Game Day Round 15, 2024: West Coast vs Essendon

[KERRPOW]

After a period of optimism with wins at home against Richmond, Freo & Melbourne, our expectations have come back down to earth with back to back home losses to the Saints & Norf.

The eagles are well rested and will fly business class to Victoria to play 4th placed Essendon, whom we played 6.5 weeks ago.

Last 3 Encounters

• WCE (11.5.71) lost to ESS (11.11.77)
• ESS (10.13.73) def WCE (11.6.72)
• WCE (6.10.46) lost to ESS (14.12.96)

Player movements
We'll be missing prime movers in Kelly & Reid while Sheed will be an omission due to injury.
Allen will be an inclusion after match sim, and one would think hunt will be an in also.

Things to Look out For

• Will the return on Allen effect the form of Waterman?
• Will our midfield be smashed for pace as we are pretty one paced. Petch & Ryan may offer some zip if sporadically placed in there.
• Can our coaches identify an essendon weakness and get our players to exploit it?
• Who will be the tagger this week? ginbey/culley?

Outcome
Essendon by 10 goals

 

[KERRPOW]

<reserved for teams, also nudes>

Taking a stab at the changes:
IN: Brockman, Allen, Hunt
OUT: Sheed, Hutchinson, Gaff


taking a stab at nudes

 

[YeoGabbaGabba]

Our away form obviously is horrible but Essendon’s percentage a clear indicator they are incapable of smashing anyone. Would be disappointed if it’s over 40

 

[lmach]

Who will be the mysterious mid-week injury?

 

[Barrybran]

I look forward to seeing Ella Roberts and Charlie Thomas in action after the club's mixed training session during the break

 

[UseR2006]

Will be at the ground for this one hopefully we can snag a win. Or at a minimum have it close.

Want someone to lay a clean hip and shoulder on Guelfi for Longy.
Allen and Snake to kick 10 between them.


Eagles by 12

 

[kerrazy]

Sheed is out? West coast by 10 goals

 

[UseR2006]

 

[kid_a]

Sheed is out? West coast by 10 goals

No Gaff either (most likely)

West Coast by 15 Goals now

 

[kranky al]

No Gaff either (most likely)

West Coast by 15 Goals now

Odd way to spell west coast premiers 2024

 

[woosha24]

Brockman's inclusion keeping my interest for this one.

Otherwise a distinct lack of one H. Reid would see me off doing something else instead of watching Essondon run over the top of us.

 

[woosha24]

At least we finally omitted Sheed and Gaff. Silver linings and all.

 

[KERRPOW]

Dissapointed to see culley omitted.

Hopefully he keeps pushing his case in the WAFL, and hes gets a call up when required (over gaff and sheed)

 

[Obeanie1]

We look much quicker.

What that means who knows.

Brockman hopefully adds more pressure and plays stints on ball as Kelly's role. Ryan also to attend centre bounces to add some clearance options. Duggan helps when Yeo is off.

Would like to see Hutchinson run with Martin. Will get him involved and can create goals from turnovers. Would be a great learning opportunity for him.

 

[Astro7]

We look much quicker.

What that means who knows.

Brockman hopefully adds more pressure and plays stints on ball as Kelly's role. Ryan also to attend centre bounces to add some clearance options. Duggan helps when Yeo is off.

Would like to see Hutchinson run with Martin. Will get him involved and can create goals from turnovers. Would be a great learning opportunity for him.

Yes, it seems Coach has gone for height AND speed where possible.
All this talk about being too tall and having BBW in as well, two ruckman - yet supposedly Essendon is a tall team with two ruckman? They also have some speedsters, we have what we have...and they're certainly not in the Wafl?

Brockman is what we need, just needs to string some games together.
We actually have enough speed to rotate through the midfield and forward line.
Hope to see Hutch show something, maybe bag a snag?

We came close to Essendon last game, but had TK and Reid. Yeo was out halfway in 3rd with groin issue. So it'll be a tough day at the office with our outs against Merret, Parish, Durham and Martin. But if we somehow pull it off, a first away win would help make up for our last 2 losses and re-energise the team for next weeks game with TK and Reid back.
No great expectations...

 

[Seadog]

All the whingers about not playing the young blokes need to go have a look at our WAFL game. If you can't at least break even in your position against a middling WAFL team you aren't ready for AFL yet.

 

[WCErevival]

All the whingers about not playing the young blokes need to go have a look at our WAFL game. If you can't at least break even in your position against a middling WAFL team you aren't ready for AFL yet.

Exactly. No point in playing them if the coaches can already see they aren't up to speed yet.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

All the whingers about not playing the young blokes need to go have a look at our WAFL game. If you can't at least break even in your position against a middling WAFL team you aren't ready for AFL yet.

