TOPIC:

No doubt shortly after the grand final, if East Perth win or lose, the fight against the alignment will start up again.

The G7 clubs will be in the middle of membership and sponsorship drives so will be out there pretending to do something to keep their fanbase happy.

Presidents like Raponi will demand the world. Stuff like free transfers, removing zones, reduced lists and salary caps. These demands will be backed up by threats of boycotts, forfeits and solidarity.

If by the start of the 2015 season they back down on the threats while only achieving token changes like a 5% reduction in salary cap will you let them get away with it like this year? Or will you contact your President and demand they to stick to their guns and back up the threats?

What worries me as much as I would desperately hate to see the team formerly known as East Perth win, if they lose the WAFC will be as happy as hell to tell everyone how the alignment has had no effect.

Barney, there might be some wimpering here and there, not much , bugger all will change, if the dockers get in the gf and win it will all be drowned out and ignored,

Barney there is significant changes which must occur for any alignment to succeed long term.

1) East perth and peels salary cap can only be 25% of every other clubs.
2) The points system must be removed as it obviously does not apply to East perth and Peel.
3) East perth and peel must pay for the coach and not the AFL clubs just as the other clubs do.
4) East perth and Peel AFL listed players must play a minimum of 10 games to qualify for finals.

If all of the above was in place then this would be fair and most would accept it. This also allows for both Peel and East perth to be seen as real WAFL clubs and not AFL clubs.

Until these simple basic principles are in place then there is no way other than a huge advantage the two aligned clubs will be deemed to have.

Barney: Given Perth's change of attitude there will be no genuine movement against the alignment. The alignment is here to stay: the only question is whether they create a 'RoyalPerthEagles club or consider a Subiaco-EP merger; but, whatever happens Perth, EP, and possibly one other club will never be the same again.

My two assumptions in all of the above are that: they want the alignment and an 8- team competition.

Greatwhiteshark -- In fact Perth has not helped the cause of the Commission by coming out and saying that the alignment would give them success.

I think the alignment will be changed somewhat in your direction over time; however, the Eagles will never agree to point four.

The Finals problem might be solved by the following: the bottom four or five clubs play the Eagles and Fremantle in rotation until they are knocked out of the AFL finals. IE for this season, CL, SF, P and so on would play against EP and Peel. The top four would compete for the WAFL Premiership.

Bazza wrote: there might be some wimpering here and there, not much , bugger all will change,

Sadly, that sounds spot on. With the recent developments at Perth, will they be the next club down the spout!?
The whole stupid debacle will continue and carry on, sad to say
Can't see any alignment fights going to happen anywhere this summer.

ArkRoyal wrote: Greatwhiteshark -- In fact Perth has not helped the cause of the Commission by coming out and saying that the alignment would give them success.

I think the alignment will be changed somewhat in your direction over time; however, the Eagles will never agree to point four.

The Finals problem might be solved by the following: the bottom four or five clubs play the Eagles and Fremantle in rotation until they are knocked out of the AFL finals. IE for this season, CL, SF, P and so on would play against EP and Peel. The top four would compete for the WAFL Premiership.

A/r fully agree with you about point 4; if the Eagles or Dockers wanted 22 players in the AFL system to player WAFL that is what would happen.

With respect to G7 WAFL clubs given the two WA domiciled AFL teams match practice during the finals - only if they pay the clubs $200,000 per game and agree to fully insure any WAFL player for loss of earnings due to any injury incurred in such a game.

With respect to what has been said by Perth, it provides further evidence that any success due to a host club alignment is null and void. I suspect that there may be changes to the Perth board as a direct result of what has been alleged as a desire to get in bed with the devil incarnate in a host club alignment.

Further it is looking more likely that the club formerly known as East Perth is heading the same way as the plot in Great Expectations and Anna Karenina.

Swan42 dont hold you breath on those board changes at PFC. Even if the board does change it wont stop the alignment deal, the WAFC will see to that.

westaussieguy wrote:

Bazza wrote: there might be some wimpering here and there, not much , bugger all will change,

Sadly, that sounds spot on. With the recent developments at Perth, will they be the next club down the spout!?
The whole stupid debacle will continue and carry on, sad to say
Can't see any alignment fights going to happen anywhere this summer.

There will be a fight, a huge amount of chest beating just like last year. It will all be for show though as they know they will only get token change if anything.

As I said before, are we going to let our Presidents get away with it? They will put up a huge defense of "the integrity of the competition" but when they get the most they can out of their own supporters and sponsors they will return to the "nothing can be done" attitude.

We should hold them to account. The louder they are, the more they should be forced to back up any threats. No suggestions of boycotts, forfeits or refusing to play aligned teams in the pre season only to submit when it comes time to commit to the threats.