Prediction Round 2, 2025: Changes vs Brisbane

[HoneyBadger35]

Per MKMatty what about just shifting him out of the middle? Get him running off half back or something? Agree he was putrid in the guts.

I think most on here would love to see him as a HFF that has the odd stint in the middle, but we’ve been down this path before sadly.

The midfield is simply too thin imo. He’s the least bad option in there, which is telling.

 

[kaiserchief13]

You lost me at Hutchinson is too slow. He isnt slow. And actually one of the few who can run out games.

Speed is very different to endurance. Just because someone can run all day doesn't make them fast, just makes them fit

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Really, really hope they drop Kelly.

For the longest time, some on this board have acted like Kelly isn’t clearly in our best 5-10, just because the price we paid means he came with the pressure of needing to be in our best 1-3. Some people even laughably pretend he’s not in our best 22.

Yesterday wasn’t that, yesterday was genuinely someone who wasn’t good enough on the day and, most things being equal, would be in line for being dropped. That’s new for Kelly, whether you want to admit it or not.

But nonetheless, there is simply no way a midfield this thin walks into the home ground of the reigning premier and drops the only bloke in our side capable of having 30 touches, however few and far between they seem right now. Not after Round 1 of a new regime.

Setting yourselves up for disappointment I think.

I dont want to jump on Kelly after one round but I think for a few years a lot of his 'good games' have really just been a reflection that he plays on ball for four quarters and is a good runner and has good hands, so he gets stats. Sometimes he gets stats and west coast win, in which case he gets credit, sometimes he gets stats and west coast lose, in which case he gets described as playing a lone hand in an outclassed side, sometimes they lose and he has a bad game, in which case people pile on, but what he doesn't really do is ever have much influence on results.

In terms of actually being able to win the ball when it is in dispute, either by hardness or superior reading of the fall of the ball, I do not think he is above average for an AFL midfielder. His deficiencies in that department, togerher with him being the one fixture in an onball division over the past 4-5 years is one of the reasons they routinely lose clearances by a staggering margin for many years, including for several years before the team totally fell apart.

One thing which really hit home against gold coast, and the reason I get frustrated when people talk about giving (insert defender or half forward flanker name here) a run through the midfield like that is somehow going to solve things is there is an opportunity cost in playing people onball. You need the best players coming through to be getting minutes together there, because its not just about their own ability its about learning to play in sync with each other and the ruckmen. And the longer west coast look for spare parts options or persist with people who obviously can't aren't going to be able to match it with the good opposition midfields, the longer it will take to fix.

You look at some of the best midfield groups rolling around in the AFL, how good their top tier onballers are, their draft pedigrees and how deep they roll, and we are simply not being realistic thinking this is a problem that can be solved by playing the likes of Kelly/Duggan etc in there, or trying to turn Liam Ryan or Ginbey into something they aren't. We have two players on our list who have shown they are capable of actually playing consistently at an elite level on ball, one of them, Yeo, is on his last legs and **** knows what is going on with the other, Harley, after that start, or whether he is going to be part of the club long term.

Our midfield woes will be solved by drafting 3 or 4 guys who are in the top 10 junior onballers in the country, getting games into them and letting them gel together. The fact that we have totally failed to do that and traded down 2 of our last top 3 picks, and gone chasing flankers is why we are still no further along in that process after three years at the bottom. And its why so many people lost their shit about the Baker trade- it's not whether he can or can't play, it's whether we should have spent a top 5 pick on the equivalent of a nice set of rims for our car when it doesn't yet have an engine.

So what do we do this year? Play Reid and Hewett there and when fit Yeo and Graham to protect them from the rough stuff. And pray that we miraculously find another 2 or 3 gun mids behind the couch or something because if not i seriously doubt we have really even begun our rebuild.

 

[Kegs15]

You do realise the same players that you hope were feeling embarrassed from Sunday and you hope to rebound are basically the same group that have been embarrassed the last two years and given stuff all to fix that embarrassment?

Sadly a new coach isn’t going to help the attitudes of the likes of Kelly lift their game

Of course, but they're also the same group we'll have for 22 more matches.

It's a shitty situation cause if we had depth in the area, then sure, I generally agree.

But given in my post I already thought bring in one of Gross or Hall for a small forward (our balance was definitely off) - then our alternative for really swinging the axe is bringing in the other of that pair, plus Bo I guess and playing him out of the position we've been developing him in all preseason (messing his development this year for the sake of sending a message to Tim Kelly). That group all comes in as a unit, likely gets completely flogged against Brisbane, feels like they don't know what they're doing and then what? Message sent, sure, but it's round 2 and nowhere to go.

