Prediction Changes v Whoever The **** It Is After The Bye

[MIKE85]

Ok, I'm usually negative in my feelings towards an upcoming game, probably to try and ease the pain when we shit the bed, as we usually do. But today was the final straw for 2017. I'm calling it, season over, I hope we don't make the 8. I hope that Simmo has the backing that'll be needed, to axe a huge amount of ageing players that need to go, and probably should've been moved on over the last few years.

Priddis, Wellingham, Butler, Lecras, Schofield, Masten need to go now. Gaff & Darling maybe have some value, get them out, they are exactly what is wrong wth this club right now. Look a million bucks when everything is going well, turn to jelly when it's not. F**k I'd even trade Kennedy. He's not going to be around for our next flag, maybe we could get something of value for him. What's the point of him playing another a 2-3 years for us to scrape into the 8 and do nothing. I know that won't happen, and probably shouldn't, but I almost feel like we need a full rebuild, and to rid the club of everything that's been a part of it for the last 10 years.

Our board and football department have some questions to answer too. How has it been allowed to get so bad?? I feel like Simpson hasn't been allowed to make the calls he should've a long time ago, and either they go, or he has to go, and for the team's sake, I hope it's the former.

I don't really know what the answer is, but as a supporter, I'm sick of feeling like I care more than the club and players do.

 

[CM9000]

If we want to win against Geelong:
OUT: Priddis, Butler, Duggan, Mackenzie
IN: Barrass, Wellingham, Lycett, Mutimer

If we want to lose against Geelong, but give our underperforming players a kick up the ass:
OUT: Schofield, Priddis, LeCras, Darling, Butler, Duggan
IN: Wellingham, Barrass, Lamb, Karpany, Mutimer, Lycett

 

[Figure09]

EVERYONE TO GTFO INCLUDING THE COACH

 

[Biggie]

EVERYONE TO GTFO INCLUDING THE COACH

Not an over the top reaction?

 

[wraglesweb]

Bond 007 - what's the reaction internally to a loss like this? Safe to say we're all pretty gutted on the outside.

Everyone is a little sad until the virgin food cart rolls out........

 

[Figure09]

no not really. This team is weak. Coach has no plan B EVERYONE can see it.

 

[WCErevival]

Everyone is saying Emac out I didn't think he played that bad.

 

[Biggie]

no not really. This team is weak. Coach has no plan B EVERYONE can see it.

So what is you solution besides

"EVERYONE TO GTFO INCLUDING THE COACH"

 

[Sammy J]

I don't really feel it's on Simmo. Feels like the players just don't go hard enough at times.

Pretty clear that Priddis and LeCras are cooked, and that Darling might need a change of scenery. It's a shame, I like Jack, but he's a liability right now. His confidence is shot.

Looking forward to seeing Watson/Rioli/Venables got some time in the 2nd half of the season, if that's the way we go.

 

[frenchconnection]

Wait Lecras is still getting a game but you're dropping Petrie? lol.

Yes noticed that also. I thought Petrie went okay and was one of the better players on the day, particularly in the 4th quarter.

 

[Jiggyman]

I don't really feel it's on Simmo. Feels like the players just don't go hard enough at times.

Pretty clear that Priddis and LeCras are cooked, and that Darling might need a change of scenery. It's a shame, I like Jack, but he's a liability right now. His confidence is shot.

Looking forward to seeing Watson/Rioli/Venables got some time in the 2nd half of the season, if that's the way we go.

Simpson can start by calling out these senior players, dropping them, and affirming a policy to keep growing and developing the list with finals footy just being a bonus.

 

[new breed]

IN Wellingham , Cole , Lamb

OUT Butler , Hutchings , Cripps

Like Cripps but not going great at the moment , give him a rest try Lamb / Karpany

 

[Figure09]

Simpson MAKES NO changes. Christ I could do better I reckon. If something doesn't work bloody hell well change it.

 

[frenchconnection]

Why was the potato LeCras rushed back in? He is such a spud. A downhill skier if there ever was one. He can't kick a football past 30 meters and is just about the most inaccurate set shot in the side.

Obviously still injured, or he's cooked? Not sure which. Amazing that he hasn't kicked a goal in over 3 weeks!

 

[kerrazy]

If we want to win against Geelong:
OUT: Priddis, Butler, Duggan, Mackenzie
IN: Barrass, Wellingham, Lycett, Mutimer

If we want to lose against Geelong, but give our underperforming players a kick up the ass:
OUT: Schofield, Priddis, LeCras, Darling, Butler, Duggan
IN: Wellingham, Barrass, Lamb, Karpany, Mutimer, Lycett

I think the second option has far better ins, making us more competitive against the cats. Itll give the players a kick up the ass too. WOnt happen though.

