EDFL Premier Discussion 2026

[Thunder1]

Always find it amazing when Dire Park say other clubs are paying mercenaries, guess everyone needs a laugh
Secondly every club had injuries
Their depth is putrid
And to keep going on about the 7 flags in what was an inferior competition were Stevie Wonder could have coached and won flags is just living in fantasy land.

 

[The Longblow]

Always find it amazing when Dire Park say other clubs are paying mercenaries, guess everyone needs a laugh
Secondly every club had injuries
Their depth is putrid
And to keep going on about the 7 flags in what was an inferior competition were Stevie Wonder could have coached and won flags is just living in fantasy land.

Inferior competition is rubbish. I watched many edfl grand finals and if Blackwell, Johns, Reimers etc etc were your guns then WRFL would have blown those teams away. Edfl was bruise free football before bruise free become fashionable. Incidentally with all the yap about buying players I presume the aforementioned players were Aberfeldie grown talent? Please confirm someone?

 

[Thunder1]

Inferior competition is rubbish. I watched many edfl grand finals and if Blackwell, Johns, Reimers etc etc were your guns then WRFL would have blown those teams away. Edfl was bruise free football before bruise free become fashionable. Incidentally with all the yap about buying players I presume the aforementioned players were Aberfeldie grown talent? Please confirm someone?

And yet you now can't compete in this so called inferior competition
Like insaid yesterday 324 combined loss in seniors and reserves, everyone opposition player kicked a goal in the reserves
Dire Park just making up numbers and living on past mercenary flags but hey that's ok, everyone needs heroes

 

[tigertony]

Inferior competition is rubbish. I watched many edfl grand finals and if Blackwell, Johns, Reimers etc etc were your guns then WRFL would have blown those teams away. Edfl was bruise free football before bruise free become fashionable. Incidentally with all the yap about buying players I presume the aforementioned players were Aberfeldie grown talent? Please confirm someone?

Check book flags in that era

 

[Deer park over 40s res]

Inferior competition is rubbish. I watched many edfl grand finals and if Blackwell, Johns, Reimers etc etc were your guns then WRFL would have blown those teams away. Edfl was bruise free football before bruise free become fashionable. Incidentally with all the yap about buying players I presume the aforementioned players were Aberfeldie grown talent? Please confirm someone

 

[Deer park over 40s res]

One second division flag since 2019 ain’t nothing to brag about pal

 

[weapons#again]

Inferior competition is rubbish. I watched many edfl grand finals and if Blackwell, Johns, Reimers etc etc were your guns then WRFL would have blown those teams away. Edfl was bruise free football before bruise free become fashionable. Incidentally with all the yap about buying players I presume the aforementioned players were Aberfeldie grown talent? Please confirm someone?

Michael Frost best player I've seen in FDFL/WRFL

 

[The Longblow]

Michael Frost best player I've seen in FDFL/WRFL

Great player. Definitely up there except his kicking was iffy. Absolute champion though. Needed to chain him to stop him running around at half time.

 

[danger_wood]

Great player. Definitely up there except his kicking was iffy. Absolute champion though. Needed to chain him to stop him running around at half time.

Didn’t realise I was on the WFNL thread… stop reminiscing about the past and look to the future. Those farmers leagues flags are a distant memory now - a long way off any future success in my opinion.

 

[The Longblow]

Didn’t realise I was on the WFNL thread… stop reminiscing about the past and look to the future. Those farmers leagues flags are a distant memory now - a long way off any future success in my opinion.

Your opinion is worth 0.

 

[1OUT1BACK]

And yet you now can't compete in this so called inferior competition
Like insaid yesterday 324 combined loss in seniors and reserves, everyone opposition player kicked a goal in the reserves
Dire Park just making up numbers and living on past mercenary flags but hey that's ok, everyone needs heroes

Did this side who you don't rate play West last year in a final......l'd say that's "competing". Through my eyes sides like Marby and DS would be eying off that same position come seasons end this year. Oh and they ran Abers to a kick after the siren this year unless l was watching the wrong game. Try and be a little diplomatic in your assessments .....If possible!!!!!

 

[Turbos mail]

Didn’t realise I was on the WFNL thread… stop reminiscing about the past and look to the future. Those farmers leagues flags are a distant memory now - a long way off any future success in my opinion.