Right now it's between 1) hope they feel embarrassed and respond and 2) throw the toys completely out of the cot. #1 doesn't exactly sit comfy in my gut after that performance but it's the better option by far.

Theres only so many times you can drop players throughout a year for it to give an adequate kick up the ass, before it just becomes both demoralising and the mark of an uncertain coach who's disrupting his side desperately trying to jog emotion out of them (a sign he can't do that himself). Think we need to give him the chance to actually see if he can do that before we slam the hand down on the nuke button after the first game (keep the nuclear option open for a more effective strike I guess I'm saying )

This isn't to say players like Kelly should be considered undroppable - not in the slightest. In his situation for example, should this pattern continue over the next 3-4 rounds, would certainly like to see Kelly phased to more HFF as Gross/Hall/a fitter Hewett are given more responsibility in there each game (not throwing them all at the dartboard at once against Brisbane but being one in next week, give them time, maybe bring in the other, Hewett to increase minutes in there as his fitness and confidence builds, get them up to speed and respect their development).

If this doesn't result in a lift in form (and the replacements are doing ok enough in the deep end that we're not going to be any worse with them), then yeah, after that is when I'd sit down with Kelly (or whoever else you're thinking of but I suspect he's your main example), and go "mate, we've given you a few chances but I'm just not seeing the effort we require, let us know if there's anything we can do to get your head right but I'll come out and say it, we're giving you a couple weeks in the 2s, I'd love a strong response". Think that's a more effective way to send that message than straight after round 1.

Sadly it's not like dropped players can recapture form in a decent WAFL team, or even Kelly going for a few games at Souths should our players be spread across the league and maybe actually have some fun down there. The WAFL side honestly gives me more angst than the AFL side at the moment and that's saying something.

 

[Chris_6678]

EAGLES TRAINING NOTES: Fans’ show of support for Harley

All eyes were on West Coast star Harley Reid during training on Tuesday to see how he’d reacted from a weekend where he was criticised for his performance against Gold Coast. Here’s what we saw on the track.

thewest.com.au

Anyone un lock?

 

[flyinghi64]

Will be interesting to see what the new coach can surmise by watching the game a again a few times and what the individual players did and didn't do.
Who focused on game plan first and foremost and who reverted back to old ways. Who went when it was their turn and who didn't.
He said he swapped a few players around and tried a few things, all which didn't work of course, so he has a few angles to look at.
You can't do too many personnel changes after just one game but there will be a couple. Who plays where could be interesting though.

Let's give 3-4 games before we get too worked up. Training and practice games can only tell the coach so much about his players, when fighting for 4 points you see a whole lot more of individuals.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

EAGLES TRAINING NOTES: Fans’ show of support for Harley

All eyes were on West Coast star Harley Reid during training on Tuesday to see how he’d reacted from a weekend where he was criticised for his performance against Gold Coast. Here’s what we saw on the track.

thewest.com.au

Anyone un lock?

https://archive.md/p4DfI

It's funny how easy these are to unlock.
Funnily enough these links are banned on the other boards lol.

 

[Chris_6678]

https://archive.md/p4DfI

It's funny how easy these are to unlock.
Funnily enough these links are banned on the other boards lol.

I cant seem to do it anymore.

I had the link to do it but it doesnt do what it did before!

 

[Dark Sharks]

As a few others have said, I doubt there'll be many changes this week. No point dropping loads of players when basically 75% of the team deserve to be dropped.

None more than Tim Kelly obviously, but that also isn't going to happen. Straight swap to Gross would be amazing, but a fairytale.

Cripps was his usual fumbly self, didn't kick a score and also failed to lay a tackle.

Flynn survives for mine. He got torched in the ruck, but still contributed with 13D, 8CP, 4M, 4 clearances (Equal most for WC) and a goal.

Schlong I could live with being demoted to the sub. That makes sense after 6 touches, zero tackles. Maric into the starting 22 in defense, Dewar moves back up onto wing/HFF to replace Long.


IN: Hall, Jilliams
OUT: Duggan (inj), Waterman (inj)

Sub: Schlong


Would love to blood Allan but I'm not sure he's ready, physically after his sickness, or football wise either. Eased into WAFL makes more sense IMO.

