AFL Comparison #17: West Coast Eagles

The West Coast Eagles are not a founding member of the VFL, or even the AFL, but they've been a very important part over the last twenty years, winning titles in 2006, 1994, and 1992, just their sixth year of existence. They're known as a bold franchise, out on the western edge of the Australian continent (away from the "civilized" southeastern region with the majority of people in it), one that plays with assertiveness and confidence. Their stars are often BIG stars: Nic Natanui, Dean Cox, and this year's Brownlow medalist, Matt Priddis.

Lately, though, they've fallen on comparatively hard times, always (it seems) just out of the playoffs. It seems as if they're always somewhere around .500 at the end of the year. This year, they had a chance to make the final eight on the last Saturday of the season, were it not for Richmond's massive upset of the Swans the night before that knocked them above the Eagles' 11-11 record (the one they reached by beating Gold Coast that Saturday) and into finals.

Who does that remind you of?

Their American counterpart: the Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray...great players, all. And yet...and yet. The Cowboys have finished the season at 8-8 for three consecutive years.

But this is the year! (This is a recorded announcement, as we've said that every year for a decade....)

The Cowboys, long lauded as "America's team", haven't pushed that moniker in a number of years, and it's been sixteen years since they've won a playoff game. But they're still one of the most beloved/most hated teams in the competition. They have a long history of success, even without being one of the original teams (even in the old AMERICAN Football League, the AFL that merged with the NFL after four Super Bowls split 2-2). 

The Dallas Cowboys and West Coast Eagles have one other trait in common, one that perfectly encapsulates their importance: Their leagues are more interesting and popular whenever they're competitive. (And it sure does look like this year's one of those for Dallas; let's hope the left coast Eagles have the same success.