Do the West Coast Eagles win another game in 2023?

[greatwhiteshark]

Yeah its pretty detrimental to our development. Its the WAFL with "one rule for you another for the rest of the clubs". All other clubs have a zone to recruit players from, West Coast dont have one but we get to pick after all the other clubs get to take the good players.
I think thats how it goes??

Put a colts and reseves side in and become an actual club then that might change. More whinging about the WAFL instead of looking at the very inept West Coast eagles that with every resource can't find a way to get their players fit, keep them playing. Yet WAFL clubs seem to be able to manage these things.
Stop making excuses for an AFL club that is run and led very poorly right at the minute. Not the WAFL clubs fault the Eagles are so poorly operating.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Yes that’ll almost certainly be it, not the WAFL terrified by its modern irrelevance and inability to make any money or noise shooting itself in the foot for the third decade in a row. Probably all West Coast’s fault, as all things seem to be to a particular (and ever shrinking) demographic in WA footy.

Well the West Coast Eagles lead that shrinking demographic in WA footy. They are the top of the tree leading the charge. The Eagles must be so proud to be the ones that killed off their parents.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Well the West Coast Eagles lead that shrinking demographic in WA footy. They are the top of the tree leading the charge. The Eagles must be so proud to be the ones that killed off their parents.

This has pivoted away from the topic so last one from me.

The shrinking demographic isn’t WA footy in general, it’s the 10 old blokes who still care about the WAFL (was probably 11 last week). Makes me laugh that the posters who most loudly lament the Eagles’ inability to adapt to modern footy or move players on instead of living on former glories also can’t see that the WAFL is both beyond, and not worth, saving because of how inflexible and ‘we had glory years so we know best’ they’ve run things in the post AFL era.

“Bloody Simmo plays favourites, and Nissy’s been there too long, they never adapt! Also, why oh why is the WAFL dead?”

I wonder.

 

[Cuzz09]

I'm gonna say no.

If we snag a win it will be nicely unexpected.

Hopefully a freakish victory v an OK side.

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Mop]

Well the West Coast Eagles lead that shrinking demographic in WA footy. They are the top of the tree leading the charge. The Eagles must be so proud to be the ones that killed off their parents.

You must be an old Geezer pining for "propah footy" in the mud at Claremont Leederville oval.

Fair enough mate, fair enough. Can't argue the modern game hasn't got some flaws.

However, the WAFL remaining our A-grade comp and us not having a side in the national comp only works if the 1933 Referendum for us Seceeding from the rest of Australia had been actioned

For anyone playing along at home, it didn't.

You can't blame West Coast for killing your beloved West Perth.

Blame the WAFC. They accidentally had a win last year with the GF being played at a boutique stadium. I was watching it in SJOG hospital with my other half's 91 year old Granddad. He was delighted seeing people at the game and living and breathing it.

There is a market for it. They just need to do better at getting people in the gate.

 

[Mop]

This has pivoted away from the topic so last one from me.

The shrinking demographic isn’t WA footy in general, it’s the 10 old blokes who still care about the WAFL (was probably 11 last week). Makes me laugh that the posters who most loudly lament the Eagles’ inability to adapt to modern footy or move players on instead of living on former glories also can’t see that the WAFL is both beyond, and not worth, saving because of how inflexible and ‘we had glory years so we know best’ they’ve run things in the post AFL era.

“Bloody Simmo plays favourites, and Nissy’s been there too long, they never adapt! Also, why oh why is the WAFL dead?”

I wonder.

Meh, more interesting than my glorified "DISCUSS" thread tbh HB.

 

[Bigger]

I don't know anything about you, Badger, so forgive me if I get this wrong, but your opinion of the WAFL seems one gained very much from the outside. You don't think it's relevant, so you have nothing to do with it, assume that everybody else is like you and roll on from there.

If you had some reason to come into contact with the WAFL development pathways, you'd see what gets done by the WAFL clubs. (Other than mysteriously produce all these local kids your AFL club drafts each year.)

