TOPIC:

Well it looks very much like Earl Spalding’s coaching career has come to an abrupt end. What are your thoughts on his 5 year reign.

from an outsider's view Duke has put Perth right back in the mix and blooded some pretty handy players during his reign
a job pretty well done from where he began really mate

Without looking at it in to much depth right now I think he has done what should have happened back at Perth 15-20 years ago in giving games to the younger players at the club.

Early on I remember him saying, and I'm paraphrasing here, in the past we have recruited players that have been here for a season or two and then left and not made much impact for the team or the club as a whole.

Despite our zone not being as fruitful as others he recognised that there are some promising players that were there, but they needed an opportunity. So rather than paying the big $$$ for someone that you'd get 20-40 games out of, Earl was prepared to back some of the younger players in with the hope that consistent exposure to league football would hopefully see these home grown, low point players develop to be good WAFL players.

In the past younger players would be in and out of the team. This was particularly annoying if by round 6 or 7 we knew we weren't going to make finals. What was even more annoying was when we knew the higher point players weren't going to stick around for long and the games that were used on them could have been used on a young up and coming player from our district. Granted not all would have succeeded but I reckon if this practice was implemented we would have had more 100 game players at the club over the last two decades than we have had.

I think Earl has put the club on the right track and given it some credibility. I’ve never come away from a 1/4 or 3/4 time huddle shaking my head like I did with the previous flog. It’s only the cattle that has denied us finals in Earls reign. This might have been the year but sadly it looks like that will be denied due the most unforeseen circumstances imaginable.

Yes, I agree with the consensus here.
Earl has turned around the culture and makeup of the player group that has unclogged transition paths and provided greater opportunities for young players coming from our junior and country zones.
I believe that we might have seen proof positive in the 2020 season, but sadly there appears that we will not see a 2020 season.
With luck, God willing, the current tumult and shouting will die and we will get a full 2021 season with Garry Moss at the helm of a new generation squad that will take us forward into a new and successful era for the Perth Football Club.
Having said that, a lot of water will flow under the bridge in the meantime and the shape and structure of a future WAFL remains to be seen.

This would appear to be old news, having been announced in December last year.

I take issue with comments around the lack of talent in Perth District.

I come from a senior Club in Perth's metro district.

We see and hear NOTHING from your Club apart from a fortnightly newsletter.

You likely wouldn't know what talent there is in our Club because you NEVER come here until you want something.

How difficult would it be to allocate your Directors one or two senior Clubs each in your district and instruct them to attend games once or twice a year? To make that easier, programme the visits when two Clubs in your district are playing oneanother - and then make yourselves known when you arrive. If you can't attend games, come down to training once or twice a year - even address the players.

Ask if you can attend one or two Committee Meetings per year as a guest.

Send us an occasional personal email so that you know who we are and we know who you are.

None of this is difficult or time consuming.

If you want more out of your district, you need to put at least SOMETHING in - and I don't mean money. What you get out of anything is directly proportional to what you put in.

Offer to sponsor a trophy at our Presentation Night - that would cost you $60, fairly minimal - and the goodwill shown would be enormous.

Well Birdman, it is old news that this will be Spading’s last year, but his tenure has ended a year earlier than planned. Therefore I think it is pertinent to discuss his coaching performance, which the other posters. I think you should start you own topic and bitch on about the club with whoever else may be interested.

I agree DD that most of his huddle addresses seemed pretty good. We did seem to fall away badly at times under Earl. Teams often got on a roll against us and couldn’t be stopped. Last year’s away games at Claremont and Joondalup were prime examples. We had played well in the first half only to be overrun in the third quarter and lose crucial matches.

Birdman wrote: This would appear to be old news, having been announced in December last year.

I take issue with comments around the lack of talent in Perth District.

I come from a senior Club in Perth's metro district.

We see and hear NOTHING from your Club apart from a fortnightly newsletter.

You likely wouldn't know what talent there is in our Club because you NEVER come here until you want something.

How difficult would it be to allocate your Directors one or two senior Clubs each in your district and instruct them to attend games once or twice a year? To make that easier, programme the visits when two Clubs in your district are playing oneanother - and then make yourselves known when you arrive. If you can't attend games, come down to training once or twice a year - even address the players.

Ask if you can attend one or two Committee Meetings per year as a guest.

Send us an occasional personal email so that you know who we are and we know who you are.

None of this is difficult or time consuming.

If you want more out of your district, you need to put at least SOMETHING in - and I don't mean money. What you get out of anything is directly proportional to what you put in.

Offer to sponsor a trophy at our Presentation Night - that would cost you $60, fairly minimal - and the goodwill shown would be enormous.

The gap between the Perth Football Club and clubs within it's district is nothing new Birdman. It's been a problem for around 15-20 years as far as I've known. This isn't Earl's or the playing groups issue though it is to do with the management of the club and that of the district itself. Agree with your points and if we were to bridge this gap then who knows.

Stand the Test wrote: Can we just stick to the facts and call Earl’s reign what it was.
A complete and utter flop,

No doubt s good bloke, no doubt players got on ok with him, addresses okay too.

But geez, check the results will you. Where are you guys coming from??

So you are saying Earl had the list to make finals and he under achieved? Shit forward line and one of the shortest ruckman in WAFL history who you can’t say has other attributes that make up for his deficiencies? And great depth?

Stand the Test wrote:

DD wrote:

Stand the Test wrote: Can we just stick to the facts and call Earl’s reign what it was.
A complete and utter flop,

No doubt s good bloke, no doubt players got on ok with him, addresses okay too.

But geez, check the results will you. Where are you guys coming from??

So you are saying Earl had the list to make finals and he under achieved? Shit forward line and one of the shortest ruckman in WAFL history who you can’t say has other attributes that make up for his deficiencies? And great depth?

Christ where you in the last round of 2019? Absolutely pissweak gypsy side put out and we couldn’t get past them to make finals.

He either had the squad or failed to put the squad together. Either way floppo.

I was there mate yep all Earls fault for missed shots on goal and CJ not holding onto that chest mark in the goal square 2 seconds before the final siren. By the way the player who kicked Peelmantles winning goal was a No 8 pick in the draft and just won the NAB Rising Star on the weekend kicking 3 goals on debut on an All Australian defender.