West Coast - When will the AFL step in?

[Scotland]

Equalisation is dead. The draft is only based on reverse ladder position until it isn't.

The concept of WC getting better and say Coll/Bris getting worse in terms of access to young talent is flawed when while we are at the bottom they draft Daicos, Ashcroft x 2 and Fletcher. The Dogs added JUH which (which looked great until it didn't), then Sam Darcy and Jordan Croft to go with Ryley Sanders who is just a regular first round pick.

We've taken Chesser (14), Ginbey (9), Hewett (14), Reid (1), Allan (16) since 2021. I'll give you Sheezel and Jagga Smith over Ginbey, Hewett and Bo Allan if you like but is anyone taking our guys over the players above? It isn't poor drafting and trading if clubs finishing higher than you select players you don't have access to.

If WC asked the AFL for Harley Reid plus any player in the 2023 draft there would be an uproar, despite the fact that if we had two of him we would still be terrible. But every year clubs at the top, bottom, middle, wherever take elite talents, multiple first round picks etc. and the AFL just stand there like it isn't having an impact.

The system that is failing WC and others now is only going to fail more teams in future. You can't have a competition with a pretend salary cap and a compromised draft and still talk about equalisation. The AFL are only going to care when teams like Carlton are getting crowds of 17,000 instead of playing in 90,000 "blockbusters" and the Northern state clubs aren't winning. Warning bells have been ringing since before WC turned to shit.

 

[Scotland]

The major reason why they have not much 23 to 28 year Olds on the list is equalization.

West coast eagles made finals each year from 2015 to 2020. Not one year in those 6 years that they got a top 10 picks.

And poor list management.

23-28 year olds mean being born 1997-2002.

Luke Edwards played 37 games. Never looked like an AFL player to me but had to retire due to concussion.
Zane Trew we never played.
Xavier O'Neill played 39 games. Luke Foley played 32. Connor West 28. Josh Rotham 72. Alex Witherden 62. Jamaine Jones 59. Sam Petrevski-Seton 27. Greg Clark 27. Jackson Nelson played 102 games from 2015-22 and was cut at age 26.

Why? What exactly is the point of getting 20, 30, 40 or more games into players you aren't going to persist with? Some of those guys had to play 2022/23 because were in the position Essendon are in now, but just making the finals isn't an excuse for having a bare cupboard in a 5 year age group. The 2018 flag side had I think 12 players either drafted outside the top 25 or traded for picks outside the top 25. Duggan, Hurn, Sheed, Shuey were all picked 10-20 and Redden was traded for pick 15 or thereabouts. It's hard to draft elite talent entering the draft at 10-15 (or 25 as it can be now) but you should always be able to find players.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Theyre a business masquerading as a sports club (also known as a franchise).
They are making money, profits still strong, the afl won't step in

 

[Purple Suit]

Love how people make these dumb comments without realising that we've replaced just about every possible off-field position in the last season and a half.

To be fair, he did say competent board and football department. Just because a lot of the spots are new starters, doesn't mean they are going to work out. How much of the board has changed as well?

It still seems like the biggest jobs for the boys club there is. The Board looks like an ASX listed company, Rowan Jones the only ex player, Justin Langer is a WC fanboy, plus a whole heap of business people. Running WC would be the easiest gig around from a business point of view. No results in your core business but still making a profit with a waiting list. At least the public service and government have elections and a bit of pressure every 3-4 years.

I'd be getting some AFL people onto that board from other successful clubs with a brief to push for better rights in the draft equalization space and making sure WC's player development is up to scratch compared to other teams. It can't just be the recruiters.

 

[Elite Master]

West Coast have not been as bad as us over the last 5 or 6 seasons. Since 2020 West Coast have 31 wins and 94 losses. North have 19 wins and 103 losses.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

West Coast have not been as bad as us over the last 5 or 6 seasons. Since 2020 West Coast have 31 wins and 94 losses. North have 19 wins and 103 losses.

They went to shit half way through 2021. Judge them on that. Also this

2022 2 wins
2023 3 wins
2024 5 wins
2025 1 win

2.5 wins a season as it stands over the last 4.