I realise you are employing super-sophisticated humourous tropes and techniques, but it's not 10 old blokes who care about the WAFL. Perhaps we should consider the families of sons and daughters in under-12s, 14s, 15s, Futures and Colts.

You want an example of how senior footy would look without sufficient junior identification and development, take a look at the Beagles.

 

[Trouto]

Put a colts and reseves side in and become an actual club then that might change. More whinging about the WAFL instead of looking at the very inept West Coast eagles that with every resource can't find a way to get their players fit, keep them playing. Yet WAFL clubs seem to be able to manage these things.
Stop making excuses for an AFL club that is run and led very poorly right at the minute. Not the WAFL clubs fault the Eagles are so poorly operating.

We cant do that. We have no zone to recruit players from which means no young players allocated to the team. We are resigned to picking up players from the ammo's after the other WAFL clubs have had their scouts take players.

 

[Mop]

I don't know anything about you, Badger, so forgive me if I get this wrong, but your opinion of the WAFL seems one gained very much from the outside. You don't think it's relevant, so you have nothing to do with it, assume that everybody else is like you and roll on from there.

If you had some reason to come into contact with the WAFL development pathways, you'd see what gets done by the WAFL clubs. (Other than mysteriously produce all these local kids your AFL club drafts each year.)

I realise you are employing super-sophisticated humourous tropes and techniques, but it's not 10 old blokes who care about the WAFL. Perhaps we should consider the families of sons and daughters in under-12s, 14s, 15s, Futures and Colts.

You want an example of how senior footy would look without sufficient junior identification and development, take a look at the Beagles.

Sure, the WAFL is an important pathway.

It also bleeds money at a criminal rate and doesn't seem to have any ideas of self sustaining.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bigger]

We cant do that. We have no zone to recruit players from which means no young players allocated to the team. We are resigned to picking up players from the ammo's after the other WAFL clubs have had their scouts take players.

Should have thought of that before you romped off on your winning way.

 

[Trouto]

Should have thought of that before you romped off on your winning way.

Not too sure its that - its teh WAFC not wanting west coast to dominate the WAFL at the expense of the other clubs. And I agree with them to an extent. But there needs a way for both parties to get what they want cos the current model is not working for the Eagles.

 

[Bigger]

Sure, the WAFL is an important pathway.

It also bleeds money at a criminal rate and doesn't seem to have any ideas of self sustaining.

Any thoughts?

It's a circle. The footy commission owns the AFL clubs. The AFL clubs fund the WAFL. The WAFL looks after identification and development of players. Some for the AFL and the rest for competitions for those of us who believe that the Great Game should be for all, not just the 0.03% of age-eligible elite males who get drafted and the idle consumers of the elite product.

The WAFL is limping along like a busted arse but the idea that it should be self-sustaining seems a tad short-sighted in its bold embrace of the virtues of the free market.

I forget where I am, obviously. Sail on, brave lovers of the idea of s**t paying for itself or dying.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

You must be an old Geezer pining for "propah footy" in the mud at Claremont oval.

Fair enough mate, fair enough. Can't argue the modern game hasn't got some flaws.

However, the WAFL remaining our A-grade comp and us not having a side in the national comp only works if the 1933 Referendum for us Seceeding from the rest of Australia had been actioned

For anyone playing along at home, it didn't.

You can't blame West Coast for killing your beloved West Perth.

Blame the WAFC. They accidentally had a win last year with the GF being played at a boutique stadium. I was watching it in SJOG hospital with my other half's 91 year old Granddad. He was delighted seeing people at the game and living and breathing it.

There is a market for it. They just need to do better at getting people in the gate.

Not much I don't agree with there. But I will say that the Eagles and Freo have never really ever done anything to celebrate the rich WA footy history. And don't say they give money as they simply pay their owners a dividend. they wouldn't give a cent if they had a choice.

