I hope you’re well and staying safe, wherever you are.

Since I last wrote, Melbourne has been into and out of lockdown, Brisbane has entered a snap lockdown and Sydney is deep into a battle with the Delta variant of COVID-19.

As we all saw on the weekend, completion of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season is still at risk, with fixture times and dates having to move at very short notice to accommodate restrictions in various States.
 
As a result of match movements over the weekend, our round 21 match against Melbourne at Optus Stadium is now scheduled for Monday, August 9 at 6:10pm. The AFL waited as long as possible before announcing round 21 fixtures last Friday, only for the issues in Brisbane to unfold the following morning, resulting in this change.
 
I know a Monday night is not ideal for many members; however, with Melbourne being required by the WA State Government to quarantine on arrival for seven days prior to playing in a 'quarantine' match at Optus Stadium, there was unfortunately no alternative available. I wish there was.
 
We are also in quarantine for 14 days, but able to train and play in a quarantine match.
 
This scenario is beyond the club’s control and we remain fortunate in WA to have avoided mass outbreaks of COVID-19 so far; we need to play our part to ensure this continues, and to protect the community.
 
The on-field performance of our team has been nothing short of disappointing, as we are all aware. We don’t shy away from that, and Adam and the coaching team are working with the players to turn around the inconsistency in performance, and get to the root of the issues.
 
Discussions about the future of the club list will be had post-season, as always occurs; however, right now, the challenge is to get better for the remaining three matches of the season, with a view to being competitive in a finals berth. We are relying on the leaders in our football team to step up and get us through.
 
I’ve said it before – we don’t accept anything less than full effort and commitment and will continue to review and address the areas that might be contributing to our current lapse in form. Everyone at the club feels the same frustration and disappointment that you do; we know we’re better than what we’ve been putting out on the field and we need to improve.
 
Despite the challenges of a floating fixture, and inconsistent on-field performances of late, our members continue to commit to the club.
 
We now have well over 100,000 members standing behind us, which is the best sign of the passion that exists for the West Coast Eagles, and the AFL will soon be announcing membership figures across all clubs for 2021. Our 2021 membership figure will be a club record once again.
 
Thank you for being part of the West Coast Eagles family, and we look forward to celebrating that official announcement with you all later in the week.
 
We also look forward to seeing as many members as possible at Optus Stadium next Monday night, or tune into the broadcast if you’re not in Perth or not able to be there. The team is better with our members behind us on match day.
 
Please stay safe and continue to follow the COVID-Safe requirements and advice of health authorities in your area – we all need to play our part in reducing the impacts of the virus, so that lockdowns and restrictions can be lifted as soon as possible.
 
Kind regards,
 
Trevor Nisbett
Chief Executive