2nds WAFL Watch - 2025 Edition

[HoneyBadger35]

How did ____ go on the weekend?

Why not consult the Alesana Player Video Database.

Resource - Player Video Database

Putting this into a spreadsheet for convenience. 2024 is still there in a tab on the bottom of the sheet. I'll update this as much as I can throughout the year. The All Stars game and our match sim against Richmond are now up.

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Grahame]

Yes, meaning Graham still has a good 4 years left and is clearly McQualters mate from Richmond.

Hall isn't going to sit in the WAFL for 4 years. By rights he should be straight back into the side with the numbers he's put up over the past month. However, due to this ongoing potential "imbalance" with the 2 of them playing in the senior side, I don't see him getting a gig.

Which sucks.

Just clarifying, are you suggesting Graham gets dropped so Hall can get a gig?

 

[Obeanie1]

Yes, meaning Graham still has a good 4 years left and is clearly McQualters mate from Richmond.

Hall isn't going to sit in the WAFL for 4 years. By rights he should be straight back into the side with the numbers he's put up over the past month. However, due to this ongoing potential "imbalance" with the 2 of them playing in the senior side, I don't see him getting a gig.

Which sucks.

19 year olds with questionable skills and decision making need to develop and earn their spot. They need to do the apprentership. Build their endurance.

Look at Ed Allen at Collingwood.

Unless you are a top ranked mid who is eliete with a higher ceiling kids just dont walk into an AFL side.

Hall has played 6 games. Been given a taste. And injury will see him get more before he is actually ready most likely.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

After what I saw today I wouldnt be against potentially something like Maric + Cole out for McCarthy + Bazzo.
Would free up Ginbey from being the 3rd tall too.

Probably means we are 1 small lockdown player short though, if we want McCarthy to attack.

I dont get this idea in the sense we literally have no one attacking from HB besides Maric.... which is the problem Maric is having. Maric needs McCarthy like player in the team to take some of the pressure away from him, in particular with Maric being deeper in defense. Maric is much better on the HB line as a whole and not taking the kick ins but with no one else worthy he ends up in that spot.

McCarthy can come in, Cole can go out. Ginbey can spend more time intercepting the ball as opposed to trying to run from defense

All of that should be the aim as opposed to dumping all the pressure on someone in his 1st game to create from defense

 

[Dark Sharks]

Just clarifying, are you suggesting Graham gets dropped so Hall can get a gig?

Nope, Graham is invaluable to the team at the moment, but it'd be nice to find a spot for Clay in the best 22.

On WAFL form he clearly deserves it more than anyone else.

19 year olds with questionable skills and decision making need to develop and earn their spot. They need to do the apprentership. Build their endurance.

Look at Ed Allen at Collingwood.

Unless you are a top ranked mid who is eliete with a higher ceiling kids just dont walk into an AFL side.

Hall has played 6 games. Been given a taste. And injury will see him get more before he is actually ready most likely.

Bruv Hall has averaged about 30 touches and 5 tackles a game whilst kicking 3 goals over the last month. He's far from walking into the side. He's earned his spot IMO.

The next part of his development should be giving him the sugar hit of AFL after he's put in a stretch of quality WAFL form, which he has.

 

[bzparkes]

Nope, Graham is invaluable to the team at the moment, but it'd be nice to find a spot for Clay in the best 22.

On WAFL form he clearly deserves it more than anyone else.



Bruv Hall has averaged about 30 touches and 5 tackles a game whilst kicking 3 goals over the last month. He's far from walking into the side. He's earned his spot IMO.

The next part of his development should be giving him the sugar hit of AFL after he's put in a stretch of quality WAFL form, which he has.

I don't think anyone's saying he shouldn't be getting a chance. In fact, our WAFL players should be putting up numbers like his before coming into the team.

Who does he replace?

 

[ArdentEagle]

Glad someone mentioned this, although he didnt have a big impact he looked clean with his disposal and strong, I still retain some hope for him especially under a new coach

It was probably the best gamer once seen him play (low bar I know)

That kick out the the wing off the 45 was immense. TBH, I didn't think he was capable of that

 

[Grahame]

Nope, Graham is invaluable to the team at the moment, but it'd be nice to find a spot for Clay in the best 22.

That’s the issue, not just with Hall, but to include a player someone has to be dropped. The easy part is just saying Hall or Shanahan or Grego or Chesser or McCarthy or Gross etc should be in … but in place of who?

