TOPIC:

No more underserved either. Both sides looked ordinary and EF got lucky enough to scrape over the line. Game marred with skill errors and poor decision making, though the strong breeze blowing all day probably didn't help. EF don't seem to make full use when kicking with the wind, still going short rather than long and direct (like Subi did 2 weeks earlier) down the middle. Though I guess that is a direct response to the lack of a key forward.

Neither side to threaten for finals I wouldn't think.

Still will take what we can get. A win is a win, and it is still relatively early in the season.

ruddiger wrote: No more underserved either. Both sides looked ordinary and EF got lucky enough to scrape over the line. Game marred with skill errors and poor decision making, though the strong breeze blowing all day probably didn't help. EF don't seem to make full use when kicking with the wind, still going short rather than long and direct (like Subi did 2 weeks earlier) down the middle. Though I guess that is a direct response to the lack of a key forward.

Neither side to threaten for finals I wouldn't think.

Still will take what we can get. A win is a win, and it is still relatively early in the season.

Give the forwards a break, you have stated here that they refuse to use the ball long and direct and choose to zig and zag all over the place until they turn it over with poor skill errors. Tex walker would not catch a ball in our forward 50m at the moment with the total lack of structure going in there. Absolute shite fight to look at with nearly every entry a contested pack or 1v2 defenders. Sort this out we may start putting more scoreboard pressure on. We have not really got on top in the centre with repeated first use ball clearances to allow the forwards to be one out with their opponent or kick it to their advantage out front.

Observer wrote:

ruddiger wrote: No more underserved either. Both sides looked ordinary and EF got lucky enough to scrape over the line. Game marred with skill errors and poor decision making, though the strong breeze blowing all day probably didn't help. EF don't seem to make full use when kicking with the wind, still going short rather than long and direct (like Subi did 2 weeks earlier) down the middle. Though I guess that is a direct response to the lack of a key forward.

Neither side to threaten for finals I wouldn't think.

Still will take what we can get. A win is a win, and it is still relatively early in the season.

Give the forwards a break, you have stated here that they refuse to use the ball long and direct and choose to zig and zag all over the place until they turn it over with poor skill errors. Tex walker would not catch a ball in our forward 50m at the moment with the total lack of structure going in there. Absolute shite fight to look at with nearly every entry a contested pack or 1v2 defenders. Sort this out we may start putting more scoreboard pressure on. We have not really got on top in the centre with repeated first use ball clearances to allow the forwards to be one out with their opponent or kick it to their advantage out front.

Sorry, where do you get the idea I was having a go at the forwards? All I stated was that we lack a key forward, which I think is totally justified!!

Seems a common theme on here that without this magical key forward to kick to we just won't be competitive with other sides. Rob young has the size and experience to be that key forward that you say we don't have but he is even struggling to have an impact up there. Play Young there full time and we have the options of Bristow, Stokes, Fletcher and even Ellis to pinch hit in the ruck. I think the guys we have are very capable forwards we need to move the ball better to them. I stand to be corrected but I think Bradshaw did the most damage on the scoreboard along with yu for Claremont. Both these players are far from key forwards who would be Bradley and Maister.

Okay, I'm not going to get into a slanging match, but I do believe we lack a key forward. magical or not!

I guess its easy to say, but harder to find one available. Just ask Steve Malaxos. He has openly stated how EF have tried (unsuccessfully) to recruit KEY position type players. Observer, you use Claremont's Bradshaw as an example but hey we won, just, so I feel this cancels out your argument.
I sat there with a mate of mine against Subiaco a couple of weeks back, and actually looked at the match-ups around the ground. Virtually every single one, the EF player looked/was shorter. I guess that is where people such as myself are coming from. We lack height!!!

Sure, we have a couple, but I'm sorry Rob Young is not the answer. Once the ball hits the ground he is out of the contest, and is far too slow. We need a key forward with some height and pace to trouble the top sides. That's just my observation. We have a good midfield, solid backline. but too many crumber types in the forward line that we rely on for the goals. I just don't feel like that is enough. I agree Ellis is a work in progress and will only get better. Perham, though not overly tall does well at times but is not consistent enough and Lester-Smith (I'm a little teapot) is unfortunately SOFT! has ability, but doesn't like to do the hard things. I have also seen him pull out of contests when there may be some danger involved. Again I saw him do that on the weekend. No where to hide on the footy field and was blatantly obvious to all who were at the game.

I would love to be proven wrong, but I do believe that overall, we are going to struggle against the side like SF, SD, SUB and EP because of the talls.

I think you will find FF2 the colts lost their first game of the year on the weekend against a club which is unbeaten and played in the GF last year...I reckon the colts will have up to 4 -5 state reps this year.....the reserves are struggling but then with an injury list of 17 odd players EF depth or lack of it has been stretched.....fellas like Bristow (T), Edwards, Lindsay, Solomon, Howson etc arent proven league guys but are more than capable 2nd tier players who would improve the reserves depth and hopefully the league side when they are fit....

