Game Day The 2025 Draft Day Thread

[UseR2006]

And a song to sing as we watch,

Hey Matty Clarke by Kevin (Random260) Wilson :

Hey Matty Clarke you campaigner, where the **** is Sharp
I’ve looked at all these other spuds and there’s no one that I like
I wrote you a ****ing letter and posted about it twice
You dopey ****ing Richmond fart, you forgot my ****ing Sharp

If I wanted a stupid ruckman type, I would’ve bloody asked
And this half back flank and temu mid, you can shove right up your arse
You’ve stuffed the bloody order up, it’s enough to make you spew
But it’s not just me who’s snakey, SGIO is dirty too

Next time I come to see ya, I’m going to punch you in the guts
And I’ll sack the other recruiting knobs and kick Toddy in the nuts
You just wait 'til next year when you go back to the draft
And me and me little GIO come stomping through the door
And we'll say, yeah, you wait for it

Hey Pyke and Woosh you smell his breath
And check his bloodshot eyes
And don't listen to him eagles fans 'cause he tells ****ing lies
He's just a ****ing useless campaigner and he's not even very bright
'Cause the stupid ****in' w***er, forgot me ****in' Sharp

Hey Matty Clarke you campaigner, where the **** is Sharp
I’ve looked at all these other spuds and there’s no one that I like
I wrote you a ****ing letter and posted about it twice
You dopey ****ing Richmond fart, you forgot my ****ing Sharp

A Quick Ai rendition: https://suno.com/s/blQP3cSnulhqYb5g
It's funny how it interrupted the lyrics XD

 

[Goroyals22]

Im far more bullish about these 3 than most on here. Exactly what we should use the extra spots for

Honestly think at least 2 of these guys will play regular senior footy in 2026.

Been done to death but if we wanted Banfield there were plenty of options to create the list spot. Listening to a few Clarke interviews afterwards, we simply didn't rate him (or Evans) that highly

It might be that they just rate Hamish Davis as a better player for the same role especially with the way he has come back from the break

 

[Wooshaaaa]

It might be that they just rate Hamish Davis as a better player for the same role especially with the way he has come back from the break

I have Davis on a wing opposite duursma round 1.

 

[boondy]

It’s done, move on, get over it.

Go find something that makes you happy because it certainly isn’t supporting the eagles ha

Yeah watch cricket

 

[Jootube]

He didn’t get away, we gave him away through ineptitude or arrogance or both. No excuses.

We bound ourselves to a rigid plan which we should not have under the circumstances, that was a number of first and second round picks plus some talented NGA’s and. F/S.

The plan should have been adjusted and provision made. It’s a massive fail.

The most annoying part is that if Banfield makes it - he will never be coming back West.
He's only coming to the Eagles like a Dev Robertson situation where he's outside the B22 at a non-basketcase club.

 

[Wedgetailed Westerner]

All this wining and melting about the club should have opened up another list spot or two well guess what the club disagreed and obviously didnt want to.
Get the heck over it.
A lot of you sound like 6 year olds.

 

[Farmer Lister]

I have Davis on a wing opposite duursma round 1.

Yes indeed pick #65 with a point to prove, Davis will be huge next year

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

All this wining and melting about the club should have opened up another list spot or two well guess what the club disagreed and obviously didnt want to.
Get the heck over it.
A lot of you sound like 6 year olds.

Less about the decision, more about the culture.

Simmo may aswell have never left it appears. The rot still exists

The boys matter more then success

 

[Bender_]

The boys matter more then success

Wouldn't giving Banfield - the son of a club legend - a list spot coz of his name over someone they rated higher be the epitome of "jobs for the boys"?

 

[amazingjoshy]

It might be that they just rate Hamish Davis as a better player for the same role especially with the way he has come back from the break

Hes in my 23 in the other thread on the wing. Really like Davis

 

[Wedgetailed Westerner]

Why did they then say they would register him without any promises which was what was reported.

