Do the West Coast Eagles win another game in 2023?

[HoneyBadger35]

Is the WA state league in bad shape ? . just wondering why the 2nd tier players that West Coast have are so far off the mark.

If you’re talking about the WAFL players who fill out the squad but aren’t actually on our list: the old boys at the WAFL are shit scared of the Eagles stand-alone reserves being good and angering the octogenarians, so they have made it that we essentially have to field a team plucked from the better amateur players their clubs have all already passed over. We can’t field a team with competitive state level players, we can only play our AFL reserves supplemented by amateurs. Very different arrangement to the VFL clubs or what Freo have with Peel.

Basically when we have any semblance of injury, let alone an injury crisis like this, the AFL listed players are all either playing AFL or injured, meaning our WAFL team is a WAFL vs Amateurs showcase game every week.

 

[amazingjoshy]

Baby steps

Will take getting with 40 points of a team before even considering a win possible

 

[Natho]

I dont even see us getting within 5 goals of anyone for the rest of the season.

 

[Jupes]

not a lot changed from last week when we were reasonably optimistic after being within a couple of kicks of top of the ladder collingwood deep into the 3rd with 2 on the bench.
get some bodies back (backline!) and i reckon we can jag one or two at home in the last few rounds.

 

[Farang83150]

No, but getting games and experience into the young fellas is what this seasons all about.
If we jagged one then great but not bothered TBH.
Some seem to be very impatient and in need of the quick fix.

 

[ioppolo]

The derby would be the most hilarious.

In all seriousness, probability says we win at least one random one somewhere. All shit teams pull a win from their arse. North did against Richmond last year, GWS pantsed Port in 2012 etc.

 

[Trouto]

How can anyone envisage us winning a game watching what we put out every week?

 

[Trouto]

If you’re talking about the WAFL players who fill out the squad but aren’t actually on our list: the old boys at the WAFL are s**t scared of the Eagles stand-alone reserves being good and angering the octogenarians, so they have made it that we essentially have to field a team plucked from the better amateur players their clubs have all already passed over. We can’t field a team with competitive state level players, we can only play our AFL reserves supplemented by amateurs. Very different arrangement to the VFL clubs or what Freo have with Peel.

Basically when we have any semblance of injury, let alone an injury crisis like this, the AFL listed players are all either playing AFL or injured, meaning our WAFL team is a WAFL vs Amateurs showcase game every week.

Yeah its pretty detrimental to our development. Its the WAFL with "one rule for you another for the rest of the clubs". All other clubs have a zone to recruit players from, West Coast dont have one but we get to pick after all the other clubs get to take the good players.
I think thats how it goes??

 

[Bigger]

If you’re talking about the WAFL players who fill out the squad but aren’t actually on our list: the old boys at the WAFL are s**t scared of the Eagles stand-alone reserves being good and angering the octogenarians, so they have made it that we essentially have to field a team plucked from the better amateur players their clubs have all already passed over. We can’t field a team with competitive state level players, we can only play our AFL reserves supplemented by amateurs. Very different arrangement to the VFL clubs or what Freo have with Peel.

We could say that or we could say "West Coast set up a WAFL side without any of the development pathways other WAFL sides spend their entire time building and working on." Whatever blows your hair back.

 

[Doashuey]

Get Barrass, Gov, Cripps and maybe Ryan back into that team and dont lose any other prime movers then yeah, I think what we showed in a few games this season (such as Pies last week) that we have the game to beat some other teams when we click and with the injection of some more class and skill that these blokes will bring.
Am I confident we will get the bulk of our talent back playing together this season? Not really.
Carlton are fragile as are Tigers. North at home is always a chance and Freo are a bit flakey. I think we will jag a win, maybe even 2 out of this lot. Thats said, would not be at all surprised if we end up with a 1 win season.

 

[ziad]

We could say that or we could say "West Coast set up a WAFL side without any of the development pathways other WAFL sides spend their entire time building and working on." Whatever blows your hair back.

different times and palce. Much has also changed but when the Swans introduced a team into the local Sydney/ACT comp (lower than WAFL at the time) they back filled their list players with selected U18 and others on rotation. Generally they belted the locals bar one or two strongteams. I remember watching McVey struggle thinking he will never make it. What they did do was heavily coach and develop list players.

 

[BeeTee]

Need a big change in fortune to win again - Guys like Yeo, Duggan, Kelly, McGovern, Barrass, Allen, Sheed play nearly every game from here on in and guys ike Clark, XO, Trew, Foley play WAFL. Aim for the season here on in should be solid block of WAFL games for Hewett, Chesser and Bazzo and anyone else that's young and had an interrupted year.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Only chance we have vs Norf (which is very little) is if the injury list is less drastic by then.

