Sporting history is littered with stories of clubs, teams and individuals who, for one reason or another, do not achieve maximum return when at the height of their powers.

When analysts assess the West Coast team of the mid-1990s they often suggest the Eagles under-performed; that from the quality of the squad they had at their disposal that era should have returned at least one more flag.

And the year they pinpoint is 1993. The season that was sandwiched between the club’s first two premierships.

There is some validity to that argument, but it might also underplay the enormity of winning a premiership; how tough it is to create an opportunity to win a flag, let alone string together a succession of them.

The common perception of the Eagles from the outside going into the ’93 campaign was that they should back up their inaugural triumph with another victorious campaign. The Eagles were installed as 9/4 favourites to go back-to-back on the basis that it had retained its entire 1992 premiership team, its average age was just 24 and three outstanding young players – Glen Jakovich, Ashley McIntosh and Mitchell White were all just 20.

Certainly it appeared to be a strong case that the Eagles would create a dynasty.

But it didn’t go according to script. Things began to unravel as early as the pre-season when a number of senior players could not string together the requisite training block to prepare for the arduous AFL season.

The knock on effect was a steady stream of injuries and that was compounded by some unwanted suspensions to senior players.

The Eagles campaign ended at the hands of Essendon in the second week of the finals and when Football Manager Trevor Nisbett penned his report for the 1993 Year Book he pulled no punches. He put the failure down to application and injuries.

One of the serious concerns was a knee injury for champion wingman Chris Mainwaring who was constantly frustrated by attempts to resume and missed half the year.

The Eagles averaged nine injuries a week and the campaign took another hit when Craig Turley, the 1991 Club Champion and Brownlow Medal runner-up, informed Nisbett and senior coach Mick Malthouse that he had lost his passion for the game and intended to walk away.

The Eagles granted him a two week leave of absence in the hope that he would change his mind. Unfortunately, that remained his decision when he reported back a fortnight later.

Despite a disjointed pre-season program, the Eagles started the season positively, with a 13-point win over Essendon at home. Darren Bewick, who was so nearly an inaugural Eagle, spirited away by the Bombers after initially agreeing to join the WA team, kicked eight goals.

After losing to Adelaide at Football Park, the Eagles rebounded against Richmond to win the first of four successive games. They were level at quarter-time, West Coast kicked away to win by 44 points but the victory was unfortunately soured by a fractured jaw to star forward Chris Lewis.

Tigers defender Barry Young was subsequently suspended after a trial by video and received a four-game ban.

That injury was symptomatic for both Lewis and the club in this disappointing year. He would also serve a couple of suspensions, once for spitting at Carlton midfielder Greg Williams and late in the season for clashing with a boundary umpire, sidelining him for the last three qualifying games.

The last of that four-game sequence of wins came against Geelong in a 1992 Grand Final re-match at Kardinia Park. After being down by a goal at half-time, West Coast surged, kicking nine goals to five to win by eight points.

Gary Ablett, who had kicked 14 goals against Essendon the previous week, was held to four goals by Eagles hard nut Michael Brennan.

The next 10 days would prove tumultuous for the Eagles. They returned to Perth to play their regular tormentors, Fitzroy, off a five-day break and on a night when Alastair Lynch kicked six goals, the Lions won by 18 points.

They were then soundly beaten by Melbourne at the MCG, after leading by 24 points at half time, fell over the line against St Kilda, thrashed Sydney and lost to North Melbourne by a goal on a night when Wayne Carey led the Roos inspirationally.

That was the lead into a game against Collingwood at Victoria Park, a ground at which the Eagles had never won. It was shortly after the famous moment when St Kilda star Nicky Winmar lifted his jumper and pointed to the colour of his skin in reaction to a racist comment from Collingwood president Allan McAllister.

The Eagles, in a show of support for their indigenous stars, sent Lewis, Peter Matera and Troy Ugle to lead the team through the banner. A 23-point win elevated them to second place, but losses to Carlton and Essendon followed.

Drew Banfield, the club’s No.1 draft selection from 1992, secured by trading Scott Watters and Tony Begovich to Sydney, made his debut against the Bombers. While he went on to become a 250-game veteran and dual premiership player 12 years apart, this game was memorable for more reasons than his first game.

Essendon clinched the game when Paul Salmon was awarded a free kick with about 60 seconds on the clock, his conversion propelling his team to a two-point thriller at the MCG. It prompted coach Kevin Sheedy to emerge from the coach’s box, waving his club jacket furiously above his head. And in an instant a tradition was created.

Following that loss, the Eagles got on a run of four successive wins and appeared to have retrieved their season, looking in good shape heading into their title defence. But losses to Footscray and Geelong meant they finished sixth and if successive premierships were to become reality they would need to rewrite the record books.

The Eagles would first be writing letters to the AFL, however, vehemently opposing a deal they made with MacDonald’s to have the golden arches inscribed on the footballs during the finals series. Obviously West Coast was incensed given its long-time partnership with rival burger company Hungry Jack’s.

The Eagles would be playing sudden death finals every week and would be travelling for each contest. They started against North Melbourne at Waverley and produced a clinical display, upstaging the Roos by 51 points.

Glen Jakovich, out-pointed by Wayne Carey in the game earlier in the season, responded with an outstanding display, holding the North star to just six possessions before he limped from the ground in the last term with a hamstring strain.

Eight days later the Eagles were back in Melbourne to confront Essendon and the Bombers controlled the game for most of the day, eventually winning by 28 points – an important step forward in their ‘Baby Bombers’ premiership.

It had been an extraordinarily even season with 2 ½ wins separating first from 10^th and Essendon was the club that accepted the opportunity.

While the 1993 season might have been a wasted opportunity, there were some positive signs. The club recorded more than 25,000 members – an increase of 15 percent – and revenue soared to a record $6million.

The club was also preparing for the advent of a second team out of Perth, with the AFL Commission announcing late in the year that another club would operate out of the west in 1995.