If they had no intention of picking him up which appears to be the case, why weren’t they honest with him and told him this and why?

News flash, they hadnt made up their mind about him.
They apparently told him a few days ago before the draft

 

[amazingjoshy]

Less about the decision, more about the culture.

Simmo may aswell have never left it appears. The rot still exists

The boys matter more then success

Huh?

Taking Banfield when they didn't rate him just because hes a father son is more fitting for your last sentence

 

[rebel23]

I’m happy with Rodriguez as the consolation prize for missing out on Banfield and think he’s a good chance to have the better AFL career of the two. But in a perfect world, I’d have Banfield on the list if for no other reason than the optics would look better having the son of a dual premiership player in our colours instead of a rival’s.

I get the run out of credits view after the last half a decade of poor performances, that has, in part, been due to decisions predating these past 5 years.

But I also think 2024, despite the lack of wins, was the first step towards getting this club back on its feet - even if we took a necessary step backwards to move forward. It was McQualter’s first year in charge and it was spent identifying what we had and what was needed to improve

Hence, the implementation of what I consider to be a carefully and meticulously designed plan on how to get the best results from our playing list. I can see what they’re trying to do but also accept why some won’t think it’s the right path

If you haven’t already, go watch the Jamie Maddocks interview in the media thread. I’d never heard him speak before, had no knowledge of his existence before he was appointed head of development a year ago and if he sat next to me as I watched a training session I wouldn’t have recognised him.

But I was buoyed by what he had to say. Firstly, despite having not played at AFL level, he was very switched on and his background in coaching is extensive, particularly in development.

He discussed the challenges of developing such a young list and the need to educate them on how to prepare and train to be an AFL player and that he felt we were a long way behind were we needed to be when he arrived. The addition of those SSP players feeds into what he talked about was needed for a young group to learn from. He also said he believed there was significant progress made in how the players were preparing towards the back end of the year which I think might partially explain the retention of the likes of Barnett and Johnston

In short, I get the sense from what he said and what we did in the draft that there is a definite plan. Only time will tell if it’s a good one

As for the specific players you mentioned
• Barnett doesn’t necessarily need to become a best 22 player to justify his retention. He does need to become a consistent, and at times, dominant WAFL player who can at least be competitive if/when he gets a senior game
• Cripps I hope isn’t our leading goal kicker. Ideally he won’t even be in our top 5. In a perfect world he’ll be overtaken as a best 22 player as the year progresses (it would actually be a good thing if Owies steps up to replace him but I digress). That wouldn’t mean keeping him on the list was a mistake because his presence in the WAFL would be very useful
• Schoenberg winning the Samdover would be excellent. It’d mean he’d have served his purpose by and large - helping the younger players to play in a competitive side without taking AFL game minutes away from our developing players

Longer response than I intended sorry but I do try to work out the reasons for club decisions that I might not initially agree with or understand. Spent too long thinking about our draft but think I’ve made peace with it and get what the objectives are

No offence but a young group would learn more from guys like Tom Mitchell and David swallow... Then they would from the likes of fin MacRae and Schoenberg

 

[amazingjoshy]

Wouldn't giving Banfield - the son of a club legend - a list spot coz of his name over someone they rated higher be the epitome of "jobs for the boys"?

This, and said better than me

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Less about the decision, more about the culture.

Simmo may aswell have never left it appears. The rot still exists

The boys matter more then success

If that was the case then Banfield would've been drafted. We lament the fact the club doesn't make the hard decisions on people and when they do people throw the toys out of the cot. Over someone that we would've taken in the rookie draft, no less.

 

[Avalor]

It might be that they just rate Hamish Davis as a better player for the same role especially with the way he has come back from the break

Exactly, I was thinking the same thing. Hamish and Banfield almost identical players, same role, same attributes, same height etc. I think Banfield was the one to miss out. Hamish Davis has come back into this preseason looking the goods. Expecting a lot from him.

