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Hate to be negative but I think 6th is about right. We can aim for finals all we like, but the question is: are we good enough? In my opinion, that is unlikely. We have not improved our list from last year and have a number of deficiencies, especially with our talls. We have only one real ruckman who does little other than contest the ruck, and we get scored against too easily. Whether that is the fault of the backline or midfield or both I don't know, but we conceded an average of nearly 100 points a game last year, the second worst in the comp.

Ted, we all have differing opinions as to how the club will fare but that is different to what the team focus and aims will be for the season.
If we do not aim to play finals there is no incentive or purpose and therefore what are we doing ?? We should not be in the WAFL comp.
Members and supporters each have differing opinions but the playing group should, and I believe that they do, focus on playing finals and, indeed, winning the flag.

Smokey, I agree that we need to aim for finals. I also don't think it is out of reach. I think we are as well, if not better, placed to play finals this year than any other year over the last 21 seasons. I am just saying that I think we will fall short. A lot would have to go right with injuries and pretty much every player would have to be in career best form. But we won 7 games last year, so if we can win just 2 more that would probably be enough. We need to restrict scores against, win the close ones, stop leaking goals in red time and stop this pattern of dropping off for 20 minutes in one quarter and conceding 6 or 7 goals in that time.

Smokey and Ted you are both about right. In the West Australian they have rated the top 40 players in the comp and it's naturally dominated by Subiaco and Claremont and we only have two, Cody Leggett comes in at 29th and Brant College at 37. The improvement needs to come from within. I rate Michael Sinclair as one of the best defenders in the comp but we will need both new and former captain Corey Yeo and Clint Jones to have a big year but what we really need is for the younger players to step up such as Corey Burn, Nynett, Leggett to continue to improve, Jared Bell to discover his old form prior to a horrible broken leg and young big men to grow and Michael Bennell to prove he's not just a flash in the pan.

DD wrote: Smokey and Ted you are both about right. In the West Australian they have rated the top 40 players in the comp and it's naturally dominated by Subiaco and Claremont and we only have two, Cody Leggett comes in at 29th and Brant College at 37. The improvement needs to come from within. I rate Michael Sinclair as one of the best defenders in the comp but we will need both new and former captain Corey Yeo and Clint Jones to have a big year but what we really need is for the younger players to step up such as Corey Burn, Nynett, Leggett to continue to improve, Jared Bell to discover his old form prior to a horrible broken leg and young big men to grow and Michael Bennell to prove he's not just a flash in the pan.

These ratings were probably rated by people who have seen 3 Perth Games in 3 years. How can Sinclair not be in the top 40?

Getting increasingly nervous about Saturday's game. Today's West says that the Eagles will have 19 AFL players available. Among them will be some experienced players, like McInnes, Josh Smith, Waterman, Brander, Ah Chee, Mutimer, Brooksby and possibly Cripps and Schofield. Plus Brady Grey. I tipped the Eagles reserves to finish second last, on the assumption that for most of the year, they would have only 10-12 AFL players and the top-up players are way off league quality. However, it seems they will field only 2 top-up players against us. As I said before, playing them first up is the worst possible timing and we face a difficult game.