 

[Bigger]

Not too sure its that - its teh WAFC not wanting west coast to dominate the WAFL at the expense of the other clubs. And I agree with them to an extent. But there needs a way for both parties to get what they want cos the current model is not working for the Eagles.

I agree.

I suspect, with noway of knowing definitively, that the previous experience WAFL clubs have had in dealing with West Coast hasn't been super conducive to the whole "both parties to get what they want" vibe.

I'd like to see it.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

We cant do that. We have no zone to recruit players from which means no young players allocated to the team. We are resigned to picking up players from the ammo's after the other WAFL clubs have had their scouts take players.

You have to realise that Good Players at WAFL clubs don't want to play for the Beagles. They are serious about their footy and the Beagles are not.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Sure, the WAFL is an important pathway.

It also bleeds money at a criminal rate and doesn't seem to have any ideas of self sustaining.

Any thoughts?

Bleeds money? It is under funded by millions. The WAFC should be funding the WAFL by at least another 500k per club and the salary cap should be doubled.
How do they bleed money?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

It's a circle. The footy commission owns the AFL clubs. The AFL clubs fund the WAFL. The WAFL looks after identification and development of players. Some for the AFL and the rest for competitions for those of us who believe that the Great Game should be for all, not just the 0.03% of age-eligible elite males who get drafted and the idle consumers of the elite product.

The WAFL is limping along like a busted arse but the idea that it should be self-sustaining seems a tad short-sighted in its bold embrace of the virtues of the free market.

I forget where I am, obviously. Sail on, brave lovers of the idea of s**t paying for itself or dying.

The AFL clubs fund the WAFC not the WAFL, the WAFC give very little money at all the WAFL. It's criminal.

 

[Trouto]

I agree.

I suspect, with noway of knowing definitively, that the previous experience WAFL clubs have had in dealing with West Coast hasn't been super conducive to the whole "both parties to get what they want" vibe.

I'd like to see it.

I think dissolving the Beagles and creating a new club like Peel, and having that club be the Eagles host club would be a way. It works for Peel/Freo and keeps the other 8 clubs happy. Also, even number of clubs helps.
Plenty of chat that Bunbury/South West should be given the nod.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I think dissolving the Beagles and creating a new club like Peel, and having that club be the Eagles host club would be a way. It works for Peel/Freo and keeps the other 8 clubs happy. Also, even number of clubs helps.
Plenty of chat that Bunbury/South West should be given the nod.

The idea has merit but all you are really doing then is just hurting another league like the South West league. Just bloody work with Perth somehow. It's amazing that every single way the Eagles go they are not happy. The common denominator being the WCE.

 

[Mop]

It's a circle. The footy commission owns the AFL clubs. The AFL clubs fund the WAFL. The WAFL looks after identification and development of players. Some for the AFL and the rest for competitions for those of us who believe that the Great Game should be for all, not just the 0.03% of age-eligible elite males who get drafted and the idle consumers of the elite product.

The WAFL is limping along like a busted arse but the idea that it should be self-sustaining seems a tad short-sighted in its bold embrace of the virtues of the free market.

I forget where I am, obviously. Sail on, brave lovers of the idea of s**t paying for itself or dying.

The WAFL itself is crying poor, no? All the clubs scrambling to find a way to make it even somewhat self sustainable.
I'm all for a healthy WAFL. Without it, WA football goes down the pisser.

As a business model though, something has to give. Seems awfully naive to think the WAFC will happily suck up loss after loss.

 

[Mop]

Bleeds money? It is under funded by millions. The WAFC should be funding the WAFL by at least another 500k per club and the salary cap should be doubled.
How do they bleed money?

