West Coast star Charlie Thomas is confident the club’s early season success was not a flash in the pan after a disappointing end to their 2024 campaign.
The Eagles blew expectations out of the water in a promising start to Daisy Pearce’s tenure as coach, winning four of their first six games as club records fell left and right.
But reality struck as the season went on, as the club lost its last five games to be knocked out of finals contention and fall further down the ladder.
The Eagles ended their season on a sour note with a 46-point loss to the lower-ranked Sydney on Saturday, their second-biggest defeat under Pearce.
“It was a little bit disappointing,” Thomas told The West Australian.
“But I think we can take massive improvements out of the year as a whole. I’m really proud of the girls for what we’ve been able to achieve this year and we’ll definitely take lots of learnings into next season.
“We’re excited to have a bit of a break and then get to work in the off-season. We will just keep building.”
Despite finishing with an underwhelming 7-4 record, Pearce’s first season at the helm set a new benchmark as the club’s most successful to date.
The Eagles doubled their previous-best wins tally, notched up consecutive victories for the first time and defeated rivals Richmond and Collingwood for the first time in the club’s history.
While a maiden finals berth remained elusive, Thomas was pleased by the progress the Eagles had made in 2024.
“We always knew it was going to be a slow climb to the top so we’re definitely not disappointed with the year,” Thomas said.
“We’re just looking forward to getting back to work… Our goal is to keep making improvements and if that looks like finals next year, we’ll look at that when it comes.
“We have the belief we can get there, we have the players, we have the resources and the coaches to get there, it’s just about time and getting it done.”
Among the shining lights was midfield gun Ella Roberts, who at just 19 has announced herself as a star of the competition.
Thomas, who became the inaugural All-Australian representative for West Coast last year, hoped Roberts would join that exclusive club at season’s end.
“I’m really proud of Ella’s season. She’s taken her professionalism to another level and I think you can see that on field as well,” Thomas said.
“She deserves all the recognition she gets, I’d love to see her in the All-Australian blazer but we’ll see.”