We are getting to a position where it’s getting tougher to get a place (injuries excluded) so to make a reasonable argument for including someone you have to be able to show who they’re better than.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

It was probably the best gamer once seen him play (low bar I know)

That kick out the the wing off the 45 was immense. TBH, I didn't think he was capable of that

Some of us have been saying for 18 months it was the role he was playing at fat side winger.

Chesser was good today, but I feel like it was on par with the games he was putting up in the WAFL late last year (the one where he had to come off 5 time with blood rule comes to mind).

He's still playing wing, which is fine, but you'll see he's playing at the back of the stoppage as defensive sweeper and not 50m off the ball protecting the corridor like he was under Simmo.

Chesser has also had a kick with good penetration to go along with his physical attributes.

 

[new breed]

Glad to hear the coach is a fan.

Chessers career was stalled in his first hit out against Freo in that preseason practice game when an opponent shoved him in a marking contest and he did the ankle. That was along time ago.

Fingers crossed he has finally fixed it.

Yes the ankle has been an issue from that scratch match for Chesser .

 

[Dark Sharks]

I don't think anyone's saying he shouldn't be getting a chance. In fact, our WAFL players should be putting up numbers like his before coming into the team.

Who does he replace?

That’s the issue, not just with Hall, but to include a player someone has to be dropped. The easy part is just saying Hall or Shanahan or Grego or Chesser or McCarthy or Gross etc should be in … but in place of who?

We are getting to a position where it’s getting tougher to get a place (injuries excluded) so to make a reasonable argument for including someone you have to be able to show who they’re better than.

Well that's my point boiz, ergo #whatsthepoint

Graham can't play anywhere else, and unless you're making Hall the sub you're taking away his 1 wood by taking him out of the contest if you put him somewhere else.

I'd like to see both of them in the midfield. I feel like MC really doesn't want that. At least we'd get our hands on some contested ball before we're likely killed on the spread.

Get Hough out of there and back into defense, ditch Cole.

Harley, Graham, Hall, Baker should be our main CBD rotation IMO. Brockman and Ryan to go through there whenever.


FWD - Ryan, Jobe, Brockman
HF - Long, Allen, Kelly
C - Hunt, Baker, Maric
HB - Ginbey, Brock, McCarthy
FB - Hough, Hedwards, Duggan
MID - Flynn, Reid, Graham

INT.- Hall, Hutchinson, Jilliams, Hewett
Sub - Allan

Something like the above, with the players we've got available currently would be interesting

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

That’s the issue, not just with Hall, but to include a player someone has to be dropped. The easy part is just saying Hall or Shanahan or Grego or Chesser or McCarthy or Gross etc should be in … but in place of who?

We are getting to a position where it’s getting tougher to get a place (injuries excluded) so to make a reasonable argument for including someone you have to be able to show who they’re better than.

I don't agree with this.

We're 18th with a 1-10 record. It's not as if it is so hard to find a spot because we're humming so beautifully. We lost by 11 goals last week. There are atleast half a dozen or so spots up for grabs.

Dewar, Hutchinson, Cole, Hunt, Long should be under huge pressure to keep their spots. Maric, in my opinion will be replaced in that role by McCarthy if not next week then very soon, and Shanahan, Bazzo are putting a fair amount of pressure on Edwards to keep his spot.

Chesser > either Hutch, Hunt or Dewar (Johnston could too, but his performance doesn't warrant it)
McCarthy > Maric as rebounding defender
Bazzo > Cole (Bazzo to play tall in place of Ginbey who plays more rebounding)
Hall (as a mid) > Long - change rotations and have Ryan, Harley, Hewett play slightly more time forward or
Gross > Long straight swap could be easier option

I'd go one step further and say the only thing keeping Duggan in the team at the moment is that he is captain, and it's not unforeseeable that he might find himself dropped in the second half of the year if he doesn't improve, and Ginger's form wold also be a huge concern and he shouldn't be above being dropped if he can't find some better form himself.

Wouldn't be surprised if at some stage we see Grego come in for one of Duggan or Ginbey later down the year or Grego could come in for Cole instead of Bazzo.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Well that's my point boiz, ergo #whatsthepoint

Graham can't play anywhere else, and unless you're making Hall the sub you're taking away his 1 wood by taking him out of the contest if you put him somewhere else.

I'd like to see both of them in the midfield. I feel like MC really doesn't want that. At least we'd get our hands on some contested ball before we're likely killed on the spread.

Get Hough out of there and back into defense, ditch Cole.

Harley, Graham, Hall, Baker should be our main CBD rotation IMO. Brockman and Ryan to go through there whenever.


