Preview Round 11: West Coast vs Essendon, Perth Stadium, Saturday 29/05/2021 @ 7:40 AEST

[Hird05]

Draft and trade strategy and a total lack of trust in the coteries/board/management not to pull strings and make the wrong things happen, as they did the last time we had a few promising kids and then sold the farm for Saad, Smith, Stringer, Shiel instead of getting a proper bunch of them to come through together... and then the original promising kids mostly left. So.

Fair call. Surely they can't be that stupid again. All the talk in the media is about the 18 year olds this time. We also have very few of the Myers/Baguley types not getting a game. Only Zaka really in that category. Guess I'll have to start booing the TV if we win the next few. I'd still like us to take Dunkley if we can get him for a first rounder thus time but I guess others would prefer another kid

 

[The Prosecutor]

Wouldn't be surprised if this is postponed to round 13 given Victoria's Covid situation.

 

[DapperDon]

Wouldn't be surprised if this is postponed to round 13 given Victoria's Covid situation.

W.A had similar not long ago and they played without fuss, if we don't get a big explosion is cases I can't see it being an issue.

Fingers crossed anyway

 

[The Prosecutor]

W.A had similar not long ago and they played without fuss, if we don't get a big explosion is cases I can't see it being an issue.

Fingers crossed anyway

WA has been a lot more unforgiving about inbound arrivals from a COVID state than the inverse.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

May have to play them in another state of things get worse

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Or actually in Melb as Eagles are due to play Blues following week in Melb and then have a bye

 

[The Prosecutor]

Or actually in Melb as Eagles are due to play Blues following week in Melb and then have a bye

We both a bye in R13 so I imagine we would just have our bye this week instead.

 

[pepsi]

Mark McGowan has been very strict on border control and with 5 cases I think he will introduce 14 Day quarantine to people from Melbourne. Not sure what will happen with this game.

 

[Pleasedonot]

Fingers crossed it gets postponed/moved elsewhere - feels like we're ALWAYS playing these pri*ks in Perth.

 

[Lore]

Ticket sales for the Dreamtime game against Richmond just got postponed as well. Erring on the side of caution but this could get a bit messy.

 

[Dave]

Stringer and Draper likely available, Reid back via VFL. Nice.

 

[citizen-erased]

Draper and Stringer available if they train strong
****ing tempting to have both in.

 

[Old Stuckup]

Out: Jones, Perkins, Phillips:
In: Ambrose, Stringer, Draper

B: Ridley - Stewart - Francis
HB: Hind - Laverde - Redman
C: Cox - Parish - Langford
HF: Stringer - Wright - Snelling
F: Ambrose - Hooker - McDonald-Tipungwuti
R: Draper - Merrett - McGrath
I/C: Heppell - Guelfi - Waterman - Zaharakis
Sub: Ham

 

[donlav99]

Mark McGowan shuts the borders at the mention of COVID. Can't imagine this game going ahead unless there is some special dispensation for the AFL...

 

[Bjchan13]

I just brought tickets for this game , spewin if it gets called off.

 

[LB#16]

Wouldn't be surprised if this is postponed to round 13 given Victoria's Covid situation.

Freo will play GC on Saturday twilight in R13 so no idea when that hypothetical rescheduled game would happen. Better to play it this week somewhere else or with no crowd.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Find this thread odd. So the players or supporters or coaches need to lose to understand that we need to get better to win? What happens if they continue with the kids and they accidentally get up and win a few extra? Rutten and Caracella seem smart enough not to then drop all the kids and play older guys if we finished 8th. I personally would be stoked if we continue to grow and win. Finals experience for the younger guys would be great too. Sure we go back 5 spots on the draft but we also keep one of the best midfeilders in the comp. I can't see guys like Hooker wanting to tank for either the draft or for some kinda self reflection

I want the coaches and players to always try and win. Making finals is always a good thing if your club as a whole is clear on where it is in building for a flag. Our problem is the latter, the club mis-reading where it is and some having a say in list management decisions who shouldn't.

Something about Rutten/Brasher makes me think they won't get fooled by a finals appearance into changing long term plans. Provided that's correct then good on-field performance and finals experience is far more valuable over a few draft spots.

However, I personally don't think it will be a problem for us this year. Happy to be wrong though.

 

[citizen-erased]

Cancel game
split points
Massive win for us

 

[Lance Uppercut]

I just think we’ve committed to this rebuild and we have to follow through with it now, no shortcuts.

Yep, it sucks at times because it’s been such a long time without success but we have to keep it going for another couple of seasons and develop this list further. The worst thing is we get a couple of wins (against some pretty ordinary opposition it has to be said) and people suddenly get delusions of grandeur about where we actually are.

This game against the Eagles is important as we want to be competitive against a team that is hard to beat at home… but we probably won’t be looking back at this game in two years time or so if we get beat with too much sadness or regret.

tend to agree. Up until now it's been perfect really, in that we've been competitive, the kids have been great, but we haven't been winning.

That's idea this year

 

[Beerfish]

I hope everyone enjoyed Sunday

 

[citizen-erased]

tend to agree. Up until now it's been perfect really, in that we've been competitive, the kids have been great, but we haven't been winning.

That's idea this year

Smiles on Merrett's face are good too.
The odd win here and there is handy

Reckon we're a 60/40 chance or better in a few more
Hawks, Pies, Suns and North matches.
Swans, GWS & Crows are here, so that gives us an edge, but makes it closer to 50/50.

8-10 wins seems doable. But if it's 6 and the signs remain, that's not so bad.

 

[JayJ20]

I want the coaches and players to always try and win. Making finals is always a good thing if your club as a whole is clear on where it is in building for a flag. Our problem is the latter, the club mis-reading where it is and some having a say in list management decisions who shouldn't.

Something about Rutten/Brasher makes me think they won't get fooled by a finals appearance into changing long term plans. Provided that's correct then good on-field performance and finals experience is far more valuable over a few draft spots.

However, I personally don't think it will be a problem for us this year. Happy to be wrong though.

I agree with that.

I don't think it'll be an issue given that we won't make finals, but I'd much rather win as many games as we can and maybe even sneak into the top 8 as long as everyone at the club understands that we're still a long way off. No crazy trades.

That said, I'm actually more focused on our percentage than our win-loss record because that's a better indication on how we're tracking. Pleasantly surprised so far.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I agree with that.

I don't think it'll be an issue given that we won't make finals, but I'd much rather win as many games as we can and maybe even sneak into the top 8 as long as everyone at the club understands that we're still a long way off. No crazy trades.

That said, I'm actually more focused on our percentage than our win-loss record because that's a better indication on how we're tracking. Pleasantly surprised so far.

I'd like that Points Against column to improve but yeah I agree.

 

[Hird05]

I want the coaches and players to always try and win. Making finals is always a good thing if your club as a whole is clear on where it is in building for a flag. Our problem is the latter, the club mis-reading where it is and some having a say in list management decisions who shouldn't.

Something about Rutten/Brasher makes me think they won't get fooled by a finals appearance into changing long term plans. Provided that's correct then good on-field performance and finals experience is far more valuable over a few draft spots.

However, I personally don't think it will be a problem for us this year. Happy to be wrong though.

Agree completely. Pretty unlikely we win 8 more games, definitely capable though if we can get one of the next two. Gws and swans wouldn't be saying if only we had lost more games our future would be brighter.

 

[Megabattimus]

Source.

More info:

Source.