Western Region FL - Divy 1 2018

[GoesBangFrom50]

Seems to be a fair amount of clearances out of the Falcons. I really thought that they were one of the clubs in the best position to be sustainable in Div One but all of those players out this early is not a good sign. If they end up being unsuccessful I would have to question if there will ever be another team that wins Div 2 and has any chance of staying in Div 1 for an extended period.

 

[Turbos mail]

Nathan Black returning to Werribee Districts. Good get and will be a dangerous forward. Shoring up both ends with Black at FF and Huxtable at FB or off half back. Huxtable another good get as his style is straight ahead as long as he can stay injury free.

 

[Hamez]

Seems to be a fair amount of clearances out of the Falcons. I really thought that they were one of the clubs in the best position to be sustainable in Div One but all of those players out this early is not a good sign. If they end up being unsuccessful I would have to question if there will ever be another team that wins Div 2 and has any chance of staying in Div 1 for an extended period.

I wonder if that would be different had the reserves coach not gone to Tarneit as senior coach. As a result 10-15 alone from last years reserves side have gone to Tarneit which will impact WV's depth.

 

[GoesBangFrom50]

I wonder if that would be different had the reserves coach not gone to Tarneit as senior coach. As a result 10-15 alone from last years reserves side have gone to Tarneit which will impact WV's depth.

Losing that many reserves players will be a major issue. I can tell you from experience that it can be the beginning of the end when this happens. People think that because they were reserves players that it does not matter but this is what will happen.

Each week you are a few players short in the reserves and start having to call around to get guys to "fill in". All of a sudden the regular reserves players start thinking why bother training when I can just become a "fill in" and will still get a reserves game. Your numbers on the track fall. Your reserves become terrible and it puts no pressure on your senior players so you last 5 or six get an easy ride in each week and then they either dont train or dont train hard....
on and on it goes.

Hopefully the Falcons can get a similar amount of players back in to the club and have a good run at it!!

 

[Turbos mail]

Losing that many reserves players will be a major issue. I can tell you from experience that it can be the beginning of the end when this happens. People think that because they were reserves players that it does not matter but this is what will happen.

Each week you are a few players short in the reserves and start having to call around to get guys to "fill in". All of a sudden the regular reserves players start thinking why bother training when I can just become a "fill in" and will still get a reserves game. Your numbers on the track fall. Your reserves become terrible and it puts no pressure on your senior players so you last 5 or six get an easy ride in each week and then they either dont train or dont train hard....
on and on it goes.

Hopefully the Falcons can get a similar amount of players back in to the club and have a good run at it!!

Totally agree. But on the other side I don't like when coaches move clubs and drag that many players across. Yes try and get 3 or 4 to go with you when you apply for other jobs but if his taking 10-15 players with promises of senior games, then I don't think that's good for your reputation. Need to keep on good terms with all clubs in case you want to go back one day..
Anyway just my opinion on this subject.

 

[local_footy_fan]

Totally agree. But on the other side I don't like when coaches move clubs and drag that many players across. Yes try and get 3 or 4 to go with you when you apply for other jobs but if his taking 10-15 players with promises of senior games, then I don't think that's good for your reputation. Need to keep on good terms with all clubs in case you want to go back one day..
Anyway just my opinion on this subject.

The problem isn't in the coach taking the players across and promising senior games. Players were leaving at the end of last year due some of the below reason (I don't like to assume but this is what has been explained to myself)
1. Wanting to try a different club as they have given so much to the Falcons and needed a change to keep developing themselves.
2. Personality differences with people either still at the club or have moved on.
3. The clubs goals and culture has gone in a different direction to what the club was reborn with 7 years ago when a few people keep it from the brink of closing its doors.
The club has got and had some great people and players around it and I am sure the ones that have left would return one day. The coach you are talking about has a lot of respect for the Falcons and would not openly poach players, but the players were already leaving to go to other clubs either in the wrfl or other leagues. I am sure that some of those players respect him as a person and a coach and would like to surround themselves with good people hence moving over with him. Don't always assume the people leaving the club are doing the wrong thing sometimes it's the club and it's personal.
Green&Gold16

 

[Turbos mail]

