West Coast priority pick 2026

[Purple Suit]

1. We already got a priority pick.

2. We didn't start this thread.

3. We haven't had the benefit of getting the #1 pick in multiple years whilst contending for/winning flags, nor have we had our salary cap indiscretions to keep our contending list together swept under the rug.

4. If we did either of #3, we'd shut the **** up about a club at the bottom of the ladder and keep our opinions to ourselves due to how privileged our clubs our with the AFL's help.

While it’s very obvious Geelong are the kings of this with a diplomatic immunity card, Simmo owning 2 Hungry Jacks stores still seems very sus to me. In the end WC got ripped off with that one and they probably used the “extra” soft cap to pay for staff like Trevor Nisbetts son.

 

[bzparkes]

While it’s very obvious Geelong are the kings of this with a diplomatic immunity card, Simmo owning 2 Hungry Jacks stores still seems very sus to me. In the end WC got ripped off with that one and they probably used the “extra” soft cap to pay for staff like Trevor Nisbetts son.

He brought that up on radio a few years. Jokingly complained he had to pay for them himself.

 

[Donflicted]

I was told something by some Eagles supporters so one you guys can confirm but

Your VFL/WAFL team players not on the main list don't get paid do they?

 

[bzparkes]

I was told something by some Eagles supporters so one you guys can confirm but

Your VFL/WAFL team players not on the main list don't get paid do they?

I don't think that's true.

They'd have to get match payments, at the very least, otherwise we'd have no WAFL players.

There's also a marquee player rule, whose salary is mostly exempt from the salary cap.

 

[Donflicted]

I don't think that's true.

They'd have to get match payments, at the very least, otherwise we'd have no WAFL players.

There's also a marquee player rule, whose salary is mostly exempt from the salary cap.

Might be something to look at as if it is true

That affects development its going to be hard for your main listed players to develop in the twos if your WAFL team just gets smacked every week

 

[bzparkes]

Might be something to look at as if it is true

That affects development its going to be hard for your main listed players to develop in the twos if your WAFL team just gets smacked every week

The main issue with the WAFL club is that it's primarily a development team and not there to seriously compete for flags. The club also has no history, other than losing, so serious WAFL players will have no interest playing for them and hte ones we do have are really B-grade ammos players.

Having said that, Horsley has made moves the past couple of years to raise the training standards of the top ups, as well as to include them in parts of the AFL programme, so there is an intent there to make the WAFL side more of a legitimate team than what they currently are.

The difficulty lies in not having a reserves side. This is where Peel differs for Freo as they are a legitimate club set up the same way as the other WAFL clubs. Some players aren't ready for senior WAFL football when drafted, so they play reserves but WCE don't have that luxury.

West Coast also can't do that due to the soft cap, is my understanding(could be wrong).

The solution to this would be to merge with Perth, as they share Lathlain with West Coast but due to the previous WAFL alignment between WCE and East Perth, WAFL clubs are pretty shy about aligning with WCE. They want to seriously compete in their comp and WCE(Nisbett) apparently ran roughshod over their club so despite the injection of cash, they had to kowtow to their West Coast overlords and went from a serious club to just a development squad for WCE, which is not what WAFL clubs want, understandably.

WCE just need to swallow their pride and propose the Peel model to Perth and work with them but Perth is a completely different kettle of fish compared to Peel Thunder, as Perth FC has been around since 1899, whereas Fremantle are actually an older club than Peel Thunder(est. 1996), so the club history simply isn't there to worry about.

 

[Donflicted]

The main issue with the WAFL club is that it's primarily a development team and not there to seriously compete for flags. The club also has no history, other than losing, so serious WAFL players will have no interest playing for them and hte ones we do have are really B-grade ammos players.

Having said that, Horsley has made moves the past couple of years to raise the training standards of the top ups, as well as to include them in parts of the AFL programme, so there is an intent there to make the WAFL side more of a legitimate team than what they currently are.

The difficulty lies in not having a reserves side. This is where Peel differs for Freo as they are a legitimate club set up the same way as the other WAFL clubs. Some players aren't ready for senior WAFL football when drafted, so they play reserves but WCE don't have that luxury.

West Coast also can't do that due to the soft cap, is my understanding(could be wrong).

The solution to this would be to merge with Perth, as they share Lathlain with West Coast but due to the previous WAFL alignment between WCE and East Perth, WAFL clubs are pretty shy about aligning with WCE. They want to seriously compete in their comp and WCE(Nisbett) apparently ran roughshod over their club so despite the injection of cash, they had to kowtow to their West Coast overlords and went from a serious club to just a development squad for WCE, which is not what WAFL clubs want, understandably.

WCE just need to swallow their pride and propose the Peel model to Perth and work with them but Perth is a completely different kettle of fish compared to Peel Thunder, as Perth FC has been around since 1899, whereas Fremantle are actually an older club than Peel Thunder(est. 1996), so the club history simply isn't there to worry about.

What a garbage set up

Surely your admin can see that even if your developing them physically that the no interest to play for flags would set your players back in the mental aspect of things?

