West Coast - time for a rebuild?

[VicBased]

Yeah eagles have some solid 24-26 year Olds. But are they willing to go another 3 or 4 years of outside the top 8 ?

Maybe that might not be the case?

 

[Forward Press]

I think a fully fit Allen in particular makes the forward half immediately better. I wonder if they could repurpose SPS to play high half as well?

I also think it will be interesting what road they go down at the draft.

One option would be to go local with a leaning on defenders. For example,
Pick 2 - Hewett. Midfield beast who has genuine power from stoppage. His defensive game and pressure is the best in the draft imho.
Pick 20 - Ginbey. Having a massive champs off half back. Strong, reads the ball well and takes the game on.
Pick 26 - Broadbent. Ruck
Pick 38 - Hagan. I'd plug and play him as a small defender.

Hagan, Barrass, Bazzo
Duggan, Edwards, Ginbey
Chesser, Kelly, Hough
Pick 1 2023, Allen, Petrevski-Seton
Ryan, Williams, Riolli
Braodbent, Hewett, Sheed

Pretty good young group.

Personally I think that's SPS's best role but I am not as bullish as some on the board about him. Oscar Allen is indeed our brightest young talent but there will be question marks after a year out of football with injury. Same with Chesser - he might be the one earmarked for where you put Ginbey.

Board also has disagreement over who to pick with 1 or 2 - some say Wardlaw is better. In any event whoever we pick won't be likely to have an immediate impact, but here's hoping anyway.

I like your hypothetical young list - clearly nowhere near the best group of under-30s in the league however and we do need someone to come on from an unexpected source - maybe someone like Culley takes a huge step up next year. Hough and Bazzo were both later picks from last year and have definitely shown they may belong at the level, fortunately. I am not as hopeful that Duggan and Rioli may improve their current output though.

 

[VicBased]

personally i think J.Jones has potential at 23 years of age. He looked great in spurts last game. That run and gun and clean kick into the forward line
showed class.
If the midfield skills coach could polish his delivery skills i reckon he could develop nicely.

 

[WilloTree]

Board also has disagreement over who to pick with 1 or 2 - some say Wardlaw is better. In any event whoever we pick won't be likely to have an immediate impact, but here's hoping anyway.

Agree with all you're saying.

Just to pick up on this bit, I don't think Eagles need to be looking at immediate impact. When the whips start cracking again in 2-3 years whether it's Wardlaw or Hewett (both would be a good fit - but I wouldn't go outside these two) I agree with Shifter that you need to picture them with 10kgs on them and 50 games.

For example, I don't know why Simpson isn't fast-tracking guys like Foley and O'Neill. Perfect season to get 22 games into them and actually see what they can do. There's no better teacher than time at the crease.

 

[bzparkes]

Agree with all you're saying.

Just to pick up on this bit, I don't think Eagles need to be looking at immediate impact. When the whips start cracking again in 2-3 years whether it's Wardlaw or Hewett (both would be a good fit - but I would go outside these two) I agree with Shifter that you need to picture them with 10kgs on them and 50 games.

For example, I don't know why Simpson isn't fast-tracking guys like Foley and O'Neill. Perfect season to get 22 games into them and actually see what they can do. There's no better teacher than time at the crease.

Foley's playing as a defensive forward, which I don't mind, as it's trying something different.

XON is 2 games back from a long layoff. Would like to see him in the middle a lot more though.

 

[Forward Press]

personally i think J.Jones has potential at 23 years of age. He looked great in spurts last game. That run and gun and clean kick into the forward line
showed class.
If the midfield skills coach could polish his delivery skills i reckon he could develop nicely.

On occasion has looked good trying to create something off half back, even if there were inevitable turnovers in dangerous spots.

Not sure he will cut it as a long term star player but hey may as well give it a try this season and next. Realistically we aren't challenging for a flag in 2023, and potential stars like Chesser and Allen are still recovering.

 

[Forward Press]

Agree with all you're saying.

Just to pick up on this bit, I don't think Eagles need to be looking at immediate impact. When the whips start cracking again in 2-3 years whether it's Wardlaw or Hewett (both would be a good fit - but I wouldn't go outside these two) I agree with Shifter that you need to picture them with 10kgs on them and 50 games.

For example, I don't know why Simpson isn't fast-tracking guys like Foley and O'Neill. Perfect season to get 22 games into them and actually see what they can do. There's no better teacher than time at the crease.

Some glimpses with XON but again not sold on Foley's long term viability as more than handy depth. Every club needs those players but they won't be critical for the next premiership tilt. I'm more confident with someone like Culley who came in and had immediate impact.

