Strategy How can we improve in 2015?

[Carbine Chaos]

Can I throw out an easy pick up. Dominating VFL but can't get a run with a top 6 team... Liam Anthony. Bring him home. Another ball winner.

Hahahahaha.

 

[hudson2006]

Hahahahaha.

That would be the North fans' reaction if we did that.

 

[Lyyynnnchy]

Can I throw out an easy pick up. Dominating VFL but can't get a run with a top 6 team... Liam Anthony. Bring him home. Another ball winner.

Great bloke but...yuck

 

[Spoon_Man]

Can I throw out an easy pick up. Dominating VFL but can't get a run with a top 6 team... Liam Anthony. Bring him home. Another ball winner.

He can't get a game because his skills are crap...

 

[Obeanie1]

Some of the Chicken Little's on here are amusing I must say.

OK How can we improve?

1. No major injuries to our best 30.
2. We kick straight - we lost 2-3 games early on due to poor goal kicking.
3. We never play 3 rucks ever again!!!! We need run.
4. Continue to push Hurn up the ground and kicking inside the forward 50.
5. If players don't chase and tackle they are out.
6. The game plan - Simpson year 1 finishing a game out of the 8. We can expect the players will be getting the message.

The list?

1. In 2015 we will have 2 mature bodied players who didn't contribute anything on field in 2014. Waters and Newman.
2. Selwood did an ankle in Rnd 3 and battled on. A 100% fit Selwood is a much better player than we saw in 2014.
3. Yeo - was coming along nicely and broke his hand. Lets hope to see 20+ games in 2015.
4. Sheppard, again great improvement then did an ankle.
5. Sheed - did ok for his first year. Will love to see him with 3 preseasons under his belt.
6. Cox retires and we have Naitanui and Lycett young and hungry. NN needs a smooth preseason and then we will see what he can do at 24yrs old.

If we can get all of the above in order draft picks and draftees will be the cherry on the cake.

Really we need a fit list and yes some better depth and our current players playing to their full potential.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

He can't get a game because his skills are crap...

Racks up a shirtload of possessions, but can't hit the side of a brick wall by foot.

So we should grab him if for no other reason than to dilute the Priddis debate a bit

 

[Ian Dargie]

Nope. We have ranged from inactive to pantsed at the trade table. Our club no longer demands excellence.

All AFL teams demand excellence.

Why do you keep offering cliches instead of real explanations?

Not sure why you are suggesting this is some stupid emotive post.

Because you're crapping on about us "not being feared" when that's not the issue.

 

[John Dawh]

All AFL teams demand excellence.

You mean like St Kilda?

You massive knob-end.

 

[Ian Dargie]

It's cute that you are badgering me over a point I've already conceded during the thread...

What point is that?

I just think it's ridiculous to talk about the kind of player we should target in a trade without being able to give a specific example.

That's the epitome of hot air.

Perhaps you feel those without encyclopedic knowledge of all 18 teams and their various lists, VFL teams etc should be barred from the discussion?

Do you need an "encyclopedic knowledge" of all 18 teams to be able to identify the kind of players we should try to trade for?

Presumably, these players would be good enough to be in our best 22, so it's not like we're talking about some anonymous VFL player.

I wouldn't bar you from discussion. I'd merely point out that your suggestions are poorly articulated and devoid of detail or insight.

An example of recruiting a "B" player through my frame of reference: Daniel Chick to WC in 2003.

Chick was a large bodied, mature mid who came to us when Hawthorn were most likely considering Crawf and maybe Lekkas as their A graders. Both these blokes were one club players. Chick provided a tagging role, defensive pressure and a chop out for our blokes while Judd and Kerr matured. As those blokes came on he spent more time forward but still rotated through the midfield providing a high quality contest whilst giving the core a chop out.

2 GF's and a flag when Kerr, Judd developed to their peak. Worked out pretty good eh?

What do you think this demonstrates?

As for Lekkas being an 'A-grader', that must be your less than encyclopedic knowledge on show.

Chick was a useful player for us, no doubt. But bear in mind that he was a B&F winner at Hawthorn and was their leading goal-kicker in the season before he left. So he was more than an honest role player. And we gave up a top 10 pick to get him so it's not like we poached him for a song. We've got a similar pick this season.

So, if you like the Chick deal, who would you suggest as a Chick equivalent in 2014?

