Prediction Round 2, 2025: Changes vs Brisbane

[kerrazy]

Get this feeling that the suns are going to be very very good this year. We played terribly but I think we will give the lions a better game then we did on the weekend.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

I saw that the tap differential was the biggest in our history

lol

And people tried to tell us that Flynn was great and it just unlucky that he had been usurped as lead ruck at his old club.

lol

Having said that midfield is still the main issue by a long, long way.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Probably can't play them all at once, but I sure hope Hall, Allan, Grego & Gross all get a chance over the next few rounds.
Hopefully Jobe, Champion and Davis show some good form in the WAFL too.

 

[CursoryMercenary]

Play the kids, dump Kelly & Hunt as well.

 

[KERRPOW]

Legit never heard of a back related calf.

Funnily enough i can believe it.

Something in the back pressing against nerves may have been fking with neurological symptoms.

 

[Bender_]

Funnily enough i can believe it.

Something in the back pressing against nerves may have been fking with neurological symptoms.

Yeah definitely. Like the time I stubbed my toe and went deaf in my left ear for a fortnight.

 

[We_The_West]

I saw that the tap differential was the biggest in our history

lol

And people tried to tell us that Flynn was great and it just unlucky that he had been usurped as lead ruck at his old club.

lol

Having said that midfield is still the main issue by a long, long way.

Bring Bailey back in.

Worst case scenario is at least he gets exposure to other clubs and may be tradeable.

I wish Flynn would channel his inner Tristan Xerri and just hunt midfielders and rack up 8-10 tackles a game.

We are almost at the stage of just beaming the whole middle set up in the bin and starting from scratch.

I can't help but wonder how qualified Luke Shuey is to be a midfield stoppages coach... can't say we have improved in that area since he took over.

 

[FKASC]

I can't help but wonder how qualified Luke Shuey is to be a midfield stoppages coach... can't say we have improved in that area since he took over.

I’d be keen to get rid of him. Doesn’t strike me as a good leader or coach tbh. Just seemed like a very talented player and not much more

Pure jobs for the boys appointment

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Comparing Flynn to BW is like asking supporters if they want a kick in the nuts or a poke in the eye.

Neither option is a good one.

Missed out on a chance to grab Knobel from Freo I reckon.

+1

It doesn't feel very constructive to always be bagging players but sometimes I feel like the club (and fanbase) need to take a step back and reflect on how ridiculous the acceptance of mediocrity has become and how far away west coast have gotten from the successful, high powered football club they have traditionally been.

This way of thinking has sort of crept up on us after a few years where a lot of the flag era players unexpectedly disappeared and the list was hit so bad by injuries and covid that literally any warm body was getting a game- the idea that just 'giving a contest' was enough, that if we selected a never ending list of fringe or WAFL level players or scrounged around and played people out of position or went after other clubs' mature age discards that would somehow help us develop into a team that can beat those other clubs.

But this is not the middle of an injury ravaged year or after our first choice ruck unexpectedly became unavailable or something.

It is round 2, after an off season of recruiting and a fairly healthy list with most people available for selection. And with full awareness of how substandard both are, we are discussing whether Flynn or Bailey should be selected- not based on who will help the team win , but who is likely to get beaten least badly. Neither of these guys are kids, they are experienced players in their prime, and we all know that there is only a tiny chance in any given week that they will actually beat the opposition ruckman because objectively speaking they are just not good enough. So how is selected mature, fully developed players who we know will get beaten like a red headed stepchild a step towards becoming a top 8 team again?

Put simply, if they aren't going to beat their direct opponent and they are at an age where they are unlikely to ever get any better why the **** are Flynn and Williams even on our list? How is persisting with guys like that a step towards the club improving? What message does it send to developing players about the standard the club sets and aspires to?

I think neither should be getting a game ahead of Reid/Barnett/Jack Williams- not because any of those guys will do better now, but because they might at least do better in the future and we should get games into them as soon as possible to fast track their development (and figure out if they are up to it).

 

[Farmer Lister]

Schofield too. Same guys coaching the midfield group for a while now, might be a good idea to get some fresh ideas and leadership in there.

 

[BSD]

I’d be keen to get rid of him. Doesn’t strike me as a good leader or coach tbh. Just seemed like a very talented player and not much more

Pure jobs for the boys appointment

Webster should go as well, he wasn't even talented. Hurn should be the backs coach and not him.
How many of our assistants would get a job at another AFL team ?
How many of our players would get picked by one of the other 17 teams ?

 

[EdCurnowRules]

He’s played about two WAFL games last year and one scratchy last week as a key defender, you don’t think he might need a bit more experience in the position before sending him up against the reigning premiers on their home deck?

If he’s fit Miguel, shit yeah… time to shine big man. As Cal Jamison’s only friend on here it’s a good thing he’s still injured or I’d suggest throwing him at full back. Can do no worse than big ‘array…

 

[EdCurnowRules]

Kelly omitted? After 1 game against an improved team on the rise?
Throwing the babies out with the bathwater...

