Prediction Best 23 - 2026 edition

[Mighty Eagles]

Horses for courses.

And will depend who is fit and in form with us.

Our weak ruck division may need the support.

It needs the support but we don't have the personnel - for now. Flynn the first choice and I think JWilliams is the forward-ruck. Just my views.

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Maric is an interesting one.

Could see him have a nicoski 2011 type season up forward and be very handy but could also see him have a Tom Lamb 2015 season 1 game then delisted

He was drafted as a key forward and despite Jack Darling and Oscar Allen going to other clubs, its one area we're still beefed up in at the moment. He's either got to bulk up and come on as a key defender or become a wingman. I'm not sure I like the odds of either happening.

Think he's a good player but like BWilliams, will be trade bait by season's end.

 

[Obeanie1]

It needs the support but we don't have the personnel - for now. Flynn the first choice and I think JWilliams is the forward-ruck. Just my views.

Yep.

Against average ruck opposition that is where we would go. Flynn plus J Williams.

Against teams with the best rucks we might use that 5th bench spot for another ruck / forward.

Against better running teams we go small instead.

Unfortunately we are in the reactive stage of list capabilities not so much proactive.i.e. giving the opposition something to worry about.

 

[We_The_West]

Quite a challenging exercise and get you a little excited by the development of the youth and the extra depth of the additional mature age rookies.

I feel like Mini will pick the strongest Round 1 side available and will prioritise age and experience and trying to get a few wins early rather than getting games into the kids.

I think he'll back in the older guys and it will be their positions to lose.

This is far from my ideal team, rather how I think we will line up in R1 given no injuries etc.

West Coast

Back	Baker	H.Edwards	Duggan
Half Back	Starcevich	Young	Ginbey
Centre	McCarthy	Robertson	Hutchinson
Half Forward	Kelly	Waterman	Hewett
Forward	B.Williams	Shanahan	Cripps
On Ball	Flynn	Yeo	H.Reid
Bench	Duursma	Brockman	Graham
	Maric	Hough

Beagles

Back	Cole	Brock	Grego
Half Back	Lindsay	Bazzo	Dewar
Centre	Davis	Macrae	B.Allan
Half Forward	Long	CDT	Johnston
Forward	Newton	J.Williams	Owies
On Ball	A.Reid	Schoenberg	Hall
Bench	T.Williams	Rodriguez	Gross
	Champion	Barnett	S.Allen

There's a lot of decent players lined up in the WAFL and there will be a lot of pressure for spots.

 

[Tugga27]

Quite a challenging exercise and get you a little excited by the development of the youth and the extra depth of the additional mature age rookies.

I feel like Mini will pick the strongest Round 1 side available and will prioritise age and experience and trying to get a few wins early rather than getting games into the kids.

I think he'll back in the older guys and it will be their positions to lose.

This is far from my ideal team, rather how I think we will line up in R1 given no injuries etc.

West Coast

Back	Baker	H.Edwards	Duggan
Half Back	Starcevich	Young	Ginbey
Centre	McCarthy	Robertson	Hutchinson
Half Forward	Kelly	Waterman	Hewett
Forward	B.Williams	Shanahan	Cripps
On Ball	Flynn	Yeo	H.Reid
Bench	Duursma	Brockman	Graham
	Maric	Hough

Beagles

Back	Cole	Brock	Grego
Half Back	Lindsay	Bazzo	Dewar
Centre	Davis	Macrae	B.Allan
Half Forward	Long	CDT	Johnston
Forward	Newton	J.Williams	Owies
On Ball	A.Reid	Schoenberg	Hall
Bench	T.Williams	Rodriguez	Gross
	Champion	Barnett	S.Allen

There's a lot of decent players lined up in the WAFL and there will be a lot of pressure for spots.

I don't really know much about the WAFL rules, but isn't there a limit to how many AFL listed players can play?
If so, what happens to the extra's?

 

[kane249]

I don't really know much about the WAFL rules, but isn't there a limit to how many AFL listed players can play?
If so, what happens to the extra's?

Think that only applies to Peelmantle since they have a proper club setup there with Reserves and Colts

 

[unty11]

I really don't want Duggan in a back pocket position. His dump kicking last season was bad enough going into the wing from half back but I see it as an easy turnover in a dangerous position if he's doing it from the back pocket only reaching half back on the outskirts of our defensive 50.

 

[unty11]

Also without McCarthy at half back I don't see anyone that great at distributing of half back I know he's a draftee but Lindsay needs to be in the side.

