2nds West Coast Eagles WAFL Watch 2024

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A massive problem outside of getting players in to help is motivating the West Coast players to perform at the Beagles. A few years ago against Claremont there were 12 or 13 AFL players for the Beagles yet Claremont still smashed them. A big part of it was that about 7 or 8 or those AFL players knew they were about to be delisted or leave the club and there was no energy at all. It happens every year at the end of the season the Beagles become a dumping ground for players who are about to leave the club.

Even Flynn who was staying at West Coast was underperforming late in the year and it really looked like he lacked interest. Send him to a WAFL club competing for a premiership and you would see better results. Then there is Barnett who was woeful. What can you do, you can't drop him to the reserves and it is hard to hold him accountable when he is playing in front of nobody and the team hasn't got a hope in winning. This is what happened with Winder and probably Burgiel coasting through games that don't matter then Winder coming out and saying that going to South Fremantle was the best thing that happened to him and it was an eye opener which made him appreciate what it meant being on a AFL list.

The alignment doesn't work either. Even though Peel won a premiership Fremantle were complaining about having to play some of their young players in the reserves because of restrictions and really because of players like Hughes, Brodie and Taberner who had no future for Fremantle holding young players out of the team. Those veterans were great for Peel but it doesn't do Fremantle any good long term.
 
A massive problem outside of getting players in to help is motivating the West Coast players to perform at the Beagles. A few years ago against Claremont there were 12 or 13 AFL players for the Beagles yet Claremont still smashed them. A big part of it was that about 7 or 8 or those AFL players knew they were about to be delisted or leave the club and there was no energy at all. It happens every year at the end of the season the Beagles become a dumping ground for players who are about to leave the club.

Even Flynn who was staying at West Coast was underperforming late in the year and it really looked like he lacked interest. Send him to a WAFL club competing for a premiership and you would see better results. Then there is Barnett who was woeful. What can you do, you can't drop him to the reserves and it is hard to hold him accountable when he is playing in front of nobody and the team hasn't got a hope in winning. This is what happened with Winder and probably Burgiel coasting through games that don't matter then Winder coming out and saying that going to South Fremantle was the best thing that happened to him and it was an eye opener which made him appreciate what it meant being on a AFL list.

The alignment doesn't work either. Even though Peel won a premiership Fremantle were complaining about having to play some of their young players in the reserves because of restrictions and really because of players like Hughes, Brodie and Taberner who had no future for Fremantle holding young players out of the team. Those veterans were great for Peel but it doesn't do Fremantle any good long term.

That would be the same at every AFL club. No way around that for any of them.
 
R1 v Swan Districts: 10.13(73) to 21.11(137) - 64 point loss
11 listed players (6x 1st/2nd year)

R2 v South Fremantle: 8.7(55) to 22.11(143) - 88 point loss
12 listed players (7x 1st/2nd year)

R3 v East Fremantle: 13.17(95) to 14.7(91) - 4 point win
12 listed players (7x 1st/2nd year)


R4 v Peel: 7.13(55) to 18.15(123) - 68 point loss
15 listed players (10x 1st/2nd year)

R6 v East Perth: 6.5(41) to 18.7(115) - 74 point loss
11 listed players (8x 1st/2nd year)

R7 v West Perth: 10.4(64) to 24.12(156) - 92 point loss
9 listed players (7x 1st/2nd year)

R8 v Claremont: 13.10(88) to 9.13(67) - 21 point win
13 listed players (7x 1st/2nd year)

R9 v Perth: 10.11(71) to 10.9(69) - 2 point win
13 listed players (11x 1st/2nd year)


R10 v Subiaco - 6.11(47) to 16.16(112) - 65 point loss
14 listed players (9x 1st/2nd year)

R12 v South Fremantle: 5.6(36) to 13.11(89) - 53 point loss
15 listed players (9x 1st/2nd year)

R13 v Swan Districts: 12.8(80) to 16.8(104) - 24 point loss
16 listed players (11x 1st/2nd year)

R14 v Peel: 6.6(42) to 18.8(116) - 74 point loss
13 listed players (10x 1st/2nd year)

R15 v West Perth: 17.12(114) to 16.10(106) - 8 point win
14 listed players (10x 1st/2nd year)


R17 v Subiaco 13.10(88) to 16.11(107) - 19 point loss
13 listed players (7x 1st/2nd year)