 

[Obeanie1]

To be fair, he did say competent board and football department. Just because a lot of the spots are new starters, doesn't mean they are going to work out. How much of the board has changed as well?

It still seems like the biggest jobs for the boys club there is. The Board looks like an ASX listed company, Rowan Jones the only ex player, Justin Langer is a WC fanboy, plus a whole heap of business people. Running WC would be the easiest gig around from a business point of view. No results in your core business but still making a profit with a waiting list. At least the public service and government have elections and a bit of pressure every 3-4 years.

I'd be getting some AFL people onto that board from other successful clubs with a brief to push for better rights in the draft equalization space and making sure WC's player development is up to scratch compared to other teams. It can't just be the recruiters.

So backflipping on "they should change management" ........"oh they already did? Well they haven't done anything yet to show they are competent".

The list has been turned over.

They have split picks to get more 1st rounders.

They have strarted trading out older players to generate more 1st round talent. And will again this season.

Starting to see nga kids like Dewar come through as Rising Star nominees along with Hall this season

Freo flogs with nothing better to do but sink the boot into their long time rivals. Lol.

As Jackson said this week "we haven't achieved anything yet'. And he is 100% correct.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Why?

I got banned from many eagles threads on the main board here for telling the truth.

I said that the eagles 2022 squad was an ageing and beaten down squad.

I also got told by certain posters that the eagles are never down for long.... And look where we at now?

2025..... If the eagles don't make finals In 2025, it's the 1st time in history they don't make finals for 5 seasons in a row .

I don't think age was as much a problem as the horrible injury run. I don't think many other clubs could have survived that unscathed. But obviously most seemed unhappy with 'selling the farm' for Kelly, and it did seem like a big risk. I still don't really know what happened in 2019, but it was a steady decline until late 2022 when the stars aligned to royally f**k us. Don't know if its conditioning, we lucked out with very injury prone players (or both), but we couldn't even rebuild properly. I think we'll need a complete rebuild, cutting almost all of our seniors, and this year is year 1 of the real rebuild.

I think it's clear this is by far the longest stint at the bottom in our club's history, and since we've been fairly spoilt with success for our entire existence, many - including myself - are still adapting to it psychologically. We have the shortest longest drought of any club - 12 years - and few of us can comprehend waiting 20-30-40-50 years for a flag. Maybe it will be humbling for certain more arrogant Eagles supporters.

 

[Scotland]

To be fair, he did say competent board and football department. Just because a lot of the spots are new starters, doesn't mean they are going to work out. How much of the board has changed as well?

It still seems like the biggest jobs for the boys club there is. The Board looks like an ASX listed company, Rowan Jones the only ex player, Justin Langer is a WC fanboy, plus a whole heap of business people. Running WC would be the easiest gig around from a business point of view. No results in your core business but still making a profit with a waiting list. At least the public service and government have elections and a bit of pressure every 3-4 years.

I'd be getting some AFL people onto that board from other successful clubs with a brief to push for better rights in the draft equalization space and making sure WC's player development is up to scratch compared to other teams. It can't just be the recruiters.

Freo's board is James Clement and who exactly? Doesn't seem to be stopping you from playing decent footy currently.

In the last year or so the club added John Worsfold and Don Pyke. Two pretty well credentialed football people, both of which have experience outside WC. Has it made a difference? Doesn't look like it from the cheap seats.

The real issue is that there are still too many comfortable players. Part of the next flag or not I would have kept McGovern, Waterman, Yeo, Cripps going into this season. I like Liam Ryan but he doesn't drive standards. If he was traded for pick 30 it wouldn't leave a gaping hole in our rebuild prospects. Duggan, Cole, Kelly, Hunt... these guys are just kind of there. Sheed really hasn't been a factor for 4 years. It's really disconcerting that the club thought it was a good idea to re-sign Tim Kelly early in this season. Sends a terrible message to the younger players. I don't particularly rate Baker or Graham (they are fine but if they are in your top 5-10 it says a lot about your list) but it's uncomfortable how much more professional they look than some of our players that have been in the system a while. Even McCarthy looks like a pro and he's never done an AFL pre season. Other than drafting well and maybe bringing in an Angus Sheldrick or equivalent level talent via trade my biggest hope is that the leadership group is revamped. Assuming Allen goes some combo of Baker/Graham/Ginbey/Hough/Waterman is fine.

