West Coast Draft Discussion,Re-Signings and Offseason Thread

[eg6914]

Games West Coast won against top 8 teams in 2014: Zero. But anyone who doesn't have them in the top 8 in 2015 is trolling?

West Coast's young players are going to improve, but the same doesn't apply to other teams like GC? Collingwood won't improve if Ben Reid and Nathan Brown come back into the team?

Delusional!

all this is speculation at this point so i dont know how you could call us "delusional" especially since top 8 is a very realistic goal ;)

[Grazz]

Games West Coast won against top 8 teams in 2014: Zero. But anyone who doesn't have them in the top 8 in 2015 is trolling?

West Coast's young players are going to improve, but the same doesn't apply to other teams like GC? Collingwood won't improve if Ben Reid and Nathan Brown come back into the team?

Delusional!

all this is speculation at this point so i dont know how you could call us "delusional" especially since top 8 is a very realistic goal ;)

As a Crows supporter i can sympathise with ya's, to many outside of our respective states underestimate the two teams and how quick things for these two clubs can improve.

[Nige]

Not really fussed about losing Carter, but the Blayne Train getting the axe is disappointing

I really would have thought it would be the other way around.

[elephants]

Not really fussed about losing Carter, but the Blayne Train getting the axe is disappointing

I really would have thought it would be the other way around.

Nup, I'm with RD. We've put heaps of work into developing Wilson and in the AFL games hes played hes been pretty good Imo. Carter is another small midfielder/defender, something we have a lot of.

[GoLions]

Games West Coast won against top 8 teams in 2014: Zero. But anyone who doesn't have them in the top 8 in 2015 is trolling?

West Coast's young players are going to improve, but the same doesn't apply to other teams like GC? Collingwood won't improve if Ben Reid and Nathan Brown come back into the team?

Delusional!

all this is speculation at this point so i dont know how you could call us "delusional" especially since top 8 is a very realistic goal ;)

I don't think anyone is saying you can't make the 8, just that you haven't been accounting for improvement of other sides around you, which there is plenty of

[meow meow]

Games West Coast won against top 8 teams in 2014: Zero. But anyone who doesn't have them in the top 8 in 2015 is trolling?

West Coast's young players are going to improve, but the same doesn't apply to other teams like GC? Collingwood won't improve if Ben Reid and Nathan Brown come back into the team?

Delusional!

all this is speculation at this point so i dont know how you could call us "delusional" especially since top 8 is a very realistic goal ;)

Goal: Yes
Certainty like some fans are saying: No

The delusional part was aimed at the statement that fans of other teams were all trolling if they didn't agree that West Coast were certainties to make the 8.

And things like "teams like North, Essendon, Tigers are going to struggle to perform as well as they did this year" while saying that WC will only improve. I don't get it.

[RaisyDaisy]

Not really fussed about losing Carter, but the Blayne Train getting the axe is disappointing

I really would have thought it would be the other way around.

Nup, I'm with RD. We've put heaps of work into developing Wilson and in the AFL games hes played hes been pretty good Imo. Carter is another small midfielder/defender, something we have a lot of.

Yep, that's what I was implying too Ele :)

Blayne showed some real good talent. Carter is a dime a dozen player

[Phasir]

I'll chuck in some more for banter seeing as it seems to be only my words that're drawing fire re: the delusional call :P

My points were that there's good teams and bad teams, there's probably 3 teams who made finals this year who classify as the latter and made finals due to the fact 8 teams play finals each year...  WCE were a good team, just played poorly when it mattered, the team structures, player list, & coaching panel themselves are still very good.  WCE were tipped to be grand-finalists in 2012/2013 but because they had a big change up in the off-season end of 2013 and took time to get used to the new system they're suddenly not considered a legitimate top 8 credentialed side?

I'm also not saying that all the teams in the same pool are going to drop off drastically either by the way, I just can't see why you would lock in a team like Richmond who were woeful this year on/off field, with no high draft picks or trade wins or emerging guns except Martin. 
North who're old and reliant on the old ways, they looked to have turned a corner with some of their midfield development this year but that's gone now, along with an aging Petrie their forwards are munted. 
Essendon probably won't be able to replace Ryder, nor will they be able to escape a third year of ASADA drama, maybe suspensions to follow their match winners are getting older and there's also no high picks coming through do to draft penalties. 
Gold Coast are the biggest chance & will most likely make finals if they have a fit Gary Ablett because honestly you'd tip Melbourne to make finals in 2015 had GAJ decided he wanted a new challenge back in melb. 
Adelaide are a big chance too, I think, but again they're behind WCE in development, have to develop understanding and relationships with the new coaching group [which is an understated factor.] 
The Magpies will probably be around that 12th - 10th mark because as much as they deny it there's a lot of unhappy customers there, and you can't consistently perform with a dysfunctional player group.