WAFL 2023: West Australian Football Commission, clubs to try to save competition from steady decline​

Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Thu, 8 June 2023 1:36PM
Comments
Mitchell Woodcock

Is the WAFL in real trouble? Credit: Supplied

The WA Football Commission has laid bare the reality of the financially unstable WAFL competition as the organisation prepares to take drastic action to keep the league viable.
The commission held a meeting with all nine clubs — as well as heavyweights from both West Coast and Fremantle — in an attempt to save a league they say is relying too heavily on WAFC, amid dwindling crowd numbers and public interest at an all-time low.
WAFC chief executive Michael Roberts presented damning facts at the meeting on Wednesday night, where he said no ideas were “off the table” to fix the competition.

The commission turned to Marvin Consulting Group, run by former Perth Wildcats chief executive Nick Marvin, to look into the WAFL and how they can keep it sustainable in terms of relevance, competitiveness and finances.

Michael Roberts and the WAFC are trying to save the WAFL. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
As part of the investigation, it found that WAFL club’s finances were in decline and reliance on the commission was increasing, with 28 per cent of revenue coming from the commission.
Other shocking statistics presented were the decline in crowds from about 2200 per game in 2011 to just above 1800 so far this season, with 80 per cent of their audience being men aged 40 or over and 58 per cent being males over the age of 50.

Club finances were also in the spotlight with an average of three clubs posting a deficit in each of the last 10 years with four clubs doing so last year.
Roberts said the league was at a point where simply “tinkering around the edges” was not going to make enough of a change to keep it financially viable, as well as increase relevance, competitiveness and evenness of the competition.
“We’ve been doing bits and pieces here and there, but it’s now really evident that we need to make change,” he said.
“We need to hopefully get the clubs to be collaborative, and buy into it and as a collective hopefully make some decisions that will make the WAFL competitions better.

“I think the most important thing is that the research that we’ve shown and the work that we’ve consultation we’ve done with clubs is showing that everyone agrees that we need to make a change. This is about acknowledging now and drawing the line in the sand and saying we need to improve, we need to be working more closely together.
“Some clubs probably might be worse off in some changes, but collectively as a competition, these changes are going to make us better.”

Western Australian Football Commission chief executive Michael Roberts presented to clubs on Wednesday night. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
It comes as the commission prepares for a decline in royalties from West Coast and Fremantle as well as the Subiaco Oval deal with the State Government which is worth $11m a year and up for review in 2027.
The commission and clubs will now spend the next few months working on a strategic plan they will release and begin to implement in the final months of this year to ensure the sustainability of the WAFL.
This also includes competitiveness, with a goal for fans to have a reasonable expectation that their club can play finals within four years and compete for a flag within eight if they are not doing so already.

 

[DanWCE]

The idea has merit but all you are really doing then is just hurting another league like the South West league. Just bloody work with Perth somehow. It's amazing that every single way the Eagles go they are not happy. The common denominator being the WCE.

West Coast are on record wanting to align with Perth. It's been stated publicly this year. Perth are the ones not budging in that regard.

 

[Trouto]

The idea has merit but all you are really doing then is just hurting another league like the South West league. Just bloody work with Perth somehow. It's amazing that every single way the Eagles go they are not happy. The common denominator being the WCE.

The host club at an established club is not preferable as it pretty much shits on the history of the club before the AFL team joined it. Freo had failed host club shenanigans before Peel IIRC.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

WAFL 2023: West Australian Football Commission, clubs to try to save competition from steady decline​

Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Thu, 8 June 2023 1:36PM
Comments
Mitchell Woodcock

Is the WAFL in real trouble? Credit: Supplied

The WA Football Commission has laid bare the reality of the financially unstable WAFL competition as the organisation prepares to take drastic action to keep the league viable.
The commission held a meeting with all nine clubs — as well as heavyweights from both West Coast and Fremantle — in an attempt to save a league they say is relying too heavily on WAFC, amid dwindling crowd numbers and public interest at an all-time low.
WAFC chief executive Michael Roberts presented damning facts at the meeting on Wednesday night, where he said no ideas were “off the table” to fix the competition.

The commission turned to Marvin Consulting Group, run by former Perth Wildcats chief executive Nick Marvin, to look into the WAFL and how they can keep it sustainable in terms of relevance, competitiveness and finances.