 

[Scotland]

They went to shit half way through 2021. Judge them on that. Also this

2022 2 wins
2023 3 wins
2024 4 wins
2025 1 win

2.5 wins a season as it stands over the last 4.

We are judged on that for everything except meeting the criteria for a priority pick.

 

[WilloTree]

Who knows?

Either way, he projects as Masten 2.0. Very happy to have passed.

Bit silly. Masten played 200+ games and won a Premiership.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Bit silly. Masten played 200+ games and won a Premiership.

He was average at best.

 

[bzparkes]

Bit silly. Masten played 200+ games and won a Premiership.

He also wasn't what you'd expect from a pick 3.

 

[Freomaniac]

And poor list management.

23-28 year olds mean being born 1997-2002.

Luke Edwards played 37 games. Never looked like an AFL player to me but had to retire due to concussion.
Zane Trew we never played.
Xavier O'Neill played 39 games. Luke Foley played 32. Connor West 28. Josh Rotham 72. Alex Witherden 62. Jamaine Jones 59. Sam Petrevski-Seton 27. Greg Clark 27. Jackson Nelson played 102 games from 2015-22 and was cut at age 26.

Why? What exactly is the point of getting 20, 30, 40 or more games into players you aren't going to persist with? Some of those guys had to play 2022/23 because were in the position Essendon are in now, but just making the finals isn't an excuse for having a bare cupboard in a 5 year age group. The 2018 flag side had I think 12 players either drafted outside the top 25 or traded for picks outside the top 25. Duggan, Hurn, Sheed, Shuey were all picked 10-20 and Redden was traded for pick 15 or thereabouts. It's hard to draft elite talent entering the draft at 10-15 (or 25 as it can be now) but you should always be able to find players.

I still remember how eagles got Dom Sheed.

Eagles finished 13th or bottom 6. They then traded picks 6 and 42 in that 2013 draft to Collingwood for picks 11, 31 and 49. Pick 49 was a player eagles had for 2 seasons.

Pick 31 ended up being Malcolm Karpany. Pick 11? Pushed back one pick for compo or a father son picks and that ended being Dom Sheed.

Yep was traded for a mid 2nd rounder from Brisbane.

You also forgot to mention the 2010 draft. Andrew Gaff was pick 4.

Jack Darling and Scott Lycett was taken after pick 20. McGovern was a rookie pick. All 3 of those blokes were in that 2018 flag side.

Funny thing was all 4 of gaff, Darling, Lycett and McGovern were free agents at the end of 2018.

 

[Freomaniac]

So backflipping on "they should change management" ........"oh they already did? Well they haven't done anything yet to show they are competent".

The list has been turned over.

They have split picks to get more 1st rounders.

They have strarted trading out older players to generate more 1st round talent. And will again this season.

Starting to see nga kids like Dewar come through as Rising Star nominees along with Hall this season

Freo flogs with nothing better to do but sink the boot into their long time rivals. Lol.

As Jackson said this week "we haven't achieved anything yet'. And he is 100% correct.

Well no different to you eagles fans sink the boots on the dockers when Freo were 0-10 and crippled with injury back in 2016.

 

[Scotland]

I still remember how eagles got Dom Sheed.

Eagles finished 13th or bottom 6. They then traded picks 6 and 42 in that 2013 draft to Collingwood for picks 11, 31 and 49. Pick 49 was a player eagles had for 2 seasons.

Pick 31 ended up being Malcolm Karpany. Pick 11? Pushed back one pick for compo or a father son picks and that ended being Dom Sheed.

Yep was traded for a mid 2nd rounder from Brisbane.

You also forgot to mention the 2010 draft. Andrew Gaff was pick 4.