 

[frenchconnection]

Why was the potato LeCras rushed back in? He is such a spud. A downhill skier if there ever was one. He can't kick a football past 30 meters and is just about the most inaccurate set shot in the side.

The tragedy is that once he was a dead-eyed dick!! Amazing.

 

[frenchconnection]

Swap Priddis for Venables

Lecras for Karpany

Darling for a mannequin (seriously anybody but him)

Bring Barrass back in for either Emac or Schoey

Butler can probably get gone too for wellers - at least he has confidence.

What sort of player is Venables - is he an inside or outside midfielder or both?

 

[Doughboy]

Yawn, was there a game of footy today?

Ugh that's right

 

[CM9000]

I think the second option has far better ins, making us more competitive against the cats. Itll give the players a kick up the ass too. WOnt happen though.

I doubt that Lamb and Karpany would offer more at home then LeCras and Darling, especially in a crunch game.

 

[Biggie]

I doubt that Lamb and Karpany would offer more at home then LeCras and Darling, especially in a crunch game.

Are you advocating that we stick to the same method with JD & Lecca?

JD I can accept

Lecca, I simply cannot.

 

[frenchconnection]

i shy away fro the emotional rants above. The reality is - should we have got over the line to win against GWS and held on to win today when we had chances and were also done by some of the marginal quality umpiring as seen all day, would you all feel better.

We can not contain fast midfield and and backs the run in numbers. We recruited the slower end of the gene pool and the game has changes leaving many of our players in a time warp. To improve will take time and targeted drafting, trading. The coach whoever that is can not add fast twice muscle to plodders.

Players that we will never win a premiership with include (no bother with the short terms who are not really a problem) and those not playing today:
Both wingers who are one dimensional plodders which no physical presence - when good teams run and carry for 50-80m on the great they chip or handball to no gear attacking benefit and they defensive efforts are soft:

• Gaff
• Masten - already in the headlights.

• Butler - just old and cautions the we need élan
• Priddis
• Cripps
• Lecras - mentally weak and aging
• Darling - a fumbling hard worker who lacks X factor and, skill. Also done in the head
• Nelson I suggest is at best a fill in - works hard and looks to have pace but is only C grade
• Hurn - see Butler
• Hutchings - has never really been an AFL player (honest depth at best)
• Duggan and Sheed - well they are developing but look be be B or C grade as they lack real poise, skill and élan
• By and large the Woodhouse era

Think you are being a bit harsh re Sheed - he is still young and plenty of room for improvement, and also was probably our best player out there today?

 

[porttoport]

Think you are being a bit harsh re Sheed - he is still young and plenty of room for improvement, and also was probably our best player out there today?

An interesting article today's Australian

West Coast are in danger of becoming a team going nowhere.

In airline terms, they are close to having a “stick shaker” experience, where a warning system that causes the control stick to vibrate is activated, alerting the pilot that his plane could enter a “stall” condition. It’s not good.

It was only 20 months ago that they played in a grand final. But the reality is West Coast look every chance to stagnate, or even slip backwards, because they have failed to rejuvenate their list, and that could cost them dearly as early as next year or the year after that if the situation goes unchecked.

They should remain thereabouts this season, and because of their favourable home-ground advantage — only broken this year by the Giants last weekend — they’ll probably play finals. However, in what is shaping as a wide open contest behind Adelaide and GWS, they are already struggling to keep pace.

Today’s contest against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium might be a more even affair than most expect. Less than a month ago the Suns, at home, were too quick for Geelong and they should again have that speed advantage.

Following the Eagles’ poor loss to Hawthorn at the MCG in round five, coach Adam Simpson said: “The Hawks were just relentless all day and we couldn’t sustain it. Even when our intent was right we looked fumbly, from our senior players down to our kids.” Hang on, what kids?

After being thrashed by Essendon in round nine, Simpson mentioned that he would have a look at how the club’s “second-tier” players were progressing after another dismal away performance. What second-tier players?

West Coast have become a halfway house for old players.

The Eagles’ recruiting of rising 35-year-olds Sam Mitchell and Drew Petrie does little for the development of young players to take the club to a higher level over the next five years.

The club and their blinkered fans will argue that they have won six of their first 10 games and are only one win behind where they were at the corresponding time last year before winning 16 home-and-away matches, one less than minor premiers Sydney.

The glaring problem is that there is a lack of promising youth coming up behind seasoned players, who have been topped up by older players again. West Coast’s plight can best be summed up by some alarming facts.