I tend to think the big 3 clubs like having the monopoly on the league and don’t like the fact another club has come into the league and challenging in both ladder positions and another player out there who can offer $$ to perspective recruits. Get over it as sides like Abers, Strathmore, Keilor did it for years outbidding other clubs for potential recruits based purely on the $$$ not culture. So what’s the difference..Shouldn’t throw stones..
Move on!

 

[Stax on the mill]

I tend to think the big 3 clubs like having the monopoly on the league and don’t like the fact another club has come into the league and challenging in both ladder positions and another player out there who can offer $$ to perspective recruits. Get over it as sides like Abers, Strathmore, Keilor did it for years outbidding other clubs for potential recruits based purely on the $$$ not culture. So what’s the difference..Shouldn’t throw stones..
Move on!

Turbo, you conveniently (as always) left out your mob Pacco. Over the past 12-13 years they’ve probably signed up just as many, if not more, well paid so called mercenaries, than the 3 aforementioned clubs. Had to chuckle when I read your comment “Shouldn’t throw stones”. That’s precisely what you do whenever you get the opportunity, particularly when it involves Abers, Strathmore and Keilor.

You would have a lot more credibility if you didn’t predictably, always adopt such a partisan and blinkered view of the teams you support, and the clubs you loathe, both on this and the RDFL threads. Apart from that you’re generally a pretty good poster, and that’s not meant to be patronising.

No doubt you will respond with …… but…….but…..but.

 

[Turbos mail]

Turbo, you conveniently (as always) left out your mob Pacco. Over the past 12-13 years they’ve probably signed up just as many, if not more, well paid so called mercenaries, than the 3 aforementioned clubs. Had to chuckle when I read your comment “Shouldn’t throw stones”. That’s precisely what you do whenever you get the opportunity, particularly when it involves Abers, Strathmore and Keilor.

You would have a lot more credibility if you didn’t predictably, always adopt such a partisan and blinkered view of the teams you support, both on this and the RDFL threads. Apart from that you’re generally a pretty good poster, and that’s not meant to be patronising.

No doubt you will respond with …… but…….but…..but.

Yes mate, Pacco are probably just outside the big 3 with regard to influence in this league. But the Pacco crew are not complaining about Deer Parks entry into the EDFL either.
We all have opinions or maybe experienced some things that stick in our memory.
People complaining about the DP spending when there clubs have spent big in the past as well as now. But somehow they tend to forget what there clubs did and in fact are the reason budgets and spending are through the roof as they initiated it all years ago. I will always remember the days of Abers offering double what Pacco were offering recruits. Sometimes more than double just to get them. Later on they got busted with the salary cap as did Keilor recently purely to win flags. Strathmore I acknowledge have been willing to play younger types over the years but they can throw big offers to. But nothing wrong with that as it’s a business.

So why are people who support these clubs saying DP are doing wrong! I don’t get it that’s all.. To me seems like they don’t like competition.

 

[BlueJet]

Turbo, you conveniently (as always) left out your mob Pacco. Over the past 12-13 years they’ve probably signed up just as many, if not more, well paid so called mercenaries, than the 3 aforementioned clubs. Had to chuckle when I read your comment “Shouldn’t throw stones”. That’s precisely what you do whenever you get the opportunity, particularly when it involves Abers, Strathmore and Keilor.

You would have a lot more credibility if you didn’t predictably, always adopt such a partisan and blinkered view of the teams you support, both on this and the RDFL threads. Apart from that you’re generally a pretty good poster, and that’s not meant to be patronising.

No doubt you will respond with …… but…….but…..but.

The problem with Deer Park is that minus the mercenaries, they're a div 3 club or arguably struggle to exist for the reasons discussed on here, so the result is they produce little to no senior players whilst drawing heavily from surrounding clubs (a parasitic existence). To a degree, there's an argument for this approach but you run the risk of burning your reserves & juniors by playing at a level or two above them.

Say what you will about Abers, Keilor or Strathmore but their culture does see players stick around for multiple years & decent players front up for the early game & work for a spot, something that clubs like Deer Park, Pacco & Greenvale struggle with despite their big ticket recruits.

The fun element of TM's blinkered approach to criticising clubs is that he's all for Pacco poaching juniors (but Keilor bad though) or constantly cycling through recruits (but Abers bad though).
Given the clubs he chooses to affiliate with, I just operate under the assumption that they have a rubbish culture as it's the logical common denominator.

