TOPIC:

First of all a big shout out to the near 30k that turned up to Optus yesterday, biggest crowd since 2002. Big Swans and D's contingents to support their teams in the early games which were two crackerjack games congrats to Perth and Swans on their wins.

Just finished watching the league replay and it emphasise even more than watching it live that the game was truly a game of two halves. Souths were dominant in all but 5 mins of the first half, the stats showed that out where they dominated the hitouts, clearences, contested possessions and massively so for the inside 50's and 10-3 in the frees which is no surprise as they were first to the footy just about every contest, but failed to capitalise on the score board. Our mids were totally dominated and if not for our backline and Souths inability to convert their huge inside 50's advantage, we would have been in a massive hole, the few times we did go forward we did score. It was a close very physical contest and great to watch, but you could sense that Souths were wilting towards the end of the second when we rushed on 2 quick goals. After halftime the boys seemed far more organised and they turned all those stats around including the frees,  as we were now first to the footy and winning most of the contested pill. Souths looked gassed and the second half gradually become a procession. But well done by the boys to change things up at halftime. Clark, Marsh, the Hickmonts, Dewar and Kennedy were terrific especially after halftime, our usual dominant suspects in Kitch, Dela and Sok were uncharacteristically quiet, but in all it was a solid team effort.

Souths were badly hampered in their finals run and really did exceptionally well to make the GF with so many injuries to first pick players, especially their leader Main who, like Kitch is so important in that leadership role, they had 3 extremely hard physical finals leading up to the GF and the fact they only had a 6 day break before the GF is a disgrace and should never happen again. If they had most of those boys available and a full 7 day break, it could well have been a different story, so to all those playing up another Subi flag as world domination, you need to look at the whole picture, but I'll take the win.

 

We had you at 6s & 7s in the 2nd qtr. You only played one final before yesterday. How could you be sore? Take 6 of your best out and put our 6 back in, then we would even it up.

Well done to the 2 Materas and Hickmonts. Subi stuck with them and they played their part. 

Team effort but for me Dewar was the standout, yep Clark et al did the attacking but Dewar was outstanding and perhaps BOG but as a backman gets a bit obscured by the anything forward of centre. If I was a VFL scout he would be someone I would rookie draft as a safety.

royallucky wrote:

BC wrote:

RL I think you're misreading how Wardman goes about it. He doesn't coach the team or try to teach them new things, rather he's more like a soccer manager who prepares the players and gives them the knowledge on what to do, how to do it and when. He drills them on game plan and structure more so than coaching. I think he'd be the first to admit he doesn't hold a candle to the players skills and footy smarts wise but he does know how to prepare the team for each new challenge.

I don't believe i'm misreading the situation B.C.and what your saying just reinforces my view.I actually saw  Horsley and Kitchin barking orders at your training last year,and it appeared from the outside looking in that they were actually running the show,and it is a side very much in auto pilot,regardless of who coaches,but thats OK i don't have a problem with it,i don't believe i've been guilty of being very vitriolic to your mob,even though your dominance is not particularly healthy for the sustainability of the comp.

Fair comment RL.  I don't disagree with anything you've said and I also am of the view that the time for other clubs to rotate through the winners circle is well and truly overdue for the health of the competition.  That's for the WAFC to work out but until they put in place wide ranging equalisation measures which don't target one club as they did last year then I can't see anything changing in the immediate future. What will bring Subi back to the pack if they're not already given results during qualifying rounds is the fact that a number of senior A grade players are coming to the end of their illustrious WAFL careers.  Lockyer, Heal, Kitchin, Delahunty, Dewar, Sokol are all due to retire in the not too distant futures and as a collective, will be very hard to replace. 

Some pretty interesting post game war stories coming out with Delahunty playing with a broken bone in his foot, Clark and Mayo both copping nasty injuries during the game, Rowan Powell starting preseason almost immediately in an effort to come back next year. Also interesting to read we picked up Brandon Matera for nothing as South's didn't put him on their protected list when he was delisted by Freo....very odd.  I also think Wardman's loyalty to the likes of the Hickmott's and Bailey Matera was rewarded in the end.  I would have dropped all 3 at various points of the season but he stuck with them and they all played important roles last Saturday.  Also glad he stuck with young Golding as well as he's going to be very good for us in coming years.  Important to note 6 of the 2019 colts premiership team played seniors on Saturday which is an impressive retention and development rate.  Well done to all concerned.  

Think duffield made some good points this morning re Dewar, Lokyer, Matera, and Marsh. The point has been made before, but he made it well.  Subi have recruited brilliantly, also from Victoria,  and then got the best out of these guys. They've become Subi people. The club is the more than the sum of its parts. 

Always easy to feel part of something where there is continuing success.... success breeds contentment.
The thing that has impressed me at Subi, is that someone is always there to pass the baton on to the next group of players coming through....thus enabling benchmark  standards of performance, commitmentetc are continually being facilitated.....winning culture I guess is what it's called.

Lockyer and Litherland have been superb for Subi in particular. It's no coincidence we struggled down back last year when both were out for a big chunk. But it's the discards from other clubs who have also made a real difference in Sokol, Bailey Matera, Aaron Heal, Drew Rohde and so on. Then we have others who couldn't quite crack it and have gone on to bigger and better things after coming to Subi like Sam Menegola, Liam Baker, Shane Yarran, Liam Ryan. As you say, it's a cultural thing I guess.

All successful organisations are built on good succession planning.
 
On the Materas, Bailey was floating around the fringes at Souths with limited opportunities but Brandons was another story and as BC noted Marty Atkins inexplicably left him off the list of 40 protected players, so a 140 afl game player was given away for nothing, not that he has set the joint on fire, but allowing him to fullfill a wish to play footy with his brother, now they are both premiership players. Brandon was towelled up by the young Souths boy but still popped up for 2 goals, he's that sort of player.

I didn't head back to the club after, have been crook and only just made it to the game, but had a long chat with my old mate and fellow Subi tragic Murray today who did go back and he was saying the joint was rocking. Spoke to many of the players, Kitch, Gus, Locks & Kennedy all keen to go on, Dela is considering, Powell will do a big preseason then decide with the Doc's if he will play, the Hickmonts are staying rather than following their old man over east, he also heard that Vanirsen is looking to come back and another colts player who's name escapes me who left last year who is considered an absolute gun is looking to come back, apparently he pulled out after a mate committed suicide and has been struggling with that. Brayden Ainsworth has committed to come back to the club, not quite like for like but a good replacement for Clark if he goes. So the list should be pretty stable going into next year, plus Borchet showed he is back to fitness with a couple of good games in the ressies finals, he will be a massive bonus next year, almost a new recruit and will take the pressure off Sok. The young former colts have had some good game time this year so will be better for that.

Some people wing about us so called poaching other clubs players, Matera is a classic example of clubs not doing their due diligence. Atkinson was a Perth colts player who didn't get many opportunities then did a knee I think and was told to look elsewhere, had a year off and ended up playing in our goldfields comp, where we then got him down to Subi. Drew Rhode was told by Joondy he would have limited opportunities, so went off and played up at Jurien where a former Subi player suggested he try out with us, so another unwanted player, similar to Sok's story. Yes Guys like Marsh Gus & Locks could have gone back to the clubs of origin but saw Subi as their best chance to play finals and win flags which is what players play for.

There has been some rumours that Marsh might want to go to the Gummies to play with his brother, I think that would be great for them both and for EF. He showed that age has not affected his performance and was a bees knee away from winning the Simpson so would be a bonus for the Gummies.