Opinion Should the team ask for a Priority Pick 2025 edition.

[FatPizza]

Walking away with Picks 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, ~15, ours and Hawthorn's second and third rounders with 45 thrown in there too:

The assistance package will be the Fibonacci sequence in draft form.

 

[Bestbird]

We should ask for a Brisvegas package

For the next 3 years trade a few 3rd round picks in exchange for the number 1 draft pick

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

We should ask for a Brisvegas package

For the next 3 years trade a few 3rd round picks in exchange for the number 1 draft pick

Drew Banfield should adopt Willem Duursma as his son so we can get him as a father/son pickup with a few 3rd rounders. Will be a feelgood story, what with Willem playing with his brothers Charlie and Harper

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

The average punter on this board right now...

Not me though, I don't have a beard.

 

[Mr Q]

I've found the "they did it to themselves" argument against assistance this year somewhat mystifying. It usually makes an argument that we should have seen the end of the line for the players who got us our 2018 flag a lot sooner, and started the rebuild way quicker.

But just how old in 2018 was that squad? Well, inject it into this year's finals and it would have been the youngest and least experienced squad of the lot - even including Fremantle's team. So why wouldn't you think that team had at least a few more years competing before it faded out?

Hence the Kelly trade in 2019 - it makes sense if you have a team in their prime trying to grab a premiership.

Then ... ah, Covid. It changed everything. Still, we made finals in the great pandemic year of 2020, and had a team by now that still wouldn't have stood out in this year's finals (it would have been fourth). Given that we in particular seemed to struggle with the Covid hubs, you have to wonder where our team might have gone had 2020 been a normal season... I reckon we'd have been right there at the pointy end.

By the end of 2021, in hindsight, it was over for that era - but still a squad younger than either of this year's GF teams, and I don't think either are going into full rebuild next month.

But we were ravaged - and I mean ravaged - by injuries in 2022. Essendon 2025 eat your heart out on this one. Covid finally being let to run in Australia took out one AFL team in particular, meaning we had to play WAFL players to make up a team (more than once). And we never recovered. But I defy anyone to say "the Eagles did it to themselves" over that season.

We were done before the season started - and Covid, I reckon, is where our problems stem from - too many players all at once meant players were coming back too early, and Covid is not a cold or flu that you can train your way through - you shouldn't.

Players were playing unfit, injuring themselves repeatedly, shortening careers where they should have been sitting out weeks longer than they were - because otherwise we didn't have a team to put on the park. We then had games like the first 2023 Derby where we lost a quarter of the best 22 in one match, and again, never recovered.

Whatever it was, it wasn't trading and drafting that did it, and certainly not that we failed to see that we should have started a rebuild. We were in the right space to do what we did with Kelly. He was supposed to be a cherry on top, not the gaffer tape holding things together. No Covid, and quite likely across 2020/2021 we're a top team still. And who knows what happens from there?

I'm sure that quite a few decisions by the Eagles management team have contributed to where we are, but I don't reckon they're that much at fault.

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

I've found the "they did it to themselves" argument against assistance this year somewhat mystifying. It usually makes an argument that we should have seen the end of the line for the players who got us our 2018 flag a lot sooner, and started the rebuild way quicker.

But just how old in 2018 was that squad? Well, inject it into this year's finals and it would have been the youngest and least experienced squad of the lot - even including Fremantle's team. So why wouldn't you think that team had at least a few more years competing before it faded out?

Hence the Kelly trade in 2019 - it makes sense if you have a team in their prime trying to grab a premiership.

Then ... ah, Covid. It changed everything. Still, we made finals in the great pandemic year of 2020, and had a team by now that still wouldn't have stood out in this year's finals (it would have been fourth). Given that we in particular seemed to struggle with the Covid hubs, you have to wonder where our team might have gone had 2020 been a normal season... I reckon we'd have been right there at the pointy end.

By the end of 2021, in hindsight, it was over for that era - but still a squad younger than either of this year's GF teams, and I don't think either are going into full rebuild next month.

But we were ravaged - and I mean ravaged - by injuries in 2022. Essendon 2025 eat your heart out on this one. Covid finally being let to run in Australia took out one AFL team in particular, meaning we had to play WAFL players to make up a team (more than once). And we never recovered. But I defy anyone to say "the Eagles did it to themselves" over that season.

We were done before the season started - and Covid, I reckon, is where our problems stem from - too many players all at once meant players were coming back too early, and Covid is not a cold or flu that you can train your way through - you shouldn't.

