2nds WAFL Watch - 2025 Edition

[HoneyBadger35]

How did ____ go on the weekend?

Why not consult the Alesana Player Video Database.

Resource - Player Video Database

Putting this into a spreadsheet for convenience. 2024 is still there in a tab on the bottom of the sheet. I'll update this as much as I can throughout the year. The All Stars game and our match sim against Richmond are now up.

www.bigfooty.com

 

[WCEswift]

with the cat b spot open i wouldnt be suprised to pick up an irish player

 

[We_The_West]

The WAFL Eagles games are going to be as entertaining to watch as the league team.

A lot of young talented players and with the extra rookie spots a bit more depth.

Excited to see FRod, Sam Allen, Bo Allan, Tylah, Archer, JWilliams, CDT, Grossy, Davis, Grego, Lindsay, Champion, Clay Hall all develop. There's a good amount of young talent there.

It's an all or nothing year for guys like Barnett, Cole, Long, BWilliams, Owies, Johnson, Bazzo, as well as our 3 SSP rookies.

That's the strongest team we've fielded in a while

 

[Bender_]

The WAFL Eagles games are going to be as entertaining to watch as the league team.

I'd argue they already have been - with the ability to stream every week, how terrible the league team was and being able to be less invested in the win itself but more in the development of the players it was a very entertaining year.

Commentary was great too.

Next season is going to be even better in terms of expected performances, you're correct in that regard. Will be expecting much better showings.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

with the cat b spot open i wouldnt be suprised to pick up an irish player

Ben Simmons is available. Sign him up. Throw him in the ruck!

 

[kane249]

Ben Simmons is available. Sign him up. Throw him in the ruck!

More pea hearted than Barnett, McDougall and Brander combined

He will be in the goal square, no one else in the forward 50 and still looking to pass it off

 

[eagle eyed]

Archie Watt will be one to watch.

I met him the other day, he’s been brought over for WAFL Eagles to prove himself as a possible MSD selection.

Maybe finally stashing some talent?

 

[We_The_West]

Having regular senior players playing for the Beagles will definitely help the development of the younger players.

The additional SSP Rookies and blokes like Cole and Owies playing regularly will ensure it's not just a bunch or 18-20 yr olds going out to get flogged by bigger bodies each week and hopefully we can get our hands on the ball more.

 

[Farmer Lister]

I hope they introduce replays this year, they made this big song and dance about how amazing the 7plus deal was with the WAFL. Oh you're busy when the game is on? Tough. No game for you. It was better when they were on the AFL site. At least I could restream it.

 

[Farmer Lister]

Archie Watt will be one to watch.

I met him the other day, he’s been brought over for WAFL Eagles to prove himself as a possible MSD selection.

Maybe finally stashing some talent?

Yeah he looks good at training

 

[Marlin01]

I hope the extra rookie spots don’t cover over the underlying structural issues with our WAFL set up and allow decision makers to kick the can down the road.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I hope the extra rookie spots don’t cover over the underlying structural issues with our WAFL set up and allow decision makers to kick the can down the road.

Please explain?

 

[bzparkes]

Yeah he looks good at training

Which group is he training with?

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

There will obviously be a bit of work on everything in a pre season but i wonder if they have a particular focus of this pre season. I think the three big areas are fitness, skills in general and ability to win ground balls/clearances. All three are big issues. I don't know which one you try and improve first.

 

[Farmer Lister]

Which group is he training with?

Not sure. I think he's a midfielder though

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Ben Simmons is available. Sign him up. Throw him in the ruck!

If his footy is anything like his basketball he'd struggle to hit a target from anywhere beyond about 1m away.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

If his footy is anything like his basketball he'd struggle to hit a target from anywhere beyond about 1m away.

His passing is sublime. His finishing was rubbish. So just don't let him inside the Forward 50.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

His passing is sublime. His finishing was rubbish. So just don't let him inside the Forward 50.

But we already have Archer Reid

 

[Happy Mastenator]

But we already have Archer Reid

Simmons has ~5-6cm and probably 20kg on Reid. Not to mention his vertical is probably 10-15cm better as well.