 

[Turbos mail]

The problem with Deer Park is that minus the mercenaries, they're a div 3 club or arguably struggle to exist for the reasons discussed on here, so the result is they produce little to no senior players whilst drawing heavily from surrounding clubs (a parasitic existence). To a degree, there's an argument for this approach but you run the risk of burning your reserves & juniors by playing at a level or two above them.

Say what you will about Abers, Keilor or Strathmore but their culture does see players stick around for multiple years & decent players front up for the early game & work for a spot, something that clubs like Deer Park, Pacco & Greenvale struggle with despite their big ticket recruits.

The fun element of TM's blinkered approach to criticising clubs is that he's all for Pacco poaching juniors (but Keilor bad though) or constantly cycling through recruits (but Abers bad though).
Given the clubs he chooses to affiliate with, I just operate under the assumption that they have a rubbish culture as it's the logical common denominator.

What would you know. You were at North City weren’t you. Gee that club doesn’t do it tough mate, as they have everything. Not sure where your at now in the EDFL but I’m assuming it’s a high end club not one that does it tough.
Would you rather see a 5-6 team competition?

You’re totally wrong as I’ve said before the big clubs started the big offers to recruits and others just had to move with it or drop off. Poaching juniors you obviously know F all about. These clubs completely try and ruin clubs by going after there best kids been doing it for years. Get your facts right and stop listening to people misleading you..

 

[Orfullrules]

What would you know. You were at North City weren’t you. Gee that club doesn’t do it tough mate, as they have everything. Not sure where your at now in the EDFL but I’m assuming it’s a high end club not one that does it tough.
Would you rather see a 5-6 team competition?

You’re totally wrong as I’ve said before the big clubs started the big offers to recruits and others just had to move with it or drop off. Poaching juniors you obviously know F all about. These clubs completely try and ruin clubs by going after there best kids been doing it for years. Get your facts right and stop listening to people misleading you..

Boo

 

[1OUT1BACK]

Yes mate, Pacco are probably just outside the big 3 with regard to influence in this league. But the Pacco crew are not complaining about Deer Parks entry into the EDFL either.
We all have opinions or maybe experienced some things that stick in our memory.
People complaining about the DP spending when there clubs have spent big in the past as well as now. But somehow they tend to forget what there clubs did and in fact are the reason budgets and spending are through the roof as they initiated it all years ago. I will always remember the days of Abers offering double what Pacco were offering recruits. Sometimes more than double just to get them. Later on they got busted with the salary cap as did Keilor recently purely to win flags. Strathmore I acknowledge have been willing to play younger types over the years but they can throw big offers to. But nothing wrong with that as it’s a business.

So why are people who support these clubs saying DP are doing wrong! I don’t get it that’s all.. To me seems like they don’t like competition.

Well said..... gotta laugh at the checkbook flag era from a select few. I guess it's only if you succeed it's not acceptable. Plenty of clubs out there now and years gone by who have pushed the envelope or blown it away more likely who have come up short. Comical actually those pointing the finger who swim in the same water. Some just like to tread in the shallows and throw rocks. Don't like catching them in return though!

I would say most who comment have never been at board level and know what actually goes on!

 

[Stax on the mill]

Well said..... gotta laugh at the checkbook flag era from a select few. I guess it's only if you succeed it's not acceptable. Plenty of clubs out there now and years gone by who have pushed the envelope or blown it away more likely who have come up short. Comical actually those pointing the finger who swim in the same water. Some just like to tread in the shallows and throw rocks. Don't like catching them in return though!

I would say most who comment have never been at board level and know what actually goes on!

1OUT1BACK, you’re normally a pretty measured and discerning poster. So I’m surprised you got sucked in by the same self serving nonsense Turbo’s been trotting out for the past 11 years. I barrack for Strathmore, and couldn’t really care about Deer Park’s entry into the EDFL one way or the other. If they succeed well and good, all credit to them. I don’t hold any antipathy toward them or their posters on here, (not even Longy). However at the moment I don’t really see them as a sustainable on-field threat, as the head to head results to date have demonstrated. I daresay Keilor supporters most likely feel the same, Abers maybe not so much.

As you have said yourself, if Deer Park is to be successful in the EDFL they cannot rely largely on imports, they must develop through the juniors, otherwise the points system will kill them every time. It’s going to take quite a few years for them to reach the same overall club player strength as Keilor, Abers and Strathmore. A few posts back you posted a substantial list of players who are unavailable for one reason or another. Given that DP played on 45 points on Saturday, even without the absent Johannisen (6 points), and McKenzie (5 points), there’s no way in the foreseeable future that they can play their best team.