What is the point of an eight touch midfielder who doesn’t crack in? Throw Gross at it, you know he’ll ha go at least

 

[Cuzz09]

Bring in Shanahan.

Chuck him CHF and give him 22 games

Sent from my SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Bender_]

Round 1 and half the coaching panel is on the way out.

 

[garlic munchers]

Of course Duggan is fine sigh. Would like to see the team without his turnovers and slowness destroying their morale

Almost feel sorry for Duggan.

Not a mids bumhole and shoehorned into that role because we have the worst midfield in AFL history.

Adequate backman.

 

[woosha24]

Almost feel sorry for Duggan.

Not a mids bumhole and shoehorned into that role because we have the worst midfield in AFL history.

Adequate backman.

Agreed. Duggan gets shat on because he's not peak Yeo.

Put him at half back and stick a decent midfield in front of him, and he's completely serviceable. Yes he has the odd clanger, but unlike a lot of other blokes on the list right now he puts his head down and at least tries to do the hard stuff.

 

[Kegs15]

On the Bailey vs Flynn thing, I was surprised Flynn had 4 clearances, visually he looked pretty flat footed outside the ruck contest. Lots of times he'd lose the tap and then be caught unable to physically influence the contest as GCs mids with the advantage destroyed ours.

Bailey is probably a worse tap ruck outside centre bounces but hell, neither are great and aren't realistically going to give us any ascendancy there. His followup and scrap at ground level with his athleticism and skill below his knees is a lot better - would put a bit more stoppage pressure on opposition midfields with that IMO than the net gain of the slight percentage better Flynn is at stoppage taps. He had 13 clearances in a game as a 22 year old - think that potential is worth exploring given our midfield situation.

Flynn is certainly more of a consistent forward target admittedly but in terms of greatest need, I'd rather rob Peter (fwd marking) to pay Paul (ground level stoppage assistance) in this case.

Not fussed if Flynn gets a few games in a row to get comfortable, I like giving players that, but over the course of the season would rather see my boy BBBW get the nod.

 

[Tugga27]

Round 1 and half the coaching panel is on the way out.

Along with the players.

 

[RookiePick]

It's embarrassing that we made Duggan a captain. He get's shat on because he's been elevated way past where he merits.



The last three names on that stick out like the proverbial dog's balls.

Shuey might have been a captain if he made it on the park more than 51% of the time in his 4 year stint. He was undeniably a club great when fit. Hindsight unfortunately shows he oversaw the most precipitous decline in team performance in the clubs history.

Oscar is another injury basket case and is currently speculated to dip out to Brisbane at year end. Fantastic. If we were legit the guy would be solo captain and stand on his own two feet. He's 26 today and should be entering his KPP prime.

Duggan is just a bog average footballer who happens to be a first rounder. It's like we made Luke flipping McDonald our captain... JFC, we have been completely Norfed by Simmo, haven't we?

Just check out the list of club captains for this season (pretty sure even Norf have woken up and given LM the arse). Duggan is a massive outlier in terms of player quality.

Nice bloke but seriously.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Waterman should be captain with Ginbey vice captain.

 

[ziad]

Get this feeling that the suns are going to be very very good this year. We played terribly but I think we will give the lions a better game then we did on the weekend.

Posted similar a few days ago. Some are blinkered and prejudiced against GC.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

It's embarrassing that we made Duggan a captain. He get's shat on because he's been elevated way past where he merits.

View attachment 2254357

The last three names on that stick out like the proverbial dog's balls.

Shuey might have been a captain if he made it on the park more than 51% of the time in his 4 year stint. He was undeniably a club great when fit. Hindsight unfortunately shows he oversaw the most precipitous decline in team performance in the clubs history.

Oscar is another injury basket case and is currently speculated to dip out to Brisbane at year end. Fantastic. If we were legit the guy would be solo captain and stand on his own two feet. He's 26 today and should be entering his KPP prime.

Duggan is just a bog average footballer who happens to be a first rounder. It's like we made Luke flipping McDonald our captain... JFC, we have been completely Norfed by Simmo, haven't we?

Just check out the list of club captains for this season (pretty sure even Norf have woken up and given LM the arse). Duggan is a massive outlier in terms of player quality.

Nice bloke but seriously.

Were you a big fan of Murray Rance back in the day?

 

[Tugga27]

The board has turned toxic after 1 game.

Dread to think what it will be like when Brisbane give us a belting this weekend.

 

[RookiePick]

Were you a big fan of Murray Rance back in the day?

You weren't?

I'm not saying it's Liam's fault that he's captain and I'm not saying he doesn't try hard. He's just very average. Being an average AFL level footballer is a hell of an achievement. I'm just not sure it warrants captaincy of one of the biggest and (historically) most successful clubs in the land.