 

[unty11]

FB: Starcevich H.Edwards Hough
HB: Lindsay Young Ginbey
C: Duursma Robertson McCarthy
HF: Cripps Shanahan Baker
FF: Owies Waterman Champion
FOL: Flynn Yeo H.Reid
I/C: Graham, Hewett, B.Allan, Maric, A. Reid
EME: Duggan, Gross, Hall, Dewar,


Back:
Starc takes the best small/medium attacker
Hough takes the best small attacker
Lindsay to be the distributor out of D50
Ginbey to look to run and play on out of D50 a lot more using his speed and power
Key backs in Young and H.Edwards are a no brainer for me

Midfield:
Duursma to play on the outside
Robertson to be at the bottom of the pack to give off to guys like Harley and McCarthy who now is on the wing

Hopefully Yeo can get on the park and free up Harley
Hopefully Flynn will improve under nic nat's tutelage.

Forward:
Cripps and baker to try and lock it in our F50
Shanahan and Waterman no brainers as CHF and FF
I think our forward pockets is the most pick'em position in the whole side probably our weakest position besides ruck it's hard to see a clear guy who is putting his hand up for those spots.

Interchange:
Graham can relieve our runners.
Hewett to get some centre bounce time and allow Harley to go forward.
Allan to relieve out side runners but can rotate onto half back as well.
Maric can play as a third tall back (relieve Ginbey at times) or wingman and distribute the ball with his decent kick.
A. Ried to play his usual role as ruck/forward role maybe spending a bit more time in the ruck this season as his body matures.

Notable outs:
Kelly he had a good back end of the season but he still shirked a few contests and I just don't think he's that damaging by foot.
Duggan in the emergency squad just can't distribute the ball out of D50 under pressure.
I think with our small forwards it's a much of a muchness brockman hasn't really set the world on fire, I didn't see much of champion but you guys said he looked ok, Long has never been the same since he did his pcl. I hope he can regain his form from before that injury. Gross got caught a lot last season yes he was trying to take on the game I think with a full summer in the gym he'll be able to shrug those sorts of tackles.
Hall is serviceable but I don't see him above the likes of Yeo or Robertson but if he puts on some size he could be a monster I actually don't think his kicking is that bad.
Dewar was getting a lot of it last season but his disposal was a bit iffy, if he can clean that up he'd be a definite starter anywhere from wing, to half forward to half back.

 

[wceeaglesfan]

Starting lineup from what I’ve heard from pre season
- still think we are guaranteed to see Duggan and owies play
West Coast
FB: Starcevich H.Edwards Hough
HB: McCarthy Young Ginbey
C: B.Allan Yeo Davis
HF: Johnston Shanahan Baker
FF: Cripps Waterman Champion
FOL: Flynn Hewett H.Reid
I/C: Graham(fwd), Duursma (mid), Linsday(HB) , Maric (wing), A. Reid (FWD/ruck)

Beagles
FB: Cole J.Williams Greggo
HB: Bazzo Brock Duggan
C: wDewar Robertson S.Allen
HF T.Wiliams B.Williams Rodriguez
FF Owies Barnett, Newton
FOL CDT, Macrae, Gross

 

[Obeanie1]

It needs the support but we don't have the personnel - for now. Flynn the first choice and I think JWilliams is the forward-ruck. Just my views.

Support means playing 3 ruck capable players versus the team with the best ruck division.

So against the best we play Flynn, Archer plus a 3rd fwd / ruck such as J Williams or CDT.

Against lessor ranked rucks we drop the tall and add a runner.

 

[Obeanie1]

Thinking about Rodreguez.

Kobe Evans wasn't rated pre draft anywhere near Rodreguez but was selected 25 players earlier.

Rodreguez an AA u18 and state captain.

Is flexibility in where you can play more important than runs on the board?

Time will tell.

 

[wceeaglesfan]

Support means playing 3 ruck capable players versus the team with the best ruck division.

So against the best we play Flynn, Archer plus a 3rd fwd / ruck such as J Williams or CDT.

Against lessor ranked rucks we drop the tall and add a runner.

J Williams is playing as a defender next year anyway

 

[Obeanie1]

J Williams is playing as a defender next year anyway

 

[chaddy22]

I don't really know much about the WAFL rules, but isn't there a limit to how many AFL listed players can play?
If so, what happens to the extra's?

To clear this up. I think Peelmantle have a private deal about how many players that they play in a league team.
Peel play some Dockers who are way off making a Afl debut, coming back from a major injury or team balance during the season.If they make the finals Wafl rules apply.