 

[BSD]

Think there'll be a few injury changes and maybe one or two more but after a deep breath have come round from wanting half the side dropped to send a message.

Don't think that's the go for a new coach after game 1 - feels more toys out of the cot than sending a message. And if the message doesn't work and we get towelled up against Brisbane (likely even with the most optimal side any of us could put together) it just deflates everyone.

If these types of performances continue then yeah, would hope Mini makes a statement. But right now think we need to back a few players in to be embarrassed and want to rectify it. Ridiculous to punt Kelly - as others have said that really would be shitting the bed despite deserved disappointment at his performance.

I'd be looking to add another pure mid to the mix but not at the expense of our starters on Sunday (as much as I want to say they deserve it) - I just think the balance was off in that if we couldn't compete player for player in there, at least have a few more fresh bodies who can actually play in there throwing themselves in hard then rotating out.

Add whoever of Gross or Hall they feel is best up for it, probably at the expense of whichever small forward they felt didn't perform their role. Give them legitimate top 4 midfield minutes - we need to uncover someone else in there desperately, we're unlikely to at WAFL, let's see what they can properly do. Let Kelly play a little more HFF on balance.

If Duggan is out, Maric to start (needs to start regardless) and possibly Grego/Allan for a debut.

Gross in, Brockman out, Dewar to half forward flank. Maric in starting 22, Ryan to replace injured Duggan

 

[WCErevival]

Sounds like Petch will get the call up.

 

[Chris_6678]

Out: Waterman (Inj) Duggan (Inj) Hutch (InJ) Long
In: Jwilliams , Ballen, Grego, Ryan

 

[Jukes]

What was Bo Allan’s role with Peel last year? Did I read somewhere that he was played as a tagger? If so, there’s certainly a spot available in our midfield for an accountable, defensive, disciplined player.

Despite his age and inexperience, he would probably have a positive impact in there.

 

[Obeanie1]

Speed is very different to endurance. Just because someone can run all day doesn't make them fast, just makes them fit

He isn't slow.

 

[Wooshaaaa]

FB Baker Edwards Ginbey

HB Hough McGovern Maric

C Brockman B allen dewar

HF Cripps O Allen Owies

FF Ryan J Williams Hewett

R Flynn H. Reid Graham

INT A Reid Cole hunt hall

Sub kelly

On Pixel 6 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Elite Pete]

Hutchinson not on the afl injury list which was updated today…… not that it means much

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

 

[amazingjoshy]

10 News just said Waterman out for at least 2 with calf and back issues

 

[dEagle]

And Hutch out also confirmed.

 

[Cuzz09]

awareness!!!

resting!!

sure guys

Yeo listed at 4-6 weeks... what odds he's 4-6 weeks in a month

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

 

[Shuestar13]

The Tuesday afternoon posting on the state media is to be taken with a grain of salt Even though it says “updated”, due to the timezone, best to trust the official update of a Tuesday evening (even with some scepticism).

Disappointing for both Jake and Jack, hopefully only minor for each.
Concerning Jake played on the weekend and as to how much input he had, sometimes the player needs to be overruled…

 

[Elite Pete]

Waterman 1-2
Duggan good to go
Hutchinson 3-4
Ryan test
Bazzo good to go

Out- Waterman, Hutchinson, Long

In- Bo Allan, Ryan, Hall

B- Hough - H Edwards - Cole
HB- Ginbey - Gov - Maric
C- Dewar - Graham - Duggan
HF- Hewett - A Reid - Ryan
F- Owies - Oscar - Cripps
R- Flynn - Harley - Baker
Bench- Kelly - Hall - Brockman - Bo
Sub- Hunt
Travelling Emerg- Petrucelle

WAFL
Bazzo - Brock - ?
Grego - Shanahan - ?
Johnston - Long - Davis
? - BWill - Rawlinson
Champion - JWill - ?
Barnett - Gross - ?
?-?-?
Unavailable-
Snake
Sheed
Yeo
Chesser
Coen
Jamieson
Hutchinson

 

[amazingjoshy]

 

[Yeahnahmate]

Obviously pretty much a side of passengers aside from Ginbey, Hough, Baker, Graham but also worth mentioning that being at the ground it was noticeable how ineffectual Hunt was. Did zero & it wouldn’t surprise if he was dropped

 

[sharps24]

Sweet, the 2 players I was most keen to watch in 2025 out with injuries they probably carried into the game. Oh well, excited for whoever gets a call up. At least we can be reasonably confident it won't be Gaff or Sheed.