 

[1OUT1BACK]

1OUT1BACK, you’re normally a pretty measured and discerning poster. So I’m surprised you got sucked in by the same self serving nonsense Turbo’s been trotting out for the past 11 years. I barrack for Strathmore, and couldn’t really care about Deer Park’s entry into the EDFL one way or the other. If they succeed well and good, all credit to them. I don’t hold any antipathy toward them or their posters on here, (not even Longy). However at the moment I don’t really see them as a sustainable on-field threat, as the head to head results to date have demonstrated. I daresay Keilor supporters most likely feel the same, Abers maybe not so much.

As you have said yourself, if Deer Park is to be successful in the EDFL they cannot rely largely on imports, they must develop through the juniors, otherwise the points system will kill them every time. It’s going to take quite a few years for them to reach the same overall club player strength as Keilor, Abers and Strathmore. A few posts back you posted a substantial list of players who are unavailable for one reason or another. Given that DP played on 45 points on Saturday, even without the absent Johannisen (6 points), and McKenzie (5 points), there’s no way in the foreseeable future that they can play their best team.

Yep % agree.

In the short term (this season) they could possibly squeeze most of those 11 missing players from Saturday's side in, as they had a few lesser quality players on Saturday carrying 3 points that would make way! But lots of "what ifs" though and like most years it's almost impossible to line up your best 22.

If the stars do align and they get to the back end of the season fit and healthy they could do some damage.

Good chat

 

[Gremlin77]

Yep % agree.

In the short term (this season) they could possibly squeeze most of those 11 missing players from Saturday's side in, as they had a few lesser quality players on Saturday carrying 3 points that would make way! But lots of "what ifs" though and like most years it's almost impossible to line up your best 22.

If the stars do align and they get to the back end of the season fit and healthy they could do some damage.

Good chat

Deer Park at full strength is going to be a tough game for anyone. Availability could be key for most of the comp, doesn’t appear to be alot between top and bottom.

 

[The Longblow]

I tend to think the big 3 clubs like having the monopoly on the league and don’t like the fact another club has come into the league and challenging in both ladder positions and another player out there who can offer $$ to perspective recruits. Get over it as sides like Abers, Strathmore, Keilor did it for years outbidding other clubs for potential recruits based purely on the $$$ not culture. So what’s the difference..Shouldn’t throw stones..
Move on!

They are still throwing $$$$ around to win flags. Ask Keilor about their 2024 flag and fines for salary cap breaches.

 

[get it done]

1OUT1BACK, you’re normally a pretty measured and discerning poster. So I’m surprised you got sucked in by the same self serving nonsense Turbo’s been trotting out for the past 11 years. I barrack for Strathmore, and couldn’t really care about Deer Park’s entry into the EDFL one way or the other. If they succeed well and good, all credit to them. I don’t hold any antipathy toward them or their posters on here, (not even Longy). However at the moment I don’t really see them as a sustainable on-field threat, as the head to head results to date have demonstrated. I daresay Keilor supporters most likely feel the same, Abers maybe not so much.

As you have said yourself, if Deer Park is to be successful in the EDFL they cannot rely largely on imports, they must develop through the juniors, otherwise the points system will kill them every time. It’s going to take quite a few years for them to reach the same overall club player strength as Keilor, Abers and Strathmore. A few posts back you posted a substantial list of players who are unavailable for one reason or another. Given that DP played on 45 points on Saturday, even without the absent Johannisen (6 points), and McKenzie (5 points), there’s no way in the foreseeable future that they can play their best team.

DP have some very good juniors coming through, their 16s are at Div1 standard and have 4 or 5 at Western Jets, it will take a few more years but they are not that far off. If they can keep their senior recruits, that's 7 to 10 points for next season up their sleeve.
Their supporters on here stir a good pot, but i think they will become a strong contender and potentially win it in the next 3 to 5 years

 

[ZingerAbed]

The problem with these good juniors is a few of them are not actually deer park juniors which means they’re not 1 point players

 

[weapons#again]

The problem with these good juniors is a few of them are not actually deer park juniors which means they’re not 1 point players

16s level they are 1 pointers ....
18s there are 5 father sons which is amazing ....