TOPIC:

Make no mistake about it folks, this is a sliding doors moment that our club cannot afford to pass up. How much worse does our club have to get before it says, barleys, we need help? Our colts are woeful, finished the 2021 season with no wins and 34.8%. The second bottom team Subiaco had 4 wins and double the percentage. That’s how far we are off the pace. 

Yet some of you are like the knight in the forest in Life of Brian when he gets all his limbs chopped off and still won’t concede defeat. Sometimes you just need to find the courage to say, yep I need help. Isn’t that the message behind mental health these days? The first tough step is admitting you need help. 

As Mark Duffield has said, the club best placed to accomodate all or most of the Eagles interstate recruits is Perth. But the Eagles are currently in talks with East Perth probably because we are too stubborn or too stupid to have an open mind and look at the possible benefits. 

Wake up Perth Football Club or it won’t be long before we fade away into oblivion.

thewest.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/m...ves-trial--c-4236421

He ruined the whole article with the last paragraph. That old chestnut again-the 2 afl teams put so much $ into the wafl they should be able to do what they like. Absolute fw

Yes DG I don’t agree with Duffield on that last point, WC or Fremantle should never be able to dictate where they play their players in the WAFL. But we need to look at the big picture, not our own little picture through our own window.

My club needs to take a macro approach not a micro approach that some take. I can see a stack of benefits if my club takes in all interstate recruits because as Duffield has stated at least half will play mostly AFL and there will be injuries. Maybe we might have as many as 10 in one week but I think we can come to some sort of agreement with WC that we play a max of 6 unless our injury toll is high then we can accomodate more.

Some can play resrves.

Thanks DD for listing the WA and “interstate” players on the WCE List and for raising this on the Demons thread.
 For me, the WCE “player placement” model raises several issues.  Based on the last alignment with East Perth and the WCE “Reserves” team (an unfortunate description of the team WCE entered into WA’s premier football competition) and putting that in the context of the Perth Football Club I think those issues are:
1. blocking opportunities for the WAFL Club to develop their local players.
whatever our views on the reasons for the lack of talent coming through the Perth zone, at least in the short term adding WCE players is unlikely IMO to prevent local players getting reserves and senior games. This was IMO  a problem at EPFC where WCE Players who had no senior experience were walk up starts in the League team without being up to WAFL League standard and at the expense of older  EP players who were.

2. overall quality of the “placed” WCE Players
 The WCE 2021 WAFL was weak. The media/WCE excuse was the weakness of their “top up” players, but IMO that ignores the relative strength of the WCE AFL players listed and the managed minutes approach of the returning senior players. As East Fremantle have found (and as Bill Monaghan has publicly acknowledged) just because you’re on or we’re on an AFL list does not mean you are a good WAFL player.
this may be overcome by agreements around weekly selection being at Perth’s discretion but it did not seem that way at EPFC.

3. club culture and identity
some WCE players will play for whatever jumper they are wearing and I hear some were very good club men at EPFC. This is IMO a player by player proposition but getting this part right will IMO be very important for Perth. But integrating any new player  into your club is a challenge

4. the coach 
WCE dont seem to be insisting on appointing their  own coach to the WAFL that takes interstate WCE players. Apparently they can’t afford to do so. Garry Moss was at EPFC During the last alignment and should be aware of the pitfalls and without a WCE person in charge the practical game day control should be removed from WCE

5. the money
apparently EPFC made money from the alignment but it did come with extra off sets for the other WAFL clubs. EPFC saved on coaching  costs and other off field expenses. I’m not sure what financial benefits there will be for Perh in a placement model.

I agree with DD that Perth and every other WAFL club should think this through very carefully. We all want Perth to be a much stronger club on and off the field. 