The problem isn't in the coach taking the players across and promising senior games. Players were leaving at the end of last year due some of the below reason (I don't like to assume but this is what has been explained to myself)
1. Wanting to try a different club as they have given so much to the Falcons and needed a change to keep developing themselves.
2. Personality differences with people either still at the club or have moved on.
3. The clubs goals and culture has gone in a different direction to what the club was reborn with 7 years ago when a few people keep it from the brink of closing its doors.
The club has got and had some great people and players around it and I am sure the ones that have left would return one day. The coach you are talking about has a lot of respect for the Falcons and would not openly poach players, but the players were already leaving to go to other clubs either in the wrfl or other leagues. I am sure that some of those players respect him as a person and a coach and would like to surround themselves with good people hence moving over with him. Don't always assume the people leaving the club are doing the wrong thing sometimes it's the club and it's personal.
Green&Gold16

Hey mate, appreciate the response and I'm not taking sides as don't know the ins & out of what's happening up there.
Just to reply to you on my thoughts of footy in general ( and this is not directed at any club)
Point 1 - I think if players want to develop then div1 footy is the best option. Yes you might play reserves at times, but the ultimate aim is to push into the seniors. If any players are leaving to div3 then that's going a few steps backwards unless you are in your latter years maybe, and slowing down a bit.

Point 2 - if your disagreements are with people that have left, then it might be worth staying then!

Point 3 - not really in any position to reply, but you seem very passionate and have raised some fair points.

Good luck with it all.

Cheers mate.

 

[Turbos mail]

If any club is looking to put together a player/sponsor slideshow presentation on a screen, instead of photos being hung on walls send me a PM as I know a person who is doing this type of work at a good affordable price. It's the whole package including photo shots, putting together the presentation and supplying the presentation on a usb stick. All you need is a designated tv screen with USB port.
Only advertising on WRFL as his in the area.

Cheers!!

 

[PhiloBeddoe]

The cats look to be big improvers in 2016, good buzz around the club and great numbers on the track! Interesting to see how the boys go in 2016!

Haven't heard from Sunshine YC, one quality recruit apparently - anyone else?
Wyndhamvale struggling for numbers which is a bad sign this close to round 1..
Werribee look to have recruited very well..!
Spotswood have picked up key position players but no names revealed? Hearing they have lost a few but I'm not sure who.
St Albans have recruited some but it doesn't seem enough to be big improvers, should be slightly better than last year though.
Hoppers??

Keen to hear your thoughts for Div 1 in 2016!! Time we stepped up the Div 1 BF forum!!!

Wyndhamvale will be fine. No issue.
A bit of bull about big Spotty recruits. Will most likely go down the development path.

 

[AFDogs]

Top 10 players in the league right now (and their teams)?

Prediction time:

1. Deer Park
2. Werribee Districts
3. Altona
4. St. Albans
5. Spotswood
6. Hoppers Crossing
7. Albion
8. Sunshine
9. Wyndhamvale

 

[pushtothecone]

Top 10 players in the league right now (and their teams)?

Prediction time:

1. Deer Park
2. Werribee Districts
3. Altona
4. St. Albans
5. Spotswood
6. Hoppers Crossing
7. Albion
8. Sunshine
9. Wyndhamvale

Hoppers are a certainty for top 3. DP, then Werribee & Hoppers, then the rest.

 

[No U turns]

Deer Park
Werribee Districts
Hoppers Crossing
Albion
Altona
Spotswood
Sunshine
Wyndhamvale
StAlbans

 

[pushtothecone]

DP
WD
HC
ALT
SPOT
ALB
SUN
ST ALB

WYN

 

[Turbos mail]

DP
WD
HC
ALT
SPOT
ALB
SUN
ST ALB

WYN

Pretty good ladder prediction but interested as to why you are so confidant Hoppers will finish top 3. There recruits are not big names and some might not even be good enough for seniors in a good team. Sneddon is one recruit being mentioned but he struggles IMO.

My ladder prediction:
Deer Park (to many big guns)
Werribee Districts (list stronger than 2015)
Altona (Still some classy players)
Albion (cats on this rise)
Hoppers Crossing (still got talent with Skipper & Mead in the line up)
Spotswood (to proud to fall back to far, but going with youth)
Sunshine (dangerous forwards in Castellano & Stocco)
St Albans (not sure of coach so difficult to predict)
Wyndamvale (big step up, but no relegation so will be young)

 

[Great2splayer]

Interesting people putting St. Albans down the bottom... Who have they really lost?? They've added to their list..

1. Deer park
2. Werribee
3. Hoppers Crossing
4. St Albans
5. Albion
6. Spotswood
7. Sunshine
8. Altona
9. Wyndhamvale

Praccy matches starting shortly!!

 

[Bully Man]

Deer Park
Werribee Districts
Hoppers Crossing
Albion
Altona
Spotswood
Sunshine
Wyndhamvale
StAlbans

Albion won 1 game last year and were only % from colts on the bottom. To pick them 4th their recruits must be superstars. Who have they picked up?

