- Sep 8, 2011
- 11,472
- 11,944
- AFL Club
- West Coast
He might not be the yougn athletic jumping beast but turn into a more traditional brute-force ruckman ala Mumford. Can see him being just as damaging like Mummy.
RookiePick
Brownlow Medallist
- Aug 13, 2014
- 28,213
- 50,980
- AFL Club
- West Coast
With his athletic leap I think it's easy to overlook Naita has also developed into an extremely solid 200cm unit.
Xsess
Norm Smith Medallist
If the need to rebuild our midfield wasn't obvious after the GF capitulation there is no excuse for ignorance after last year's EF. Even less so coming into the season without our most important midfielder in NicNat. Begs the question why our club has spent nearly a year and its whole recruitment strategy trying to put lipstick on the pig.. !!?
West coast MUST build a top 4 caliber midfield whilst Kennedy, Naitanui and McGovern are still on our list. Do that and we win flag #4. Fail to do that and we waste the career of arguably the best key forward, and potentially the best tap ruck and tall intercept defender ever to play for the club. This season is cactus so lets stop this charade that we are remotely in the premiership hunt this year, play kids in numbers each week and make the tough decisions about senior players who are obviously in the twilights of their career. Accept lower ladder positions during the development phase and recruit for the future, with luck we might be back in contention in a few years.
The problem, and the great source of frustration for those of us who think that is where the club is at, is that formula is available to every club which is in the doldrums, and the ones which will rebuild fastest are the ones which follow it most aggressively. At the moment we are doing precisely the opposite of that, whilst clubs with a similar age structure to us 2 years ago, like Sydney, Hawthorn and North, have all seen the writing on the wall and are rebuilding hard. I'm not annoyed because we are losing now, I'm annoyed because the decisions that are being made now are probably going to set up a really dreadful patch for the club in a few years time.
West coast MUST build a top 4 caliber midfield whilst Kennedy, Naitanui and McGovern are still on our list. Do that and we win flag #4. Fail to do that and we waste the career of arguably the best key forward, and potentially the best tap ruck and tall intercept defender ever to play for the club. This season is cactus so lets stop this charade that we are remotely in the premiership hunt this year, play kids in numbers each week and make the tough decisions about senior players who are obviously in the twilights of their career. Accept lower ladder positions during the development phase and recruit for the future, with luck we might be back in contention in a few years.
The problem, and the great source of frustration for those of us who think that is where the club is at, is that formula is available to every club which is in the doldrums, and the ones which will rebuild fastest are the ones which follow it most aggressively. At the moment we are doing precisely the opposite of that, whilst clubs with a similar age structure to us 2 years ago, like Sydney, Hawthorn and North, have all seen the writing on the wall and are rebuilding hard. I'm not annoyed because we are losing now, I'm annoyed because the decisions that are being made now are probably going to set up a really dreadful patch for the club in a few years time.
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TWith his athletic leap I think it's easy to overlook Naita has also developed into an extremely solid 200cm unit.
Agree he is an beast but he is rucking against bontempellie in his first year.
RookiePick
Brownlow Medallist
- Aug 13, 2014
- 28,213
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...and Naita is significantly bigger now too.
I am extremely dirty that I can't find a gif of Super Mario dying on the NES. It is just perfect for the Bullies 3rd man up.
I am extremely dirty that I can't find a gif of Super Mario dying on the NES. It is just perfect for the Bullies 3rd man up.
The moment we lost naita and to a lesser extent, lycett we should have opted for a mini rebuild.
Nn wont be back to his best till 2019. If he ever does. Lycett is still a good enough first ruck to move on with - priddis was always dependant on supply - take out ruck dominance and all of a sudden hes an aging slow player with huge limitations on his game.
