Media Thread, 2025: Insightful, Inciteful and Incomptent

[kane249]

Seems like a new format and potentially no Oscar at all this year (just mentioned tonnes of guests with so many new players at the club these days). Omen of things to come I wonder?!

He was still on the pod last year, all be it not every week…

The podcast last year, like a lot of things was done with minimal effort. Missed a lot of weeks, sometimes a quick 5 minutes from Oscar and then cut to a pre-recorded interview.

Allen's got enough on his plate to worry about without doing the pod.

What made the original Backchat so good back in the day was it was a fringe player in Schofield who drove it. Add to it a permanently injured player in Butler meant you got good availability from them. Also gave a good overview of whats going on at both the WAFL and the AFL as they were in and out of both those teams.

 

[DanWCE]

The Jake Waterman interview on 6PR was pretty good. For the first time I get the impression the handle with care gloves are off with Harley. Simmo was very protective and quite rightly so with all the media noise but the way Jake spoke gave me the sense that this is year two and he will be given the same home truths as everyone else. Less cuddles, more expectation.

I really don't mind it. Look forward to watching how the season unfolds now that the stance has changed a bit from being petrified of upsetting him and losing him to treating him as more of an equal and he either handles it or he doesn't. Hopefully he respects the feedback and the pecking order and gets to work. All this East Coast media BS calling out his performances and contract worth could actually galvanize his connection with the club.

 

[THE A5]

The Jake Waterman interview on 6PR was pretty good. For the first time I get the impression the handle with care gloves are off with Harley. Simmo was very protective and quite rightly so with all the media noise but the way Jake spoke gave me the sense that this is year two and he will be given the same home truths as everyone else. Less cuddles, more expectation.

I really don't mind it. Look forward to watching how the season unfolds now that the stance has changed a bit from being petrified of upsetting him and losing him to treating him as more of an equal and he either handles it or he doesn't. Hopefully he respects the feedback and the pecking order and gets to work. All this East Coast media BS calling out his performances and contract worth could actually galvanize his connection with the club.

This is very unpopular opinion and I guess on the conservative side too but I personally don’t like teammates/coaches airing teammates publicly in the media like that. That sorta thing needs to be kept in doors. While JW’s words weren’t very extreme and also a sentiment we all share, it shouldn’t be said out in public to add further fuel to the fire.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

This is very unpopular opinion and I guess on the conservative side too but I personally don’t like teammates/coaches airing teammates publicly in the media like that. That sorta thing needs to be kept in doors. While JW’s words weren’t very extreme and also a sentiment we all share, it shouldn’t be said out in public to add further fuel to the fire.

So what's the answer that Waterman should give?

It was the mildest answer Waterman could give "we need Harley focussing on the right things, I gave him that feedback and he was really open and receptive to it. He's 19 and still learning", and your view is that is adding fuel to the fire or shouldn't be said?

If anything acknowledging that aspect of the game will be reviewed and have feedback provided does the opposite and pours water on it, because it least it shows that players/club share the same view that it is something he needs to improve on.

 

[CountryLad]

Baker having to answer continuously about Reid, media is an embarrassment but we already knew that.

 

[Spange]

Seeing everyone frothing in here over a footy player is crazy.

The footy media is measured on metrics like click through, views, fan engagement, article/video shares etc

West coast has a member base of say 100k plus. Beauty what will get their fans fired up. I know let’s talk about Harley. Cool! Well what about the other mob over east or down the road. Hmm let’s talk about Harley getting traded. Such easy low hanging fruit to pick.

Do yourself a favour. Don’t read it, watch it or share it. You’ll be in a better head space because numptiee like kornes or McClure feed off it

 

[amazingjoshy]

Do yourself a favour. Don’t read it, watch it or share it. You’ll be in a better head space because numptiee like kornes or McClure feed off it

100%

At the best of times this is great advice, but especially after a game like Sunday.

Masochistic behaviour imo

 

[Shuestar13]

Seeing everyone frothing in here over a footy player is crazy.

The footy media is measured on metrics like click through, views, fan engagement, article/video shares etc

West coast has a member base of say 100k plus. Beauty what will get their fans fired up. I know let’s talk about Harley. Cool! Well what about the other mob over east or down the road. Hmm let’s talk about Harley getting traded. Such easy low hanging fruit to pick.

Do yourself a favour. Don’t read it, watch it or share it. You’ll be in a better head space because numptiee like kornes or McClure feed off it

Amen.

I did have to laugh when I saw Seven promoting their football every night during the summer. Just what we need. Endless talk shows full of egotists trying to outdo each other with sensationalism and outrage. It is a toxic and disgraceful industry. Channel 9 doing their best to keep up.
Fox at least has some half decent work at times.