Players were playing unfit, injuring themselves repeatedly, shortening careers where they should have been sitting out weeks longer than they were - because otherwise we didn't have a team to put on the park. We then had games like the first 2023 Derby where we lost a quarter of the best 22 in one match, and again, never recovered.

Whatever it was, it wasn't trading and drafting that did it, and certainly not that we failed to see that we should have started a rebuild. We were in the right space to do what we did with Kelly. He was supposed to be a cherry on top, not the gaffer tape holding things together. No Covid, and quite likely across 2020/2021 we're a top team still. And who knows what happens from there?

I'm sure that quite a few decisions by the Eagles management team have contributed to where we are, but I don't reckon they're that much at fault.

I don't agree with that at all. That sounds like full on victimhood ideology. You can't be serious still blaming Covid for where things are at in 2025. The whole world went through the Covid Scamdemic period, not just the WCE footy club. And it is 3 years behind us now.

The club was absolutely stewing in it's own arrogance under Nisbett/Simpson. We thought we were the exception to every rule. Gravity didn't apply to us. But while deluding ourselves we fell behind in every area from fitness to high performance to trading to drafting. We went from being a benchmark to the worst in the comp in every area.

But we had a good core group of players drafted from 2014 and before and that masked it all. It was hard to see the foundations rotting underneath whilst that group kept the onfield performances respectable. But they were rotting. When that group of players got old, declined in performance (and attitude) and then retired it all got laid bare. All the chickens came home to roost on us.

And you can't fix a hole you have dug for yourself over a decade of bad management and bad decisions in a couple of years. Especially in a period of a ridiculously compromised draft.

That said, it shouldn't disqualify us from assistance because any club that has a run of bottom 4 finishes bad enough to make them eligible for assistance is going to have made some mistakes and had some bad management contribute to it's demise. If you had done everything right and made every post a winner you wouldn't have ended up spending the 5 plus years in the bottom 4 that is necessary to make you eligible for assistance.

 

[BSD]

I've found the "they did it to themselves" argument against assistance this year somewhat mystifying. It usually makes an argument that we should have seen the end of the line for the players who got us our 2018 flag a lot sooner, and started the rebuild way quicker.

But just how old in 2018 was that squad? Well, inject it into this year's finals and it would have been the youngest and least experienced squad of the lot - even including Fremantle's team. So why wouldn't you think that team had at least a few more years competing before it faded out?

Hence the Kelly trade in 2019 - it makes sense if you have a team in their prime trying to grab a premiership.

Then ... ah, Covid. It changed everything. Still, we made finals in the great pandemic year of 2020, and had a team by now that still wouldn't have stood out in this year's finals (it would have been fourth). Given that we in particular seemed to struggle with the Covid hubs, you have to wonder where our team might have gone had 2020 been a normal season... I reckon we'd have been right there at the pointy end.

By the end of 2021, in hindsight, it was over for that era - but still a squad younger than either of this year's GF teams, and I don't think either are going into full rebuild next month.

But we were ravaged - and I mean ravaged - by injuries in 2022. Essendon 2025 eat your heart out on this one. Covid finally being let to run in Australia took out one AFL team in particular, meaning we had to play WAFL players to make up a team (more than once). And we never recovered. But I defy anyone to say "the Eagles did it to themselves" over that season.

We were done before the season started - and Covid, I reckon, is where our problems stem from - too many players all at once meant players were coming back too early, and Covid is not a cold or flu that you can train your way through - you shouldn't.

Players were playing unfit, injuring themselves repeatedly, shortening careers where they should have been sitting out weeks longer than they were - because otherwise we didn't have a team to put on the park. We then had games like the first 2023 Derby where we lost a quarter of the best 22 in one match, and again, never recovered.

Whatever it was, it wasn't trading and drafting that did it, and certainly not that we failed to see that we should have started a rebuild. We were in the right space to do what we did with Kelly. He was supposed to be a cherry on top, not the gaffer tape holding things together. No Covid, and quite likely across 2020/2021 we're a top team still. And who knows what happens from there?

I'm sure that quite a few decisions by the Eagles management team have contributed to where we are, but I don't reckon they're that much at fault.

Bulldust, Apart from Simmo and Nesbitt there were other people that were culpable for our fall and were never held accountable. If the West Coast board was elected by members they would all have been voted out after the 2022 season.
The ones still there should hang their heads in shame for the shit show we have now ended up being. They were too busy looking at balance sheets and marveling at how much money they have in the bank. It's an old boys club where the current incumbents promote their mates to replace them when their terms expire.

 

[FKASC]

But while deluding ourselves we fell behind in every area from fitness to high performance to trading to drafting. We went from being a benchmark to the worst in the comp in every area.

