TOPIC:

Well said.

Well said Swan Dog :"the reason why the WAFC are beholden to the Eagles and Dockers is because it is their votes which put them on the WAFC. Without the support of those AFL clubs' votes they would not be elected. Hence, they are completely compliant and subservient to the wishes and demands of the Eagles and Dockers"

Demons Forever wrote:

jardine wrote: we should have let the eagles form their own side, let fremantle align with peel, give the traditional 8 clubs $160,000 per year and have an even 10 team comp.

wooda shooda cooda

I agree Jardine, there was a perfect opportunity to even up the number of teams. That exact scenario was the one they should have used.

The original WAFL clubs would have kept their integrity in tact.

But, I think the WAFC got sick of hearing no, from the WAFL clubs.

The WAFC have a vested interest in the 2 AFL clubs and the clubs sat back and did nothing.

As far as the alignment is concerned the Clubs have got to find a way to remain competitive.

I am not sure that Peel and East Perth will win the next 20 flags.

As for our players? They are not our players once they are drafted, just like getting drafted to an ES club.

Everyone needs to lift their game and hopefully the standard of football will as well.

Where does one start? Firstly, does a player when he gets drafted have all affiliations to a WAFL club expunged? Does he sever all ties with his mates and friends from that WAFL club? For example, once NicNat was drafted by the Eagles did he lose all commitment to Swan Districts? The answer to that question can be seen post the final siren of the 2010 Grand Final. The answer is a resounding NO. This would be a similar case for a large number of WAFL players drafted.

Another rationale for going to 10 teams is to make it even numerically. If that was a reasonable rationale we should never have gone to 9 teams.

As I have mentioned previously there was a newspaper report which stated that one of the WA domiciled AFL teams had only three players playing in the WAFL on a recent week end. How much teamwork can one get from 3 players out of 22 players?

Apart from the obvious of ripping the heart out of longtime East Perth supporters, such as Jardine, Grump and Chaddy22, the alignment has prostituted the integrity of the WAFL competition. There are scenarios at play where it may not be in the best interests of the supposed 'player development' to actually try to win a game of WAFL league football. For example, one of those AFL clubs might want a player to play at fullback no matter how many goals the opposing fullforward scores.

When a player is drafted to an ES clubs there is no possibility that during his time at the AFL club he will play against his original WAFL club. That is not the case when he is drafted by the Eagles or Dockers.

Interesting you say the WAFL clubs did nothing. That is patently not true. Opposing the alignment principle is not the same as doing nothing.

Does anyone here think that the WAFL clubs will be adequately compensated for their player losses?

Finally, I go back to the Ash Hansen situation where he was drafted to the Eagles and was then allocated to Swans. During his time at Swans as an Eagles AFL player he developed strong ties with the Swan Districts Football Club to the extent that when he was delisted by the Eagles and continued to play at Swans. He also declined an assistant coaching position to remain as a Swans' player for another season. How many younger Swans' players derived benefit from Ash Hansen's experiences and knowledge? A similar scenario is now occurring at Swans with Ryan Davis. This scenario won't happen again due to the alignment. Not only that but the consequences of the alignment will result in drafted WAFL players remaining at the aligned WAFL club rather than those players playing for their original WAFL club when they are delisted.

swan42 wrote: Where does one start? Firstly, does a player when he gets drafted have all affiliations to a WAFL club expunged? Does he sever all ties with his mates and friends from that WAFL club? For example, once NicNat was drafted by the Eagles did he lose all commitment to Swan Districts? The answer to that question can be seen post the final siren of the 2010 Grand Final. The answer is a resounding NO. This would be a similar case for a large number of WAFL players drafted.

Another rationale for going to 10 teams is to make it even numerically. If that was a reasonable rationale we should never have gone to 9 teams.

As I have mentioned previously there was a newspaper report which stated that one of the WA domiciled AFL teams had only three players playing in the WAFL on a recent week end. How much teamwork can one get from 3 players out of 22 players?

Apart from the obvious of ripping the heart out of longtime East Perth supporters, such as Jardine, Grump and Chaddy22, the alignment has prostituted the integrity of the WAFL competition. There are scenarios at play where it may not be in the best interests of the supposed 'player development' to actually try to win a game of WAFL league football. For example, one of those AFL clubs might want a player to play at fullback no matter how many goals the opposing fullforward scores.

When a player is drafted to an ES clubs there is no possibility that during his time at the AFL club he will play against his original WAFL club. That is not the case when he is drafted by the Eagles or Dockers.

Interesting you say the WAFL clubs did nothing. That is patently not true. Opposing the alignment principle is not the same as doing nothing.

Does anyone here think that the WAFL clubs will be adequately compensated for their player losses?

Finally, I go back to the Ash Hansen situation where he was drafted to the Eagles and was then allocated to Swans. During his time at Swans as an Eagles AFL player he developed strong ties with the Swan Districts Football Club to the extent that when he was delisted by the Eagles and continued to play at Swans. He also declined an assistant coaching position to remain as a Swans' player for another season. How many younger Swans' players derived benefit from Ash Hansen's experiences and knowledge? A similar scenario is now occurring at Swans with Ryan Davis. This scenario won't happen again due to the alignment. Not only that but the consequences of the alignment will result in drafted WAFL players remaining at the aligned WAFL club rather than those players playing for their original WAFL club when they are delisted.

i agree with everything you said here swan42. in my perfect world in this day & age, it should stay just like you say.

but we are getting squeezed out from almost every angle. its been happening bit by bit for the past 20 years. we can now only make do with what we have left. that may be a defeatists attitude, but i feel we have been defeated. im trying to be hopeful things work out for the wafl. but they simply wont be the same. No chance

im sure you and passionate fans like you will stay true to Swans. its bloody crucial that you do. love watching the crowds and all the kids kicking footies down there with their fathers on saturday afternoons. always a good feel down there for any footy supporter.

The problem Jardine is that if you accept everything and don't attempt to fight back the two AFL teams will continue to take. For example, it is not impossible that the AFL clubs will think that it is better for their AFL aligned WAFL clubs should play before their AFL games in Perth. The upshot of that would be to prevent WAFL supporters of the opposing club to watch their team.

swan42 wrote: The problem Jardine is that if you accept everything and don't attempt to fight back the two AFL teams will continue to take. For example, it is not impossible that the AFL clubs will think that it is better for their AFL aligned WAFL clubs should play before their AFL games in Perth. The upshot of that would be to prevent WAFL supporters of the opposing club to watch their team.

yes i know mate. but we have done all of that & still we get nothing.
my club sold out its own people. any faith i once had, is now withered. i am not naive enough to realise a half million dollar carrot cannot be ignored. but we as a comp should have stuck together all the way. and it didnt happen that way. we all know this.

i love wafl footy so i watch anything. i have seen a few other teams play but its not the same not watching the black & blue. you know what i mean, your club colours are entrenched in your blood.

getting bitter probably wont solve much. easier said than done i know. believe me swan42 i am siding with you on this. i am just out of ideas now.

Swan42 has hit the nail on the head with all of his statements/comments in this whole topic!

Beasley Hutton wrote: Swan42 has hit the nail on the head with all of his statements/comments in this whole topic!

i think we all agree with him BH. no arguments against him i would think.

but we wont win

and god help us if we lose the abcTV