TOPIC:

G'Day all, with the grand final loss now a distant memory it's time to start thinking about player movement ahead of next season! We have a great record of being able to regenerate our list each year, but I feel like player turnover might be below normal levels for us this time around. However, WAFL player movement is always fascinatingly unpredictable and no matter what we attempt to foresee, it's inevitable that there'll be a few departures/arrivals totally out of the blue.

That being said, that won't stop us from speculating! I have compiled the following list of players who could potentially be entering or exiting the fold at Subi for season 2017. I certainly don't profess to have any inside information on any of these names, I am simply being very speculative and hoping that someone more informed than myself will be able to shed some light on certain blokes' futures. In particular with the outs, I'm by no means trying to kill off any of our champions, just being realistic that WAFL retirements often come early etc. While we all know they can go again, some of the boys may be ready to call it quits. Similarly, I concede that some of the ins I have listed are a bit ambitious.

OUTS

• W.Twomey (retirement? Believe he was going away after the GF to make a decision.)
• C.Phelan (retirement?)
• B.Robinson (retirement?)
• L.Ryan (AFL draft)
• J.Joyce (unfortunately his return to the club didn't go to plan with several injuries. May return to amateurs?)

INS

• S.Worthington (club will no doubt try and get him to return again. Would say it's unlikely?)
• S.Grimley (signed a two-year contract when he joined the club ahead of this season. I would highly doubt that he would be drafted again given that after a disappointing time of it at Essendon as a top-up player, his appeal is probably even less than what it was when he wasn't drafted 12 months earlier. It's an interesting one - when Essendon took him as a top-up, does his contract with Subi get torn up, or does he return to honour the second year of it next season? I read somewhere that he remained on our books as a 10 point player this season, so that would suggest that he may be returning next year?)
• J.Deluca (delisted today by Freo, so would be a chance to do the Subi-Peel-Subi move previously completed by Woody. Word is he will continue to train with Freo though in the hope of being re-rookie listed once again, as happened at the end of 2015.)
• C.Deluca (heard whispers he may be returning after a year away from the club?)
• R.Crowley (apparently there was a paragraph in a newspaper article a few weeks ago which said that despite his previous deal with Swans (which pales into the same uncertainty that ours with Grimley does after they were taken as Essendon top-ups), there is a suggestion that he may somehow end up back at Subi instead next year?)
• A.Tropiano (not trying to upset the Perth fans on here, but have to include his name given the recent media coverage.)
• T.Dennis-Lane (read on here that he trained with the club ahead of this season, could we convince him to commit to a return next year?)

The boys who had long-term injuries are also interesting situations. Obviously Kennedy and Sokol were in the GF squad so no issues there, and Hancock will definitely be back, but the extreme elongation of Halligan's injuries was confusing. David Madut is another one, I'm sure he will be back from his knee injury.

Please chip in any info you may have on player movement ahead of season 2017!

Lions Den wrote: G'Day all, with the grand final loss now a distant memory it's time to start thinking about player movement ahead of next season! We have a great record of being able to regenerate our list each year, but I feel like player turnover might be below normal levels for us this time around. However, WAFL player movement is always fascinatingly unpredictable and no matter what we attempt to foresee, it's inevitable that there'll be a few departures/arrivals totally out of the blue.

That being said, that won't stop us from speculating! I have compiled the following list of players who could potentially be entering or exiting the fold at Subi for season 2017. I certainly don't profess to have any inside information on any of these names, I am simply being very speculative and hoping that someone more informed than myself will be able to shed some light on certain blokes' futures. In particular with the outs, I'm by no means trying to kill off any of our champions, just being realistic that WAFL retirements often come early etc. While we all know they can go again, some of the boys may be ready to call it quits. Similarly, I concede that some of the ins I have listed are a bit ambitious.



OUTS

• W.Twomey (retirement? Believe he was going away after the GF to make a decision.)
• C.Phelan (retirement?)
• B.Robinson (retirement?)
• L.Ryan (AFL draft)
• J.Joyce (unfortunately his return to the club didn't go to plan with several injuries. May return to amateurs?)

INS

• S.Worthington (club will no doubt try and get him to return again. Would say it's unlikely?)
• S.Grimley (signed a two-year contract when he joined the club ahead of this season. I would highly doubt that he would be drafted again given that after a disappointing time of it at Essendon as a top-up player, his appeal is probably even less than what it was when he wasn't drafted 12 months earlier. It's an interesting one - when Essendon took him as a top-up, does his contract with Subi get torn up, or does he return to honour the second year of it next season? I read somewhere that he remained on our books as a 10 point player this season, so that would suggest that he may be returning next year?)
• J.Deluca (delisted today by Freo, so would be a chance to do the Subi-Peel-Subi move previously completed by Woody. Word is he will continue to train with Freo though in the hope of being re-rookie listed once again, as happened at the end of 2015.)
• C.Deluca (heard whispers he may be returning after a year away from the club?)
• R.Crowley (apparently there was a paragraph in a newspaper article a few weeks ago which said that despite his previous deal with Swans (which pales into the same uncertainty that ours with Grimley does after they were taken as Essendon top-ups), there is a suggestion that he may somehow end up back at Subi instead next year?)
• A.Tropiano (not trying to upset the Perth fans on here, but have to include his name given the recent media coverage.)
• T.Dennis-Lane (read on here that he trained with the club ahead of this season, could we convince him to commit to a return next year?)