 

[bh90210fan]

Reckon we’ve got 1 more win in us before the season ends. Don’t think it’ll be against Norf funnily enough, more like some random upset at home against a mid tier club.

All I want for the rest of the year is to see Hewett get a good crack at it for a decent chunk and the other youngsters continue to get games stuffed into them. It’d be great to see some more senior guys running around and players like Clark, Trew, Foley, Rotham, Witherden ect playing in the WAFL.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

We could say that or we could say "West Coast set up a WAFL side without any of the development pathways other WAFL sides spend their entire time building and working on." Whatever blows your hair back.

Yes that’ll almost certainly be it, not the WAFL terrified by its modern irrelevance and inability to make any money or noise shooting itself in the foot for the third decade in a row. Probably all West Coast’s fault, as all things seem to be to a particular (and ever shrinking) demographic in WA footy.

 

[DanWCE]

Does Bigger think he's bigger than Biggie?

 

[flyinghi64]

If we can keep the players like Yeo, Shuey, even Sheed, fit and get back Gov, Duggan, Hurn, Barrass I think we may steal a game somewhere. The big question mark is on guys like Ryan, Cripps, JJ, Cole who still have 2+ months to go. Is it even worth playing them?
Personally I am not bothered if we finish the season with just the one win. Get to the draft in a good position to get some good players and have one hell of a healthy pre-season.
The one thing this year has done has gotten plenty of games and exposure into guys who either would have had a lot less or even none if we had a half fit/healthy list this year.

 

[ZergMinion]

Every time I look at our coming fixture looking for games we might win, I remember that Carlton and the Hawks beat us by over 100.

Before the season started, a perfect run of injury luck could have had us challenge for finals. Now it'll take a near perfect injury run for us to win another game.

What I'm trying to say is that it's time to embrace the horror.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Every time I look at our coming fixture looking for games we might win, I remember that Carlton and the Hawks beat us by over 100.

Before the season started, a perfect run of injury luck could have had us challenge for finals. Now it'll take a near perfect injury run for us to win another game.

What I'm trying to say is that it's time to embrace the horror.

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

NO dont think we will win another game this year North Melbourne forwards love playing against us
and will beat us at optus

 

[swingdog]

God, I hope not. Want that first pick.

 

[PerthBoy86]

A chance for a couple later on in the year. If we were to win just one, hoping desperately it would be the derby. The opportunity to help keep them out of the finals and consign them to ninth would be fun

I love how despite their lack of success (nearly 30 yrs without a flag if we need reminding), some of us want to deny them any success haha. I used to wish them success, then I encountered a lot of Dockers supporters on the board that put paid to that. Most I know irl actually seem okay. But I digress, guess we need some consolation during our time. Maybe it's karma..

 

[PerthBoy86]

Tbh I don't think we will unless we're close to 80% strength. Might happen late in the season if it will. North are presently far and away much more competitive than us. Has the bottom side ever been this much worse than second bottom? Fitzroy 96 maybe. I almost would prefer it if we hadn't beaten GWS and went winless for a year. Would be a definitive reason to shake things up.

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

In theory our post bye ins against sydney are - Gov, Hurn, Barrass, Duggan, Waterman, Hewett

That is a stratospheric level of difference right there- its an actual backline for starters and 4 or 5 of the absolute duds we are playing right now being ****ed off- hopefully forever. Put that group in, keep Yeo on ball where he belongs, give Maric an extended run and suddenly our 22 looks..not awful.. certainly good enough to win a few games at optus.

In theory the next group of reinforcements after that will be Cripps and Cole about 2-3 weeks later, and then on paper we are about 80% of the way there to our best 22- noting that Ryan seems to be coming down with a nasty case of the constantly receding return date that afflicted nicnat.

I say in theory because noone in their right mind thinks we will stroll to rd 18 without further significant injuries- if we get through a training session without 2 or 3 outs it's a cause for celebration.

 

[Trouto]

In theory our post bye ins against sydney are - Gov, Hurn, Barrass, Duggan, Waterman, Hewett

That is a stratospheric level of difference right there- its an actual backline for starters and 4 or 5 of the absolute duds we are playing right now being ****ed off- hopefully forever. Put that group in, keep Yeo on ball where he belongs, give Maric an extended run and suddenly our 22 looks..not awful.. certainly good enough to win a few games at optus.

In theory the next group of reinforcements after that will be Cripps and Cole about 2-3 weeks later, and then on paper we are about 80% of the way there to our best 22- noting that Ryan seems to be coming down with a nasty case of the constantly receding return date that afflicted nicnat.

I say in theory because noone in their right mind thinks we will stroll to rd 18 without further significant injuries- if we get through a training session without 2 or 3 outs it's a cause for celebration.

Yeah, but your calculations have not taken into account the wave of new injuries we will most definitely see...