2014 West Coast Eagles season

The 2014 season was the West Coast Eagles' 28th season in the Australian Football League (AFL), the premier Australian rules football competition. The 2014 season also marks the first season of the club's reserves affiliation with the East Perth Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). West Coast finished thirteenth in the previous season, despite having made the finals in the two preceding seasons. At the end of the 2013 season, previous coach John Worsfold retired, after twelve seasons in the position, and was replaced by Adam Simpson, who had not coached previously at AFL level. Darren Glass was retained as captain for a seventh season, with Josh Kennedy and Scott Selwood as vice-captains. However, Glass retired from football after round 12, and was replaced by five acting co-captains: Shannon Hurn, Kennedy, Eric Mackenzie, Matt Priddis, and Selwood. Undefeated in the 2014 pre-season competition (which used a different format to previous years), West Coast started its season against the on 23 March. The club failed to qualify for the 2014 finals series, finishing its season in ninth place, with 11 wins and 11 losses. Priddis won the highest individual award, the Brownlow Medal, Beau Waters won the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award, and Mackenzie was the club champion winning the John Worsfold Medal. No players from West Coast were selected on the All-Australian team.

Squad and leadership group
Darren Glass was initially named captain of the West Coast Eagles for a seventh season, having taken over from Chris Judd from the 2008 season. Scott Selwood and Josh Kennedy were named vice-captains, while Dean Cox and Matt Priddis were also named to the leadership group. Beau Waters, who had been sole vice-captain for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, stepped down from the role to concentrate on his recovery from persistent shoulder injuries. Leadership positions were voted on by the playing group as a whole, and confirmed by the senior coach, the match committee, and the board. Darren Glass announced his retirement from football prior to round 13 of the season. Five players were named acting co-captains for the remainder of the season: Shannon Hurn, Josh Kennedy, Eric Mackenzie, Matt Priddis, and Scott Selwood.

1 undefined Mitch Brown 2 undefined Mark LeCras 3 undefined Andrew Gaff 4 undefined Dom Sheed 5 undefined Brad Sheppard 6 undefined Elliot Yeo 7 undefined Chris Masten 8 undefined Beau Waters 9 undefined Nic Naitanui 10 undefined Scott Selwood (v/c to rd. 12; c/c from rd. 13) 11 undefined Matt Priddis (c/c from rd. 13) 12 undefined Sharrod Wellingham 13 undefined Luke Shuey 14 undefined Jacob Brennan 15 undefined Jamie Cripps 16 undefined Eric MacKenzie (c/c from rd. 13) 17 undefined Josh Kennedy (v/c to rd. 12; c/c from rd. 13) 18 undefined Xavier Ellis 19 undefined Adam Carter 20 undefined Dean Cox 21 undefined Brant Colledge 23 undefined Darren Glass (ret.; c. to rd. 12) 24 undefined Matt Rosa 25 undefined Shannon Hurn (c/c from rd. 13) 26 undefined Sam Butler 27 undefined Jack Darling 28 undefined Ashley Smith 29 undefined Scott Lycett 30 undefined Blayne Wilson 31 undefined Will Schofield 32 undefined Simon Tunbridge 34 undefined Mark Hutchings 35 undefined Patrick McGinnity 36 undefined Fraser McInnes 37 undefined Tom Barrass 39 undefined Malcolm Karpany 40 undefined Dylan Main 42 undefined Jeremy McGovern 44 undefined Jamie Bennell

Rookies: 22 undefined Callum Sinclair 38 undefined Murray Newman 41 undefined Will Maginness 43 undefined Rowen Powell

List changes and coaching changes
West Coast delisted Bradd Dalziell and Cale Morton at the end of the 2013 season. Murray Newman was also delisted, but was redrafted by the club with pick 38 in the 2014 Rookie Draft. Brad Dick, Andrew Embley, Ashton Hams, Daniel Kerr, Mark Nicoski, and Adam Selwood all retired from AFL football at various stages during and after the season. During the trade period, player Xavier Ellis joined West Coast on a one-year contract as an unrestricted free agent. Midway through the season, in August 2014, West Coast signed former professional baseball player Corey Adamson, adding him to the rookie list under the three-year non-registered rule, which allows clubs to recruit players who have not been registered with an AFL-affiliated competition. He had previously played underage representative football for Western Australia.

The club's longest-serving senior coach, John Worsfold, resigned on 5 September 2013, after twelve seasons in the position. A number of candidates interviewed for the position, notably West Coast assistant Scott Burns, assistant Adam Simpson,  assistant Peter Sumich, and  assistant Leigh Tudor. Simpson and Sumich, who had previously been an assistant under Worsfold, progressed to the final interview before the club's board, with Simpson announced as the club's new coach on 3 October 2013. A number of other coaching staff also left the club at the end of the 2013 season, though their departures were unrelated. Assistants Scott Burns and David Teague left to join and, respectively, while strategy coach Phil Walsh left to fill the same position at , and was replaced by Don Pyke. After Adam Simpon's appointment as senior coach, former player Brady Rawlings and former  and  player Adrian Hickmott were made assistant coaches, joining Justin Longmuir. Two previous West Coast players, Adam Selwood and Jaymie Graham, and another former North Melbourne player, Daniel Pratt, were also appointed to development coaching roles.