Reasoned analysis is few and far between. For your own sanity, don’t consume the clickbait, especially when your team is not good.

 

[CountryLad]

Top of the table

 

[eaglevision]

Top of the table

Part 1 of 2 in the self sabotage series.

 

[Shuestar13]

Top of the table

Ah yes that was the game that Simmo decided to actually coach to give the big FU to the club and try and deny us Harley. Remember it well

 

[Lazzas]

The Jake Waterman interview on 6PR was pretty good.

Does anyone have a link?

 

[DanWCE]

Does anyone have a link?

It should be in the press conference thread. If not the podcast tab on the Eagles website usually has radio interviews within a couple days.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Hodgey and Daisy are both right. Leadership on and off field has pretty much been all at sea since Hurn gave the captaincy away, which blows my mind even more because he was still on the list until 2023 so he was there when the club fell off the cliff and couldn't or wouldn't do anything to stop it.

Hodge moved over to Brisbane when they were a basket case and won 5 games his first year there. Second year they won 16. Baker, Graham and Owies are ok for the most part, but not when you're pissing away PICK 3 FOR THEM.

 

[LittleFires]

Baker having to answer continuously about Reid, media is an embarrassment but we already knew that.

The media’s continual self-fulfilling narrative around “all the attention surrounding Harley” is becoming really insufferable to listen to.

These journos will both remark how “unprecedented” all the attention is around a 19-year-old kid, and then in the same breath ask more questions about him, further increasing the attention and scrutiny on Harley.

And they will say they are simply “doing their job” by asking the questions surrounding the “hot topics” in the league.

Which of course is a crock of shit.
No guys, YOU are the ones driving the attention, asking hundreds of questions about him at pressers, constantly writing stories about him, plastering him over the back page, speculating endlessly about if/when/how long he will re-sign. Ultimately they are the ones influencing the discussion.

It’s incredibly hypocritical and shows what a bunch of simpletons the majority of footy media are - both in WA and Victoria.

The level of coverage on him this week in particular has been totally unfair and disproportionately high compared to his 22 other teammates who also lowered their colours on the weekend. And it’s been driven largely by the media - the countless talk shows devoting time to covering him and all the pundits clambering to offer the biggest “hot takes”.

I really hope he signs on but I’m becoming increasingly concerned the ever-rising scrutiny on him at WC will see him look for a way out.

 

[squashface]

The media’s continual self-fulfilling narrative around “all the attention surrounding Harley” is becoming really insufferable to listen to.

These journos will both remark how “unprecedented” all the attention is around a 19-year-old kid, and then in the same breath ask more questions about him, further increasing the attention and scrutiny on Harley.

And they will say they are simply “doing their job” by asking the questions surrounding the “hot topics” in the league.

Which of course is a crock of shit.
No guys, YOU are the ones driving the attention, asking hundreds of questions about him at pressers, constantly writing stories about him, plastering him over the back page, speculating endlessly about if/when/how long he will re-sign. Ultimately they are the ones influencing the discussion.

It’s incredibly hypocritical and shows what a bunch of simpletons the majority of footy media are - both in WA and Victoria.

The level of coverage on him this week in particular has been totally unfair and disproportionately high compared to his 22 other teammates who also lowered their colours on the weekend. And it’s been driven largely by the media - the countless talk shows devoting time to covering him and all the pundits clambering to offer the biggest “hot takes”.

I really hope he signs on but I’m becoming increasingly concerned the ever-rising scrutiny on him at WC will see him look for a way out.

It’s a win-win for the football media.

If he’s playing well it’s “Gee how good would it be to see this kid back in Victoria. What would [Vic club X] have to pay for him?”

If he’s out of form it’s “Clearly he’s not enjoying his football, Perth made him unfit. He obviously wants to come home to Victoria”

 

[mad_eagle]

Jesus Christ, really need some leadership from Mini here. Come out in his pre game presser before we fly or post game and absolutely snap back at the media when the inevitably negative question about Harley comes, be it about future or attitude etc. He would go up a couple of peg in my books if he told them to back the f**k off. So sick of this crap already & it’s only round 1…the obsession is insane & I would not begrudge Harley one bit if he asked for a trade so he could disappeared back to Melbourne and blend in a bit more.

Amazing how he’d do that and then all the stories would magically become positive - “so good to see him looking happy and enjoying his footy!”