 

[bzparkes]

What a garbage set up

Surely your admin can see that even if your developing them physically that the no interest to play for flags would set your players back in the mental aspect of things?

Yep, it's a terrible setup.

Having said that, it's very dependent on availability of players, as well as how the senior team is performing. The team played finals in 2019, their first year, for example.

Ever since then it's gone to complete shit due to a mixture of player availability, lack of senior players for the side, as well as injuries. During that 2022/2023 run, there were periods where only 2-3 players from the AFL squad were playing. One game, Tyrell Dewar was the only player.

This is where the mature top ups come in handy(Dev, Shoenberg & Macrae) and although possibly 2 of them will possibly be playing seniors, it still pushes a best 25-30 player down to the WAFL side, instead of having that player in the senior team.

Our only AFL listed midfielder for most of the WAFL season last year was Tom Gross(when Hall wasn't there) and he was a first year player. Still was probably our best WAFL mid for the year, which shows the quality of the top ups we manage to get. I don't want to shit on them as they do try hard and there are some good players there, just none of them can realistically go with senior WAFL mids from other teams, such as Parfitt and Constable at Perth, Tedesco and Brayshaw at East Perth, etc.

 

[Purple Suit]

He brought that up on radio a few years. Jokingly complained he had to pay for them himself.

I have no doubt he didn't pay money and it wouldn't have been on the same scale as a Geelong farmland opportunity but I also recon he got looked after by the major sponsor.

 

[bzparkes]

I have no doubt he didn't pay money and it wouldn't have been on the same scale as a Geelong farmland opportunity but I also recon he got looked after by the major sponsor.

I daresay it would've been the approval to franchise the business more than anything financial. Only around 20% of HJ's are franchised and they cost between $200k and $600k to get started, something he'd easily be able to afford.

 

[Purple Suit]

The main issue with the WAFL club is that it's primarily a development team and not there to seriously compete for flags. The club also has no history, other than losing, so serious WAFL players will have no interest playing for them and hte ones we do have are really B-grade ammos players.

Having said that, Horsley has made moves the past couple of years to raise the training standards of the top ups, as well as to include them in parts of the AFL programme, so there is an intent there to make the WAFL side more of a legitimate team than what they currently are.

The difficulty lies in not having a reserves side. This is where Peel differs for Freo as they are a legitimate club set up the same way as the other WAFL clubs. Some players aren't ready for senior WAFL football when drafted, so they play reserves but WCE don't have that luxury.

West Coast also can't do that due to the soft cap, is my understanding(could be wrong).

The solution to this would be to merge with Perth, as they share Lathlain with West Coast but due to the previous WAFL alignment between WCE and East Perth, WAFL clubs are pretty shy about aligning with WCE. They want to seriously compete in their comp and WCE(Nisbett) apparently ran roughshod over their club so despite the injection of cash, they had to kowtow to their West Coast overlords and went from a serious club to just a development squad for WCE, which is not what WAFL clubs want, understandably.

WCE just need to swallow their pride and propose the Peel model to Perth and work with them but Perth is a completely different kettle of fish compared to Peel Thunder, as Perth FC has been around since 1899, whereas Fremantle are actually an older club than Peel Thunder(est. 1996), so the club history simply isn't there to worry about.

Perth has been terrible for a very long time so if joining up with WC lead to more flags then I'm sure they would do it as long as they maintain some sort of shared control like Peel get with Freo. The issue is that Perth have just started playing finals again after so long at the bottom of the ladder so they probably won't be open to a switch until the next dip or on much more favorable terms. They would have jumped at it a few years ago.

The stand alone club experiment has failed and I don't think losing every week helps develop players.

 

[bzparkes]

Perth has been terrible for a very long time so if joining up with WC lead to more flags then I'm sure they would do it as long as they maintain some sort of shared control like Peel get with Freo. The issue is that Perth have just started playing finals again after so long at the bottom of the ladder so they probably won't be open to a switch until the next dip or on much more favorable terms. They would have jumped at it a few years ago.

The stand alone club experiment has failed and I don't think losing every week helps develop players.

Yep, poor timing for a proposed alignment with Perth now that they've finally won a final for the first time in 28 years.

No way would they want to ruin any future chances of success by aligning unnecessarily with WCE and who could blame then?

 

[Purple Suit]

I daresay it would've been the approval to franchise the business more than anything financial. Only around 20% of HJ's are franchised and they cost between $200k and $600k to get started, something he'd easily be able to afford.

Not sure where you got your figures from but I was talking to someone who was going into a McDonalds franchise and it was $3m all up. That figure would have to be spare cash before loans. McDonalds makes you train for 12 months beforehand also for free to learn the ropes while Simmo probably didn't have the time for a 2nd job and just became the "owner" rather that a true franchisee.

 

[Elixuh]

Damn straight. Our assistance comes from the gods of football.

Just like when a doctor saves a patient's life.

It's through the grace of the footy gods that WCE have received divine help.

The AFL is merely the instrument of their will.

Is God WA code for BHP?