 

[eaglevision]

Coming around to what we did, would have still preferred Banners Jnr over Williams, and to have handled the raid on Addinsall far better than we did. Consolation prize of Linsday is good, but losing a 2026 second rounder as part of the failed attempt stings. Would have been valuable when matching bids next year.

Watch us now overpay to get 2Rs next year to match Kenh and possibly Harper/McGlade.

 

[Astro7]

I know the term sugar hit has become en vogue the last year or 2 but getting talent into the club isn't a sugar hit if they are in the right age bracket.
Sure i agree with the draft capital used to get them could hurt but getting a dev ,who has been unable to get into an admittedly strong midfield isn't a guarenteed fix.
Macrae was delisted from an aging midfield crying out for youth to displace their oldies
I dont even know anything about the other guy.
Hopefully they drive standards at wafl level and contribute when called up but taking them instead of say a Banfield is a mistake

En-vogue and sugar hits aside, maybe your emotions/opinion on this matter are clouding your narrative.
'Macrae was delisted from an aging midfield crying out for youth to displace their oldies'
The exact opposite to our situation - we need experienced oldies to prop up our youth.
(also why regarding Banfield, Clarke said we had to stick to our program more importantly, of not getting too many 18yr olds)(as much as they probably would've liked to have him)

Also we don't know if not taking Banfield is a mistake yet?

 

[amazingjoshy]

No offence but a young group would learn more from guys like Tom Mitchell and David swallow... Then they would from the likes of fin MacRae and Schoenberg

Swallow is completely cooked. As a development coach he might be a good pickup but a complete waste of a playing list spot

Mitchell i wasn't totally against tbh. But the 3 we've gone with are right in the age range we lack and all seem keen to put in the work to try and extend their careers. Having some hungry players on their last chances who have all shown the ability to play at the level is exactly what we should be using those extra spots for imo

Dont get the angst over these 3 tbh. If they completely suck theyre all easy delists next year

 

[EagleEgo]

A lot have been talked about Banfield. I am sure with old mates Don Pyke and John Worsfold overseeing the draft process, WCE have made the correct and justifiable decision.
Edit: We made similar decision on Jacob Brennan

Jacob Brennan

Age

35

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.2

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.1

3star

T

2.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.2

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

2.0

2star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.6

4star

, but it didn't work.

 

[Wedgetailed Westerner]

I did laugh when i went to the Brissy threads last night and they had about 2 pages of chat for the draft. We are lucky to have the members we have.

Let me guess, Briztoon chatting with himself

 

[Bender_]

I did laugh when i went to the Brissy threads last night and they had about 2 pages of chat for the draft. We are lucky to have the members we have.

It'd be a stretch to call what they do a "draft", it's basically shifting picks to make sure they have points for their academy kids that have been gift wrapped for them.

 

[Wooshaaaa]

And

It'd be a stretch to call what they do a "draft", it's basically shifting picks to make sure they have points for their academy kids that have been gift wrapped for them

And if west Aussie footy was any good, this is what we should hope should happen for us

 

[Wedgetailed Westerner]

I agree. There is a good argument for the approach we took and a WAFL starting midfield of 3 AFL players is far better than 3 ammos.

It’s just not the approach I would have taken whilst still getting Adonis Dev in.

Well that is a reason why you arent an AFL list manager. Just saying

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

If that was the case then Banfield would've been drafted. We lament the fact the club doesn't make the hard decisions on people and when they do people throw the toys out of the cot. Over someone that we would've taken in the rookie draft, no less.

It wasnt the hard decision though. Banfield was available at a bargain price.... the hard decision not taken was putting Cripps to the rookie list

Everyone can admit this bar a few

 

[eaglevision]

Well that is a reason why you arent an AFL list manager. Just saying

In three years we can discuss the result of the approach that’s been taken, along with assessing how Banfield and Evans have gone.

Until then it’s a prospective opinion.