The Soaring

I am back after a week’s holiday in Noosa and now that the XXXX is out of the system I am looking forward to what lies ahead… AFL season 2006.

Footy tipping is cranking up, Dream team selections are coming together, the diary has each game clearly marked to avoid any embarrassing social clashes. Footy is back on and it’s a great feeling.

So here’s my state of play for season 2006 from the West Coast Eagles perspective. Woosha says “I am no crystal ball reader” and if it’s good enough for John, it’s good enough for me. But I’ll have a stab anyway - it’s part wish, part reverse psychology, part false humility, part one-eyed arrogance.

1. We will finish 4th after the home and away season, but with good form leading into the finals…

2. Quinten Lynch will win the leading goal kicker award for the club (and will surprise many with an impressively impassioned and articulate acceptance speech lobbying for the reduction of third world debt).

3. We will win a third straight Brownlow (fill in the blank yourself).

4. Michael Gardiner will play more games in 2006 than he did in 2005.

5. Beau Waters will catch the ebola virus, but still manage to play 8 games including a stellar tagging job on Stephen Milne in round 18.

6. Tyson Stenglein and Mark Seaby will be the only two Eagles either not injured, arrested or summons before a royal commission during the 2006 season.

7. Chris Judd register career highs in goals kicked in a season (I predict more than 30) and “returning to Victoria” rumours (I predict 816,592, 800k + coming from the Channel 9 commentary team).

8. Andrew Embley will play more than 18 games in 2006 and will lead the Eagles in marks (yep, that’s two predictions).

9. We will have 3 debutants in 2006.

10. Peter Sumich will take a mid year training session dressed as a medieval bard and will instruct players using King James english.

What’s your Eagles’ related prediction for 2006?