seen.
06:02Can't believe it.
06:03Yeah.
06:04Big call, isn't it?
06:05Look, he's a beauty.
06:06And one thing that he has done, Willem, is he's just proven that the under-18 form, if you're a
06:13good under-18 kid, you can come into the AFL system.
06:16We've seen it many, many times.
06:17But there's also been a few that haven't made that adjustment.
06:20He's living away from home.
06:22He's in a side which has had its issues.
06:24But he's just handled the step up with a minimum of fuss.
06:28He's got wonderful reach, hasn't he?
06:30He's very stretchy.
06:31And he takes a good mark.
06:33He's got a beautiful right foot.
06:34His skills are good.
06:36I would have thought right here, right now, Steve, if you stopped the AFL Rising Star voting, he would be
06:42in front of Jagger Smith.
06:44Now, Jagger Smith's last couple of weeks have been good since the change of coach.
06:47He's using the ball a little bit better, but I think outside, it's all with Willem Dersmer.
06:52And you're right, Scott Pendlebury, but he's sung his praises.
06:54And I think the young man at West Coast is going to be a very special player for this football
06:58club for a long period of time.
07:01Yeah, I rate Jagger Smith, but Dersmer having far more impact.
07:04I think Jagger's top five, but I wouldn't probably even have him second at the moment, as good as he
07:08will be down the track.
07:10So that's the Eagles with a big game ahead against Essendon.
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