TOPIC:

Clearances are under way, with pre-season kicking off for most clubs and with the points system in force, how will your team go?
Below are the teams and total points for either the Grand final (with an asterisk) or round 18 last year.
C1 (C Grade) - points
1 Thornlie 29
2 Hamersley Carine 24
3 Bassendean 42
4 Gosnells 32
5 Carlisle 47
6 Melville 35
7 Kenwick 31
8 Bullcreek Leeming 36
9 Warnbro Swans 41*
10 Ocean Ridge 28*

With some very talented sides presenting in C1 this year I thought I might predict the ladder

1. BASSENDEAN the most unlucky side to miss the grand final. Should bounce back with a good year. Good spread of talent.
2. Thornlie: always been a strong side but the points do suggest they may have struggled with recruiting in the off season
3: Melville: surprise packet of 2018 and could be set up with a good possibility of their strong colts sides of the past two years coming up to senior footy.
4: Hamersley: unsure where to rank. Dark horse for the year
5: Carlisle: Always strong but looked like a very old squad last year, may lack pace on bigger ovals.
6: Bullcreek: did lose some very talented players in the off season but strong colts and reserve sides keep them in the hunt.
7:Gosnells: played under duress last year early but made it to the finals. Hard to place in this competition.
8: Kenwick: Never last and don’t play finals either, 6th-9th
9th: Warnbro: very unknown what they will bring to the league
10: Ocean Ridge: same as 9

I reckon the jump from C grade to B grade is pretty substantial. So I’m gonna go with the theory the teams coming back down should be the benchmark. I’ll go :

1- Hamersley
2- Bassendean
3- Thornlie
4- Gosnells
5- Warnbro
6- Melville
7- Carlisle
8- Ocean Ridge
9 - Kenwick
10- Bullcreek

Can see the bottom 3 in any order really. Think Warnbro will surprise more than a few

I agree oldskool, I think warnbro could do very well in C1 this year, there ressies side have been strong and constant over the past couple of years and should fit in nicely.
Gosnells have recruited well and I think should go one better than last year.
My ladder looks like this.

1 Basso
2 gosnells
3 hamersley
4 Melville
5 warnbro

6 Carlisle
7 Ridge
8 creek
9 thornlie
10 kenwick

I think it's going to be a fascinating year and probably too early to rule most Clubs out.

Bassendean had a great year and have recruited a lot of players in the off season - contender.

Gosnells stumbled mid-season but came back fairly well - contender.

Hamersly had a shocker last year and will be looking to bounce back - mid pack this year.

Melville have been on the slide for the past couple of seasons will be looking to arrest that Former Colts could help - mid pack this year

Don't write Warnbro off. They were good in 2017and better in 2018. A strong Club that has recruited well. Top 5.

Carlisle probably finished further up the ladder last than they should have and I think will struggle.

Ocean Ridge is a proud Club that had a very forgettable 2017. Whilst they may not make finals, they will cause problems for others - mid pack this year

Thornlie was straight up and straight back from B Grade. Somewhat low numbers in recruiting this year and may struggle - mid pack this year.

Bull Creek is hard to pick but probably top 5.

I think Kenwick may be in for a lean couple of years. Couple of reasonable recruits, not much coming out of their Colts and being raided by others.

The biggest issue this year will be the points system and that could change everything.

A number of A/B Clubs have recruited heavily and will not be able to fit in (in some cases) all last years players, far less those they have recruited.

Once some of these players realise they are destined for Reserves, they may bail out and look for new Clubs in C1/C2 - perhaps even C3.

As country Clubs are forced into the points system and salary caps, that option is likely to be cut off or at least be cut back severely.

Bassendean
Thornlie
Gosnells
Melville
Hamersley Carine

Carlisle
Bullcreek Leeming
Warnbro Swans
Kenwick
Ocean Ridge

Birdman, do you think we will see a better quality of ressies footy now that some decent players could potentially be found in ressies.
Personally... I can’t see many jumping ship to lower grades just to play league footy. If your club has built that good culture, then why not have a run around in the twos. Just means that if there consistent they may get a spot later on down the track.

Basso a pick of the bunch from everyone on here. Surely it is a case of everyone just following the lead of Homer Simpson. Failed in a big way after winning their first final last year (losing by 10goals to Balla and then 5 to Willeton at home) so maybe they don’t have it in them to make the next step. Maybe they do but will be in top 5 I would suspect.
I think there will be 3/4 very good chances at taking a flag home this year.
Hammersley Down a grade and a heap of clearances in from country leagues- not sure of the player quality but can’t see a club like theirs allowing them to slip down another grade or not being competitive in this.
Ocean Ridge and Warnbro both quality clubs and Ocena Ridge have just added a fourth side so they must have numbers.
Thornlie- were a quality outfit in this comp 2 years ago so expect them to be right up there.

I guess it's a possibility. but if they want to play at League level, being a fringe League player at an A or B Grade Club might not be that attractive.

Club culture is another matter. Some of those Clubs are pretty mercenary.

A Grade - points
1 Scarborough 50*
2 Fremantle C.B.C 53*
3 North Beach 43
4 Trinity Aquinas 43
5 University 40
6 Wembley 40
7 Kingsway 44
8 Wanneroo 41
9 Kingsley 35*
10 North Fremantle 37*

Looking at transfers posted for some of these Clubs shows a fair number will have a big problem fitting new players in and some will have to offload players (or play them in Reserves) just to fit in the players they have, far less those they recruit.

B Grade is a little better, with Swan Athletic (44) West Coast Cowan (43), Maddington (42) and Ballajura (45*) all starting right on the money or just over it.

C1 is pretty good with Bassendean (42), Carlisle (47) and Warnbro Swans (41*) near to or over the money.

Even in C2 (and below) there are Clubs with issues - Dianella Morley (42), Nollamara (48, Canning Vale (43), Canning South Perth (45) and Coolbinia West Perth (47*)

How Noranda will manage in C4 with all those players said to be going back there and doing so as 3 point players, I don't know.

Interesting times.

Once there have been a couple of weeks of scratch matches, suspect some of the Clubs above will see players start to bail out. As they will all take at least 3 points with them, options in A Grade are limited, there are a few in B Grade but quite a few in C1.

Bush n Burbs articles in The West has mentioned a few C1 teams in recent publications.
Last week the author did everything but send out save the date invites to Basso supporters for the GF!
BC Leeming have popped up a couple of times too, some good re Ins, some bad re injuries.

From the outside looking in, it appears the C1 comp has usually been quite healthy the last few years, with both promoted C2 sides competitive meaning the fight for top5 spots is fierce. I would expect it to be even more so this year as returning B grade sides would likely be stronger than last years based on the ladder results which appear to show Quinns and Stirling, doing a double drop - is that right?