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I posted this on the Perth thread but I think this discussion should be had here and who knows we might bring a couple of Peel supporters out of the woodwork. Peel are cashed up from the last what is it, 7 or 8 years being aligned with Fremantle? We know they were on their knees prior to the alignment financially and the WAFC had to bail them out but their loans is just about paid back and they have plenty of cash in the bank. 

They have a strong core of ex AFL players and a very talented zone. This from my post on the Perth thread.

What is pretty clear to me from our previous season game against Peel in March , yes they had 13 Dockers that day and yesterday just 6 Dockers, Peel have a very good core of experienced ex AFL players (all their own bred talent bar Schofield) as well as a couple without AFL experience like Blair Bell and Brayden Lawler.

But their young talent is light year’s ahead of ours. I believe if Peel had no alignment with Fremantle and both clubs lined up their best 22 with zero outside recruits from other they would still defeat us. And that comes down to talent available in our zone compared to theirs.

The problem Peel had prior to the alignment with Fremantle was the stonger WAFL clubs like Subiaco would pick the eyes out of Peel. I believe if they ended their alignment with Fremantle now they would be a very competitive side and genuine top 5 contender and of course they would like any WAFL club go out and get a few recruits.

There was talk last year Peel wanted to end their alignment with Fremantle. Not sure where that is at, I think the current agreement ends this year or next. Will be interesting to see Peels next move. IMO they can never be considered a success until they can stand on their own two feet. The Fremantle alignment has certainly given them a financial kick along. 
 

I know it was a short season last year DD but Peel were uncompetitive without their Dockers players, didnt win a game. I think it is possible for them to survive as a stand alone WAFL club but I think it may take them a few years to get their act together to be a finals threat.

The problem is DD what does Freo do with there reserves players.Do they have a stand alone team like West Coast.Making  an 11 team Wafl competition.
For the long term benefit of the Wafl competition..Freo needs to suck Peel up.So we can have proper zonal reform in the Wafl.

The WAFL won’t want an 11 team comp.

Imo it’s Freo that want a stand alone team.
In this scenario Peel imo would eventually  end up exactly how they were pre- alignment days,broke and struggling to win games.

I would fold Peel and keep it at a 10 team comp with rules of a cap on WC and Freo with the number of AFL players they can field on match day, injuries and emergency players on the AFL match day would keep that number in check. 
Top up players to come strictly from unwanted WAFL players,Amateurs and the like.
Like WC,Freo to play all there games away.

The alignment agreement between Peel and Fremantle expires at the end of 2021 so it's going to be very interesting to see which direction Peel want to go forward with. I think for Fremantle it's working well and a no brainer for them to want to continue but if Peel are to be taken seriously as a genuine WAFL club they need to cut the umbilical cord and stand on their own two feet.

They are cashed up from the alignment and have the best facilities in the WAFL in my opinion and they have a strong core of local players with AFL experience along with a couple of quality recruits and an exciting talent base.

If they choose to extend their agreement with Fremantle then that will in effect be waiving the white flag for me that they are prepared to take the easy road.

I think one of the main issues with Peel is keeping enough of the local talent playing WAFL footy, although we all know that the clubs in the Perth Football League do pay some of their players when they aren't meant to, in the Peel Football League they can opening pay guys and when you are offering a kid from the Peel Colts program transitioning through to senior football $200-$500 a game to play in the local league or get nothing to play Peel reserves, i think that's where the issue also lays.

If that sort of thing continues to happen then the Peel reserves will fall away massively as well. I do agree that other clubs come hunting and targeting their local talent, which needs to be looked at somehow, how i am unsure but with a new CEO and the club sounds like it is in a better place since he has arrived players might want to stay there now instead of moving. 
Getting Schofield back to his original club is a massive get considering others have gone elsewhere. Tucker, Schoenfeld, Merritt etc. Comes down to making it a club players want to be involved with. 

Schofield is from Victoria

Original WAFL Club. 

wrote:

Original WAFL Club. 

Yes was picked by Peel in the reverse draft when after he was drafted by the Eagles from Victoria. Before alignments came back in of course, he then played a fair bit of footy for East Perth.

Has anyone heard whether Peel are actually ending their alignment with the Dockers? I thought there would be some information about this by now as both the Dockers and Peels seasons ended weeks ago and the decision has massive implications for the WAFL competition in 2022.