TOPIC:

Swan Athletic 2013

New Coach Josh Wooden has come on board and had instant impact on a group that has a large 23-26 year old group that have been together for a number of years. Numbers have varied but most pre season sessions had 35-40 on the track with a steady increase as season has come closer and some of us finishing cricket

No notable losses except for Rory Lobb and Nuich who are young talls gone to Swan Districts. The ruck will be the unknown area this season, couple of local boys will go ok.

Former player/coach Justin Woods is likely to play some games which will be handy. Russell who played at other clubs and trained a lot with WP comes in and will be handy. Aitchison from Swans has played couple games in past and has come back to club. Several 40 plus possession games in WAFL reserves/ some league experience cant be ignored.

From what I sore of league scratchy on weekend they looked good and did well against TA. Numbers in magoos were good and we have some blokes trickling back.

Finals we hope - I am bias but put my house on them staying in A grade again.

Trinity Aquinas

2012 will be a year that goes down in history as TA's most successful year in 5 sides reaching Grand Finals for 4 premierships. The only problem was that the one we lost was the A Grade Final, which the Club is striving to achieve.

2013 pre-season is in full swing, and the players have come back fit and hungry to achieve the elusive goal of an A Grade flag. Clayton Gardner returns to the Club to become the longest serving coach in the Clubs history. TA's departures from 2012 (from my understanding) is the big full forward Grierson (Greo) and the inside midfielders in Holwell and Conca. The Club has added in a new batch of colts footballers (fresh from a 2012 premiership) to its senior ranks, and will be relying on an overall improvement from its full playing list to gain any success in 2013.

2 scratch matches have been played (for 2 wins) and from what I saw on Saturday the League are well placed to match it with the best in the competition this year. The Club has North Beach first up, and this will be a real test as to where both Clubs sit. The boys will be looking no further ahead then Round 1.

TA's aiming for a Top 3 finish and that Double Chance in finals.

Maddington

Premiership coach Wayne Blackwell returns to the club and has had an instant impact.
Training has been well supported with plenty of nights of 50+ players.

Colts was the major focus and to date the coaching panel has delivered in spades with a 17 goal win on the weekend against WCC and excess players available. A few who will play league for sure.

League has been encouraging with the whole senior squad from last year returning adding Eades , North , Woods with WAFL experience. Arnott comes to the club from Rockingham and Clifford plus other locals return from injury.

5th Place and first finals appearance for the Bulls.

North Beach

New Coach, David Hynes has taken over the well worn clipboard from Bill Duckworth, who had been at the helm for 16 years. The pre season focus has been on fitness with numbers good right through the grades with particularly promising signs at Colts level. North Beach has made the Club decision to play those Colts turning 20 this year in Senior Grades where possible, so to allow the influx of younger players a chance to get a game.

Losses from last year have been minimal with Josh Pearce and Sam Palm playing in the Peel League as the only "outs" from 2012 with several former players returning from stints at WAFL level and the inclusion of a number of new quality players to the Club from interstate and local Clubs, the Beach should be thereabouts in 2013.

Prediction: Top 3

Great write ups boys. Looks like it will be a very even comp.
My ladder

Mt Lawley
University
TA's
Nth Beach
Collegians
Maddington
CBC
Welsey
Whitfords
Swan Ath

The big question on everybody's mind is whether this will be the Year TA's step up and whether the Golden Years of the Beach have finally come to an end. It will be a big week first up and that may shed some light on where all teams are likely to place.

Only one side (Mt Lawley) in recent years has made a successful progression from B Grade to A Grade. However this year we welcome back those old familiar faces from Wesley and CBC.

Wesley have always had the $ as well and I'm sure they intend to be serious contenders for a place in this years finals.

My inside spy tells me that University have sourced some quality recruits to ensure they achieve the hat-trick of Flags. Even after two successive flags they are still pissed that people continue to talk about the boys at Royal Chas as the Flag Favourites.

As to the other teams, I will never write Maddo off again. Two years in a row they have come back from the dead after being gone mid season. They will be a threat.

Never rated Collegians but they have made the finals in the past few years. A bit like TA's of the past. Close enough but not good enough when it counts.

The way I see the teams at season end, which I hope will provoke a response from BTF is as follows:

University
Mt Lawley
TA's
Collegians
Wesley

Nth Beach
Maddington
Whitfords
CBC
Swan Ath

The Shiz wrote: Great write up GWS - that's what this forum is all about!

Whitford Warriors 2013

2012 saw new league coach Adam McMahon deliver the Warriors into another finals series. Although knocked out early, it was a year in which we saw the loss of a few key position players from the year before. Plenty of young players got their chance last year and will be keen to cement a spot in 2013.

2013 will welcome midfielder Michael Waddington back and fit from an ACL he ruptured last preseason. Really missed his hardness at the ball and leadership on the field. A few retirements and departures from the club in the off season as well. Radici's went country, captain has retired and a few mid range players have also left the club.

This creates fantastic opportunities for the young brigade to make their mark on the A grade side. A couple of handy midfielders join the club from country and WAFL reserve sides should see improvement in this area.

2013 will see the Warriors field a side that will aim to win contested ball and limit the opportunities that their opponents have. Adam McMahon is introducing a new game style that may take a while to implement but the positive part is the fact he has the buy in from the sqaud after 2 successful preseason matches.

Will be a tough year with the departure of some senior players from the club but if the Warriors get some wins early, it should set them up for a good year.

The Colts coach, Warren Nel has done a fantastic job in fielding 2 colts side for a few years so expect a few colts to get their chance this year.

The future looks bright for the Warriors, just need to give these young guys some time to develop and mature as we know this the key to sustained A grade success.

Ladder Prediction - 5th

I encourage members of other A Grade clubs to give us a summary of their year ahead also.

who else besides the 2 x Radicis and the captain have Whitfords lost from last years finals team v North Beach?

Have North Beach had any BIG INS with the recruitment of D.Hines?

Healey has accepted a FIFO and is doubtful, Holmes brothers off to Scarborough and a couple more players have also left (Ballem, Rodger, Samakavidis etc.) Another has left for East Perth.

Will get a full year out of players who had an delayed start due to injury and happy with the progression of first year players from last year.

Any chance the big name additions to North Beach will be playing? Wirrapanda, Grover, Cook etc.

great to finally have some A Grade talk, mount lawley with the loss of cullen and jezza will hurt them alot, from what i hear tas have lost a few to peel league and greirson on top of that is big holes to fill, wesley look to have \snared a few goodies with morgan cooper back and fielding signing up, the question with maddo is will the walk in walk out players hang around long enough to give big wazza a taste of finals footy.... Uni odds on to go back to back to back, beach tas to fill the double chance spots then the rest is a lottery with collegians and maddo favoured at this stage to fill the 5.

Cullen gone from Mt lawley but Jezza still there.