Heady bullish on Eagles flag future
West Coast Hall of Fame inductee Brett Heady has predicted the club will again be a legitimate premiership challenger over the next few years.
The 156-game forward was full of praise for new coach Adam Simpson on Saturday night when 19 members of the 1994 premiership side gathered to recognise the club's golden era at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Heady was one of six new inductees to the Eagles Hall of Fame. He was honoured alongside fellow dual premiership players Michael Brennan, Peter Sumich, Ashley McIntosh and the late Chris Mainwaring, as well as long-serving chief executive Trevor Nisbett.
One of the most popular members of West Coast's first two premierships, Heady forecast improvement from the current team.
"They've got a really good nucleus of a good side," Heady said. "They're probably one or two mids short, but Elliot Yeo and these guys, if they can step up and start running through the midfield I can see them really challenging over the next couple of years."
Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna rushed from Melbourne to attend the proceedings in the wake of the Suns' 39-point defeat to Carlton. Eagles premiership player Jason Ball also travelled from Sydney to be at the gala function.
Only Mainwaring, Sumich and Shane Bond were missing from the line-up that thrashed Geelong in the 1994 decider. The function doubled as a 20-year anniversary celebration of the club's second flag.
Heady said being inducted was a "huge honour".
"To see guys like Bally and Bluey come from interstate for the night is just amazing," Heady said.
"You just realise how well you know these guys when you catch up with them."
Nisbett became the third non-playing inductee after ex-coach Mick Malthouse and trainer Bill Sutherland.
