Well, there goes another one. Mat Inness, the bloke who’s been wrangling the West Coast Eagles’ high performance crew for the past two years, just packed his bags for Essendon. Honestly, if you’re an Eagles fan, this one stings way more than your average assistant coach shuffle.
Let’s be real: West Coast’s last couple of seasons haven’t exactly been highlight reels. Injuries everywhere, blokes dropping like flies, fans wondering if the moon was in retrograde or something. Then Inness rocks up, tightens things up, and—miracle of miracles—suddenly half the squad isn’t stuck on the physio table. Now he’s off to the Bombers, and the Eagles are left hunting for someone to fill his shoes. Good luck with that.
Why’d he bail? Family. Classic. Can’t blame the guy, really. Two years living out west while the family’s chilling in Melbourne. That’s a rough gig. Here’s what he had to say:
“To leave West Coast was such a tough decision to make as I’ve really enjoyed my time here over the past two seasons. The decision is based purely around being back with my family in Melbourne. It’s been tough on them and myself being away, and unfortunately, it’s not possible for them to relocate to Perth.”
So, yep, not about money or politics or hating the Perth coffee scene. Just straight-up homesick. Fair play.
But, for the Eagles, losing Inness is more than just a staffing headache. This is the guy who made fans believe the club could actually keep its stars on the field for longer than five minutes. That’s not nothing.
Even Gavin Bell, Eagles’ footy boss, was gushing:
“Mat has made an incredible contribution to our club since his arrival, and is highly respected amongst the football department, staff and playing group. While we are incredibly sad to see him go, we understand and support Mat’s request to return home for family reasons.”
Translation: We’re gutted, but we get it. Please don’t torch us in the media.
Meanwhile, over at Essendon, they’re probably doing cartwheels. The Bombers had a horror run with injuries last year—like, “call in a priest” levels of bad. So, landing Inness is basically their way of hitting the reset button. Dan McPherson, their GM of footy, is already bragging:
“Securing someone of his calibre and experience is a significant step forward for our football program. Mat’s track record at both the Western Bulldogs—particularly during their premiership season—and more recently at the West Coast Eagles speaks for itself.”
No pressure, Mat. Just fix everything, yeah?
Look, the Eagles aren’t dead in the water, but they’d better get their act together quick. With young guns like Reuben Ginbey and Harley Reid meant to be the future, you really don’t want them busted up by round six. The next hire for high performance is suddenly a massive deal. Eagles fans are definitely watching—probably with a healthy dose of side-eye and anxiety.
So, Inness swaps navy and gold for red and black, and West Coast’s high performance department is officially up for grabs. Watch this space—could get messy.
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