Mega Thread 2025 Media & Miscellaneous Thread

[Tonga Bob]

Back by popular demand. However...

There has been some aggro from publishers of articles in recent months about sites that copypasta their content onto other sites, particularly the paywalled ones, which could lead to fines and whanot for those that do it. Apparently there are copywrite laws for these things. As a result we can no longer have full articles reposted here, so if you come across something then please refrain from nabbing the whole thing and just post the link. Quoting a paragraph or two and linking the source is fine however, just don't get greedy.

Here's the updated site-wide rule: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/please-read-re-copyright-posting-newspaper-articles.1389553/

Here's an example of what you can do:

"If West Coast was the gold standard for how to operate, then Fremantle's arrival into the AFL in 1995 could be viewed as a series of cautionary tales.

Despite eight wins in that debut season, a series of poor recruiting choices meant they didn't play their first final until 2003."

If they believe that us not making finals until 2003 was solely due to "a series of poor recruiting choices" then I have a bridge to sell them.

Can 'perennial underachievers' Fremantle become WA's biggest footy club?

For 38 years the West Coast Eagles have been WA footy's alpha male, but in the midst of their worst ever on-field run, is the balance of power shifting towards their bitter rivals Fremantle?

www.abc.net.au

Thanks for your understanding.

 

[oldgoat]

Wow Johnson is a very well spoken and articulate man.

Clever, insightfull, a veritable sage!

 

[oldgoat]

Sack everyone! It's gone on too long now!

I'm sacking you too Ferrand, right after I sack myself, wait, that won't work...will it?
Well do it posthumously !
Who's going to turn out the lights?
Time for a couple of Bex , cup of tea and a lie down.

 

[Farrand]

I'm sacking you too Ferrand, right after I sack myself, wait, that won't work...will it?
Well do it posthumously !
Who's going to turn out the lights?
Time for a couple of Bex , cup of tea and a lie down.

You were right to sack me. I had it coming.

 

[oldgoat]

You were right to sack me. I had it coming.

I see what you did there...I refuse to sack you!
You will have to do it yourself!
You can't trick me into doing your dirty work!

 

[go_the_dockers]

Really enjoyed Duffield and Scott Watters discussing the finals. Thought it was a really good balanced conversation.

 

[Dale147]

 

[Dale147]

 

[ImperialPurple]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

 

[malpaso]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

Maybe go back to bed and get out the otherside?

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

I find it hard to be honest, 80k members was absurd unless we stat padded it out like a bunch of other clubs (we deliberately dont). The premiership by this year I felt was realistic but maybe in hindsight with player turnover and the average age it wasnt? Doesnt mean they shouldnt have aimed for it though...

Genuinely, as I'm not sure, how do you massage that messaging without throwing the current players (who just had a 16 win season and have a home final) under the bus?

 

[Paracleet]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

Well in terms of income and cashflow it's more or less true. We've gone past most of the mid tier clubs now and are probably only behind WC, Collingwood and Adelaide. Don't really think it's embarrassing.

 

[mattis117]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

Nothing he said is incorrect so it's you that has the issue.

 

[Cam Payne]

I don't think chris should be doing much media during the finals.

 

[Minz]

I have been a bit annoyed by the back patting after making finals. The plan was “win a premiership by the end of 2025”, not “win four finals games” (boys in 2022, women in 2020, 2022, 2024). Making the finals is a great first step, but, realistically, it’d take a fairy tale finish to win from 6th, and we’re not the club that gets those.

Blokes being favoured pre-season and finishing 6th is not any way to meet strategic goals; women look to have taken a big step back.

Hope the blokes are full of fire and robust confidence going into the finals!!

 

[Big Animal]

well the club makes most money by memberships and merch. We're hitting 54K to a game now regularly and I don't see that decreasing with the current list. I've just finished the season of picking my kids up from 4 training sessions and 2 games per week. In past years, even being not far from Freo, the kids had on a fair mix of WC and Freo jerseys at training, and spectators didn't wear a lot of either to their kid's games. This year I've noticed a dramatic increase in the amount of purple, and not much yellow/blue at training when they wear what they want, and lots of adults wearing dockers merch at their kids games. Similarly around the shops. I see a lot of kids wearing purple and they change their jerseys regularly as they grow unlike those adults that are still wearing their vintage scarf from the 90s. Financially, we should be doing quite well on that alone.

 

[malpaso]

I have been a bit annoyed by the back patting after making finals. The plan was “win a premiership by the end of 2025”, not “win four finals games” (boys in 2022, women in 2020, 2022, 2024). Making the finals is a great first step, but, realistically, it’d take a fairy tale finish to win from 6th, and we’re not the club that gets those.

