Do we make excuses or are we on a rigid path to success?

[Rosy]

Just thinking about the Weagles who have come from 9th and 13th the previous seasons to be playing in the GF this year. Almost no fanfare or spin along the way. Just shows you don't necessarily need previous finals experience to do well, though no doubt it would help. We talk about building our list and 3 consecutive elimination finals as though it almost guarantees future success. Really what we're doing is what other clubs are doing too...maybe even better. I always see positives and have high hopes. I think we can win any game we play. I can't see us winning a GF any time soon though. Our best players come from the Wallace era. I hope we excel at drafting and trading this year to complement them before it's too late. Is anyone confident we'll have a far more successful season next year and if so what will give us the edge over the other clubs which are striving to improve too?

 

[Letsroar]

I can see us playing finals for the next few years and improving but I can not see us winning a GF any time soon.

We need to address a couple of key areas.

1 the ruck Have been a fan of Ivan but he has lost a bit over the last year or two. There is no obvious replacement. Hampson just does not do enough around the ground. The Vickery/Griff/McBean trio maybe a better option but still IMO opinion will not get it done against the elite ruck. Without an elite ruck we need a big bodied midfielder who can ruck to the opposition.

2 Key Position Defender. IMO Chaplin just not up to it. Our second big defender has to be able to play on multiple types. We saw his lack of flexibility hurt us badly in the final against North, If he was more flexible we could have moved either him or Rance onto Waite, the other pick up Petrie and Batchelor pick up Brown. Batch is not tall enough for any of those 3 but Brown is getting his hands to the ball but not holding them hence a better match.

No side has 22 guns. We will still have our role players but with at least breaking even in the clearances and a bit more flexibility down back we may have a chance.

 

[Rosy]

..... Without an elite ruck we need a big bodied midfielder who can ruck to the opposition....

It was interesting to hear Sam Mitchell say how they all but conceded the ruck against Freo and had planned their game around using that to their advantage.

 

[Tigerfan]

It was interesting to hear Sam Mitchell say how they all but conceded the ruck against Freo and had planned their game around using that to their advantage.

Hawtgorn lost the hit outs in their last two grand finals

 

[Rosy]

Hawtgorn lost the hit outs in their last two grand finals

Do you know how they went in ruck clearances?

 

[Ian4]

i'm really, really p!ssed off west coast are in the GF. they've came from nowhere and straight into a GF in their first year of finals under their current group of players and new coach. we've been building for 7 years and haven't won a final. yes I admit we've come from way further back than what they have and they do have some finals and premiership experience in their team, but its not a precedent from west coast. they came from nowhere in the early 2000s to play in 2 GF's mid decade. its so frustrating.

 

[toby64]

Think this is as good as it gets with this list.

Unless we can inject some A grade talent into the side I can't see us progressing much further.

Dealing with expectation has been this club's achilles heel and needs strong on-field leaders to overcome it. We simply don't have enough strong leaders at our club.

 

[pessimistic_]

Excuse making apologists

Embracing mediocrity

 

[tigersnake]

When does analysis of where we are and what's needed become an excuse? I dunno.

By 'rigid', do you mean guaranteed? No guarantees in footy.

Don't see the two options as alternatives myself.

I believe all areas of the club are steadily improving. Have to keep it up of course. We have gone from being a laughing stock to being competitive and having credibility.

 

[pessimistic_]

When does analysis of where we are and what's needed become an excuse? I dunno.

By 'rigid', do you mean guaranteed? No guarantees in footy.

Don't see the two options as alternatives myself.

I believe all areas of the club are steadily improving. Have to keep it up of course. We have gone from being a laughing stock to being competitive and having credibility.

but the OP point is WCE were seen as a bottom four side by at least some, to not long later now in a GF next week

Port, Dogs have shown how fast it can turn around.

Richmond is just chugging a long with the same money ball types

 

[tigersnake]

but the OP point is WCE were seen as a bottom four side by at least some, to not long later now in a GF next week

Port, Dogs have shown how fast it can turn around.

Richmond is just chugging a long with the same money ball types

This exact point has been dissected and discussed at length on various threads.

 

[pessimistic_]

whats the conclusion ?