You accuse the OP of victimhood ideology, and then go into full blown BigFooty bedwetter mode

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

I stopped reading at scamdemic.

 

[FatPizza]

I stopped reading at scamdemic.

I stopped reading at Deplorable Trumpster.

 

[Cuzz09]

God I hope we improve.

That 2nd half v Syd in the last rd was as bad as the 1st half v Cats in the last rd of 2024.

We know how to end on a high.

 

[ghostbat12]

Bulldust, Apart from Simmo and Nesbitt there were other people that were culpable for our fall and were never held accountable. If the West Coast board was elected by members they would all have been voted out after the 2022 season.
The ones still there should hang their heads in shame for the shit show we have now ended up being. They were too busy looking at balance sheets and marveling at how much money they have in the bank. It's an old boys club where the current incumbents promote their mates to replace them when their terms expire.

CEO and coach are ultimately accountable and changes had been made. in case you haven't noticed, we haven't gelled as a club yet because of all those changes. that takes years to build. I am not really sure who is still remaining to hang their head in shame. who are you referring to?

whilst there is element of promoting mates, I don't see any evidence that members voting is any better. they vote who they like and on a whim and have zero knowledge of ability of any individual put-up for election.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

God I hope we improve.

That 2nd half v Syd in the last rd was as bad as the 1st half v Cats in the last rd of 2024.

We know how to end on a high.

Hey now, Hutch squeezed four years out of that game vs Geelong!

 

[amazingjoshy]

I've found the "they did it to themselves" argument against assistance this year somewhat mystifying. It usually makes an argument that we should have seen the end of the line for the players who got us our 2018 flag a lot sooner, and started the rebuild way quicker.

But just how old in 2018 was that squad? Well, inject it into this year's finals and it would have been the youngest and least experienced squad of the lot - even including Fremantle's team. So why wouldn't you think that team had at least a few more years competing before it faded out?

Hence the Kelly trade in 2019 - it makes sense if you have a team in their prime trying to grab a premiership.

Then ... ah, Covid. It changed everything. Still, we made finals in the great pandemic year of 2020, and had a team by now that still wouldn't have stood out in this year's finals (it would have been fourth). Given that we in particular seemed to struggle with the Covid hubs, you have to wonder where our team might have gone had 2020 been a normal season... I reckon we'd have been right there at the pointy end.

By the end of 2021, in hindsight, it was over for that era - but still a squad younger than either of this year's GF teams, and I don't think either are going into full rebuild next month.

But we were ravaged - and I mean ravaged - by injuries in 2022. Essendon 2025 eat your heart out on this one. Covid finally being let to run in Australia took out one AFL team in particular, meaning we had to play WAFL players to make up a team (more than once). And we never recovered. But I defy anyone to say "the Eagles did it to themselves" over that season.

We were done before the season started - and Covid, I reckon, is where our problems stem from - too many players all at once meant players were coming back too early, and Covid is not a cold or flu that you can train your way through - you shouldn't.

Players were playing unfit, injuring themselves repeatedly, shortening careers where they should have been sitting out weeks longer than they were - because otherwise we didn't have a team to put on the park. We then had games like the first 2023 Derby where we lost a quarter of the best 22 in one match, and again, never recovered.

Whatever it was, it wasn't trading and drafting that did it, and certainly not that we failed to see that we should have started a rebuild. We were in the right space to do what we did with Kelly. He was supposed to be a cherry on top, not the gaffer tape holding things together. No Covid, and quite likely across 2020/2021 we're a top team still. And who knows what happens from there?

I'm sure that quite a few decisions by the Eagles management team have contributed to where we are, but I don't reckon they're that much at fault.

Agree mostly, but the biggest issue was allowing the standards to drop through the floor.

For whatever reason (covid, injuries, arrogance of certain premiership players, lack of leadership) players were allowed to get away with not meeting standards and its a massive effort for McQualter and his team to turn that around now.

Whatever happened in that first hub will probably make a good article or book one day

 

[Cuzz09]

Hey now, Hutch squeezed four years out of that game vs Geelong!

the gift that keeps giving

 

[BSD]

CEO and coach are ultimately accountable and changes had been made. in case you haven't noticed, we haven't gelled as a club yet because of all those changes. that takes years to build. I am not really sure who is still remaining to hang their head in shame. who are you referring to?

whilst there is element of promoting mates, I don't see any evidence that members voting is any better. they vote who they like and on a whim and have zero knowledge of ability of any individual put-up for election.