There are currently 17 interstate players on the WCE list. Of those Venables and Vardy have gone and Brander likely to go..
Of the remaining 14, there are 5 players who would, in all probability, not play any WAFL games....Gaff, Redden, Shuey, Duggan, Hurn.
Of the remaining  9 players.... Petrucelle, Alex Witherden, Xavier O'Neil, Willie Rioli, Bailey Williams, Jones, Cole, Luke Edwards and Nelson  may play no more than a handful of AFL games and therefore would be available for WAFL.
FO, your points 1 & 2 are very relevant. Having  6 or more outsiders playing every week could well impact on talent coming through from our zones by clogging the pathways through to league. 
I would not be happy with anymore than 3 players, chosen by PFC as likely to cover some of our deficiencies and played in roles that PFC choose and without any game day interference from WCE.

 

As I understand, any arrangement to take Eagles players requires a vote. Certainly any arrangement whereby we would be the only club to take Eagles players would require a vote. That, if nothing else, should be something everyone is happy with, whichever way the vote goes. One of the things that caused some angst with EP fans was that the board just sprung the alignment on them. Whether you support us taking Eagles players or not, it is an important and divisive issue and one on which members should have a say. I for one am firmly opposed to anything other than sharing players around the bottom clubs, but if a vote were to go the other way, so be it. The architects of the constitutional change should be commended for giving members a say on an issue of this magnitude. 

Be very wary of getting into bed with the devil.

Like DD I think it’s a debate that has to be had and not just dissed because the WCE “are the devil”

of my 5 points:
1. What do Perth have to loose? Not may locals appear likely  to missed out because of any WCE Player. In the meantime Perth can lobby to improve the zone and get resources to develop it. This could even be part of the deal. Surely WCE are on the look out for community development opportunities- so why not agree that the Perth zone gets priority?

2. You can argue that the team that finished second last has the least talent and the average may be lifted by some of the WCE players. But Perth should be able to play the WCE players on merit so the average is improved and the ones below the talent available at Perth play reserves or ammos, like anyone else on the Demons list.

3. Every player earning their spot will go a long way towards this. Demons have to recruit so what’s the problem so long as the WCE players are treated just like someone that the Dees might get themselves from the VFL or another WAFL club. As to the club’s identity, the  last halcyon days for Perth came in part on the back of some handy VFL recruits. North Melbourne effectively “placed” Farrant, Reddenback, Doherty and Pretty with Perth, so what will the difference be if they are WCE players this time round?

4, Moss was appointed by Perth and as long as he’s answerable solely to the Perth board and supporters, where’s the problem?

5. taking WCE Players probably means that Perth save on recruitment costs and player salaries but there might be a stinger if the salary cap or points are reduced for the “host” club.

clearly any arrangement has to be approved by PFC members, so what terms would make it work? As DD says, it’s worth thinking about it as one of the possible alternatives will stink!

Perth folk are dreaming if they think WCE are just going to simply sit back and let PFC decide which level and which position a WCE player is going to play on the weekend......especially on the salaries these guys are on.....surely a rookie makes more then PFC best paid player? Playing ammo's or reserves on that dosh....yeah right, reckon PFC might have to part pay match day salaries if they want full say on that.....WCE will do and always have done what suits WCE first and for most......

i know WCE will have to get creative now their stand alone reserves venture went kaput......but surprised if they  will bend over for the PFC.....surely contributing to MRP immaculate grounds, setting up the VP precinct and loaning the PFC a few key players in 2020, is doing plenty in WCE financial mindset......

Surely PFC should have every right to demote a WCE player to the ressies due to lack of form or just plain "not putting in".
WCE players should be subject to the same selection criteria as any home grown Perth player.
PFC has a responsibilty for it's team to perform to the best of it's ability and to do that it must always select the best available players each week . 
I do not care how much the WCE players are paid. If they do not perform they play ressies.
This alignment, (oh, sorry, allocation), is dangerous. Contrary to the views of some, I do not see any advantage to the club from here on if we proceed with it, especially without a "no strings attached" approach, particularly in respect to team selection and on-field interference from WCE.
PFC is a WAFL club and must be allowed to retain autonomy to exist without outside interference.
The gap between the top six clubs and the bottom three is immense.  This allocation will not help any of those bottom three to bridge that gap. As always, IMHO.