TOPIC:

Well, the dust has set on another disappointing year. Some better performances and some good footy played in patches but 1-7 isn't good enough. What do we need to do to jump up like Perth did this season??

I noticed a fair few EF players in the West top 30 under 21. These guys need to continue to be invested in but we need to add some quality. The club has done ok in recent years to bring in Leggett, Manning, Jansen, Davies but now they need to land some big guns- like Swans did with Fisher, like Perth did with Masten.

There should be plenty of quality options around if AFL clubs slash their lists- North have already cut 11, Essendon 5.

The pressure will also be on the coaching staff to pick a side that is the best available. I'm not sure that always happened this year and that's pretty poor. Players like Burton, Robinson, Meade, Loersch and Bonomelli were constantly over-looked for players in the side that weren't performing. What those players do in the off-season will be interesting.

Bill Monaghan was suppose to usher in a new era of success but we still seem a million miles away. The current squad should certainly win more games than they have.

So what is it? Other clubs manage to get the best coach available, as we thought we did with Mona. Like him, some are recycled, but are reasonably successful. Does our problem belong to the coach, recruiting or the selection committee or maybe even management? I’m not close to the inner sanctum as some here appear to be and that’s why I ask the question. Take a team like Swans. They’ve been down for a while, but it would seem that they are closer to a flag than us. Look at West Perth...just keep coming back after copping plenty of crap. Their supporters certainly have more to look forward to in ‘21 than we do. We could become the new Perth of the comp.
I’ll keep following the club and keep paying my membership, but gee, it’d be nice to go into a new season with positive thoughts.

Young McPartland has been great for us in his last few league games and played in the first semi Sunday why did you let him go?
Wasn’t he given the flick from your colts team?

Culture is an important part of how your club is going to perform.

We have seen our culture improve significantly after having 5 years of two cultures running in tandem, a WCE and the EP one.

I think from anecdotal stuff that Perth went through a similar issue and with the club, all clubs do! Perth changed leadership within the board, made it a club to be at and now they have the rewards for their long suffering supports deserve.

It is down to the members and supporters to get strong purposeful management and board leadership.

It isn't always the players (although some toxicity can emanate from them) or the coach.

30plusyeardrought wrote: Young McPartland has been great for us in his last few league games and played in the first semi Sunday why did you let him go?
Wasn’t he given the flick from your colts team?

30+....he left midway thru 2019....couldn't get a colts midfield gig because Rivers, Ruscoe and Warner were first choice, with under agers in Carroll and Gorringe also playing...the first three got drafted and the latter two probable top 40 draft picks in this years draft ....good luck to the kid....

Freezin wrote:

30plusyeardrought wrote: Young McPartland has been great for us in his last few league games and played in the first semi Sunday why did you let him go?
Wasn’t he given the flick from your colts team?

30+....he left midway thru 2019....couldn't get a colts midfield gig because Rivers, Ruscoe and Warner were first choice, with under agers in Carroll and Gorringe also playing...the first three got drafted and the latter two probable top 40 draft picks in this years draft ....good luck to the kid....

Have watched Gorringe the last couple of weeks Freeze, very good player, reads the play well at half back and cuts off a lot of opposition entries, combines well with the dashing Walker and Haddow down there as well.

Walker and Haddow are Freo NGA BH....EF Colts have definitely eeked out every bit of ability from that side this year....good effort to get to a prelim, even bigger effort to get past Subi this weekend.

As for club culture, not privy to the going ons at EF at board level...interesting to think one measly goal v Perth, Cl and WP...and EF would of been 4/4, with talk of optimism for 2021...yet here we are talking toxic relationships on and off the EF footy field....

freezin: very true

Freezin wrote: Walker and Haddow are Freo NGA BH....EF Colts have definitely eeked out every bit of ability from that side this year....good effort to get to a prelim, even bigger effort to get past Subi this weekend.

As for club culture, not privy to the going ons at EF at board level...interesting to think one measly goal v Perth, Cl and WP...and EF would of been 4/4, with talk of optimism for 2021...yet here we are talking toxic relationships on and off the EF footy field....

Strange how you know everything about every player at EF from league down to colts from all the way across the ditch Freezin but claim to no absolutely zilch about the inner workings of your club. That's the safety first approach I guess.

DD....said for years the club has made many farked decisions on and off the park contributing to EF lack of recent success....I am not privy to board or coaching decision making unless you know if The West can live stream them...yeah I know people who have connections to present and past EF players, they tell me stuff in confidence, which I respect and keep to myself....unless they say other wise....man of my word I am DD....LOL