Need a lot to go right like say Duggan stepping it up a notch, Allen coming back at 100% and Williams/Jamieson stepping up as Naitanui inevitably loses his explosiveness and athletic ability.

 

[VinnieB]

no i think they are going fine.

 

[Freomaniac]

It’s going to be a tough and long rebuild for West Coast. They have no quality kids coming through. It’s a really really poor list. I cannot even think of one decent youngster they have coming through. Many pending retirements of older heads, broken down bodies like Shuey, Nic Nat, Kennedy will retire. Patrick simply isn’t that effective in a poor team. McGovern is getting on. This is a bad bad list. And the pain hasnt even started. Eagles are in for a decade of pain and suffering.


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I sort of agree.

Again.... Anyone aged 30 or older like Gaff, Kennedy, Darling, Shuey McGovern etc need to think about their futures.

Don't see any of those blokes playing another finals under the eagles unless darling and Gaff and McGovern who are 30 are willing to play until they are 33 or 34 years old.

Similar to like Mundy at 36 and Fyfe and Walters being 31 years old.

Those 24-28 year Olds are solid. But are they willing to accept no finals for 2022, 2023 , 2024 and possibly 2025 to play finals in 2026 as 27-31 year Olds?

There are some ok players on the eagles current list aged 22 or under that can be solid players.

But yeah they need to draft gun kids in this 2022, 2023 and 2024 drafts

 

[Freomaniac]

Whatever floats your boat.

What is delicicious is insecure Freo fans obsession with petty, immature point scoring against anything West Coast.

Why is that I wonder?

Top teams go through cycles. They win flags, the premiership list gets old and then premiership players retire. Then great clubs rebuild and win it again.

So remind us. What cycle is Freo in again?

Now run off and watch a replay of your deby wins, its all you have buddy. And you and everyone else knows it.

And every time you post silly little jibes you remind everyone how inadequate and insecure you really are. So feel free, keep on posting and act the fool.

A. Interesting tongue and cheek comment.

But since you brought up Freo...

Most dockers fans hope this dockers side will play finals for 4-5 years straight.

I think it will be a 2 or 3 year run of finals then we drop. It's. Solid versatile side with depth in all areas, even in the forward line.

I would be happy Freo makes finals in 2022 and 2023. With 1 or 2 finals wins.

There is a few old dockers blokes out of contract In 2023.

 

[Freomaniac]

The price you pay of going to the well too many times is that it doesn’t afford many opportunities to bring in youth required to be competitive once the stars retire. It’s a problem St Kilda had after 2011-12. During that time there was either a window to make one last run, or an opportunity to offload blokes at their highest value after having good seasons. It’s interesting watching teams like Geelong get the balance right, after having a successful period throughout the past 15 years.


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Hate to bring up Ross Lyon.

Saints run of 2008-11 was good so was freos 2012-5 period even though both sides fell short of a flag.

Saints 2008-11 era didnt get an early pick as your team spend 2008-10 in top 4.

Then again Ross Lyon stuck with his best 25.

Same with Freo in 2013-5. All 3 years, Freo were top 4 but drafted badly with the exception of 2014 getting Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely and Edward Langdon.

Yes the saints spent 2012-19 outside the top 8. Had the saints drafted better, they would of made finals in 2012, 2016 and 2017.

 

[garlic munchers]

Agree with all you're saying.

Just to pick up on this bit, I don't think Eagles need to be looking at immediate impact. When the whips start cracking again in 2-3 years whether it's Wardlaw or Hewett (both would be a good fit - but I wouldn't go outside these two) I agree with Shifter that you need to picture them with 10kgs on them and 50 games.

For example, I don't know why Simpson isn't fast-tracking guys like Foley and O'Neill. Perfect season to get 22 games into them and actually see what they can do. There's no better teacher than time at the crease.

No need, O‘Neill isn’t any good, Foley barely average.

Hough, Culley and Bazzo showing their AFL wares and already better than these two.

 

[KermitJagger]

Hate to bring up Ross Lyon.

Saints run of 2008-11 was good so was freos 2012-5 period even though both sides fell short of a flag.

Saints 2008-11 era didnt get an early pick as your team spend 2008-10 in top 4.

Then again Ross Lyon stuck with his best 25.

Same with Freo in 2013-5. All 3 years, Freo were top 4 but drafted badly with the exception of 2014 getting Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely and Edward Langdon.

Yes the saints spent 2012-19 outside the top 8. Had the saints drafted better, they would of made finals in 2012, 2016 and 2017.