GWS, Bulldogs, Melbourne, St.K, Bris, will all improve, yes.  But I doubt anyone would tip any of them for a finals appearance.

I'm not even saying the Eagles WILL make finals, more so that they should, and should comfortably.  If they don't make an honest run for prelims / the grand-final it'll be a another wasted season as they have the personnel to make it to a top 8/6/4 finish. 

[The_Captain]

I love hearing how we never beat a top 8 side... Yet we beat Collingwood when they were in the 8 and we beat Gold Coast when they were in the 8..

Not to mention the sides we lost against like Port Adelaide by a few points and Essendon by a few points, who are strong top 8 sides, where we should of won those games and threw them away.

Its amazing what stats people whip out to make themselves look like a hero.. when they cant even remember things like that..

When we have a full side in, we are a decent top 8 side. Not top 4, but top 8 definitely.

Eryone just hates successful sides. Thats why Eagles are so hated by people who dont support them.

[Ricochet]

Well to be fair... Sants, GWS and Gold Coast were all top 8 sides at one point in 2014 :P

[The_Captain]

Well to be fair... Sants, GWS and Gold Coast were all top 8 sides at one point in 2014 :P

AHah yeah.. But im talking like post round 12 hahaha....

[GoLions]

I'll chuck in some more for banter seeing as it seems to be only my words that're drawing fire re: the delusional call :P

My points were that there's good teams and bad teams, there's probably 3 teams who made finals this year who classify as the latter and made finals due to the fact 8 teams play finals each year...  WCE were a good team, just played poorly when it mattered, the team structures, player list, & coaching panel themselves are still very good.  WCE were tipped to be grand-finalists in 2012/2013 but because they had a big change up in the off-season end of 2013 and took time to get used to the new system they're suddenly not considered a legitimate top 8 credentialed side?

Richmond played good footy when it mattered though, so wouldn't that put them ahead of you? And I'm not saying they'll make the finals, just that they have a lot of room for improvement going off last year alone. North should've done a bit better as well, and have now added Waite and Higgins to increase their chances of a top 4 finish. Losing Greenwood shouldn't hurt them that much. Essendon I can see dropping quite a bit.

I'm also not saying that all the teams in the same pool are going to drop off drastically either by the way, I just can't see why you would lock in a team like Richmond who were woeful this year on/off field, with no high draft picks or trade wins or emerging guns except Martin.

Isn't Richmond's pick straight after yours? And you guys didn't have any trade wins either. So it's basically dependent on which teams younger guys step up this year, which we can't say for sure until it actually happens.

North who're old and reliant on the old ways, they looked to have turned a corner with some of their midfield development this year but that's gone now, along with an aging Petrie their forwards are munted.

So you think North will go backwards? I think they have a 1-2 year window to have a shot at winning a GF, they'd really have to flower themselves up big time to go backwards from last year IMO

Essendon probably won't be able to replace Ryder, nor will they be able to escape a third year of ASADA drama, maybe suspensions to follow their match winners are getting older and there's also no high picks coming through do to draft penalties.

Agreed.

Gold Coast are the biggest chance & will most likely make finals if they have a fit Gary Ablett because honestly you'd tip Melbourne to make finals in 2015 had GAJ decided he wanted a new challenge back in melb.

Agreed again ;)

Adelaide are a big chance too, I think, but again they're behind WCE in development, have to develop understanding and relationships with the new coaching group [which is an understated factor.]

And again haha

The Magpies will probably be around that 12th - 10th mark because as much as they deny it there's a lot of unhappy customers there, and you can't consistently perform with a dysfunctional player group.

Wouldn't even have them at 10th tbh, 11-12th at best

GWS, Bulldogs, Melbourne, St.K, Bris, will all improve, yes.  But I doubt anyone would tip any of them for a finals appearance.

Yep, none of these teams will make finals, however Lions and GWS will challenge quite a few teams IMO

I'm not even saying the Eagles WILL make finals, more so that they should, and should comfortably.  If they don't make an honest run for prelims / the grand-final it'll be a another wasted season as they have the personnel to make it to a top 8/6/4 finish.

If you honestly believe that North and Tigers will 100% go backwards, then I can see why you would think this. As someone who thinks the exact opposite, this is why I think it's unlikely that you'll be there in September. Like I said earlier, I'd love to see you in the 8 as you're probably one of my top 5 teams to watch, but I just don't think it will happen in 2015.

[Vinny]

Don't see how North or Tiges could possibly go backwards.

[Nige]

May I just say... Dave's post in broken down so beautifully haha.

[GoLions]

May I just say... Dave's post in broken down so beautifully haha.

Cheers Nige, means a lot. Put so much effort into that post.