After a couple of years where the club’s focus diverted from on-field performances, the club was in a position to again look at winning games as its priority in 2009.

That didn’t mean that its leadership programs or focus on the club’s core values dissipated, it just meant there was a better balance between maintaining those educational programs and concentrating on the club’s real purpose.

The result was that the West Coast Eagles won twice as many games in 2009 as they did in 2008. Now, that’s obviously relative, because in 2008 the club could easily have ‘won’ its first wooden spoon, edging past Melbourne at the foot of the premiership table.

Twelve months later everyone was feeling much better about themselves, winning eight games to finish in 11^th position and despite the improvement, that still didn’t put the Eagles where they aspired. Finishing worse than mid-table, well outside of finals contention does not satisfy the club’s KPIs.

But at least the performance graph was on the upward trend,

Of the eight wins seven were at Subiaco Oval, but importantly they beat the Western Bulldogs (twice) and Essendon, both of whom played finals. The away win came against the Bulldogs in round 19 at Etihad Stadium.

The first tick in the win column came against Port Adelaide in round two. After a modest first half, Daniel Kerr set the stadium alight with a spell-binding third quarter which saw him accumulate 16 possessions, a couple of sensational goals and some scything  runs which simply dumbfounded his opponents.

While Kerr put on a clinic, Adam Selwood showed his worth in a free-running, possession-gathering exhibition, racking up 33 possessions while Matt Rosa and Shannon Hurn gave a reminder of what had been missing from the West Coast line-up for so much of the 2008 campaign.

So dominant was the midfield effort that West Coast led by 33 points at the half, maintained the intensity in the third term and won every quarter on the way to a triumphant 50-point victory.

Unfortunately, between rounds eight and 12 the Eagles lost five in a row but unquestionably in the run home the outstanding performances came against Essendon and the Bulldogs, on their home turf.

Against the Bombers Nic Naitanui led the ruck and excelled against a similarly athletic Paddy Ryder. Tom Swift played his best game for the club, Chris Masten and Brad Ebert accumulated high possession tallies through the middle, Scott Selwood and Pat McGinnity did jobs down back and Tim Houlihan showed his running capacity on a wing.

The following week, the Eagles tackled the highly-rated Bulldogs on their home turf and were trying to snap a barren run of road trips. For 19 consecutive away games road trips the Eagles had failed to take the premiership points and the bookmakers, punters and experts were pretty confident that run would be extended on this visit to Docklands Stadium.

The Eagles were a $10 chance, the rankest of outsiders in a two-team battle, which saw the Bulldogs listed at $1.04. No one gave West Coast a chance.

When the visitors pushed out to a 43-point advantage in the middle of the second term, however, those odds had tightened remarkably. And the West Coast players’ belief in their capacity to upset a premiership aspirant was growing.

With five minutes remaining in the second term, the Bulldogs had not yet posted their first goal. Illuminated on the board, where the pre-match odds had previously appeared, was a scoreline of just 0.11.

The Dogs soon kicked their first goal just before half time and they kept coming. They hit the front early in the final term, kicking out to an eight-point advantage before the Eagles came again.

Thanks to a couple of goals to Andrew Embley and then another to Mark LeCras – sandwiched between one from Jason Akermanis – the Eagles fought, surrendered the lead and regained it again for an impressive five-point victory.

Victory was achieved on the back of a wonderful best-on-ground effort from Embley, while LeCras, mixing up midfield opportunity with his forward line work, and defenders Darren Glass and Shannon Hurn were simply outstanding.

In addition, Josh Kennedy was ubiquitous at centre half-forward, attacking the ball ferociously and kicking four goals, while young stars Naitanui, Scott Selwood, Swift, Houlihan, Beau Wilkes and Pat McGinnity also performed their roles admirably.

While the Eagles were again spectators during the finals, there was strong improvement within the group and reason for optimism as the club cast an eye forward

The shining examples of that improvement came in the form of Shannon Hurn, who finished runner-up in the Club Champion Award after missing the last 16 rounds of the 2008 season because of a fractured leg. Mark LeCras, the leading goal-kicker ,was a vote behind Hurn in third place while skipper Darren Glass topped the count.

Glass, claimed his second Club Champion Award, joining exclusive company in Glen Jakovich, Ben Cousins, Guy McKenna and Chris Judd as a multiple winner. Aside from his outstanding individual efforts, he continued to blossom in his leadership.

At the end of the campaign, premiership players David Wirrpanda, Chad Fletcher, Adam Hunter and Tyson Stenglein all retired, while Mark Seaby and utility player Brent Staker, who missed out in ’06,  were traded to Sydney and Brisbane respectively.

Wirrpanda was a wonderful contributor to the football club over 227 games after arriving as a raw 16-year-old from Healesville. He was ready to move into the next phase of his life with the Wirrpanda Foundation.

Fletcher was another success story elevated off the rookie list to become an all-Australian player, and was another strong contributor through the successful era in the middle part of the decade and played a key role in the premiership.

Stenglein was a terrific addition to the team in his five seasons at West Coast. He played 102 games and gave the team some midfield steel in a tagging capacity as well as playing forward and back, creating options in the coaches box.