Yeah, if you make the right decisions you can be challenging really quick.

For all the 1st round picks Melbourne had through 2007 - 2009 none of those guys were there in 2021.

Watts, Blease, Morton, Grimes, Scully, Trengove, Gysberts. They should have been the leaders there but they were all gone. Then the expansion clubs took over a few drafts.

All it took was essentially 3 years of nailing picks from 2013 - 2015 and they built the core they needed and they were back. It was also the same period that the Saints weren't able to build what they needed, with Dunstan, Acres, Billings, McCartin, Goddard being their 1st rounders while trading out 5 in 2015 to get Carlisle across from Essington.

As Damian Barrett would say, real sliding doors moments. If he knew what that actually meant.

 

[Foucault1989]

I'd rather North Melbourne's list over West Coasts. Worst list in the comp. No doubt.

 

[Purple Suit]

West Coast Eagles were born from struggle, it is in their DNA.

This is pure comedy!

Historically West Coast are the most travelled......Closely followed by Freo. Feel free to prove me incorrect for overall travel.

Mundy is the most travelled. There is no cumulative effect on a 35 year old club, the players weren’t even Born when the flights started (most of them anyway).

 

[WaywardSonSon]

West Coast Eagles were born from struggle, it is in their DNA. You only need to read their beginnings to understand this. They have gone on to play in the most finals of the modern era, according to their history they have played in the most finals than any other team.
Not a bad resume to have for a footy club that travels the most flight hours than any other footy team in the comp.
As a supporter of footy (and not just your team) this is to be admired. We will bounce back, and quickly, it is already happening. We will be playing finals within the next 3 years......and contending. Bookmark it.

Life's tough when the silver spoon is a bit cold in the mouth.

 

[VicBased]

Mundy is the most travelled.

Mundy is a football team??? Who would have guessed

 

[VicBased]

Life's tough when the silver spoon is a bit cold in the mouth.

Speaking from experience are we?

 

[bh90210fan]

Looks like we’ve gone alright in last years draft with Hough and Bazzo looking at home so far in the big league and Culley off to a promising start. A decent preseason and we can bring in the likes of Yeo, Sheed, Allen, Chesser and another decent pick or 2 this year and we’re on track again.

Considering the struggles we’ve had this season with regards to availability each week, it’s hard to imagine we’ll go through anything close to that again so we should see some sharp improvement over the next couple of seasons. This one may end up a blessing in disguise with us able to experiment with positional changes and giving extra games to the younger guys.

We‘ll be coming into a mountain of spare cash too over the next year or 2 as the likes of McGovern, Gaff, Darling etc finish their current contracts, so adding a decent free agent or 2 should be on the cards and things can be looking very different for us sooner than some in here want to believe.

 

[WaywardSonSon]

Speaking from experience are we?

 

[VicBased]

I know hey.

 

[Freomaniac]

Speaking from experience are we?

Of course mate.

Fremantle only had 50 1st round picks just like GWS and good coast did lol.

Just ask the AFL lol

 

[Freomaniac]

Looks like we’ve gone alright in last years draft with Hough and Bazzo looking at home so far in the big league and Culley off to a promising start. A decent preseason and we can bring in the likes of Yeo, Sheed, Allen, Chesser and another decent pick or 2 this year and we’re on track again.

Considering the struggles we’ve had this season with regards to availability each week, it’s hard to imagine we’ll go through anything close to that again so we should see some sharp improvement over the next couple of seasons. This one may end up a blessing in disguise with us able to experiment with positional changes and giving extra games to the younger guys.

We‘ll be coming into a mountain of spare cash too over the next year or 2 as the likes of McGovern, Gaff, Darling etc finish their current contracts, so adding a decent free agent or 2 should be on the cards and things can be looking very different for us sooner than some in here want to believe.

That's the spirit. Be positive lol

 

[Scotland]

So many Freo fans up and about.

Amazing list management to not make the finals for 6 years and have Weller, Neale, Hill, Langdon, Cerra all ask to leave. Lobb is next, perhaps Logue - then who?

Call me old fashioned but I'm kind of glad we hung onto our better players when they were 23-26. They're old now and we're rubbish but we were good for a while and we'll be good again one day.

 

[ghostbat12]

Of course mate.

Fremantle only had 50 1st round picks just like GWS and good coast did lol.

Just ask the AFL lol

By my count, freo have had more first round picks in history than Gold Coast. By about 2:1.

That’s despite dreading our first rounders for guys like hogan, when they could have had King.

No amount of arguing over concessions can paper over the amount of self inflicted gunshot wounds.