2014 West Coast Eagles season

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.^[1] 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.^[2] Leadership positions were voted on by the playing group as a whole, and confirmed by the senior coach, the match committee, and the board.^[3] Darren Glass announced his retirement from football prior to round 13 of the season.^[4] Five players were named acting co-captains for the remainder of the season: Shannon Hurn, Josh Kennedy, Eric Mackenzie, Matt Priddis, and Scott Selwood.^[5]

West Coast delisted Bradd Dalziell and Cale Morton at the end of the 2013 season.^[6] Murray Newman was also delisted, but was redrafted by the club with pick 38 in the 2014 Rookie Draft.^[7] 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.^{[8][9][10][11]} During the trade period, Hawthorn player Xavier Ellis joined West Coast on a one-year contract as an unrestricted free agent.^[12] 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.^[13]

The club's longest-serving senior coach, John Worsfold, resigned on 5 September 2013, after twelve seasons in the position.^[14] A number of candidates interviewed for the position, notably West Coast assistant Scott Burns, Hawthorn assistant Adam Simpson, Fremantle assistant Peter Sumich, and Sydney assistant Leigh Tudor.^[15] 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.^[16][17] 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 Collingwood and St Kilda, respectively,^[18] while strategy coach Phil Walsh left to fill the same position at Port Adelaide, and was replaced by Don Pyke.^[19][20] After Adam Simpon's appointment as senior coach, former North Melbourne player Brady Rawlings and former Geelong and Carlton player Adrian Hickmott were made assistant coaches, joining Justin Longmuir.^[21][22] 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.^[23][24][25]

Trades:

• Picks 6 and 44 to Collingwood, in return for picks 11, 31, and 49.^[26]
• Pick 28 to the Brisbane Lions, in return for Elliot Yeo^[27]
• A round-three compensation pick in the 2014 AFL draft to Gold Coast, in return for pick 43 in the 2013 draft.^[28]

National Draft selections:^[29]

• 11 – Dom Sheed (Subiaco)
• 31 – Malcolm Karpany (Woodville-West Torrens)
• 43 – Tom Barrass (Claremont)
• 49 – Dylan Main (South Fremantle)
• 61 – Jamie Bennell (Melbourne, via West Coast) (rookie upgrade)
• 74 – Jeremy McGovern (East Fremantle, via West Coast) (rookie upgrade)
• 85 – Simon Tunbridge (Perth, via West Coast) (rookie upgrade)

Rookie Draft selections:^[30]

• 10 – Will Maginness (Oakleigh Chargers)
• 27 – Rowen Powell (Claremont)
• 38 – Murray Newman (Swan Districts, via West Coast) (re-drafted)

Unlike previous pre-season tournaments, the 2014 NAB Challenge did not have a grand final or overall winner,^[31] instead consisting of "18 games in 18 days", with each team playing twice.^[32] West Coast began by defeating Fremantle by 84 points at Arena Joondalup,^[33] and also won their second game, against Sydney at Blacktown International Sportspark.

Home team's score listed in bold:

source: West Coast Eagles, 11 August 2014

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:^[34]

• 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)

Source: AFL Tables, 11 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

Source: 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.

Sources: AFL.com.au and AFL Tables, 31 August 2014

• Eric Mackenzie played his 100th AFL game in round one, against the Western Bulldogs.^[35]
• 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).^[36]
• 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.^[37] He played his 100th consecutive game in round seven, against Fremantle.^[38]
• Chris Masten played his 100th AFL game in round three.^[39]
• Brad Sheppard played his 50th AFL game in round six, against Carlton.^[40]
• Will Schofield played his 100th AFL game in round 12, against Hawthorn.^[41]
• Nic Naitanui played his 100th AFL game in round 14, against Gold Coast.^[42]
• Matt Rosa played his 150th AFL game in round 15, against Fremantle.^[43]
• Xavier Ellis played his 100th AFL game in round 17, against Brisbane.^[44]

• 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.^[35]
• Brant Colledge made his AFL debut in round three, against St Kilda.^[45]
• Jeremy McGovern made his AFL debut in round six, against Carlton.^[40]