Trades and draft selections
Trades:
 * Picks 6 and 44 to, in return for picks 11, 31, and 49.
 * Pick 28 to the, in return for Elliot Yeo
 * A round-three compensation pick in the 2014 AFL Draft to, in return for pick 43 in the 2013 draft.

National Draft selections:
 * 11 – Dom Sheed
 * 31 – Malcolm Karpany
 * 43 – Tom Barrass
 * 49 – Dylan Main
 * 61 – Jamie Bennell (, via West Coast) (rookie upgrade)
 * 74 – Jeremy McGovern (, via West Coast) (rookie upgrade)
 * 85 – Simon Tunbridge (, via West Coast) (rookie upgrade)

Rookie Draft selections:
 * 10 – Will Maginness (Oakleigh Chargers)
 * 27 – Rowen Powell
 * 38 – Murray Newman (, via West Coast) (re-drafted)

NAB Challenge and practice matches
Unlike previous pre-season tournaments, the 2014 NAB Challenge did not have a grand final or overall winner, instead consisting of "18 games in 18 days", with each team playing twice. West Coast began by defeating by 84 points at Arena Joondalup, and also won their second game, against  at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Results
Home team's score listed in bold:

source: West Coast Eagles, 11 August 2014

Tribunal cases
Seven West Coast Eagles players have so far been cited by the Match Review Panel during the 2014 season, with Patrick McGinnity, Luke Shuey, Darren Glass, Mark LeCras, and Josh Kennedy receiving suspensions:

Team records
Source: AFL Tables, 11 August 2014
 * Highest home attendance: 40,476 vs. Fremantle at Patersons Stadium, 4 May
 * Highest away attendance: 53,049 vs. Collingwood at the MCG, 24 May
 * Highest team score for: 30.8 (188) vs. GWS at Patersons Stadium, 11 May
 * Highest team score against: 19.9 (123) by Collingwood at the MCG, 24 May
 * Lowest team score for: 4.8 (32) vs. Geelong at Skilled Stadium, 12 April
 * Lowest team score against: 4.6 (30) by Melbourne at the MCG, 30 March
 * Great winning margin: 111 points vs. GWS at Patersons Stadium, 11 May
 * Greatest losing margin: 75 points vs. Geelong at Skilled Stadium, 12 April
 * Most consecutive wins: 3 (between rounds one and three)
 * Most consecutive losses: 4 (between rounds four and seven)

Player records
Source: AFL Tables, 31 August 2014
 * Club records
 * Most games: 19 – Jack Darling, Andrew Gaff, Eric Mackenzie, Matt Priddis
 * Most goals: 61.33 – Josh Kennedy
 * Most goals in a game: 11.0 – Josh Kennedy vs. GWS at Patersons Stadium, 11 May
 * Most disposals: 627 – Matt Priddis
 * Most kicks: 344 – Andrew Gaff
 * Most handballs: 366 – Matt Priddis
 * Most contested possessions: 330 - Matt Priddis
 * Most clearances: 147 – Matt Priddis
 * Most marks: 159 – Eric Mackenzie
 * Most contested marks: 30 – Jeremy McGovern
 * Most inside-50s: 88 – Luke Shuey
 * Most rebound-50s: 74 – Eric Mackenzie
 * Most tackles: 161 – Matt Priddis
 * Most hit-outs: 438 – Nic Naitanui

Sources: AFL.com.au and AFL Tables, 31 August 2014
 * AFL season records
 * Matt Priddis led the AFL in disposals (627) and handballs (366). He was also ranked second for clearances (147) and contested possessions (330), and third for tackles (161). He recorded 18 tackles against Richmond in round 18, a season record.
 * Adam Carter was ranked second in the AFL for disposal efficiency (95%).
 * Eric Mackenzie was ranked equal third in the AFL for one-percenters (174), and fourth for marks (159).
 * Andrew Gaff was ranked fifth in the AFL for uncontested possessions (382).
 * Josh Kennedy was ranked fifth in the AFL for goals (61) and behinds (33). He kicked 11 goals against GWS in round 8, a season record.

Milestones

 * Eric Mackenzie played his 100th AFL game in round one, against the Western Bulldogs.
 * Josh Kennedy played his 100th game for West Coast in round two, against Melbourne. (Coincidentally, Sydney's Josh P. Kennedy also played his 100th game for his club in the same round).
 * Dean Cox played his 276th AFL game in round three, against St Kilda, equalling Glen Jakovich's club record, and surpassed the mark the following round. He played his 100th consecutive game in round seven, against Fremantle.
 * Chris Masten played his 100th AFL game in round three.
 * Brad Sheppard played his 50th AFL game in round six, against Carlton.
 * Will Schofield played his 100th AFL game in round 12, against Hawthorn.
 * Nic Naitanui played his 100th AFL game in round 14, against Gold Coast.
 * Matt Rosa played his 150th AFL game in round 15, against Fremantle.
 * Xavier Ellis played his 100th AFL game in round 17, against Brisbane.

Debuts

 * Dom Sheed made his AFL debut in round one, against the Western Bulldogs, while Jamie Bennell, Xavier Ellis, and Elliot Yeo each made their club debuts for West Coast in the same match, having previously played for other clubs.
 * Brant Colledge made his AFL debut in round three, against St Kilda.
 * Jeremy McGovern made his AFL debut in round six, against Carlton.