Blokes being favoured pre-season and finishing 6th is not any way to meet strategic goals; women look to have taken a big step back.

Hope the blokes are full of fire and robust confidence going into the finals!!

Yeah we should just get back in our box..

 

[Cam Payne]

If there's one thing Chris knows, other than turning a company's sponsorship of a club into a plumb directorship at said club, it's getting his head in the media.

 

[oldgoat]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

gee Purps, hope youre feeling better on Sunday.
until then, perhaps better to avoid bright lights and loud music?

 

[oldgoat]

I have been a bit annoyed by the back patting after making finals. The plan was “win a premiership by the end of 2025”, not “win four finals games” (boys in 2022, women in 2020, 2022, 2024). Making the finals is a great first step, but, realistically, it’d take a fairy tale finish to win from 6th, and we’re not the club that gets those.

Blokes being favoured pre-season and finishing 6th is not any way to meet strategic goals; women look to have taken a big step back.

Hope the blokes are full of fire and robust confidence going into the finals!!

Why do you think the blokes should be "full of fire and robust confidence" if you're not Minz?
FFS get on board!
You know you want to.

 

[Purple Suit]

I find it hard to be honest, 80k members was absurd unless we stat padded it out like a bunch of other clubs (we deliberately dont). The premiership by this year I felt was realistic but maybe in hindsight with player turnover and the average age it wasnt? Doesnt mean they shouldnt have aimed for it though...

Genuinely, as I'm not sure, how do you massage that messaging without throwing the current players (who just had a 16 win season and have a home final) under the bus?

Yep,
I'm glad we have real membership and not giving away $7 ones. Come finals time, you aren't competing with pretend fans for finals tickets since they have to at least pay a fair price from the start. Out selling our home venue by 20,000 seats would make it harder to get a seat.

 

[Minz]

Why do you think the blokes should be "full of fire and robust confidence" if you're not Minz?
FFS get on board!
You know you want to.

Long experience unfortunately. Some good signs this year - rebounding in a pressure game after absolutely laying an egg the game before does give me hope that they have adjusted their preparation to be able to deal with it.

 

[freoextra]

Chris Sutherland needs to STFU. Missed out on the two premierships, missed out on the 80,000 members, but somehow, despite not achieving key points of the Strategic Plan, we’re doing great and in the ‘top echelons’. Just stop with the embarrassing rhetoric.

IP, you are usually very measured with your comments but Sutherland has obviously struck a nerve. Certainly I agree with you that we have achieved very little so far, even the record memberships is not as significant as the need for on field success.

But, we just won a great clutch game and I am loving the Freo build into our FINAL on the weekend, so I am happy. Maybe I am easily pleased and sure everything changes if we lose to the Suns but let’s all enjoy the ride.

 

[Daddoo]

I know some on here are sick of the “we’re a young team” excuse, but facts are facts. Fourth youngest team, third least experienced.

Like it or not, what this article points out about the relationship between age/experience and ladder position is pretty clear. We are doing very well.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1409275

 

[ImperialPurple]

IP, you are usually very measured with your comments but Sutherland has obviously struck a nerve. Certainly I agree with you that we have achieved very little so far, even the record memberships is not as significant as the need for on field success.

But, we just won a great clutch game and I am loving the Freo build into our FINAL on the weekend, so I am happy. Maybe I am easily pleased and sure everything changes if we lose to the Suns but let’s all enjoy the ride.

Yes I chucked a little hissy fit, I admit

But I will say that it’s been 31 years on this train, and I’m kinda ready to reach the destination.

Just listen to Yoda FFS! He knows what it’s about.

 

[SupermanCapes]

I know some on here are sick of the “we’re a young team” excuse, but facts are facts. Fourth youngest team, third least experienced.

Like it or not, what this article points out about the relationship between age/experience and ladder position is pretty clear. We are doing very well.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1409275

This is all well and good while we're winning, but as soon as we start losing and this reality is pointed out the frustration kicks in that we are 10 years into a rebuild and still in that band of age and experience.

I've been here for every step of the journey so I fully understand that there are factors to this that were unavoidable (like recruiting very talented youngsters that keep more experienced journeyman players out of the team on a consistent basis).

I don't have any issues with the outs over the last few years, even though I think they are largely to blame for our list profile being as young as it is.

I do think, however, that we missed a trick somewhere along the way when it comes to targeting older talent to play in our weaker areas (like on the wing).