Sure the pea heart and the bad back are slight issues. But i never said it was risk free!

 

[garlic munchers]

I'd argue they already have been - with the ability to stream every week, how terrible the league team was and being able to be less invested in the win itself but more in the development of the players it was a very entertaining year.

Commentary was great too.

Next season is going to be even better in terms of expected performances, you're correct in that regard. Will be expecting much better showings.

Anticipating committing a crime I never thought I would this WAFL season, committing adultery with the Beagles.

Hopefully my Joondy Cardinal will never find out or if she does, she is open to a threesome.

 

[Marlin01]

Please explain?

We have 3 additional rookie spots for the next three years.

I expect that will improve the performance of the WAFL team and create a better environment for new recruits to learn in.

However, in 3 years there’s every chance those additional rookie spaces will not be renewed by the AFL and we’ll be back in the same position as we were last season i.e. first year players having to carry key roles and struggling.

I don’t see a simple solution to the problem. I think this is the one stone Nesbitt left unturned and it is now Pike’s job to resolve.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

We have 3 additional rookie spots for the next three years.

I expect that will improve the performance of the WAFL team and create a better environment for new recruits to learn in.

However, in 3 years there’s every chance those additional rookie spaces will not be renewed by the AFL and we’ll be back in the same position as we were last season i.e. first year players having to carry key roles and struggling.

I don’t see a simple solution to the problem. I think this is the one stone Nesbitt left unturned and it is now Pike’s job to resolve.

It’s four additional spots btw.

Hopefully at the end of the three years:

• our list has developed to the point that a fair amount of the guys not in the senior team are genuine depth players rather than all being developing kids
• the results will have improved to the point that we can actually entice some decent recruits to join to make up for the fact that we’re losing rookie list spots (although to be fair that doesn’t seem to have been much of an issue this year)
• maybe we can convince the WAFL to give us some extra salary cap/points to help bridge the gap.

 

[TY24]

Not booking my flights City of Perth Parking just yet - but are we actually eligible to play finals/win the flag?

 

[Marlin01]

It’s four additional spots btw.

Hopefully at the end of the three years:

• our list has developed to the point that a fair amount of the guys not in the senior team are genuine depth players rather than all being developing kids
• the results will have improved to the point that we can actually entice some decent recruits to join to make up for the fact that we’re losing rookie list spots (although to be fair that doesn’t seem to have been much of an issue this year)
• maybe we can convince the WAFL to give us some extra salary cap/points to help bridge the gap.

Yep, that’d be good.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Not booking my flights City of Perth Parking just yet - but are we actually eligible to play finals/win the flag?

We played finals in 2019 and I don’t think any rules have changed since then.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

It’s four additional spots btw.

Hopefully at the end of the three years:

• our list has developed to the point that a fair amount of the guys not in the senior team are genuine depth players rather than all being developing kids
• the results will have improved to the point that we can actually entice some decent recruits to join to make up for the fact that we’re losing rookie list spots (although to be fair that doesn’t seem to have been much of an issue this year)
• maybe we can convince the WAFL to give us some extra salary cap/points to help bridge the gap.

Assuming that we keep those additional spots for three years, we should have some good information. More than likely, the increased depth and mature bodies (some of which will be playing WAFL) should benefit the Beagles and player development. If our younger players are developing better then that's a pretty clear sign that having a competitive Beagles side is important to player development. (If the Beagles are still terrible then that tells me there's a pretty clear problem across the club in coaching and development)

So if players are developing better and we lose the additional list spots and the WAFL won't give us any additional help, then I think we'd have to allocate a spot or two on the list to the Dev/Schoenberg/Macrae types who can be there primarily to lead the midfield at WAFL level. It's somewhat annoying because ideally you'd like to use that list spot on a younger player with a higher ceiling, but there's no point in bringing those types in if the Beagles are so bad that very few of the young players have a chance of reaching their potential because the WAFL matches are just constant one-way traffic.