Footy media is an absolute cesspool, especially 95% of those campaigners in Victoria…

/end rant

 

[bzparkes]

Jesus Christ, really need some leadership from Mini here. Come out in his presser on Thursday or Friday (whenever it is) and absolutely snap back at the media when the inevitably negative question about Harley comes, be it about future or attitude etc. He would absolutely go up a peg in my books if he told them to back the f**k off. So sick of this crap already & its only round 1…the obsession is insane & would not begrudge Harley one bit if he disappeared back to Melbourne and he could blend in a bit more.

Amazing how he’d do that and then all the stories would magically become positive - “so good to see him looking happy and enjoying his footy!”

Footy media is an absolute cesspool, especially those campaigners in Victoria…

/end rant

If he goes back to Vic, he ain't blending in, especially with the amount of draft capital the trade would cost.

It'd be exponentially worse, IMO.

 

[Tugga27]

From The Age this morning.

Victorian clubs weigh up bold plays on Harley Reid​

Victorian clubs are already considering what they may need to give up in draft capital to secure Harley Reid if he attempts to leave the Eagles at the end of the season with one year left on his contract.

The 19-year-old from the small Victorian town Tongala is tied to West Coast until the end of 2026 as he was among the first intake of first round selections put on to a mandatory three-year standard contract when he was drafted at the end of 2023.

Three competition sources speaking on the condition of anonymity said it is becoming clear that opposition clubs will make a bid to secure Reid at the end of this year, although they said it remains too early to be certain he would want to leave the club particularly if Chad Warner chose to join them from Sydney.

Given Reid is contracted until the end of next season any move would also require the Eagles’ agreement, the mandatory three-year rule brought in to protect clubs who believe players are more likely to stay if they make it through three years.

The Eagles’ priority with Reid is ensuring he remains settled and develops his craft and professional habits to play good football in 2025 with the club still confident they can retain him. Their sensible position is that most young players find it difficult to consistently play at their peak and need time.

They are also aware the player movement landscape is hot with offers to players such as Finn Callaghan and Tom De Koning indicative of the environment.

However, if Reid decided he wanted to leave at the end of 2025 the club would be in a stronger position negotiating his exit while he was in contract.


Most Victorian clubs would be able to create the salary cap space under the new collective bargaining agreement to make Reid an attractive enough offer to consider the move, with his big payday not to come until his fourth year.

However, only Richmond and Essendon already possess the sort of draft capital required to potentially entice West Coast to release Reid from the final year of his deal in return for a bounty of draft picks to add young talent to a list which has won just 10 games in three seasons.

Both clubs – along with West Coast – have two first round picks in this year’s national draft. Gold Coast enters the season with three first round picks.

In an indication of the market, Melbourne president Brad Green said the Demons would need three first round picks to even consider trading Kysaiah Pickett before he is out of contract. Competition sources said Reid’s trade value would be at least two top 10 picks.

The Bombers have been linked with Reid however the Tigers already have Sam Lalor, who shapes as a similar type to Reid with both players still requiring a huge amount of development to become match winners.

Clubs will also be able to trade future picks two seasons into the future during this year’s trade period, which will add to the scale of the potential offers that could be made for Reid.

At this stage Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide are without first round picks next season.

West Coast’s 87-point loss to Gold Coast – with a distracted Reid in the midfield – was the 27th loss by 10 goals or more in the club’s past 69 matches. Reid has played in eight losses of 10 goals or more in his 21 matches.

The Eagles could embark on a shape-shifting trade period if they lost co-captain Oscar Allen as a free agent and Reid for picks attacking the draft similarly to Richmond who selected seven players in the first 28 picks in the 2024 national draft.

The only top five picks to be traded before serving their first standard two-year contract are former North Melbourne No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis who joined Port Adelaide in 2023 and former Giant No.1 Tom Boyd who joined the Western Bulldogs in 2015.

Seven other top five picks have switched clubs after two years at the club which drafted them since Carlton traded Josh Kennedy and pick three to the Eagles at the end of 2007 to secure Chris Judd.

 

[Goroyals22]

What in the seven stages of hell is this suggestion

 

[Tugga27]

What in the seven stages of hell is this suggestion

I've heard Gossage, Barich and Hardie are all on the shortlist for this year's Pulitzer Prizes.

FMD.

 

[KERRPOW]

What in the seven stages of hell is this suggestion

we should also pick up ballantyne and sandilands.

 

[JackOutback]

What's Bock and Gunston's leadership like?

 

[amazingjoshy]

The footy media writing a story about a member of the footy media saying there's too much footy media on his footy media platform

 

[FatPizza]

The footy media writing a story about a member of the footy media saying there's too much footy media on his footy media platform

And I watch absolutely zero of any of it.