TOPIC:

Luke English not coming back to us is a slap in the face. This is indicative of what the problem has been for 30+ years. We struggle to produce as many quality players as other clubs and when we do they don't return to us or if they do its not for long.

Sorry, have to disagree.
Whilst it is disappointing he has his reasons.
We can't complain Masten came to us last year and not EF.
This year we have attracted recently delisted Josh Smith and Langlands.
We have attracted some very good midfielders this year, maybe he thought it may be tough for him to get a game.
Our midfield does look stronger than last year.
Anyway good luck to him.

Yep, I hate to see him go but he may well have looked for greater opportunities elsewhere.
We have a bevy of mids.. Masten, Byrne, Grey, Smith, McPartland, Colledge, Clarke, Langlands, Quill, perhaps Yeo will be back at some stage, plus others who can have a run through midfield Fisher and Cognilio eg, even Stubbs and Richardson at times and maybe some of the new boys like Hitchcock, Clark and Hayward from the Colts.

Demons Forever wrote: Sorry, have to disagree.
Whilst it is disappointing he has his reasons.
We can't complain Masten came to us last year and not EF.
This year we have attracted recently delisted Josh Smith and Langlands.
We have attracted some very good midfielders this year, maybe he thought it may be tough for him to get a game.
Our midfield does look stronger than last year.
Anyway good luck to him.

For argument sake let's use Masten and English as an example to compare. Pros we get a much more experienced player. Cons Masten is 31 and will play for 2 to 3 years (half will probably injured because of age). Con Masten is 10 points. Con. English is 20 years old and will potentially play for 8 to 10 years. Con. English would have been 1 point.
This is what Subi do so well they chase longer term prospects.

smokey wrote: Yep, I hate to see him go but he may well have looked for greater opportunities elsewhere.
We have a bevy of mids.. Masten, Byrne, Grey, Smith, McPartland, Colledge, Clarke, Langlands, Quill, perhaps Yeo will be back at some stage, plus others who can have a run through midfield Fisher and Cognilio eg, even Stubbs and Richardson at times and maybe some of the new boys like Hitchcock, Clark and Hayward from the Colts.

Masten will play one more year. Yeo will play 1 more year. Quill will struggle to get consistent league games. Langlands will end up the same as Giobbi and only play 1 or 2 years. Grey and Fisher will play one maybe 2 years. Stubbs will go home next year. McPartland and Byrne are young and local so hopefully play 100 games in the red and black. Don't know much about the colt boys but how many of them don't go on and play league for us because we have had older stop gap players or recruits from other clubs preventing their development.

It's very disappointing. It should be a priority to get delisted players back to the club. Saying he's not that good just doesn't cut it. He's a one point player. If he doesn't perform, he plays reserves. If he does, he could be a 6-8 year player. We could always do with more midfield depth. He would surely be at least serviceable, at least as good as Payne. I guess he had his reasons for going to EF - I certainly hope we didn't get outbid by them. It's worth paying overs if necessary for the optics of getting a local delisted player back to the club. I think all supporters like to see that.

A good debate here. The one question I have is who's place in the midfield does Luke English take? I cannot see him in the best 22 at this point but I would agree that he would be a prospect with further development.
Yes we know he is a 1 point player for us but where do recruiters draw the fine line.
I have looked at the list of Jack Clarke Medallists (previously Burley Medal) and note that 11 Perth players have won it going back tp 1957.
1961 Pat Astone an outstanding career as a WAFL premiership player (3) and State Rep.
2009 Aaron Elari a moderately successful WAFL player for Perth and Swans
2012 Dean Kent has not played WAFL footy but a very good AFL player at Melbourne and St Kilda.
2017 Luke English has not played any WAFL footy, was drafted in 2018 played no AFL games, a premiership player in VFL
The other 7 winners did not go on to any great heights at all in footy.
I would be guessing about other clubs but I don't think the success rate of other winners would be very much better.
Don't get me wrong. I am sad to see Luke leave the club but I believe it was his decision if not his manager to move camps, not the PFC.
I wish him well.
Having said all that, winning the Jack Clarke Medal does not mean you will go to great things just as never winning it does not mean that you wont be successful.

The best club in the last 5 years drafted him. He's still only 20 or 21- with 8-10 years left in him. He's a 1 point player. As mentioned, Masten, Yeo, Colledge don't have many years left. He would have been a great replacement for Masten- which he will be for EF. But we'll see- I can only vaguely remember him as a Colts player.

KCEF wrote: The best club in the last 5 years drafted him. He's still only 20 or 21- with 8-10 years left in him. He's a 1 point player. As mentioned, Masten, Yeo, Colledge don't have many years left. He would have been a great replacement for Masten- which he will be for EF. But we'll see- I can only vaguely remember him as a Colts player.

Yeo is 29 Colledge is only 26 and Masten is over 30 but could play for a while yet and has certainly shown over a long period of time that his body is still good enough bearing in mind it was a thumb injury and not soft tissue that cost him games in 2020.
Byrne is young,Langlands is young.
Plus whatever up and comers through the colts?we have.
It’s not like this midfield group is going to fall off the face of the earth because of there age,lots of years left in this group and certainly enough time to see a flag if good enough.

PD1899 wrote:

smokey wrote: Yep, I hate to see him go but he may well have looked for greater opportunities elsewhere.
We have a bevy of mids.. Masten, Byrne, Grey, Smith, McPartland, Colledge, Clarke, Langlands, Quill, perhaps Yeo will be back at some stage, plus others who can have a run through midfield Fisher and Cognilio eg, even Stubbs and Richardson at times and maybe some of the new boys like Hitchcock, Clark and Hayward from the Colts.

Masten will play one more year. Yeo will play 1 more year. Quill will struggle to get consistent league games. Langlands will end up the same as Giobbi and only play 1 or 2 years. Grey and Fisher will play one maybe 2 years. Stubbs will go home next year. McPartland and Byrne are young and local so hopefully play 100 games in the red and black. Don't know much about the colt boys but how many of them don't go on and play league for us because we have had older stop gap players or recruits from other clubs preventing their development.

Gee wiz don’t bother turning up in 2021 PD. That is the most negative post I’ve seen for a long time.