Our mids are the 27 plus brigade you talk about FF2......ROB, Anthony, MacNamara & Dalziell.....not too sure who Malaxos picks ahead of them.....Henson, Eardley and Schleicher are all under 23 and hopefully develop over time.... up back BOB, Stephen and Chartres are all 27 plus and provide the experience for youngsters in Dorotich, Jupp, Williamson & Hooker.....up front the likes of Ellis, Anthony (D) and LesterSmith are under 23, with Perham and Hampson around 25......Bristow & Young are mature ruckman with Fletcher & Stokes under 23 developing underneath them......so not too sure I agree with your lean times prediction.

EF do lack pace though with all those mature mids running through the middle, touch wood youngsters in Regan, Barone, Perry etc get some league exposure......tall wise EF will be looking for the likes of 197cm youngsters in Cripps, Howson and Solomon to stay fit, hopefully develop and push for a league spot in the future.....all 3 were state u/18 reps, with Howson being an ex Freo rookie.....the talent is there just need these guys to fast track somehow......until then EF will struggle against the taller teams as Ruddiger points out.

Recruiting talls seems to be an issue for most clubs these days, I reckon if that ex Frankston fella Gabriel was still at EF, whose to say the likes of a Lourey, De La Hunty or Boland wouldnt be at EF instead.....SF talls are practically all recruits Higgins, Sellar, Pullman Ross etc.....but cant blame them for taking the aerial recruiting route due to the likes of local talls in Kersten, Shaw and McCarthy all being drafted in the last 4 - 5 years.

Bit of a catch 22 at present for Malaxos, yeah EF mids are mature and lack pace, but all their records are pretty good TBH and are at the top end in terms of WAFL quality......just need some zip in there to compliment them like what SF and SD have......not getting Simpson was a big blow I reckon.....pure pace with some xfactor. Reckon EF just need to get the mix better for further success......by this I hope the likes of a Howson or a Cripps can push through to add an extra target up front......and Ellis keeps developing allowing fellas like Hampson, Perham and Lester Smith to take on lesser defenders in terms of quality and height.....not all doom and gloom

So glad to hear that another team is struggling to recruit KPP. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe it is getting harder to attract players to the WAFL in general? That's my feeling anyway. I think this is because we are not only competing with the VFL (which probably has scouts from anywhere up to 10 AFL clubs per week) and the SANFL (which I've heard report has more money to offer players), but also with reserve teams in Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and GWS. I read a report the other day by Carey when he said that the GWS will fold in ten years and will have been a colossal mistake. Gee I hope he's right.

ruddiger wrote: Okay, I'm not going to get into a slanging match, but I do believe we lack a key forward. magical or not!

I guess its easy to say, but harder to find one available. Just ask Steve Malaxos. He has openly stated how EF have tried (unsuccessfully) to recruit KEY position type players. Observer, you use Claremont's Bradshaw as an example but hey we won, just, so I feel this cancels out your argument.
I sat there with a mate of mine against Subiaco a couple of weeks back, and actually looked at the match-ups around the ground. Virtually every single one, the EF player looked/was shorter. I guess that is where people such as myself are coming from. We lack height!!!

Sure, we have a couple, but I'm sorry Rob Young is not the answer. Once the ball hits the ground he is out of the contest, and is far too slow. We need a key forward with some height and pace to trouble the top sides. That's just my observation. We have a good midfield, solid backline. but too many crumber types in the forward line that we rely on for the goals. I just don't feel like that is enough. I agree Ellis is a work in progress and will only get better. Perham, though not overly tall does well at times but is not consistent enough and Lester-Smith (I'm a little teapot) is unfortunately SOFT! has ability, but doesn't like to do the hard things. I have also seen him pull out of contests when there may be some danger involved. Again I saw him do that on the weekend. No where to hide on the footy field and was blatantly obvious to all who were at the game.

I would love to be proven wrong, but I do believe that overall, we are going to struggle against the side like SF, SD, SUB and EP because of the talls.

Not sure why you think I have cancelled out my argument with Bradshaw. My point is they have 2 key forwards in Bradley and Maister who kicked 2 goals between them. Yes they lost and their major goal kickers are around 180 cm in height and not key position. Both key position forwards with AFL experience also which did not guarantee them a win. We should not have won as we lack the key position forward? Would the key position player improve our skill levels, decision making or ball movement? At this point of time until the club is able to attract the sort of player you would like to see in the forward line I think Young is about as close as we will get to a big bodied key forward. Ellis has proven his ability and is 194cm but is probably about 10kg light at this stage to be the constant main target and yes will continue to get better with more games under his belt. With the smaller crumbling type of forwards you say we have was Hampson the right person to add to that? These smaller forwards should be ideally suited cleaning up anything that comes to ground from the hands of young.

I guess you are referring to my post FF2 in regards to Solomon and Howson?....never said they will be champs.....physically at 197cm in height and with genuine mobility for their height, they have the potential to be pretty good players, the sort of players height wise EF could use now and in the near future.....mentally they may not be able to push to the next level....who knows?....

..as for Schleicher I totally agree he should of gotten opportunities last year....he didn't but at least he has shown he has the mental temperament and maturity to show one and all at the club he has the skills and fortitude to persist and show his desire to play league footy....

Just heard Jupp has a fractured jaw and Maister copped 4 weeks for doing it.

Not good as Juppy was our best tall down back.