 

[Turbos mail]

Albion won 1 game last year and were only % from colts on the bottom. To pick them 4th their recruits must be superstars. Who have they picked up?

Hey Bully old mate, how you been!
Anyway I think it's more based around the level of competition beyond the top 2 sides who appear to be way ahead of the rest. It would appear the other side's have not necessarily got stronger so if Albion's recruits can have a good year they should improve. I'm hearing a positive vibe coming out of the club and think with Benchy back there they should improve. Also Savage has returned. Will also have some younger typed players with a bit more experience as well. Oh well it's only an early prediction.

 

[Bully Man]

Hey Bully old mate, how you been!
Anyway I think it's more based around the level of competition beyond the top 2 sides who appear to be way ahead of the rest. It would appear the other side's have not necessarily got stronger so if Albion's recruits can have a good year they should improve. I'm hearing a positive vibe coming out of the club and think with Benchy back there they should improve. Also Savage has returned. Will also have some younger typed players with a bit more experience as well. Oh well it's only an early prediction.

I'm hearing you Turbo but usually local footy isn't that hard to predict not withstanding the smatterings of parochialism and tongue in cheek piss taking. I can see the WRFL appears to be reasonably even after Deer Park and probably Werribee but the range of forecasts for say Altona (3rd to 8th) Hoppers 2nd to 6th show how much guess work is going on. One thing we can all hope for is that Deer Park are challenged .

 

[Turbos mail]

I'm hearing you Turbo but usually local footy isn't that hard to predict not withstanding the smatterings of parochialism and tongue in cheek piss taking. I can see the WRFL appears to be reasonably even after Deer Park and probably Werribee but the range of forecasts for say Altona (3rd to 8th) Hoppers 2nd to 6th show how much guess work is going on. One thing we can all hope for is that Deer Park are challenged .

Probably depends on list injury management I guess. Probably only Deer Park and Werribee have the depth to cover injuries. Well Werribee have the depth and Deer Park will just buy another player if someone got injured. Lol

Is big Stewart going again at Deer Park?

 

[Bully Man]

Probably depends on list injury management I guess. Probably only Deer Park and Werribee have the depth to cover injuries. Well Werribee have the depth and Deer Park will just buy another player if someone got injured. Lol

Is big Stewart going again at Deer Park?

Haven't heard he isn't. I've said this before but I'd be very surprised is Spotswood . slipped further than 4th. They have a number of senior players who were injured last year returning. If they can afford to leave Fairley up forward all year he should kick 60 plus. I can't see the top 5 changing tbh .

 

[Hossier]

St. Albans currently having a massive pre-season. Added to their list and fitness was their only downfall last year. Predicting a top 4 finish.

 

[Turbos mail]

Haven't heard he isn't. I've said this before but I'd be very surprised is Spotswood . slipped further than 4th. They have a number of senior players who were injured last year returning. If they can afford to leave Fairley up forward all year he should kick 60 plus. I can't see the top 5 changing tbh .

Yes Lachie is a very good player. But think his best spot is CHB or ruck where he can float across the ground and take intercepting marks (like a Stewart) which is his strength. His only downside is that kicking style of his, but agree his a strong mark and courageous player.

 

[pushtothecone]

Pretty good ladder prediction but interested as to why you are so confidant Hoppers will finish top 3. There recruits are not big names and some might not even be good enough for seniors in a good team. Sneddon is one recruit being mentioned but he struggles IMO.

My ladder prediction:
Deer Park (to many big guns)
Werribee Districts (list stronger than 2015)
Altona (Still some classy players)
Albion (cats on this rise)
Hoppers Crossing (still got talent with Skipper & Mead in the line up)
Spotswood (to proud to fall back to far, but going with youth)
Sunshine (dangerous forwards in Castellano & Stocco)
St Albans (not sure of coach so difficult to predict)
Wyndamvale (big step up, but no relegation so will be young)

Hi Turbs, I just believe that Hoppers weren't far off Werribee last year, and their young blokes will be better again. They also have good depth coming through and a top coach. Also, while the rest of the comp will be close except for the falcons, the standard won't be enough to challenge the top 3.

 

[Turbos mail]

Just been informed Jase Perkins heading to Deer Park. Gee whiz, the margin between top and the rest will now be 30+ goals. Crowds will decline after the initial interest in Fev as everyone playing for second spot..

 

[No U turns]

Surely all these recruits will squeeze a few blokes out that wont like the idea of playing twos footy.
Could be some internal rumblings come round 5/6