Jack Darling and Scott Lycett was taken after pick 20. McGovern was a rookie pick. All 3 of those blokes were in that 2018 flag side.

Funny thing was all 4 of gaff, Darling, Lycett and McGovern were free agents at the end of 2018.

We didn't really gain or lose anything in the Sheed trade.

Keeping pick 6 we maybe could've got Salem who went at 9. We didn't "miss" Bont and Cripps went at 13. Taking Sheed at 6 wouldn't look like an all time howler in hindsight. Just trading 31 to Brisbane instead of getting 28 would've cost us Karpany who did nothing. TB at 43 was a great pick up.

All of the 2010 draft guys were in their 8th season in 2018 so it stands to reason they were free agents at the same time.

Weirdly our best draft picks in 2018 other than Masten were Naitanui (2), Gaff (4) and Sheppard (7) who all missed out.

 

[WilloTree]

He also wasn't what you'd expect from a pick 3.

They can't all be Aaron Fiora quality.

 

[bzparkes]

They can't all be Aaron Fiora quality.

 

[Go the Guts]

Hard to see where the improvment comes from anytime in the next 3-4 years given they have a real lack of talent under 25

Reid the only one who shows star potential and may or may not be on the move outside of that Ginbey/Edwards/Maric/McCathy/Dewar/Shanahan show signs of being solid enough footballers but are being forced to be better then they are

Everything about Reid screams ‘petulant, arrogant child’, and definitely doesn’t look like a young man who is committed to the club and plans to be there into the near future.

I get why they chose him but he’s gone. And they have very little outside of him, that oozes talent.

Having said that, West Coast is the richest club in the AFL (?), and they’re so far away from Victoria, there is no way on god’s green earth that they will be given a priority pick. It’s just a given, if it’s not a struggling Victorian club.
Adelaide were crap for years and didn’t get one. Thankfully our recruiting and drafting was excellent over the last 5 years and look where we’re heading now. No thanks to the AFL.

 

[bzparkes]

Everything about Reid screams ‘petulant, arrogant child’, and definitely doesn’t look like a young man who is committed to the club and plans to be there into the near future.

I get why they chose him but he’s gone. And they have very little outside of him, that oozes talent.

Having said that, West Coast is the richest club in the AFL (?), and they’re so far away from Victoria, there is no way on god’s green earth that they will be given a priority pick. It’s just a given, if it’s not a struggling Victorian club.
Adelaide were crap for years and didn’t get one. Thankfully our recruiting and drafting was excellent over the last 5 years and look where we’re heading now. No thanks to the AFL.

What the **** is with these trolling, idiotic Adelaide supporters?

What did WCE do to your lot?

 

[Go the Guts]

What the **** is with these trolling, idiotic Adelaide supporters?

What did WCE do to your lot?

Lol. I haven’t read the thread, just made a post. What a hilarious reaction.

Care to discuss your paranoia, or just play the man?

Edit: a quick scroll up this page shows not one other Adelaide supporter…..

 

[bzparkes]

Lol. I haven’t read the thread, just made a post. What a hilarious reaction.

Care to discuss your paranoia, or just play the man?

Every single WCE thread, there's 2-3 of you shitting on everything WCE.

So damn weird.

 

[Go the Guts]

Every single WCE thread, there's 2-3 of you shitting on everything WCE.

So damn weird.

Again, LOL.

If you’d take a breath, and read my post again, the theme was that the VFL will ensure you don’t get a PP.
It was aimed at them. Not West Coast. I like west coast.
You really should get the chip off your shoulder.

 

[bzparkes]

Again, LOL.

If you’d take a breath, and read my post again, the theme was that the VFL will ensure you don’t get a PP.
It was aimed at them. Not West Coast. I like west coast.
You really should get the chip off your shoulder.

Lol, your comments about Reid are incredibly disingenuous.

 

[Altum Volantes]

I have no hate for Adelaide but when did they become the gold standard of 'rebuild withoit assistance'?

8 years in the wilderness and yeah, having a good season (finally) but this mob has done NOTHING.

Win a final before you start patting yourselves on the back, even Longmuir's Dockers have done that.