Beagles not having a reserves side can play as many during the home and away games.
Beagles can play as many Afl listed players in finals only if the Eagles are playing in Afl finals or until they get eliminated.
Should the Beagles make the Wafl finals and Eagles don't there are restrictions including players need to have played a certain amount of Wafl games and a certain amount must be in the last month of the home and away season.

We won't have any players not playing either Wafl or Afl this year with a list of 47 players (should have been 48 but we didn't pick a cat b). We have at least 23 plus a emergency for Afl and now that the Wafl have come in line with the Afl there will be 23 playing Wafl. Even if our list was 48 it would need a week with no injuries.

 

[kane249]

To clear this up. I think Peelmantle have a private deal about how many players that they play in a league team.
Peel play some Dockers who are way off making a Afl debut, coming back from a major injury or team balance during the season.If they make the finals Wafl rules apply.

Beagles not having a reserves side can play as many during the home and away games.
Beagles can play as many Afl listed players in finals only if the Eagles are playing in Afl finals or until they get eliminated.
Should the Beagles make the Wafl finals and Eagles don't there are restrictions including players need to have played a certain amount of Wafl games and a certain amount must be in the last month of the home and away season.

We won't have any players not playing either Wafl or Afl this year with a list of 47 players (should have been 48 but we didn't pick a cat b). We have at least 23 plus a emergency for Afl and now that the Wafl have come in line with the Afl there will be 23 playing Wafl. Even if our list was 48 it would need a week with no injuries.

Or the AFL team has a Thursday/Friday night game, low injuries and all the emergencies get released to play in the WAFL

Not that i see us getting many Thursday/Friday night games this year though

 

[WA footy mad]

beagles premiers
WCE not sure but excited about the list. Maybe give them > 5 wins

 

[chaddy22]

Or the AFL team has a Thursday/Friday night game, low injuries and all the emergencies get released to play in the WAFL

Not that i see us getting many Thursday/Friday night games this year though

Highly unlikely. Sam Allen won't play till mid season so we are already down to 46 without any injuries just enough to field a Afl and Wafl team.
If it ever eventuated i would expect a player would play with another Wafl team reserves team but this option has rarely happened.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Also without McCarthy at half back I don't see anyone that great at distributing of half back I know he's a draftee but Lindsay needs to be in the side.

Maric is a great distributor.... controversial I know

The thing is 100% of people know the answer to this question. Duggan to the WAFL and Lindsay to the AFL.... we just all know we dont have the courage to do it

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

So many people going without CDT in the best 23 but the noise really is he will be playing Round 1. Im surprised how many people have him out of the 23

 

[WestCoast05]

There's been plenty of talk that the 5th spot on the bench will allow teams to carry another tall, but I think we'll see most sides load up with another runner given the way the game has gone.

 

[WCE777]

So many people going without CDT in the best 23 but the noise really is he will be playing Round 1. Im surprised how many people have him out of the 23

We actually have depth for a change!
CDT is in the position of being behind Waterman, Shanahan af KPF's then Flynn, A Reid as rucks.
A Reid will be rotating as a KPF in that scenario or with the new bench rules he will build his season with 20-25% ruck time round 1.
CDT is in competition with A Reid and JW imo for the 3rd tall or injury replacement imo.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

We actually have depth for a change!
CDT is in the position of being behind Waterman, Shanahan af KPF's then Flynn, A Reid as rucks.
A Reid will be rotating as a KPF in that scenario or with the new bench rules he will build his season with 20-25% ruck time round 1.
CDT is in competition with A Reid and JW imo for the 3rd tall or injury replacement imo.

I view it differently

A.Reid is in competition with B.Williams and Flynn
CDT is in competition with JWill and its between those 2 . CDT will win out for sure

 

[unty11]

Maric is a great distributor.... controversial I know

The thing is 100% of people know the answer to this question. Duggan to the WAFL and Lindsay to the AFL.... we just all know we dont have the courage to do it

Yeah we have put ourselves in a Richie Vandenberg scenario where our captain may not be a good enough footballer to keep his spot in the side on merit alone.

 

[wceeaglesfan]

I view it differently

A.Reid is in competition with B.Williams and Flynn
CDT is in competition with JWill and it’s between those 2 . CDT will win out for sure

A.Reid will be a forward/ruck it will be between him and CDT for the 2nd ruck role. I think archer will have the edge at the start of the season. Also Jack will probably play back, he’s was playing with the backline in one of the drills.