 

[zippadeee]

Club has does really well getting its self from one the worse football teams I've ever seen to a consistent finals side.
But to take the step, they need to be in the market to attract players. Also not holding on to players for too long.

 

[pessimistic_]

the last few words are correct

we did well, the first few years under dimma

from a low base, to start from

however loyalty to C and D graders could be the clubs undoing. The window is not open forever, and one needs to be somewhat ruthless to win a flag

 

[zippadeee]

the last few words are correct

we did well, the first few years under dimma

from a low base, to start from

however loyalty to C and D graders could be the clubs undoing. The window is not open forever, and one needs to be somewhat ruthless to win a flag

There is nothing ruthless to this club at the moment. I would trade off Edwards, Ellis and Griffo
The best valve for Edwards is now
Teams llovd players like Ellis, run around all day get a 1000 touches and have no impact
Griffo 200cm 100kg Cat

 

[Chimptastic]

What matters is what they're thinking internally. I have no idea if they're making excuses.

As a member, I would like greater transparency than usual at the current stage of the club's journey. The supporters are less angry than ever IMO, but we're anxious about capitalising on the next couple of seasons. Now is not the time for spin.

 

[Rowdy]

We had 30 odd years of chopping and changing, got us zip, I like the current model of the RFC and trust them to continue to improve every aspect of the club, everyone wants success yesterday, RFC has proven time and time again chopping and changing does not work, I belive the "slow burn" will work, and when it does other clubs supporters will wonder how the hell did that happen, simple answer is supporters pay a lot more attention to there own club than what has been going on at other clubs, so are easly suprised.

 

[Tigers of Old]

The Weagles draw helped them a lot this year. That said they've developed into a better side than us. And significantly have shown the quality of depth on their list. The style of football they play is fast and attack driven with a sound defensive structure despite a lack of defensive talls.
Credit to their coach Adam Simpson. With his no fuss approach, he's done a tremendous job to build a talented base of footballers into a fine well drilled team. If they pinch one here, he will be the guy that deserves most of the credit. I really admire what he's done.
Alternatively I think we have poor depth in our squad and a rigid defence oriented game plan. Hardwick has had more than enough time to do better than we have. We've made finals but we're still stuck in no mans land. Have always said the next step to the upper echelon is the most difficult and we have not taken it. No excuses. Just not good enough.

 

[pokey]

West Coast haven't come from nowhere. A couple of years ago, they were pre-season flag favourites and underachieved for a couple of seasons.

Simmo has clearly done a terrific job but the talent has been there for a while.

The key phrase that you hear from West Coast players is that they know their game style so well now that it's more instinctive for them. That's the sign of good coaching and will hold them in good stead on Saturday.

As for us, I'm sure that they're no making excuses internally and that's all that matters.

Dimma, Benny et al have done a terrific job of getting the team to finals for three years in a row, which shouldn't be underestimated. There is still scope for internal improvement and I'm still excited about the future, even though I'm still hurting about the EF result.

If that makes me delusional, so be it.

 

[dcstar]

Just thinking about the Weagles who have come from 9th and 13th the previous seasons to be playing in the GF this year.
..........

The Eagles are an example of two things at the moment, the first being that their previous coach was holding them back by being stuck in an inflexible mindset when the football world had moved on and made his way of doing things obsolete. Their current game plan is simple and flexible but is based on decent key marking targets up forward and doesn't over rely on pin-point precision.

The second is that both the Perth sides have an ongoing advantage year after year and they really have to stuff up to win less than 13 or 14 matches each and every season, and this season WCE have not stuffed up. Throw in the lure of local W.A. draftees wanting to return there and that does not do them any harm at all in remaining strong on the field.

We are in a massively different environment with much more local competition to firstly attract and keep players capable of making us successful along with all the other things that are essential, and because of that we have to get things right at a level that is much better than our rivals. We might get things right 95% of the time and in our own little bubble be satisfied with that, but if your competitors get it right 97% of the time then they just increase the gap, that is the story of organisations that don't achieve the top levels of success in highly competitive environments.

We have done ok to get where we are now with the playing list we have and the game plan we use, but right now we are just another middling side that could finish any season from 5th to 12th depending on the fixture and injuries, and it would be an exception to go further unless we can play consistently better football when it really counts.