R18 v Perth: 6.10(46) to 13.16(94) - 48 point loss
9 listed players (6x 1st/2nd year)

R19 v East Perth: 7.9(51) to 17.16(118) - 67 point loss
10 listed players (6x 1st/2nd year)

R20 v Claremont: 3.3(21) to 12.7(79) - 58 point loss
12 listed players (9x 1st/2nd year)

R21 v East Fremantle: 4.5(29) to 12.17(89) - 60 point loss
8 listed players (6x 1st/2nd year)

A few things to note other than being rather grim reading

• Only 3 times did we slip below 10 listed players with a season low of 8 in R21, so availability was improved. • On 3 occasions we actually had 15 or more with a season high of 16 in R13, however we lost all 3 of those games
• We averaged 12.2 listed players across the season which is about 60% of the maximum possible (20) in any given week
• Of those 12 listed players on average, 8 were players in either their first or second full year on the list. We never had more than 6 players in their 3rd or more year on an AFL list
• Our 4 wins came with 12,13,13 and 14 listed players
• Of our 14 losses, only two were by less than 5 goals and 9 were by 10 goals or more. The other three were by 48,53 and 58 points. Thankfully, we avoided any 100+ point thumpings with a biggest loss of 92 points
• Four wins was our best result since 2021 when we also won 4 games and was an improvement over 2022/23 where we managed just a win and a draw across those 2 seasons combined. Our percentage (57.23) was also a improvement on 2023 (39.17) and 2022 (48.95) but below 2021 (65.21)
• It was our 4th consecutive wooden spoon

All of the above I think just highlights what we already know - availability is important and the increase in the number of listed players in comparison to 2022/23 helped improve results in 2024. However, with a senior list that has increasingly skewed younger since 2021, the lack of mature aged top up players has hurt given we’ve been playing with 5 or fewer players with 3 or more years on an AFL list

I’ve no doubt the club is aware of this, hence the request for additional concessions, but they’ve either been unable or unwilling to do anything about it. It would be helpful to know who we’ve attempted to recruit and the reasons why those attempts have failed- I suspect losing by 10+ goals every 2nd week would be a factor

For 2025 we can only hope for a further improvement in availability. Last year on average we had 12 listed players in the WAFL, meaning the average number of unavailable players was 8 so realistically that might only get better by 2-3 players per week across the season.

Where I think most improvement can come from is younger players pushing up to put pressure on senior players so the likes of Sheed, Petruccelle, Hunt, Cripps, Ryan and Cole aren’t guaranteed games and perhaps spend time in the WAFL.

And fringe players like Brockman, Chesser, B Williams, Bazzo, Jamieson, Edwards and Hutchinson are motivated to play well if they’re in the WAFL knowing that sustained performance will earn promotion

It has to be that competition for places that drives performance and seeing that performance rewarded if players in the senior 23 are out of form. Something that hasn’t always been the case in recent years
 
The West put out a article with all the WAFL changes to squads to date.
Here is what they have for us.

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A couple of night games. Has Friday night footy been a thing in the past for WAFL?

Just a quick look, why do we play Peel twice at their ground? Surely one home and one away?

They have a few Friday night games but it’s hard getting anyone to go against the AFL coverage. And also it’s not easy for all players to be available from their jobs.
 

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A couple of night games. Has Friday night footy been a thing in the past for WAFL?

Just a quick look, why do we play Peel twice at their ground? Surely one home and one away?

I think the deal is that every club gets two home games against us, but they can elect to sell us one of them.
 
At least this year beagle top up boys are joining most training sessions didn't happen this time last year
So they all look a lot fitter than previously hopefully that will help
 
At least this year beagle top up boys are joining most training sessions didn't happen this time last year
So they all look a lot fitter than previously hopefully that will help
Maybe that's the plan. Instead of bringing in big names, train up the lower guys under an AFL system and improve the base line.
 
Alex Witherden playing for Sydney Uni this year.

That’s officially all the delistees declining* to stay on with the Beagles.

(*assuming they were even given the option, I have some doubts that the club even thought to ask)
 
Alex Witherden playing for Sydney Uni this year.

That’s officially all the delistees declining* to stay on with the Beagles.

(*assuming they were even given the option, I have some doubts that the club even thought to ask)
Is there an option to get banfield or the nga kids playing for us? Or are they already?
Might not be the best option anyway with us having no reserves team

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2nds West Coast Eagles WAFL Watch 2024

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