Not to bury the bloke, loooong way to go in his career, but the "where is Hall" chat could be quelled pretty quickly by watching this WAFL stream.

 

[Astro7]

All the whingers about not playing the young blokes need to go have a look at our WAFL game. If you can't at least break even in your position against a middling WAFL team you aren't ready for AFL yet.

Exactly - I don't know who these young guys are that are supposed to be getting an AFL gig, especially if they're not even standing out in Wafl?

We want players who stand out in Wafl to get a shot in the team, meanwhile Gaff does this for a few weeks in a row, and gets criticised when he is promoted, hypocrisy no?

Could be wrong but Gaff+Sheed were brought in when we had injuries, they were our depth and of course had plenty of senior experience, even if they were slow.

Like many, I've criticised Gaff +Sheed, but after rewatching several games during the bye, they actually did a fair job, not outstanding or even impactful, but they filled a gap in the team chain and for the most part kept the ball moving. Sheed actually had some good handballs and a few raking left kicks into the forward line, a couple of sizzling shots hitting players on the chest, that was almost sexy!?

Gaff+Sheed are our midfield depth and that tells you where we're at. Culley, Trew and Ledwards are not impactful but are serviceable, if not slow. Arguably Gaff+Sheed have more impact (and experience+leadership)(yes, pointing). Hall due to wrist injury is not ready, and may or may not live up to expectations? Arguably none of these players are our saviours going forward.

So we can joke and bang on and reinforce our own narrative all we like with the usual cliches or tropes on Gaff +Sheed, who are not ideal in the fast modern game of football, but are serviceable 'when needed', until our depth improves, or these mythical young players emerge, when they are up to AFL standards?

Sheed is injured and Gaff presumably was left out because we need speed - seems pretty reasonable to me. If nothing else JJ has speed and swerveability, might be handy against Bombers. Dewar and Johnston are not quite there yet. We have at least another 2 years of bringing in youngsters. We've actually played quite a few this season.

But rewatching games, you can tell Brockman is a shiny one, just needs to string a few games together to find his groove.

 

[Hoskin300]

Exactly - I don't know who these young guys are that are supposed to be getting an AFL gig, especially if they're not even standing out in Wafl?

We want players who stand out in Wafl to get a shot in the team, meanwhile Gaff does this for a few weeks in a row, and gets criticised when he is promoted, hypocrisy no?

Could be wrong but Gaff+Sheed were brought in when we had injuries, they were our depth and of course had plenty of senior experience, even if they were slow.

Like many, I've criticised Gaff +Sheed, but after rewatching several games during the bye, they actually did a fair job, not outstanding or even impactful, but they filled a gap in the team chain and for the most part kept the ball moving. Sheed actually had some good handballs and a few raking left kicks into the forward line, a couple of sizzling shots hitting players on the chest, that was almost sexy!?

Gaff+Sheed are our midfield depth and that tells you where we're at. Culley, Trew and Ledwards are not impactful but are serviceable, if not slow. Arguably Gaff+Sheed have more impact (and experience+leadership)(yes, pointing). Hall due to wrist injury is not ready, and may or may not live up to expectations? Arguably none of these players are our saviours going forward.

So we can joke and bang on and reinforce our own narrative all we like with the usual cliches or tropes on Gaff +Sheed, who are not ideal in the fast modern game of football, but are serviceable 'when needed', until our depth improves, or these mythical young players emerge, when they are up to AFL standards?

Sheed is injured and Gaff presumably was left out because we need speed - seems pretty reasonable to me. If nothing else JJ has speed and swerveability, might be handy against Bombers. Dewar and Johnston are not quite there yet. We have at least another 2 years of bringing in youngsters. We've actually played quite a few this season.

But rewatching games, you can tell Brockman is a shiny one, just needs to string a few games together to find his groove.

There’s literally no reason guys like sheed, gaff and jones should be getting games over dewar, Harvey and trew.

Also it’s very hard to look good in the wafl team unless you’re an inside mid. Hence why guys like JWilliams and at times HEdwards looks worse in the wafl than in the AFL

 

[Hoskin300]

All the whingers about not playing the young blokes need to go have a look at our WAFL game. If you can't at least break even in your position against a middling WAFL team you aren't ready for AFL yet.

It’s much harder to look good in the wafl when playing certain positions. Not to mention plenty have put their hands up in the wafl anyway.

 

[Astro7]

There’s literally no reason guys like sheed, gaff and jones should be getting games over dewar, Harvey and trew.

Also it’s very hard to look good in the wafl team unless you’re an inside mid. Hence why guys like JWilliams and at times HEdwards looks worse in the wafl than in the AFL

Why?
Dewar, Harvey and Trew have all had a shot. Trew's had several outings. For reasons unknown to us, he's not getting a gig.
For Dewar and Harvey it's early days, they have to break in to the team.
They don't just get gifted games because they're young?
Surely it depends on Wafl performance, injuries allowing a spot, horses for courses and match ups. Their time will come.
Trew, Culley, Hall, Dewar, Johnston might all get a gig in the 2nd term, who knows?
But if we want speed and swerveability, it's Brockman, Hutchinson, Dewar, Johnston and Rawlinson. Long of course is sorely missed.

