Autopsy 2025 Off Season Changes.

[greatgatsby]

Jackson Dennis - sounds like a career in Nashville awaits if the footy conditioning thing doesn't work out - has a job ahead of him at GWS. They have the worst injury record in the league over the past 5-7 years.

 

[Nodgey]

I found it curious the reports that Shai Bolton

10

Shai Bolton

Age

27

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

says this was his hardest pre-season, or it had more running in it than he'd ever done. Richmond's pre-season formula is clearly the right way to go about it. They've got flags as evidence...

 

[freo_leo29]

I found it curious the reports that Shai Bolton says this was his hardest pre-season, or it had more running in it than he'd ever done. Richmond's pre-season formula is clearly the right way to go about it. They've got flags as evidence...

Richmond don't train in WA summer

 

[poshman]

I found it curious the reports that Shai Bolton says this was his hardest pre-season, or it had more running in it than he'd ever done. Richmond's pre-season formula is clearly the right way to go about it. They've got flags as evidence...

They don't train or play in the same heat as us and their travel schedule means it is almost like a different competition.

I do hope we learn from everyone while looking at the teams that travel the most and what is working for them.

 

[Quay Club]

It is going to be an interesting pre season for us with a new S&C team in place.

Hopefully we are able to find some capable people to replace our exits.

 

[Hazelsnuts]

It is going to be an interesting pre season for us with a new S&C team in place.

Hopefully we are able to find some capable people to replace our exits.

I know it’s the off season, but I gotta admit I’m a more than a little concerned that the S&C replacements weren’t already in our sights in lieu of the departure of Merriman and his 2nd in charge fella

 

[Jezzitizle]

Definitely alarming, but let’s see who they bring in.

Think the s&c have done a good job recently, far better than the Weber years.

I don’t buy the mutual decision thing, reckon both were poached.

 

[Superkoops]

Definitely alarming, but let’s see who they bring in.

Think the s&c have done a good job recently, far better than the Weber years.

I don’t buy the mutual decision thing, reckon both were poached.

Merriman wasn’t necessarily poached. He was before heading across to WC on his way to GWS. It seemed like a legit mutual decision. WC jumped in and grabbed him when available. The article about how WC grabbed him indicated the wheels moved quickly once he became available. The initial indications were he was on his way to GWS.

As for Jackson he was definitely poached. The lack of communication indeed indicates surprise and disappointment. In recent press conference when asked about Merriman - Brierty made comments around Jackson still present to keep the momentum rolling. Well it is no surprise that GWS after not securing Merriman poached Jackson.

 

[kuhni]

Definitely alarming, but let’s see who they bring in.

Think the s&c have done a good job recently, far better than the Weber years.

I don’t buy the mutual decision thing, reckon both were poached.

Aren't we one of the richer clubs, no space on the soft cap? A few players not necessarily out with injury but playing sore this year in Brayshaw, Amiss and Bolton, maybe still room for improvement.

 

[CaseySibosadoHOF]

As for Jackson he was definitely poached. The lack of communication indeed indicates surprise and disappointment. In recent press conference when asked about Merriman - Brierty made comments around Jackson still present to keep the momentum rolling. Well it is no surprise that GWS after not securing Merriman poached Jackson.

Jackson's spent about a decade in WA. Surely if he was looking at GWS' high-performance boss role, the conversation came up about him replacing Merriman, no? Like I guess we should still count it as a poaching, but if we really wanted him to stay we would've offered him the #1 role.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

They don't train or play in the same heat as us and their travel schedule means it is almost like a different competition.

I do hope we learn from everyone while looking at the teams that travel the most and what is working for them.

There's only one team that travels as much as us and there's not much to be learned there at present, apart from pretty much what not to do in every presented situation.

Funnily enough though, it appears as though they have looked closely at us and decided to poach our guy, so maybe they are learning.

 

[Superkoops]

Alex Pearce

25

Alex Pearce

Age

30

Ht

201cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

106.3

2star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

0.8

3star

MG

103.2

2star

: re-injuring his forearm (2024) and coming back too early with the stress fracture (2025)
JOM (multiple soft tissue injuries in the one game)
Fyfe (calf strain in warm-up)
Walters (stop start re-injury)
Sturt (stop start re-injury then needing surgery)
Few issues with Hayden Young

26

Hayden Young

Age

25

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.4

3star

CL

0.2

2star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.4

2star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.4

2star

CL

0.2

2star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

Pre-season
Shai Bolton

10

Shai Bolton

Age

27

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

stress fractures/hot spot pre-season after match sim and practice games.