Michael Roberts and the WAFC are trying to save the WAFL. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
As part of the investigation, it found that WAFL club’s finances were in decline and reliance on the commission was increasing, with 28 per cent of revenue coming from the commission.
Other shocking statistics presented were the decline in crowds from about 2200 per game in 2011 to just above 1800 so far this season, with 80 per cent of their audience being men aged 40 or over and 58 per cent being males over the age of 50.

Club finances were also in the spotlight with an average of three clubs posting a deficit in each of the last 10 years with four clubs doing so last year.
Roberts said the league was at a point where simply “tinkering around the edges” was not going to make enough of a change to keep it financially viable, as well as increase relevance, competitiveness and evenness of the competition.
“We’ve been doing bits and pieces here and there, but it’s now really evident that we need to make change,” he said.
“We need to hopefully get the clubs to be collaborative, and buy into it and as a collective hopefully make some decisions that will make the WAFL competitions better.

“I think the most important thing is that the research that we’ve shown and the work that we’ve consultation we’ve done with clubs is showing that everyone agrees that we need to make a change. This is about acknowledging now and drawing the line in the sand and saying we need to improve, we need to be working more closely together.
“Some clubs probably might be worse off in some changes, but collectively as a competition, these changes are going to make us better.”

Western Australian Football Commission chief executive Michael Roberts presented to clubs on Wednesday night. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
It comes as the commission prepares for a decline in royalties from West Coast and Fremantle as well as the Subiaco Oval deal with the State Government which is worth $11m a year and up for review in 2027.
The commission and clubs will now spend the next few months working on a strategic plan they will release and begin to implement in the final months of this year to ensure the sustainability of the WAFL.
This also includes competitiveness, with a goal for fans to have a reasonable expectation that their club can play finals within four years and compete for a flag within eight if they are not doing so already.

Where are all these WCE supporters who said they would support their side in the WAFL. Nisbett said years ago they will bring in thousands of supporters. None of them show up though.
It's bloody hard for the WAFL clubs to get sponsors and crowds. there is virtually no promotion of the league and all football media is dedicated to the AFL. Not sure there is much that can be done to be honest while the WAFC runs things. I think if the WAFL could be run independently like the Eagles and Dockers are then it would do much better and not have to operate or answer to anything AFL.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

It's a circle. The footy commission owns the AFL clubs. The AFL clubs fund the WAFL. The WAFL looks after identification and development of players. Some for the AFL and the rest for competitions for those of us who believe that the Great Game should be for all, not just the 0.03% of age-eligible elite males who get drafted and the idle consumers of the elite product.

The WAFL is limping along like a busted arse but the idea that it should be self-sustaining seems a tad short-sighted in its bold embrace of the virtues of the free market.

I forget where I am, obviously. Sail on, brave lovers of the idea of s**t paying for itself or dying.

It doesn’t need to pay for itself or die.

It needs to pay for itself or play nice.

Can’t obstruct and generally * with the person who pays your salary at every opportunity and then wonder where it all went so wrong when they cut you loose and you can’t keep the lights on.

WAFL is a league for old people who saw it when it was relevant, and friends/family as you’ve identified. Not exactly a growth market, so maybe come to the table instead of being scared of the big bad Eagles wanting a fair shake at the expense of both of East Perth’s members being slightly offside.

Eagles had a deal with East Perth, the old guard kicked up a fuss. Eagles try to do a deal with Perth, the old guard kick up a fuss. Eagles say they’ll pull out of the comp, the old guard kick up a fuss because they need our cash. Eagles field a team crippled by WAFL list management restrictions and have to field an amateurs side (and unrelated to the WAFL and in no way their fault coincides with the worst managed injury program in memory at AFL level), so the team is a walking bye. Nobody wins at all.

Anyway. Will we win another game this year? Statistically yes, in reality probably not, would love to beat Essendon though it would make me laugh. Enjoy the thread folks.