So its ok for board members to do their 9 yr terms and not be held accountable for their inaction. Our politicians are held accountable every 3-4 yrs at election time.
As for the CEO he was on the board and not accountable to his mates. The coach let the standards drop and should never had his contract extended and should have been punted 2 yrs earlier. It would be up to the candidates to inform the voting members of their ability to be board members and what they can personally do to add value to the club. It's not rocket science to get that info to the members.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

It's batshit insanity to me that people see how Essendon are run and are like yep, that'll make us better.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Agree mostly, but the biggest issue was allowing the standards to drop through the floor.

For whatever reason (covid, injuries, arrogance of certain premiership players, lack of leadership) players were allowed to get away with not meeting standards and its a massive effort for McQualter and his team to turn that around now.

Whatever happened in that first hub will probably make a good article or book one day

It was the case of a premiership hangover... that occured when the going got tough as opposed to the season after.

Most people threw in the towel come 2021.

 

[Donkers]

It's batshit insanity to me that people see how Essendon are run and are like yep, that'll make us better.

View attachment 2437813

This is the Essendon's problem and they will stay the way they are until the hold that certain people have over the club is taken away. Always chasing a quick fix thinking that will put them in contention.

They need to look at this as ground zero and start the rebuild from the perspective of a sustained period of success is likely a 6-8 year build away and there may only be 1-2 blokes on our list now that are part of that then.

Until that mentality changes, nothing changes. Essendon have been in this cycle for 20 years. Even since the wheels started to fall off after 2001 it's been this way. They want to be seen to be a big club and a dominant power but are still acting as though it's a state league where they can just do a quick fix and move for success.

It is an absolute stark contrast and Richmond should really be shown as a case in point of when Brendan Gale and Peggy O'Neal walked through the door and rebuilt the club, it's culture and moved it towards success. Huge respect for Trent Cotchin as well as he walked in the door and was the one driving his own standards and trying to bring others with him from day 1. He probably never quite became the player his talent suggested he could have been, but he's still a premiership captain and brownlow medallist and not many get to say that.

 

[Mr Q]

I don't agree with that at all. That sounds like full on victimhood ideology. You can't be serious still blaming Covid for where things are at in 2025. The whole world went through the Covid Scamdemic period, not just the WCE footy club. And it is 3 years behind us now.

Well should have stopped reading at "scamdemic" because it says you have zero knowledge of anything (but so does "Deplorable Trumpster"), but...

For whatever reason, the Eagles had the worst experience with Covid, and Covid is well known to have serious negative impacts on fitness. Thus the terrible injury run in 2022 as players weren't fit to play, but had to (incidentally, that is 3 years ago, and if you think Covid was "3 years behind us" you're not living in the real world where it's ever present).

Maybe you should take a Panadol and lie down.

 

[BSD]

Agree mostly, but the biggest issue was allowing the standards to drop through the floor.

For whatever reason (covid, injuries, arrogance of certain premiership players, lack of leadership) players were allowed to get away with not meeting standards and its a massive effort for McQualter and his team to turn that around now.

Whatever happened in that first hub will probably make a good article or book one day

It's batshit insanity to me that people see how Essendon are run and are like yep, that'll make us better.

View attachment 2437813

Why compare us to Essendon. Essendon have some ex West Coast people in senior management roles.
Geelong is what we should aspire to and be compared to. West Coast don't have a coterie group blowing the joint up we had a board and Chairpersons do that for us.

 

[flyinghi64]

I stopped reading at scamdemic.

That was about the only part I did agree with

 

[ghostbat12]

So its ok for board members to do their 9 yr terms and not be held accountable for their inaction. Our politicians are held accountable every 3-4 yrs at election time.
As for the CEO he was on the board and not accountable to his mates. The coach let the standards drop and should never had his contract extended and should have been punted 2 yrs earlier. It would be up to the candidates to inform the voting members of their ability to be board members and what they can personally do to add value to the club. It's not rocket science to get that info to the members.

"it would be be up to candidates to inform the voting members of their ability to be board members"? oh...so this in itself is a case for not doing this, because they don't know and look for others to effectively charm them. everyone wants to be charmed and voting members will vote for those that charm them, not for those that know what to do.

If you look at how middle or older age men behave during the game and obscenities they yell out at 18 year olds, I wouldn't be trusting them to get it right on anything.

enough changes have been made. Pyke is accountable for the club performance.

 

[EagleMan87]

Maybe you should take a Tylenol and lie down.

FTFY

 

[amazingjoshy]

It's batshit insanity to me that people see how Essendon are run and are like yep, that'll make us better.

View attachment 2437813

Wait, who's wanting us to be like Essendon?