Wirra

[KamakazeSalami]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/82481/default.aspx

Popular veteran David Wirrpanda also received the coach's support.

"I think his form is good enough to say that he can still contribute really well to the team next year, but there's other factors we want to weigh up [and] the key one is Wirra's body and mindset," Worsfold said.

"I won't really be talking to Wirra about all of that until after the season's finished [but] it's good to have him around."
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Odds on he'll play next year but what if over the off season his body and/or mind aren't up to it? No farewell game.

I would be stoked if we could get 15 to 18 games out of Wirra tbh. Infact I would be all for the idea of putting him on a four games on one game off program, that would hopefully get him to around the 16 to 18 games mark for the year. Not sure he would like that though.

 

[Goldfish]

Play on, but play forward... get's found out too much in the backline now but with his skills would kick a couple a week out of a forward pocket. Would also release Lecca to play more midfield.

 

[Beau_Waters for PM]

I think he would be able to play next year, but for the sake of our list development I hope he bows out this year.

 

[Gods_Son23]

Most of the time his skills are orgasmic to watch. Everyone knows he isn't the best player for playing man on man but he offers a lot going forward, and can play forward and back. So i went the second option. Hope he plays on.

 

[KamakazeSalami]

I think he would be able to play next year, but for the sake of our list development I hope he bows out this year.

I think this can mean different things to different people, so I'd like to know what this means to you. Could you expand on this?

Personally, if a Veteran is playing well and above the level of the 'kids' whose development they are supposedly stunting, then they are best 22 and remain in the team. The kids have to work hard to get a game and are being set a bar as to the level they need to be achieving to break into the team. This is development too. Competition for spots and no easy walks ups is a good thing, even for the kids with high 'potential'. I would even give the kids a discount on the level required of around 15%, before they were put ahead of the veteran for the sake of looking to the future.

Right now (and over the next 12 months), I don't see anyone who is or will be kept out of the team, that could possibly take over Wirra's role and do it as effectively as he does (not even taking into account the loss in experience/leadership which he brings), even giving them that head start (15%).

 

[tesseract]

I think this can mean different things to different people, so I'd like to know what this means to you. Could you expand on this?

Personally, if a Veteran is playing well and above the level of the 'kids' whose development they are supposedly stunting, then they are best 22 and remain in the team. The kids have to work hard to get a game and are being set a bar as to the level they need to be achieving to break into the team. This is development too. Competition for spots and no easy walks ups is a good thing, even for the kids with high 'potential'. I would even give the kids a discount on the level required of around 15%, before they were put ahead of the veteran for the sake of looking to the future.

Right now (and over the next 12 months), I don't see anyone who is or will be kept out of the team, that could possibly take over Wirra's role and do it as effectively as he does (not even taking into account the loss in experience/leadership which he brings), even giving them that head start (15%).

I see Smith, Jojo and Davis doing quite well in the WAFL. Those 3 are pressing for Wirra's spot already. Despite Wirra's legendary status at West Coast, at this stage of his career, he's now expendable.
Smith, especially is coming on well.
If Wirra plays on, he'll be surpassed by all 3, or if not 1 of them at some stage during next season and will be forced to surrender his spot.

I think Wirra will play on, but I think Worsfold will do what he did at the start of this year, and play the seniors until things go south. Then Wirra will be put to the side like Feltcher, Hansen and Stinga.
Wirra would probably opt for immediate retirement rather than being put into the WAFL.

 

[Swift mover]

Agree with Keyser. Could go another year in my opinion, but he's got nothing more to prove and it could get ugly. (like stenglein, kills me to watch him struggling.) If he does go on, it has to be in the forward half, which then poses the question of whether he is taking up the spot of a potential crumber that we will hopefully draft this year.

 

[drexel]

Ppl have been saying the same thing about Wirra for years now. The faults he has have been with him through his career. I don't know how much longer his body can hold up but he hasn't been that much below his best to be honest. When you're under seige, the loose creative defender is always gonna be shown up more.

Sometimes he can get a bit lazy and turn it over but at this point, you can't blame him, same as Kerr... what's there to play for right now.

Anyway, i'd be playing him till someone takes his spot through ability... not just because he's younger. I have a feeling we'll make the 8 next year and his final game will be a final... just like Matera who was there for the transition into our next succesful phase.

 

[KamakazeSalami]

I see Smith, Jojo and Davis doing quite well in the WAFL. Those 3 are pressing for Wirra's spot already. Despite Wirra's legendary status at West Coast, at this stage of his career, he's now expendable.
Smith, especially is coming on well.
If Wirra plays on, he'll be surpassed by all 3, or if not 1 of them at some stage during next season and will be forced to surrender his spot.

I think Wirra will play on, but I think Worsfold will do what he did at the start of this year, and play the seniors until things go south. Then Wirra will be put to the side like Feltcher, Hansen and Stinga.
Wirra would probably opt for immediate retirement rather than being put into the WAFL.

As much as I love Wirra, and I do have a LOT of love for him, if he is ready to be overtaken by the younger players based on doing an equal or better job in the team, then yes, he will need to move aside. This is inevitable at some point with every great player. I guess my argument is that time has not arrived yet, and is unlikely to arrive in the next 12 months. Thats where we may differ in our opion.

 

[greennick]

I think Wirra has at least a year left in him. We'll take it year by year after that. He certainly won't be around playing in the next premiership, but I sure hope he is around the club in some role. Great role model for the kids. All we need is some young Aboriginal stars for him to mentor.

 

[Nuke Fremantle]

Definitely play on ( I voted as such).

Mainly in the forward line, he's still our best crumber (bit of an indictment on our development) and he's now vulnerable to being exposed in defence particularly on the bigger grounds.

But having said that, the Bulldogs game showed me that at times we badly needed another experienced player down back to support Glass. We had a lot of youngsters who twice in the space of a couple of minutes gave away panicky free kicks in the 3rd qtr when the Dogs were really charging.

Past his absolute best sure, but still valuable.

 

[Juddy88]

Just the one more year. Will probably only get through 15 games at most though. Still adds some value and contributes.

 

[Snooperclyde]

Still plays good footy and his disposal is excellent most of the time but I would hate to see Wirra slide.

Retire while near the top of his game because sadly Wirra will not be part of the next Premiership.

 

[masai]

I think the time is probably right for him to retire whilst he is still playing some good footy - nothing worse thatn seeing a champion go on one year too many.

That is it in a nutshell, some good players leave it too long to leave the scene and thus the lustre in some ways is taken off their career. I rate Wirra very highly, but I think it is time to go out gracefully.

Just a query, if he was to retire, who would take over his role on the ground or would Woosha go back to a "conventional" man on man backman ?. Is Wirra holding any player back who is ready to play ?.

This is an interesting problem for a team to have, been through it with my team. It has to be treated with kid gloves, which way to go ?.