Since the start of 2012, they have won the least amount of rising star nominations of any club.

Their two nominations have been Dom Sheed in 2015 and Tom Barrass last year, and defender Barrass has not been selected for the past two weeks. That’s two nominations over the past 125 rounds.

In the 5½ seasons, the Giants understandably have the most (16), followed by Adelaide (10), the Western Bulldogs (10) and Melbourne, with nine. Hawthorn, even through a golden period of four grand finals and three premierships, have had five players nominated.

Since the start of 2016, West Coast have played only three debutants — Tommy Cole and Malcolm Karpany last year and Kurt Mutimer this year, — and it would be fair to say they have only plodded, though left-footer Karpany last week showed some promise in his second game since being the 31st overall choice in the 2013 national draft. But it was not enough for Simpson to retain him this weekend. Sydney played seven debutants in a grand final year last season and have already played another six this season. They may not be travelling that well at the moment, but their future appears to be in good shape.

Geelong, who are sitting third, have played seven fresh faces since the start of last season, including five debutants this year. Of that five, three have played in 23 of a possible 33 games.

Top-of-the-ladder Adelaide have played five newcomers in the same period, with the injured Mitch McGovern and this week’s rising star nomination Wayne Milera clearly the pick of their debutants.

The Eagles have also been let down by the progress of their top two picks in the past three national drafts, especially in comparison to other clubs who have been around the same mark as West Coast in recent years.

While it may be a little early to judge last year’s first two picks — Daniel Venables (selection No 13) and Josh Rotham (37) who have yet to play a senior game — early selections at other clubs have already made a huge impression.

Geelong teenager Brandan Parfitt (26) played every game and won a rising star nomination before badly damaging his hamstring in round six. New teammate Tom Stewart (40) has played 10 games.

Sydney’s first two selections — Oliver Florent (11) and Will Hayward (21) — have played 15 games between them. Hayward could be a star in the making.

The Eagles first two selections over the past three drafts have played a combined 35 games, with Liam Duggan, the club’s first pick in the 2014 draft at No 11 overall, playing 32 of them. Of the others, only Cole (two games) and Tom Lamb (one) have played.

Geelong, with only one pick inside the top 25 in the past three years of the national draft, have got 90 games out of their six top-two picks in that period, with Parfitt, Stewart, Sam Menegola (pick No 66 in 2015) and Nakia Cockatoo, the 10th overall pick in 2014 — all having played at senior level this year.

From the same three drafts, five of the six players taken by the Swans with their first two selections, have played a combined 99 games.

West Coast must make some tough decisions this year, especially on veterans Matt Priddis (32) and Mark LeCras (30), who are both coming out of contract. The two have been influential players — Priddis a Brownlow medallist and LeCras, an All-Australian and best-and-fairest winner in 2010 — but are now looking slow and wobbly, particularly on the road.

Someone’s taken their eye off the ball. So who is responsible for a list that appears to be on the verge of quickly falling into mediocrity? Long standing and highly-respected chief executive Trevor Nisbett has always kept his finger on the pulse of his football department, but he’s been flat out for some time organising a new training and administration headquarters and lobbying for the best deal at Perth’s new 60,000-seat stadium.

Simpson is a senior coach with a disproportionate say in what goes on internally at West Coast. And the club’s general manager of football is Craig Vozzo. Under their watch, they brought in Jack Redden from Brisbane, Mitchell and Petrie, and now there is talk of interest in Gold Coast’s Brandon Matera. Please.

There is no time for sentiment in football, only the four points on offer every week. The eventual return of Nic Naitanui will take the Eagles a long way, but the warning signs are there. The “stick shaker” is ready to go off and is anybody at the controls?

Greg Denham can be heard on SEN (1116am) radio on Hungry For Sport on Monday and Thursday between 9-10am.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Woobla Stainz]

I suggest the WAFL boys would do better dominating WAFL games and give evidence of pace, skill and strength of body and mind
One you see yourself asa victim you have mentally given up

Must be frustrating when the senior players serve up shit and the young players put a few good weeks together but still can't get a look.

 

[King LeBron]

Out: LeCras, Hutchings, McKenzie, Vardy, Butler
In: Karpany, Venebles/Partington, Barass, Lycett, Watson

Then in two/three weeks time, Hill/Cripps out for Willie

 

[CM9000]

Are you advocating that we stick to the same method with JD & Lecca?

JD I can accept

Lecca, I simply cannot.

As much as some on here want us to tank, we should still be reaching for the Top 4 and a win against Geelong is a must.

Karpany hasn't exactly showed an aptitude for the big stage, and Lamb is such an unknown quantity the risk would probably be too great.