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

Whatever the AFL does next, they need to start putting more emphasis on not sacrificing players' careers in the interests of balance.

West Coast are a slightly different beast because they are a club that knows how to be successful and won't stay down perpetually. They'll win a flag in the next 10 years. It's what they are.

However, the number of promising careers wrecked because of all of the handout picks to North, Gold Coast, Carlton and the likes, where the culture was to continue to expect handouts to take you up the ladder every year rather than really fixing the development program and trying to build a winning culture the right way. The young guys forced to play in poor systems with bad cultures are the collateral.

What a terrible take. The best players go to the worst clubs, that's how the draft is meant to work.

 

[bzparkes]

Not sure where you got your figures from but I was talking to someone who was going into a McDonalds franchise and it was $3m all up. That figure would have to be spare cash before loans. McDonalds makes you train for 12 months beforehand also for free to learn the ropes while Simmo probably didn't have the time for a 2nd job and just became the "owner" rather that a true franchisee.

McD's are indeed a lot more expensive but I got the figures for HJ's from here:

How Much Does It Cost To Start a Hungry Jacks Franchise?

Hungry Jack’s is one of the most popular fast-food brands in Australia, known for its flame-grilled burgers, fries, and classic […]

franchises-for-sale.au

Not sure how old the article is though.

 

[Wojcinski]

1. We already got a priority pick.

2. We didn't start this thread.

3. We haven't had the benefit of getting the #1 pick in multiple years whilst contending for/winning flags, nor have we had our salary cap indiscretions to keep our contending list together swept under the rug.

4. If we did either of #3, we'd shut the **** up about a club at the bottom of the ladder and keep our opinions to ourselves due to how privileged our clubs our with the AFL's help.

1. And here you are begging for more handouts
2. But you're contributing to the begging
3. Your coach ended up with a couple of HJ franchises and you wanna throw rocks, lol
4. Excellent melt, I've never understood why some footy fans get personally offended on behalf of their footy club, especially when its run by imbeciles

Hope Tim Kelly gets named this week though, would feel like a waste to be paying him all that $ to run around in the potato state league you've got over there

 

[Scotland]

I don't think that's true.

They'd have to get match payments, at the very least, otherwise we'd have no WAFL players.

There's also a marquee player rule, whose salary is mostly exempt from the salary cap.

I would imagine they all get paid, but there's a reason Murdock is being called an electrician. It's basically an amateur comp, no one plays state league footy to make a living.

 

[bzparkes]

1. And here you are begging for more handouts

2. But you're contributing to the begging

Read my post ? I just said in the one you quoted we're not the ones who started the thread, nor are we asking for help.

3. Your coach ended up with a couple of HJ franchises and you wanna throw rocks, lol

And? Has WCE been accused of salary cap cheating? Only Geelong is currently, with more and more being unearthed after years of accusations. Cute of them to have the guy in charge of the books end up in charge of the team auditing his own actions from when he was at Geelong.

4. Excellent melt, I've never understood why some footy fans get personally offended on behalf of their footy club, especially when its run by imbeciles

Nor have I seen supporters of a club so blatantly brag when their club has been caught cheating multiple times.

Hope Tim Kelly gets named this week though, would feel like a waste to be paying him all that $ to run around in the potato state league you've got over there

Paying him what?

The $200k or so he's currently on as per his new contract?

 

[Wojcinski]

Read my post ? I just said in the one you quoted we're not the ones who started the thread, nor are we asking for help.



And? Has WCE been accused of salary cap cheating? Only Geelong is currently, with more and more being unearthed after years of accusations. Cute of them to have the guy in charge of the books end up in charge of the team auditing his own actions from when he was at Geelong.



Nor have I seen supporters of a club so blatantly brag when their club has been caught cheating multiple times.



Paying him what?

The $200k or so he's currently on as per his new contract?

Nice deflections and further offense taking, but your protestation doesn't change the fact that West Coast doesn't deserve a priority pick

 

[Yoda_]

statistically, they are having a worse period than Fitzroy did in the last few years of the Bears existence

If they weren't helping prop up the expansion clubs and those with hands out by being financially stable then I could see a world where they are asked to close up shop

 

[txbyhull]

statistically, they are having a worse period than Fitzroy did in the last few years of the Bears existence

If they weren't helping prop up the expansion clubs and those with hands out by being financially stable then I could see a world where they are asked to close up shop

exactly this, a bad eagles over a long period is bad news for the AFL.

 

[banzai]

At least see how the eagles go this week. Copping GC away round 1, who had already played a game and will probably hardly lose a home match for the next 5 years isnt a great guide for a 1 win team from last year.

 

[bzparkes]

Nice deflections and further offense taking, but your protestation doesn't change the fact that West Coast doesn't deserve a priority pick

That's the thing, none of us are saying we do.

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

At least see how the eagles go this week. Copping GC away round 1, who had already played a game and will probably hardly lose a home match for the next 5 years isnt a great guide for a 1 win team from last year.

You're doing it wrong man, knee jerk reactions are all the rage these days.