 

[Smotie2]

Exactly - I don't know who these young guys are that are supposed to be getting an AFL gig, especially if they're not even standing out in Wafl?

We want players who stand out in Wafl to get a shot in the team, meanwhile Gaff does this for a few weeks in a row, and gets criticised when he is promoted, hypocrisy no?

Could be wrong but Gaff+Sheed were brought in when we had injuries, they were our depth and of course had plenty of senior experience, even if they were slow.

Like many, I've criticised Gaff +Sheed, but after rewatching several games during the bye, they actually did a fair job, not outstanding or even impactful, but they filled a gap in the team chain and for the most part kept the ball moving. Sheed actually had some good handballs and a few raking left kicks into the forward line, a couple of sizzling shots hitting players on the chest, that was almost sexy!?

Gaff+Sheed are our midfield depth and that tells you where we're at. Culley, Trew and Ledwards are not impactful but are serviceable, if not slow. Arguably Gaff+Sheed have more impact (and experience+leadership)(yes, pointing). Hall due to wrist injury is not ready, and may or may not live up to expectations? Arguably none of these players are our saviours going forward.

So we can joke and bang on and reinforce our own narrative all we like with the usual cliches or tropes on Gaff +Sheed, who are not ideal in the fast modern game of football, but are serviceable 'when needed', until our depth improves, or these mythical young players emerge, when they are up to AFL standards?

Sheed is injured and Gaff presumably was left out because we need speed - seems pretty reasonable to me. If nothing else JJ has speed and swerveability, might be handy against Bombers. Dewar and Johnston are not quite there yet. We have at least another 2 years of bringing in youngsters. We've actually played quite a few this season.

But rewatching games, you can tell Brockman is a shiny one, just needs to string a few games together to find his groove.

I read a lot of similar stuff about who was going to replace Priddis ...there was nobody, it was impossible to replace him. Who going to get the hard ball.

2018 premiership without him and won the contested possessions iirc.

You don't need the youth to be getting 40 possessions a game to justify selection.
Maybe when you're team is chos full of talented senior players yeah but Simpson missed an opportunity to try some young players and see what they bring to the table in an AFL game.

We lost with sheed and gaff anyway and learnt they are pretty much the same players as when they last played and gained nothing in exposing the kids to the seniors.

 

[Hoskin300]

Why?
Dewar, Harvey and Trew have all had a shot. Trew's had several outings. For reasons unknown to us, he's not getting a gig.
For Dewar and Harvey it's early days, they have to break in to the team.
They don't just get gifted games because they're young?
Surely it depends on Wafl performance, injuries allowing a spot, horses for courses and match ups. Their time will come.
Trew, Culley, Hall, Dewar, Johnston might all get a gig in the 2nd term, who knows?
But if we want speed and swerveability, it's Brockman, Hutchinson, Dewar, Johnston and Rawlinson. Long of course is sorely missed.

Are you taking the piss? How can you genuinely argue that they “have had their shots”.

Trew has had one quarter this year.
Harvey had two sub appearances.
Dewar had one full game plus a few sub appearances.

Jones on his own has had more game time than above before even mentioning the other two.

If it’s based purely on wafl form those three have been minimally better. And based on AFL form there is no difference.

 

[stallon]

Johnston, Dewar, Rawlinson and Hall will still be on the list next year, theyll get games when theyre ready, I dont know why people think there is such a rush. Burgiel hasnt shown much since coming back from his appendicitis, he cant be far off.
Trew is done, im not even considering him.
Culley is the only other one, it makes 0 sense to whinge about Culley not getting a game when we were clearly lacking SPEED and probably have too much HEIGHT in the side. Culley is the complete opposite of what we want.

Dont care if JJ or whoever gets a few games, do people forget we want to woo potential trade targets or free agents too? we need to be competitive and win a few games. Guys like JJ, Darling, etc are still playing better than those other guys mentioned

Next year the young guys who are getting games will be a year older, theyll be better equipped to handle some of the load which lets us bring more young guys in, and so on. Not all the young guys will make it either. Hall was a late 30s pick, Johnston was in the 50s, Dewar is a rookie, etc

As much as I want young guys to get games, I dont particularly want to be winning spoons too often. There is more than on-field performance and rushing 18 year olds in to consider here.
Is a guy like Harley going to want to stay if we are putting 10 teenagers out on the park each week and winning the next 2 wooden spoons? He might, but its definitely not going to be as fun to play footy like that