FWD - Ryan, Jobe, Brockman
HF - Long, Allen, Kelly
C - Hunt, Baker, Maric
HB - Ginbey, Brock, McCarthy
FB - Hough, Hedwards, Duggan
MID - Flynn, Reid, Graham

INT.- Hall, Hutchinson, Jilliams, Hewett
Sub - Allan

Something like the above, with the players we've got available currently would be interesting

Where's Archer Reid?

 

[Dark Sharks]

Where's Archer Reid?

In the bin

Nah actually in the WAFL, where he belongs until he can kick a drop punt at goal and not OOB.

But really chop/change Jobe and Archer in that role, for the purpose of that team it doesn't matter.

 

[bzparkes]

In the bin

Nah actually in the WAFL, where he belongs until he can kick a drop punt at goal and not OOB.

But really chop/change Jobe and Archer in that role, for the purpose of that team it doesn't matter.

Archer allows the team to be more flexible with the sub, without compromising our woeful ruck situation.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Archer allows the team to be more flexible with the sub, without compromising our woeful ruck situation.

I still don't think that justifies playing him ahead of Jilliams or for arguments sake Jobe. Gonna need to bring a little bit more to the team than that.

Both are clearly in better form as a forward than him at the moment, despite Jobe recently playing in defence.

 

[bzparkes]

I still don't think that justifies playing him ahead of Jilliams or for arguments sake Jobe. Gonna need to bring a little bit more to the team than that.

Both are clearly in better form as a forward than him at the moment, despite Jobe recently playing in defence.

JWill appears to be competing with BWill for a spot currently, especially now that Waterman's done. Agree that it should be Archer but as Mini's repeatedly said, players aren't being judged simply by what they do with the ball.

I guess he has his own expectations and Archer appears to be filling them more than JWill.

It's probably why Hall's still in the WAFL, although I'm sure he'll get a look in next week.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

JWill appears to be competing with BWill for a spot currently, especially now that Waterman's done. Agree that it should be Archer but as Mini's repeatedly said, players aren't being judged simply by what they do with the ball.

I guess he has his own expectations and Archer appears to be filling them more than JWill.

It's probably why Hall's still in the WAFL, although I'm sure he'll get a look in next week.

I don't get the hate for Archer. He's still 19 and I've rarely seen him lose a contest in the front half. Even in the GWS game when we lost by 80 he out pointed Taylor twice from memory- something our leading KPF, golden child captain couldn't do.

 

[squashface]

I don't get the hate for Archer. He's still 19 and I've rarely seen him lose a contest in the front half. Even in the GWS game when we lost by 80 he out pointed Taylor twice from memory- something our leading KPF, golden child captain couldn't do.

Probably because he is playing as a KPF but he can’t kick a set shot?

You can win all the contests you want but you’re always gonna cop heat if you spray it every time you kick for goal as a forward.

He either needs to be learning how to kick a set shot or learning how to become a defender. Both of which should be happening at WAFL level.

 

[ziad]

I don't agree with this.

We're 18th with a 1-10 record. It's not as if it is so hard to find a spot because we're humming so beautifully. We lost by 11 goals last week. There are atleast half a dozen or so spots up for grabs.

Dewar, Hutchinson, Cole, Hunt, Long should be under huge pressure to keep their spots. Maric, in my opinion will be replaced in that role by McCarthy if not next week then very soon, and Shanahan, Bazzo are putting a fair amount of pressure on Edwards to keep his spot.

Chesser > either Hutch, Hunt or Dewar (Johnston could too, but his performance doesn't warrant it)
McCarthy > Maric as rebounding defender
Bazzo > Cole (Bazzo to play tall in place of Ginbey who plays more rebounding)
Hall (as a mid) > Long - change rotations and have Ryan, Harley, Hewett play slightly more time forward or
Gross > Long straight swap could be easier option

I'd go one step further and say the only thing keeping Duggan in the team at the moment is that he is captain, and it's not unforeseeable that he might find himself dropped in the second half of the year if he doesn't improve, and Ginger's form wold also be a huge concern and he shouldn't be above being dropped if he can't find some better form himself.

Wouldn't be surprised if at some stage we see Grego come in for one of Duggan or Ginbey later down the year or Grego could come in for Cole instead of Bazzo.

Interesting stuff. We only get better my improving the parts in the end. Mini is clear on this thankfully.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Probably because he is playing as a KPF but he can’t kick a set shot?

You can win all the contests you want but you’re always gonna cop heat if you spray it every time you kick for goal as a forward.

He either needs to be learning how to kick a set shot or learning how to become a defender. Both of which should be happening at WAFL level.