Before the season started i saw this train wreck happening and its pretty much been exactly what i suspected - we are the new kangaroos
Very well put man! Surely the powers that be ... SOMEONE at the club at least recognises how imperative and urgent this is. If not they must go too!! I've wondered exactly how much say or control Simpson actually had over selections when he got the job? Coming from the Hawks you'd think he would not tolerate poor football skills? Maybe with our manic clean cut culture manifesto after the Cuz Judd years, we've got our stat racking poster boys our there and that's all that matters?
Speaking of 'best evers". Given the golden years of having mids like Judd, Cuz, Matera, Kemp.. another thing I can't comprehend how complacent and accepting most all WCE people have become of shit midfielders we have today?!
In the Judd trade , Tony Notte was drafted at #20 maybe we should have taken another midfielder in hindsight because Cousins was virtually gone at that stage . Anyway Notte is a WAFL gun now , great versatile WAFL KPP .....such a pity he never stuck around because he has great skills for a tall , played the last three state games for WA also .
Pridda wil be gone, Mitchell will still be in the side. He has been nothing but class for us
Imo naita needs to cut back a bit. He put on a bit last preseason and I rekon that could possibly played a part in him doing his weight. NN physically is probably as strong and big as any ruck in the league, bit when your leaping 5m in the air continually that puts a bit of stress on the body.
exactly! I was just thinking this. What is he gonna do? What sort of 'new' player might he become when he comes back? Because my biggest fear and the sad bit will be, if he never is able to jump like he used to. So if he is not gonna jump around everywhere, then he has to bulk up. OR if he is gonna be a 'jumper' then he prob has to cut back some weight (to avoid that type of injury in the first place and again).
RookiePick
Brownlow Medallist
- Aug 13, 2014
- 28,213
- 50,980
- AFL Club
- West Coast
was a good start dropping Masto, now for Pridda to retire. We will be a better team with injection of some young blood and Nic will give us a boost. Having him back is like having an extra midfielder plus the silver service to the likes of Gaff, Shuey and Sammy will be massive
- Sep 16, 2006
- 36,504
- 36,640
- AFL Club
- West Coast
Called for it at the end of last year and had my head ripped off...
Xsess
Norm Smith Medallist
Nic Nat scares the shit out of me every-time he jumps in the air much less now with that dodgy knee. I wouldn't actually mind if he changes his style slightly from high flying tap guru to ground level bulldozer. To me that's his go. When NicNat is on song he provides an irresistible force of nature driving the ball forward.
I actually don't mind that. That way he could potentially turn from a 70% time on ground to a potentially to an 85% on ground time ruckmen. That in term allows us a fwd/ruck that only chops out in the ruck but provides us another genuine avenue to goal.
Priddis offered and signed a 1 year extension which is the Club's philosophy for players aged over 30!
porttoport
All Australian
- Feb 27, 2017
- 820
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- AFL Club
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Can you explain why Mitchell is not part of the aged , slow, little defensive effort side problem at Tbe Eagles midfield ? What has been the upside to his signing
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He uses the ball so well his positives outweigh his negatives imo. Also been playing a lot across half back. The problem is we can't keep playing all our slow midfielders, although WC are probably hoping if/when NN comes back that will pretty much be a non-issue as he can hit it out of the normal zone. Slow players are ok if they get a 2m headstart
yeahhh I saw this... terrible, yes Pridda is a star for us but its time to move on....
Mitchell is a star! yeah he does lack some pace but he makes up for it with his elite ball skills. He is a perfect play maker that gets other players involved, little defensive effort you say.... lol I disagree I'm certain his opponents would feel uneasy on game day when he is on ball. There is massive upside on having him in the team, our younger midfielders will learn from him and his experience and skills are elite. Only downside would rather just Sammy in the middle not him and Pridda.
Who would win a race between Mitchell and Priddis? I don't know how fast Priddis is because he barely ever gets out of jog mode.
With his athletic leap I think it's easy to overlook Naita has also developed into an extremely solid 200cm unit.
This is why they removed the 3rd man up ^^