The boys who had long-term injuries are also interesting situations. Obviously Kennedy and Sokol were in the GF squad so no issues there, and Hancock will definitely be back, but the extreme elongation of Halligan's injuries was confusing. David Madut is another one, I'm sure he will be back from his knee injury.

Please chip in any info you may have on player movement ahead of season 2017!

Good summation there LionsDen and welcome!
Of those cant see Crowley playing again for us and I would like to see if Grimley comes as he is a tall who offers something different to what we already have by the little I have seen of him. Looks like a proven goal kicker at this level and they are valuable.
Halligan is one that we missed and hopefully he is fully fit now and ready to go in 2017. Justin Joyce is an interesting one , he seems to come and go but has ability. Madut is another who I think can continue to develop if he can get and stay fit. We need a ruckman.

Oh by the way Lions Den the GF loss is not yet a distant memory for me . It still burns!!!

Very concise report and welcome to the den,Lions Den.I hope to find out more after the fairest and best count on Friday night.Dylan Clarke was another player missing injured who will make a difference next year.Lightly framed but has clever skills.Halligan was a big loss,I witnessed him demolish Peel with 6goals early in the season.Charlie Lefanu might come back,I think he played in the Darwin comp from memory this year.Wortho kicked 51 goals for Boulder and was voted country footballer of the year and is still only 25years of age.He would be most welcome back at Subi.Do Blech and Woody return?What about the talented but injury prone Scafidi?And Frank Stockley was in the rooms after the GF.It would be a long shot,but he would be the perfect ruck man we need to find and is still only 26 years old.I hope someone has a quiet word in his ear.Lots of questions but not many answers at this early stage unfortunately.

If I were involved in recruiting I'd be hitting up Jack Hannath after Freo delisted him...I can't see him being picked up by anyone else at AFL level and he would form an imposing combination with Dela and Clanger.

Good call BC, but Hannath is from SA so expect he would be getting plenty of juicy offers from SANFL clubs. Definitely need a ready to go ruckman, Madut will take some time to get his confidence back after doing a knee so expect him to do plenty of time in the 2's, maybe comeback to league in the 2nd half of the season if it holds up. Wouldn't chase Crowley as he's too old and the points would not be worth it, or Grimley as he's not a ruckman and we already have a 50+ goal FF.

I want to see guys like Boges and Maxy Walters get some good game time next year. Max is a big bustling inside mid and Boges is a silky outside mid/wingman, both get a heap of the footy and if all the injured boys pull up fit after pre-season I don't see any need to recruit anyone beyond a Ruckman.

Agree with you SS but we all know they won't stop there.

Mudlark wrote: Very concise report and welcome to the den,Lions Den.I hope to find out more after the fairest and best count on Friday night.Dylan Clarke was another player missing injured who will make a difference next year.Lightly framed but has clever skills.Halligan was a big loss,I witnessed him demolish Peel with 6goals early in the season.Charlie Lefanu might come back,I think he played in the Darwin comp from memory this year.Wortho kicked 51 goals for Boulder and was voted country footballer of the year and is still only 25years of age.He would be most welcome back at Subi.Do Blech and Woody return?What about the talented but injury prone Scafidi?And Frank Stockley was in the rooms after the GF.It would be a long shot,but he would be the perfect ruck man we need to find and is still only 26 years old.I hope someone has a quiet word in his ear.Lots of questions but not many answers at this early stage unfortunately.

Good call on Dylan Clarke - completely forgot about him. Was just about BOG in round 2 vs EP this year, I think he has real potential especially if he spends a summer in the gym.

Le Fanu played a few games for Uni this year but yeah the Darwin comp must have been where he spent the rest of his time.

Blech had a very good season for the Harvey Bulls alongside Rumba and Michael Genovese who I believe just pipped Blech to the B&F.

What was the deal with Woody? Came into the season injured from memory, played 4 reserves games between rounds 7-10 and then never played again. Did he get injured again? Hardly touched the ball in those 4 reserves games either, but a premiership player nonetheless and wouldn't mind having him back at full fitness, still needs more size though.

As for Frank, that's interesting that he was in the rooms. I'm told he's looking pretty wide at the moment? Only managed 6 games for North Beach A grade as well. As you say, exactly what we need, but has to be a long shot.

As you said, any potential departures could be announced on Friday night so hopefully some more detail will arise then.

Yep getting Frank back would solve the ruck issue but I think he has business interests and work commitments that would keep him from wafl league level footy.

Subihawk wrote: Agree with you SS but we all know they won't stop there.

Haha, yeah based on past seasons probably not, maybe a good thing as this 10 day premiership drought is killing me.