Firstly, well done to Clancy on a great career, a real warrior to the end, a fearsome sight in his Hannibal Lector mask.
Possibly the best performance i have seen from a Subi side since the '86 GF, totally committed and disciplined, but, cant come to terms with the performance by Souths, totally out of character to put up such a timid performance from a group that does have talent. Apart from a couple of weak as piss snipes by Suban, I did not see much if any real aggression at the footy or the player by Souths, no real pressure on Subi's game breakers like Dela, kitch, Horse or Sokol. Souths are so much better than that but had a shocker and let everyone down on the day. It should be a real sour feeling in their guts that's spurs them on next year as it did for us after the two losses to Freo.
Now to address the state of the comp, yes it is in dire straites due to the total inaction by the WAFC, yes Subi have been the dominant team for most of the last 15 years, that dominance really started when peter german and "Cheese Maloney" came to the club. We had the benefit of our home ground Subi oval AFL packages since the Eagles started in '87, we won a flag in '88, then lost GF's in '91 &'95 and were regular finalists up until 2004, we had the money but did not win flags in that time and therefore no one really gave a shit. Not until the German era along with a brutal fittness and weights regime brought in by Matt Barber and Germans take no prisoners coaching style and game plan. Things changed dramatically at that point and the run of flags started. So the difference wasn't the money it was the culture. There is comment about Subi's great zone ... really? we had a one off stand out year last year when our colts won their first flag in a very long time, before that they were regular bottom 4 and this year dropped out of the finals, 1 year does not mean dominance in my book so the idea our Zone is one of the best is crap, look at Claremont for the best zone, always in the colts finals and won it again yesterday.
If the comp has any chance of recovering, teams like Swans and Perth need to be supported in some way, what that is, I dont know, but for starters teams cannot recruit from teams that finish below them, and then maybe a restriction on the types of recruits that teams who finish in the finals can get, maybe a graduated reduction in the points cap for the top 5 teams, there are plenty of things the WAFC can do if they had the will to equalise the comp without crossing the freedom of trade line. but thats the problem, the WAFC seem committed to driving the comp into the ground, at the behest of the AFL so they can bring in an u/23 comp which is the AFL's real desire. So like any club would, unless some rules are brought in, Subi will continue to work within the system that exists. It is clearly not up to Subi to make the changes, thats like the checkout chick being told they have the responsibility to make management changes at Coles or Woolies. There's also a responsibility for the other 7 WAFL clubs to lift their games where they are able and that is in fittness and conditioning, they may not match the current talent at Subi but they can always match the strength and fittness ........ if they have the will and committment to do so.
Over to STD and his band of happy Subi haters.