We didn’t have the best availability according to experts that rate player availability. So plenty of areas to improve.

 

[Superkoops]

Jackson's spent about a decade in WA. Surely if he was looking at GWS' high-performance boss role, the conversation came up about him replacing Merriman, no? Like I guess we should still count it as a poaching, but if we really wanted him to stay we would've offered him the #1 role.

I’m assuming we wanted him to stay but not as number one. Experience wise he is still young so I’m guessing we wanted a more experienced higher calibre senior to oversee the conditioning program. Likely a new apt will recommend his own team so as indicated let’s wait and see what happens in this space.

 

[DragoDelph]

Was Misson in S&C before administration?

 

[millsy]

Was Misson in S&C before administration?

Primary skill set right? Albeit grown past that over the journey. Be a long shot but maybe..?

 

[DragoDelph]

Primary skill set right? Albeit grown past that over the journey. Be a long shot but maybe..?

Part of the saints release was that he was returning to his preferred role. (Or something like that)

 

[millsy]

Part of the saints release was that he was returning to his preferred role. (Or something like that)

"Passion fields of high performance, athlete development and organisational design". Covering all bases!

 

[Chookman]

Let's get Setterfield - I reckon he'd be a good fit for what the Dockers need - he's not a Mundy or Fyfe but he's a big defensive big bodied midfielder who can stop the leakage from the midfield

 

[rgauci]

What’s with the obsession about big bodied mids

Neil Erasmus 190cm 83kg
Matt Johnson 193cm 89kg
Luke Jackson

9

Luke Jackson

Age

24

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

2star

K

3.3

1star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

0.3

3star

D

8.3

3star

K

3.3

2star

HB

5.0

4star

M

1.5

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.3

3star

199cm 100kg

We don’t lack size. All three players will improve in the offseason.

It’s outside run and pace which need to be injected into the team.

 

[pK75]

Let's get Setterfield - I reckon he'd be a good fit for what the Dockers need - he's not a Mundy or Fyfe but he's a big defensive big bodied midfielder who can stop the leakage from the midfield

Think he would fit in better down the road at the dirty birds, at the very least he’d make the WAFL team more competitive.

 

[fnerd]

Let’s just actually get some decent assistant coaches and quality football people off the field before we worry about giving other clubs spuds an opportunity.

Can’t believe these ****ers AGAIN think everything is in place off the field -and particularly the coaching department that it doesn’t need continuous improvement

 

[yakamoto]

Which of our assistant coaches are less than decent?

 

[Cesoir]

Which of our assistant coaches are less than decent?

Doesn't matter, we just need to change shit. Otherwise we're just accepting mediocrity.

 

[pK75]

Doesn't matter, we just need to change shit. Otherwise we're just accepting mediocrity.

We just lost our S&C guy after also losing our performance management guy, im hoping we are spending all our efforts bringing in the best possible replacements for those roles first.
To answer the other question, I still have my doubts on Joel Corey as Midfield coach, anyone who keeps selecting JOM over the other options we have has to have questions asked.

 

[fnerd]

Which of our assistant coaches are less than decent?

It’s funny how how when talking about our list etc everyone agrees taht
“ we can’t sit still” we need to look at continuous improvement and rightly so - but why doesn’t that apply to all areas , n particular coaching?

I give the hawks approach .. whether you like him or not Mitchell is clearly a very good coach - but that hasn’t stopped him seeking out others who could benefit and likely challenge what he’s already doing at hawthorn - see their appointment of highly regarded gianseracusa to head of development whilst also going hard for Hinkley .

Conversely do you think our coaching department is as capable as it could possibly be ?.. do you think jlo knows as much as their is to know and that there’s no other industry people who could possibly bring a new perspective or CHALLENGE his current ideas??

Since 2022 we lost Josh carr(given he’s now port coach it’d be fair to assume he’s at least decently rated and Mathew boyd.

They’ve been replaced and only last year by a coach (Rawlings) who wasn’t even in the AFL system anymore at the time , whilst shuffling a few deck chairs behind the scenes.

Pissed off bell(good move) but replaced him with a legacy employee in briety(bad move IMO) into the most important off field football position bar the head coach.

For a club so ridiculously short on actual people who’ve been involved in succeeding at the highest level, in any capacity , for that matter ,they all sure as shit seem to think they’ve got everything in place off field that they need to achieve the ultimate success.