I have identified the type of player I think will improve our midfield dynamic and be a realistic option of accessing through the trade period. I have identified a player from our list who has trade value and explained why we can afford to look at trading a valuable player to secure what we need in the midfield.

What is this 'type of player' nonsense? How do we know if it's realistic if you can't tell us his name?

If you can't identify a specific player you think we should look at, what are you talking about?

It's just bullshit padded out with generalities.

 

[Ian Dargie]

You mean like St Kilda?

You massive knob-end.

Yes, St Kilda demand excellence. They just don't achieve it.

You can't flick a switch and achieve success simply by 'demanding' it.

All you're doing is spouting off a series of dumb slogans.

 

[RookiePick]

Do you think Chick became available and he was traded in, then the coaching panel began to work on how he would fit into the team?

Or do you think they went into the trade period with a set of criteria to address the weaknesses perceived by the coaching panel in executing the desired gameplan and then attempted to acquire the best player to satisfy these criteria they could make a deal for with the resources they had available?

I don't understand why you believe not knowing who the best available player is invalidates attempting to establish the criteria of the desirable player.

7 pages into this thread without one effort from yourself to address the OP and I suspect not understanding your rationale will be commonplace.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Do you think Chick became available and he was traded in, then the coaching panel began to work on how he would fit into the team?

Or do you think they went into the trade period with a set of criteria to address the weaknesses perceived by the coaching panel in executing the desired gameplan and then attempted to acquire the best player to satisfy these criteria they could make a deal for with the resources they had available?

I think Chick's brother died, prompting him to request a trade back to WA, and we gave fair compensation, knowing that he was a good player who could add grunt to our young side.

So we just need that scenario to happen again and it's problem solved. We just need another former B&F winner who fits our needs to fall into our lap via family bereavement, in return for our first pick. Brilliant plan.

I don't understand why you believe not knowing who the best available player is invalidates attempting to establish the criteria of the desirable player.

I think it's bizarre that you can't identify one specific player who you think ticks the boxes. That is downright weird.

Why do you expect the club to identify a viable trade target if you can't?

7 pages into this thread without one effort from yourself to address the OP and I suspect not understanding your rationale will be commonplace.

I just don't get how you can say 'we should trade in a player who does x, y and z' without being able to offer an example. Why make the statement in the first place if you can't be at all specific?

More likely, any improvement next season will come from the incremental improvement of guys already on our list. Admittedly, it's not as exciting as trading in another best 22 midfielder, who may or may not be a figment of your imagination. No one can say. Not even you.

 

[Bestbird]

After a fairly average season where we were mostly competitive but when it really mattered failed there was however plenty of positives.

Some random reasons for optimism

1. Simpson has the whole off season to re assess our midfield, he wasnt helped this year by having a fair few injuries.
2. A fully fit NicNat next year will make a midfield look a lot more dynamic, looking forward to see how he goes with Lycett next year
3. Most of our midfielders have plenty of upside, aside from Priddis and Rosa they are all fairly young.
4. Our forwards, backs and key position players are actually very good.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Some random reasons for optimism

They're not random. You chose them.

Draft wise given Waterman will most likely be drafted and Sheed selected last year, i really hope we go for a player with elite speed and flair

What does "flair" look like in a draftee? Should we pick the kid wearing pink boots?

 

[i am a logo]

Will turn 27 in the first few rounds of next year...

How many WCE players have played through to age 33+ ??

David Hart, Mainy, Darren Glass, Peter Matera and Dean Cox. No Eagles player has ever played past 33.

Source: AFL Tables - All Time Player List - West Coast

 

[Hap Hapablap]

One guy who is prob a little old but is a jet and would immediately be our best mid:

Nathan Jones from Melbourne.

Must be close to 30 but gee he's good. Gets tagged every week and still produces.
Plonk him in our side and he'd be magic. And i reckon he has a couple of elite years left in him.
Any chance of dislodging somebody like him? May be entrenched in Melbourne but Roos has gone on record to say everybody's tradeable..

jones is 27 next year..

 

[RookiePick]

I think Chick's brother died, prompting him to request a trade back to WA, and we gave fair compensation, knowing that he was a good player who could add grunt to our young side.

So we just need that scenario to happen again and it's problem solved. We just need another former B&F winner who fits our needs to fall into our lap via family bereavement, in return for our first pick. Brilliant plan.

So Chick became an available player due to family circumstance, fulfilled enough criteria to make WCE interested in acquiring him to improve the team and WCE had sufficient resources to make the deal happen.

