Accept a few losses

[Frodo]

I would target 3 games in a season as acceptable losses and send the kids over to Melbourne to play. And Essendon would be one. The traveling takes its toll and we get too many injuries, so 3 rest weeks in a season would be beneficial plus we would be likely to lose these matches anyhow.

 

[McKenna for PM]

Read what you just wrote.

No game is an acceptable loss. If we start taking such a defeatist attitude we will keep losing. Start instilling a sense of "we can't possibly be as good as them" attitude in the players and we may as well close the club down now.

I could spend my time thinking up examples of "if [team X] had said that, would they then have beaten [team Y] in that epic, season turning game back in [year Z]?" but I could not be bothered.

Don't be foolish Frodo. Absolute fanaticism at all times.

 

[jod23]

Hmm, well this is my first post on the whole new board thing so i hope everything comes out ok. But anyway Frodo i agree with McKenna for PM on this one, that is just a defeatist attitude. And anyway i think if Gardiner Cousins Matera and McIntosh all recover for this weekends game then a win over Port at Subi isnt out of the question. I still cant see why there playing so well, and if we can stop Dew's and Primus' impact then i think we have a real shot. Plus one of Hawthorns big men has gone down and is out for 3 - 4 weeks so...you never know.

 

[Frodo]

Defeatest no, practical yes. It's the traveling that is the concern and not the opponent so much. It just seems sensible to dip out against the top teams rather than the bottom.
Imagine if we had done that and a fully rested Gardy, Matera, Kemp, Cuzz, Wirra, Milli, Jako etc were about to face port. I bet we would have a lot more faith in a win.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

I'm with frodo on this one. Soccer teams do it all the time, Leeds sent in a second rate squad against Arsenal this week so that their stars would be fresh for the Champions League match. Eagles should do this aswell. We played our best squad and walked away with Cuz and Gardy injured(don't know what those injuries are, just heard it on the news). Was it worth it?

Whats better, trying our best in both games and losing both, or resting players and winning one of those games?

It is not a defeatest attitude, just the thinking of a realist.

 

[jod23]

I disagree strongly! What does that say to the rest of the league and then how much of a advantage do Essendon then have over us for years ... I can just hear Dan24 now " Oh are you sending the kiddies over for a belting because you know your full strength team will lose anyway "

Bad Bad Attiude!!

I think we can beat anybody in the league but we cant beat teams without our better players. I think its a good idea to rest players like Essendon did last year when they knew they were in the finals and didnt have to risk players. But were not in that situation. We NEED wins cos i dont want a wooden spoon!

Now i say we get out onto Subiaco Oval and give Port a lesson!!

 

[GoEagles]

Frodo - good topic because I've always wondered "When is the best time to blood some new kids?"

I don't think throwing anymore than 2 in the deep-end is a good idea myself. Judge gave 3 kids a debut in Brisbane last year and we got absolutely flogged!

McKenna for PM's got a good point that if we go into any game this year with a defeatist attitude that we can't win or we can only come away with a 'honorable loss' we'll never win a game. Upsets do and can happen - Carlton proved that earlier on this year.

I think what we need is a steady balance of some experienced players and some fresh kids still developing. But I can't wait to see Gaspar debut for the Eagles!

 

[Visro]

Youngsters should be given a go

For the remainder of this season the club should start blooding some of our new talent but not all at once. If our club is to again rise our youngsters need to step up and take some pressure off the old brigade.

Players I believe should get a go this year:

Kane Munro ~ 10 games (We know this guy can play but he is still very skinny)
Kris Miller ~ 5 games (Give him a taste and see if he's up to scratch)
Andrew McDougall ~ 5 games (Still skinny and will need time to develop)
Daniel Kerr ~ 15 games (Playing great at the moment but we shouldn't burn him out)
Jeremy Humm ~ 8 games (He's doing well in the WAFL so give him a taste of AFL)
Adam Hunter ~ 8 games (Quite often an emergency, must be pretty good)
David Haynes ~ 7 games (Can play good footy and should get a go in the FL)
Kasey Green ~ 5 games (Have doubts about this guy but see how he goes)
Travis Gaspar ~ 10 games (Should break into the side this year with good form at SF)
Callum Chambers ~ 15 games (This guy should be in the team a lot but KJ doesn't play him )

Anyway thats what I reckon should happen, this way nearly all of our youngsters gets a run and a taste of AFL so that next year they can become regulars.

Vis

 

[jod23]

Hmm Kerr is a tough one. You dont want to play him week in week out at 17 18 years old, but if we drop him does he lose his confidence??

 

[Frodo]

Kempy is the latest in a string of [players to partly attribute back injury to excess air travel. Reducing travel to 6 or seven games in regular season for each player would definately help. The way we are going we can only expect players to remain wiyjout long term injuties until they are around 26. What message does that give to Cuz, Wirra, Gardy etc, maybe go East if you want a longer career.

 

[GoEagles]

Possible solution

One solution is to try and pursuade several clubs such as the Kangaroos or the Western Bulldogs to have a 'home game' in Perth against the Eagles. That way we won't have to travel to Victoria to play, we can actually go to the game and support the boys and they get to keep the gate earnings. Surely a 36,000 + crowd is more attractive than 15,000 in the ACT.

 

[Visro]

It wouldn't work! Neither clubs have a huge following over here and it would just mean another interstate game for them which they dont want anyway. 36,000+......a bit optimisitic there.

What WC should do is buy its own private jet and share it with Fremantle. If both clubs pitched in they could buy a jet built for the players coming home, more leg room, treatment areas and so on. I dont know how much a jet costs though....anyone?

Vis

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

I heard a Boeing 767 costs around $US90mil, so a 30 seater learjet would probably cost like $US10mil. Eagles could afford that, especially if they paid it off over a 10yr period or something. Split it with freo and they pay $US500,000 a year. Not too bad. I'm sure the AFL would chip in with a $100,000 a year, maybe get a sponsor to pay a bit(get their logo on the tail).

 

[Frodo]

Around $20m+ for a decent 30 seater. Arount $1m per year in maintenace, fuel, landing costs, pilot fees etc. Total cost around $5m a year. Almost the same as all the players salaries! Not on really. Fixtures scheduled 2 weeks at home two away with the Eagles staying over in Melbourne in between is worth looking at. That would only be 5 weeks living away from home in a season but cut down 5 return flights. It would also let Melbourne based Eagles fans see the Eagles train.

 

[WCE2000]

definetaly should ask the AFL to give us 2 weeks in WA, and 2 in Vic. And while were in WA, Freo could be in Vic, and vice versa.

Adelaide and Port could also organize a similar deal.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Definately the only solution.

The eagles could maybe buy a floor at a hotel. A couple million $$$ could probably buy them a floor at one of the better hotels in the melbourne CBD.

They could rent the floor out in the off season and the two weeks that they spend in WA. It would generate revenue in the long term and pay itself off eventually.