TOPIC:

For a few weeks now, I have been meaning to return to this site and write something about the upcoming WAFL season. Usually by early February I am starting to get excited about the upcoming scratch matches and start looking at who has been recruited by various clubs.

However it is different this year and I know why. The thin edge of the wedge has hit and true WAFL fans now have the reality of the alignment staring at them. I must admit for me it is affecting my enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

There was an article in the West last week I think about Matthew Seal, who was a reasonable player for East Perth. Because no WAFL club was prepared to pay East Perth a $12000 transfer fee for Seal, he has gone to country footy and therefore been lost to the WAFL. I wonder how many other East Perth and Peel players are in this situation, knowing that they wouldn’t get a look in at the alignment clubs but blocked from joining other WAFL clubs because of financial considerations.

This of course means a poorer standard of footy as many mid level or depth players will leave the system and move interstate or go to amateurs or country football. The gap between the aligned and non aligned clubs will become greater and even Kim Hagdorn who in the past has been an apologist for the AFL can now see the writing on the wall.

The way I see it, the two aligned clubs are poised to dominate the WAFL because the sheer quality of their lists will far outweigh what any of the other 7 can put up. There will be days of course when the aligned clubs will be beaten because of issues that may arise at the AFL club. For example say the Eagles are playing on a Saturday afternoon in Melbourne and pick up a few injuries to key players during the game. Meanwhile East Perth are involved in a tough match against co-tenants Subiaco and it’s only a few points the difference at half time. A message comes from the Eagles directing East Perth to withdraw 2 players from the team at the break to cover for their injuries, thus reducing them to 20 men for the 2nd half. Subiaco, having more rotations then run away with the game. Possible scenario or just wishful thinking on my part?

For me the most depressing outcome of 2014 would be a Peel v East Perth Grand final because everyone knows that it would be a sham premiership either way. I often think it would have been better to let the AFL clubs have their own ‘mickey mouse’ reserves team’s and allow the WAFL teams to play their bye games against them. At least then we would still have the real East Perth and Peel and not so many players like Seal leaving the WAFL.

Yes I know something had to be done because of the financial situation of many WAFL clubs and the competition couldn’t continue in the format it has been in but I can’t believe that what we have now is the best solution.

Maybe when the scratchies start, I will start getting more excited but I'm not holding my breath.

I have to agree that some very good WAFL players are going to be denied the prospect of continuing in the competition because they are unwanted by EP and Peel. This situation is disgraceful and the greed of the two AFL clubs having their host clubs demand transfer fees is unbelievable.
There should have been substantial concessions put in place to ensure that these players would not be lost to the WAFL ie points and salary cap concessions and transfer fees capped at a realistic level.
Not thought thru very well...

Got the West this morning.....no WAFL!
Wish the WAFL clubs would at least update player lists so we know who playing on.
What happens when the aligned clubs have a bye? Previous years have seen AFL listed players play Reserves for other clubs, wonder if the non-aligned clubs will allow this to happen.

No WAFL story in The West this morning because they had no bad news to report. Last weekend they had two WAFL stories on the web but could only fit one story in the paper.

Did they publish the good news story about East Fremantle or the bad news story about no transfers?

To show their intentions this summer, the story that was published was about East Perth not transferring players, the other included two players East Perth had transferred to East Fremantle. Both articles written by the same journo!

Clubs are trying to get them to do stories on recruits and/or summer preparations but Lewis and co are not interested.

That would be because Lewis is a deadset w@nker Barney and a one eyed EP Eagle w@nker at that!

smokey wrote: I have to agree that some very good WAFL players are going to be denied the prospect of continuing in the competition because they are unwanted by EP and Peel. This situation is disgraceful and the greed of the two AFL clubs having their host clubs demand transfer fees is unbelievable.
There should have been substantial concessions put in place to ensure that these players would not be lost to the WAFL ie points and salary cap concessions and transfer fees capped at a realistic level.
Not thought thru very well...

Well smokey you along with everyone else didn;t support my idea of having freo take over Peel completely and having WC form one new team in Joondalup. Neither the Mandurah Dockers or the Joondalup Eagles would have had reserve or colts grades.

The traditional eight would have played in the WAFL and the BHP Cup (or some such name) against the two afl reserve teams.

This seeing the traditional eight and the WAFL being left alone and necessitating only one new team.

Peels district would have been re spread to SF and EF while those two clubs would have off loaded a club or two to other traditional eight teams.

It was a fait accompli that something like has happened would happen but no one would look a a better result. Too busy ridiculing fellow posters. Now look what we have got.

Time For a Flag wrote:

smokey wrote: I have to agree that some very good WAFL players are going to be denied the prospect of continuing in the competition because they are unwanted by EP and Peel. This situation is disgraceful and the greed of the two AFL clubs having their host clubs demand transfer fees is unbelievable.
There should have been substantial concessions put in place to ensure that these players would not be lost to the WAFL ie points and salary cap concessions and transfer fees capped at a realistic level.
Not thought thru very well...

Well smokey you along with everyone else didn;t support my idea of having freo take over Peel completely and having WC form one new team in Joondalup. Neither the Mandurah Dockers or the Joondalup Eagles would have had reserve or colts grades.

The traditional eight would have played in the WAFL and the BHP Cup (or some such name) against the two afl reserve teams.

This seeing the traditional eight and the WAFL being left alone and necessitating only one new team.

Peels district would have been re spread to SF and EF while those two clubs would have off loaded a club or two to other traditional eight teams.

It was a fait accompli that something like has happened would happen but no one would look a a better result. Too busy ridiculing fellow posters. Now look what we have got.

WTF are you on about Freo have completely taken over Peel do some research ffs.

Are you a simpleton Pete? If freo had taken over Peel they would be called the Peel or Mandurah Dockers and be wearing the freo jumper.

Simple response from you yet again

Time For a Flag wrote: Are you a simpleton Pete? If freo had taken over Peel they would be called the Peel or Mandurah Dockers and be wearing the freo jumper.

Simple response from you yet again

Peel or EP being named After their aligned clubs is a moot point, they have being taken over you clown is it that hard.

Actually there's a fair bit of venom growing due to the arsehole alignments .... for that I look forward to this season

I cannot wait to see those two fat prick presidents traipse into our ground - geez have I got some spray waiting ... especially for Howson

BRING

IT

ON