SaberFang

Good luck to them. Patton is a brute but a dumb, dumb footballer.

Entirely true, but don't undervalue how depressing it would be to move to the worst half of another city and play every week with nobody watching on that gives a rats. They might as well have stayed at state level, the crowds are bigger.

Had to laugh at the "we will address this" comment. How many times have we screamed at matches this year watching players hold up the ball, chip it around the forward line, then kick it to a contest and turn it over? The best teams move the ball fast, precise, and get goals with great ease. Our players are being taught to hold up the ball and wait for the flood of both teams, then kick to a contest where nobody has a chance to mark it cleanly. And they wonder why we aren't scoring any goals!?

Just imagine if you took all the talent from GWS and divided it amongst the heavily struggling bottom 8 teams. The entire make up of the league would be miles better for it, with less blow outs, more even teams, a chance for any team to make finals in any given year. But no, let's keep pushing ahead with a doomed Western Sydney experiment.

Yep, Hawthorn might have laughed at his asking price a month ago. Somehow I think they'll have a very different tune today. Lake's days are well and truly numbered. If he stays on it'll be as a depth player and little more, if they secure Frawley.

Hadn't really occurred to me, but this is a very good point. As if the draft sanctions weren't ridiculous enough in the first place, the fact that they are continually securing multiple top 5 picks every single draft (wouldn't surprise me if they ended up with our 3 & 4 this year as well in exchange for Shiel & Treloar) is overfilling their list with far more talent than they can play. It might mean they can eventually form an amazing best starting 22, but they'll be letting top draftees go to other clubs like a leaking siev. Especially when in 3 years these mature young players start demanding high pay packets and they simply can't afford 22 of them. The only way I'd stay at GWS would be for money, and I've got a feeling most of their players feel the same about their longterm career prospects in the western badlands. To spend your whole life growing up thinking about being a top draft pick and playing footy, only to face the grim reality of playing 5 times a year on rotation, in front of 2000 person crowds, with a 75+ point loss every week, all the while watching picks taken at 20 and beyond get games every week back home in front of 50,000 crowds. Would be more than a little depressing.

JKH deserves that rising star nom. If he doesn't get it by the end of this season, he's ineligible next year. He was robbed that week we won against Adelaide. THAT SAID, the award is a pathetic joke. Only two years ago, EIGHT of the nominations went to GWS. It's just political rubbish, just like all the nominations for Brisbane this year. It's the AFL's way of selling hope to pathetic clubs with terrible performances.

Does seem unusual to have so many ongoing rumours about almost every player being miserable in GWS and wanting to get out. The onfield performances wouldn't be helping, and they're probably getting paid peanuts compared to what Victorian clubs would offer.

Does that mean he won't be in vs us?

All the match day reports on here called JKH disinterested, but Miller is glowing with praise for playing his role and backing it up two weeks in a row. No wonder it takes teams a few years to understand defensive coaches, their game plan seems to revolve more around playing your role and only your role, rather than just playing amazing individual footy. Certainly explains why JKH hasn't been in the team since Colonwood. Not only for missing that mark, but because he defied his role and was in the wrong side of the oval. Seems PR is more interested in role players than 30+ disposal trail blazers.

They put themselves in this position by getting rid of all their senior players and starting a rebuild. You can't then turn around and ask for priority picks. If anything they should go to the bottom 4 or 5 teams who are all struggling with their lists due to how devastating the expansion clubs have been for the overall competition. GCS got literally every star player for 4 years running, including the best player in the league. It's pathetic.

Geez the concessions the Swans get are criminally unfair on Victorian teams. And in case you all missed it, Roos departure from Sydney ended up being less than amicable. They won't be helping us.

Good luck getting anyone out of GCS. There's a reason everyone keeps targetting GWS, they're the basketcase of the two expansion clubs. Roos' connections at Sydney notwithstanding, but the salary cap pressure they'll be facing from here on will squeeze lots of talented young players out of that club, as they seek better contracts. Only problem is they look premiership bound at this rate.

The kid is maturing quite nicely. Those legs are massive!

Could they not just follow the tennis system and force players to be the ones that call for the review? They can only get one per game though, and it remains umpires call if no review is requested by players/coaches? The current system of field umpires overruling the goal umpire despite being 60 meters away is utterly farcical. Give the power to the players.

I'm just surprised how much he's filled out in the last year, he'll be a real unit after a few preseasons!

Billy was really well spoken Friday. He exerts leadership and class (co-captain at his club), a very well adjusted young man from all indications. The thing I found interesting is how familiar his answers sounded, almost identical to MFC players under Roos. I'd say if PR hasn't already sat down with him to give some advice, he'll be head over heels to get this kid in the red & blue. His team-first philosophy is exactly what PR adores. He's also a massive re-tweeter of MFC players, so he clearly loves the club. https://twitter.com/billyjstretch. Don't care if it takes our second rounder, this guy is a gem! On their win: "We really drove that team philosophy and that's been the main theme throughout the whole champs and it's really held us in good stead and it's shown in our performances, and that's why we've come away with the win." On the tight scoreline: "Right back in December we drove those team philosophies and that's been the main theme, and we knew that would get us through the game if we all played our role successfully we'd come away with the chocolates." On his highlight of the game: "I think the idea of team. We've really gelled so well as a team, and that stood out compared to the rest of the teams in the championships. So the ability for every individual to play their role successfully has contributed to that win, so that's the main highlight." On the draft: "The only thing we can do is continue to play the best footy we can and go back to our clubs, maintain that high standard of football, and focus on what's most important. There's obviously a lot of pressure but that's completely out of our control, so the most important thing for us is to focus on our goals, week by week, and school." On father-son and potentially ending up at the MFC: "In a perfect world it'd be awesome to end up in Melbourne, but the main thing for me is to focus on going back to my club and playing some consistent footy and giving myself the opportunity to be considered for the draft. And whether that's Melbourne, that'd be great, but that's in the long term side of things and the short team goal is just to maintain consistency and focus on footy and school. Advice from dad: He's always told me just to try and take the pressure off myself and really just enjoy my footy this year, enjoy being with my mates, and enjoy improving as well." On training with AFL teams: "I was sent to Melbourne to train there for a week, and that was an awesome experience, I learned a lot from that."

The Hawks' interest in Frawley basically just trebled overnight. They'll want a replacement for Lake as soon as possible. Not well liked at the club from what I've been told.

Would only bother with ROK if he's a delisted free agent.

Nice spin. it'll blow out.

Goodnight all!

Overall pretty impressed this week. We've tidied up our disposal quite a lot, and Freo are missing a lot of easy marks.

In fairness, I think everyone went into the Adelaide and Port games and thought we'd get pummelled. We won the former, and came close in the latter. I don't think we'll win but I'm hoping it isn't the bloodbath many here are predicting.

Geez, JKH must really filthy at himself for that Pies game. Missing that mark has pretty much cost him a spot in the team, and Roos won't be making it easy to get back in.

Any money if we get first round compo for losing him (pick 4?) the media will kick up a stink about how "unfair" it is and we'll see the end of compensation for FA? Got no doubt Eddie will be ropeable for whatever stupid reason and twist Gillons arm.