You have reasoned your way from "we must only recruit A-graders as B-graders won't fix our problems" to we won't even be able to secure a player of Chicks calibre, barring unfortunate happenstance so why bother trading at all. Chick who you describe as a "useful" player - or is Chick now A-grade to suit your purposes with his 31 goal 2002.

I think it's bizarre that you can't identify one specific player who you think ticks the boxes. That is downright weird.

Why do you expect the club to identify a viable trade target if you can't?

Because that is their job. They also are in the position to know who is available and what resources the club is prepared to expend to acquire that particular player. Do you know this information or would you just be idly speculating? Would you just be proposing a "specific" trade based on bullshit and generalisations?

I suspect you are desperate to see a player suggested so you can continue on your merry way making a series of caustic posts as to why that player is unsuitable/unavailable/useless. No doubt we'll hit 8+ pages with Dargs still unable to make a post addressing the OP whilst being one of the threads most active participants.

Praise Jebus for the ignore function.

 

[ChampRevesby]

Praise Jebus for the ignore function.

It took you long enough

 

[Ian Dargie]

So Chick became an available player due to family circumstance, fulfilled enough criteria to make WCE interested in acquiring him to improve the team and WCE had sufficient resources to make the deal happen.

That's correct.

Specifically, his "family circumstances" were urgent. That scenario is unlikely to be repeated so I'm not sure how useful it is as a precedent.

You have reasoned your way from "we must only recruit A-graders as B-graders won't fix our problems" to we won't even be able to secure a player of Chicks calibre, barring unfortunate happenstance so why bother trading at all.

Where have I said anything to that effect?

You brought up the Chick example, presumably as a template for what's possible this year. I'm merely pointing out that Chick was a more accomplished player than you've suggested and cost us our first-round pick.

I never said we shouldn't trade at all. I merely asked you to be more specific. In light of that, who would be a Chick equivalent in 2014?

Because that is their job. They also are in the position to know who is available and what resources the club is prepared to expend to acquire that particular player.

So what?

You watch football. Why can't you identify players you think we should consider?

You're happy to tell us all about the type of player you want. Why stop short of actually being specific?

I suspect you are desperate to see a player suggested so you can continue on your merry way making a series of caustic posts as to why that player is unsuitable/unavailable/useless.

No. I just think it's ridiculous to outline at length the type of player we should recruit without being able to suggest a single name.

When you go to a restaurant, do you explain to the waiter the type of food you like, while refusing to select anything specific from the menu?

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Just dropped in to say I think Newman could make a big difference to your side if he can get his act together.
Has had about the roughest start to an AFL career that I can remember and it will be fascinating to see how he comes back for the pre-season.
Walters for us is a good example of how having your career hanging by a thread can be just the boot up the bum you need.
I watched Newman a bit at Swans and really rate him.

to be honest i'm so excited to hear the pre-season reports surrounding Muz!
I can't wait to see the pictures of his new found muscle. Everyone i know that has played with him has said he is an absolute jet.

 

[E Shed]

to be honest i'm so excited to hear the pre-season reports surrounding Muz!
I can't wait to see the pictures of his new found muscle. Everyone i know that has played with him has said he is an absolute jet.

I sat down near the goals out at Basso one day a few years back to watch Walters play and ended up watching the Newman show. Admittedly its only WAFL but he looked a class above.

 

[Max zero]

I sat down near the goals out at Basso one day a few years back to watch Walters play and ended up watching the Newman show. Admittedly its only WAFL but he looked a class above.

Just needs to stop punching people in the head.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Just needs to stop punching people in the head.

No he's allowed to do that, this is Perth after all, he just can't text them first

 

[kranky al]

Nicked from the mainboard - every teams win loss record against the top 8

Add to that Collingwood 5-5 and Gold Coast 3-6.

Sydney 8-3
Geelong 6-4
North Melbourne 5-3
Hawthorn 5-5
Fremantle 5-5
Collingwood 5-5
Port Adelaide 3-6
Essendon 3-6
----------------------
Richmond 3-6
Gold Coast 3-6
Saint Kilda 2-7
Adelaide 2-8
Melbourne 2-8
Carlton 1-1-9
Western Bulldogs 1-9
GWS 1-9
Brisbane 1-11
West Coast 0-9


EDIT: Thought you were a WC supporter, whoops. Final Ladder updated.

 

[the harry]

So.... we beat as many teams above us as the Swans?