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Given the composition of todays team where we had 2 maybe 3 players who have played more than 50 games, i thought was a very sound effort against a team who are clearly the best in the competition.The Tigers appear to have about a dozen classy midfielders all from within their zone as well as the big boy Buller up forward who took 9 marks in the heavy greasy conditions and we simply did'nt have a defender with the size and strength to go with him,but Harley Sparks in his 3rd or 4th game shows a bit,and the debutantes.Boules and Underwood did their bit for the cause,but i expect us to win our next 2 games with the expected return of 4 or 5 players as the time for accepting honourable losses is well and truly over.

Some good signs particularly in the first half, royallucky, but it was inevitable that Claremont would eventually kick away.
You're right about our defence being undersized when it came to stopping the likes of Buller from marking.
A big-bodied defender like Corey Watts would've been very handy but he's been out since copping an injury during the Peel debacle.
The Tigers were pinpoint with their disposal whereas our kicks were often haphazard, high and hurried.
Still, with eight first-graders missing, we played some good footy at times but unfortunately couldn't sustain it.
It will be interesting to see how many of our injured players return for the WA Day clash against our traditional rivals. 
Rohan Kerr and Nick Robertson - assuming his ankle is OK - will at least be back from suspension.  

4 should be  back Archie with Watts being one of them.

The colts game was always going to be a hard game for us not just because of the 8 PSA players got back but because they have one or two players that are just very good. We did not give in but really did not understand the conditions and how to play the ground, home ground advantage was a definite factor. Van Rooyen and Sheldrick playing against our boys was worth the admission an d they we the difference. Soka, Amiss and others did lose any of their appeal but will have learnt a great lesson and we will beat them on a fair track in fine weather.

The ressies with all the ins and they're ins that did a credible job just could not beat a quite slick Tigers group. Cooper Sparks and Harbour showed some good football sense with Joshua Hubbard and Ben McGuire making a welcome return.

One half of football where we match the opposition show glimpses of what should be is just not good enough and frankly the players are not to blame. If the plan works for the first half but starts to fall away the the message has to be changed to cope with the other teams plan. Some folk have said our backline is under sized and yep it probably is but it my opinion with out North, Msando, Blee, Fullgrabe, Eaton etc we would have been overwhelmed much much earlier in the game. Once again my view of the best players is different to those posted elsewhere. Dobson, Amerduri, Underwood, North and Boules would be my pick. Underwood did and especially good job on his player, A player that regularly gets high 20 possesions, sets up attacks for them was kept to a measly 15 possessions.

I was near an EP supporter who was constantly bemoaning the outs and why had we recuited. 

Lets deal with the outs, from last week Robertson, Kerr and Cahill.  Kerr I can accept from the points and shit happens, Cahill probably not play again this year due to a torn (from the bone he said) hamstring and then Robertson who seems more intent on being the tough guy than actually playing football and earning the money we are paying him.

Then we have the other 'outs' Watts has played one game if that so is not an out he is more of a missing, would he make difference I am not sure but hopefully he would and will! Ramsay is a huge missing but he is a missing not an out, he has played 1 game and has an injury suffered playing down at Manjimup when (in my opinion) realistically why would you risk your best player in a scratch match amongst yourselves on a cow paddock. 

The recruitment question was dealt with at the AGM, we tried but we could not get players apart from the fellow from Subi who seems to be injured more often than not so I suppose he is an out but ..........! Add to this our recruitment record over the past 2 years has really not born much reward apart from Fullgrabe and Underwood.
 

Royallucky, we are not clearly the best team in the competition, Subi absolutely destroyed us perhaps you forgot about them after their one year premiership drought. We did enough to win in the end.
Grump, agree with you re Robertson, he was like that at Brisbane, always looking for a fight rather than just being a good hard at the ball player that he can be.

I think Claremont are the best club we have faced in all three grades. Simply too much talent for us in every  game.  We tried just hard enough without showing any real grit or ability to match their gear change in the third. Certainly my thoughts vary greatly from some on here about who is of value moving forward. So much so the debate would be counter productive. 

Royal as long as the debate doesn't descend into the levels shown elsewhere then it will be ok.

Me I would start with number 33 as an out.

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Royal as long as the debate doesn't descend into the levels shown elsewhere then it will be ok.

Me I would start with number 33 as an out.

i disagree with you greatley grump.eddie is not a world beater but he does  kicks a couple of goals a game.who takes his place.on evidence keuk is still very green.merritt hasn't shown anyhting to cement a spot in the side.ajang hasn't hardly kicked a goal while plating forward.i would drop ajang back to the ressies.when he gets the ball he picks bad options and not taking marks..i would play eddie as the second ruck.then  i would be happy to play keuk instead of ajang.whodeserves a stint in the ressies.

No Tigers of old your  team is clearly the best team i've seen as your midfield bats very very deep and maybe the day Subi got you you we'rent switched on which does happen,and as for yesterdays game i thought looking at our paperthin midfield options before the start of the match we were going to be completely overwhemed  but i thought under the circumstances did very well,and Kudos to Barney and coaching staff with the tagging assignment of Underwood on Martinis who was kept to 10 possessions and although he did well in that limited role of tagger i'm not sure 24year old ex Subi reserve player Underwood is the long term answer.To say that you can't use injuries as an excuse is very naive as you only have to look at our reserves who went undefeated last year and implement the same game plan as the league side but this year are struggling because of the league teams high injury count,and i'am very positive about our long term future and very satisfied with the continued improvement and development of our squad and that Barney will take us to the promised land.

All very good analysis of where East Perth currently sits (and I'm not just talking about our ladder position).
We've produced at least one good quarter in all games bar the Peel debacle.
I agree with chaddy22 that Eddie Simpson is an important part of our forward set-up.
Having kicked 36.8 since joining the club, he's the most accurate forward I can remember at East Perth (well, since the great Archie Duda).
I'd like to see Eddie on the lead more often rather than relying on his strength and reach to take pack marks, though opposition defences are very good at blocking space.
It would be wonderful if AJ and Scott Jones took more marks deep in attack, though both played a significant role in Jayden Magro's second (Ajang) and third (Jones) goals for the afternoon.
After yesterday's heavy conditions underfoot, the nine-day break before the West Perth game will be very welcome, though the Falcons will be desperate with their season on the line.