Resilience pays, says veteran Eagles boss after rollercoaster ride

WEST Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett’s 20-year reign in charge of the AFL powerhouse has encompassed the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

But as the Eagles celebrate their fourth premiership from an AFL-era record 22nd finals’ appearance, the 61-year-old is planning for a departure safe in the knowledge the club is primed for further success.

Saturday’s heart-stopping Grand Final win over Colling- wood capped a remarkable campaign for a side few had expected to challenge for the flag. West Coast overcame the loss of star players Nic Naitanui (knee) and Andrew Gaff (suspension) while the premiership comes a year after coach Adam Simpson was under pressure to keep his job.

Watching on as the Eagles celebrated, Nisbett reflected on the club’s continued on-field success.

“Sometimes we get it wrong, like most clubs, but we’ve able to maintain a level for a long period of time, which has been very satisfying,” he said. “It’s a bit surreal at the moment but we built a team on mateship and resilience, and they showed that resilience right to the end.

“They’ve done that a lot this year. We’ve fought back hard and just played the games out.

“It starts with the recruiting and the list management, they get the right boys with the right frame of mind that we can then develop. They were really good today against a really good team.”

The Eagles also blooded eight debutants and Nisbett was particularly proud to see the club win seven games on the road.

West Coast is the first interstate team to defeat a Victorian rival in a Grand Final since Sydney defeated Hawthorn in 2012.

Swans chief Andrew Ireland is understood to be in favour of introducing a best-of-three Grand Final structure to level the playing field — a proposal reportedly backed by Adelaide coach Don Pyke after the Crows’ loss to Richmond last season.

“I don’t think they’ll do that, I think the format’s set,” Nisbett said. “It’s very difficult for a club from Perth to play a best-of-three series, very, very difficult.”

The Eagles have matched their on-field success with commercial results but he has also overseen low points such as the illicit drugs scandal.

Nisbett’s tenure is winding down but he intends to see through the move to a new training base and the establishment of a stand-alone WAFL team.

“We’ll get out to Lathlain, get a team in the WAFL, do a few other projects we’ve got on the go and then I’ll talk to the directors after that,” he said.