He just needs to work on his set shots. He has players around him who have great set shots. He can just work on it during the week.

Being able to win contests in the front half at 19 is far more impressive than his poor set shots are worrisome.

Winning contests is far harder to teach and far more innate skill. Goal kicking can be fixed over time with practice.

 

[squashface]

He just needs to work on his set shots. He has players around him who have great set shots. He can just work on it during the week.

Being able to win contests in the front half at 19 is far more impressive than his poor set shots are worrisome.

Winning contests is far harder to teach and far more innate skill. Goal kicking can be fixed over time with practice.

I don't disagree. But I don't think he should be the regular automatic in that he is in the senior side until he shows improvement in that space.

 

[UseR2006]

He just needs to work on his set shots. He has players around him who have great set shots. He can just work on it during the week.

Being able to win contests in the front half at 19 is far more impressive than his poor set shots are worrisome.

Winning contests is far harder to teach and far more innate skill. Goal kicking can be fixed over time with practice.

Shanahan also rarely loses a contest but can kick a goal from 50 and is younger than Archer.
Should he be an automatic inclusion instead of Archer?
He can work on his strength in the gym during the week.

One of the reasons (among many) that people want Archer in the WAFL is it's demoralising to fluff every opportunity he gets to kick at goal. Could you imagine the feeling of running out with the boys, you get 4-5 good opporunities to kick at goal every week and you miss them all. Especially in the close games like Essendon and Richmond?

It'd be confidence destroying.

 

[Donkers]

I firmly believe that in almost all situations the only things that you can significantly improve in a player in regards to skills are in decision making and by hand.

It's why I think Hall can still be a very good player. He needs to get elite running ability and strength whilst constantly working on his skills by hand. If he can do that he could be an elite extractor and defensively which would more than make up for his deficiencies.

Players foot skills can get better but generally not by much and mostly with experienced players its their decision making and experience that leads to them looking like better kicks. One of the few players who play currently who has gone from poor by foot to above average is Libba and even then he generally looks to hand off if he can. It's also why most ruckmen when given the opportunity hand off to a better kick.

For me goal kicking is one of the hardest things to improve in a player as unless they are doing it as a monster out of the goal square they are generally quite exhausted when kicking on goal. Even most talls in a good side are making repeat leads to get onto the ball and are puffing by the time they kick on goal. Yes it's easier to improve than field kicking after hard running through a zone but you almost never go from terrible to good.

It's the primary reason I don't rate Bailey Williams as a forward and why I think Archer Reid needs to eventually either be a full time ruck or back eventually. Archer is not quite but almost as bad by foot as a young Darren Glass

Darren Glass

Age

44

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

5.6

2star

K

2.6

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.0

3star

. At least he is a penetrating kick (when it hits his foot right)

It also with how hard Waterman runs, it's astonishing how good a kick for goal he is. Goal kicking is also one of those things that can be easily seen as a supporter is very hard to improve. Ryan is an elite field kick and on the run or in play a very good kick on goal. But he's dead average on the set shot.

Also for guys like Williams and Archer Reid if you're dropping the ball as a guy who is 201 or 204cm it's a long way down, your action has to be nigh on perfect at that height to get it through the big sticks reliably.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Shanahan also rarely loses a contest but can kick a goal from 50 and is younger than Archer.
Should he be an automatic inclusion instead of Archer?
He can work on his strength in the gym during the week.

One of the reasons (among many) that people want Archer in the WAFL is it's demoralising to fluff every opportunity he gets to kick at goal. Could you imagine the feeling of running out with the boys, you get 4-5 good opporunities to kick at goal every week and you miss them all. Especially in the close games like Essendon and Richmond?

It'd be confidence destroying.

I’m a huge Shanahan fan and want him in the AFL side (in his best position as a key defender).

I’d argue that Archer was a big part of why we were so close in the Essendon game, he had an about 3 goal assists coming off contest he won against ZR - who has been a big part of Bombers defense and ball movement from the back half - was basically neutralised.

And i reckon if Watermna, Kelly or Flynn as senior players nailed their easy set shots we win that game.

So no, I don’t agree with you that we should place the blame for those games on Archer.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I don't get the hate for Archer. He's still 19 and I've rarely seen him lose a contest in the front half. Even in the GWS game when we lost by 80 he out pointed Taylor twice from memory- something our leading KPF, golden child captain couldn't do.

I get the hate. He is a ****ing defender we are butchering up forward when what we need is a defender

Its a problem across the board. So many players playing out of position its ridiculous. We cant wait 50 games to get them into their best position like we did with Hough. Lets just do it now yeah?