It's been a rough few weeks for a lot of people, not least for those in New South Wales, who are facing huge challenges as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks right now. We're thinking of you.
That's not what you want me to talk about, though, and the performance of the team over recent weeks has understandably been a hot topic.
While Monday night's result wasn't as hoped, there were some positive signs compared to the previous two matches, and we saw improved effort from the boys; however, it obviously isn't the standard of football that we know our team is capable of, and not where we want to be.
I have to stress, though, that we have faced these on-field challenges before, and we have always come back from patches of bad form. There is no reason to think that this time will be any different; however, we will have to work harder to obtain positive results. We're not a club that accepts anything less than full effort and commitment, and there have been many discussions and many plans put in place to correct our current course.
I know members want answers, but that only comes by working through multiple issues, and it's not an exact science. Performance issues generally come down to a combination of what might be minor problems, however add up to the team just not finding that sweet spot.
No matter what these issues and challenges are, let me stress that as a club we remain united behind our players, our coaches, our staff and with our members. Internally, we will galvanise and continue to build resilience.
The whole club is very grateful to those members who were able to attend the match at Optus Stadium on Monday night, despite the unusual timeslot and what was forecast to be awful weather. It was a difficult ask, we know, and those who were there were very vocal and did their best to spur the boys on to a victory.
But it wasn't to be, and we're looking forward to taking on the Crows in Adelaide; it's been a while since we've been there and it will be great to see our very passionate South Australian members at Adelaide Oval, cheering the boys on.
It will also be a very special day for Nic Naitanui, who will play his 200th match for the football club on Sunday. Nic is a great servant of the West Coast Eagles and has faced huge challenges in reaching this milestone, having fought his way back after two devastating knee injuries to remain one of our most consistent players and inspiring leaders.
On a final note, thank you for your ongoing support of the West Coast Eagles. Once again, our members have shown up to be counted and we are heading towards a new membership record for the club, despite the ongoing uncertainty of this season. It's great to know that you're behind us, and the players are in awe of the numbers. They also understand that the best reward for your support is to win matches.
The new Delta variant of the virus has affected most of the country in one way or another; however, as long as we all follow the advice of health authorities and keep practising good personal COVID-19 safety and hygiene, this current outbreak will hopefully be brought under control sooner, rather than later.
In the meantime, please stay safe.
Kind regards,
Trevor Nisbett
Chief Executive
