fr_ap

Agree with this. Was there that day and thought Sinnema showed a lot of promise. Was very surprised we didn't pick him up.

Okay...but surely you understand that the Men's has a significant influence on W attendance. It doesn't exist in isolation ....they are literally marketing to the same supporter/customer base using the same brand. Yes, there are W fans who aren't M fans and plenty of M fans who aren't W fans (yet), but the overlap in the middle of that Venn diagram (people who will have an interest in any/all things their club does, like you and me) is by far the biggest component. Every supporter base is either under/over penetrated in terms of their engagement converting to attendance. Ours has been relatively high (comparing attendance vs membership) for some time now in the Men's, as we had a period of success. There actually isn't a lot of juice left to squeeze out of our supporter base. Despite that our W engagement is not that bad across the board..certainly ahead of other clubs. North's penetration has been very low in the Men's, which means far more opportunity for the W. People need their fix somehow....It's no surprise that with a historic all conquering team that has won 26 in a row, their conversion is currently through the roof. Winning does that. In all sports, in every continent, for all of history. For what it's worth, I know several people (middle level, not "company guys" who'll spin a tale) in the Ops team at AFL house involved with AFLW, and all the engagement metrics are tracking about where they should be given its maturity, rapidly improving standard and competing sports in the landscape. Considering we are a very small market which is highly saturated with sporting content, and the total societal stigma the W is fighting against, it's going fine. The attendances rival and sometimes exceed A-League and Rugby. its a build....was never going to happen quickly.

What's with the bemoaning of our crowd? I went to the QF and whilst I don't know the attendance number it seemed vaguely the same as the number yesterday, maybe slightly less, but we weren't playing a Victorian side. FCS folks, North have won 26 games in a row and their men's side hasn't won a game in 5 years. There is a 50-100k supporter base there absolutely desperate for relevance and success....some of them were like ravenous junkyard dogs when Garner kicked that goal, it was genuinely bizarre. They are incredibly frustrated and starved of success. Of coure they're getting around them....

Extremely frustrating finish after being the better team all day. For a team that had won 25 in a row, they don't exhibit much skill. Bunch of contested bullies and in the last they decided to go full clobber mode. Agree with others on our lack of a big contested mid...Garner just gets it and moves it forward. Not much else to her. We were the only team moving the ball with system and showed far more skill I thought. Had the chance, didn't put them away. North fans were horrific and are clearly used to belting every team. Most don't know the rules and have clearly jumped on the unbeaten bandwagon. They couldn't believe it when they had a [censored] paid against them. When we had jumped them and I was just cheering loudly as the only dees fan with my little fella (who can be a bit extra), i was told by several to shut up. They're clearly not used to having any opposition. May their men's team continue to languish at the bottom.

Remind us why he's fallen?

Hibs leg was good but it's not what made him great. He was all heart and grit. Hated losing a contest. Thats what we miss.

What's with the lack of hype around here on Xavier Taylor? Looks like an absolute sure thing if ever I've seen one. High floor but also high ceiling type. Vlastuin clone

There's a tale around I think from one of the large fashion companies - potentially Prada but can't remember - who have a rule that new senior hires don't lead any meetings or even offer any significant perspectives in the first 3 months. They listen, learn, assess before taking the reigns properly. Always felt there was a lot of merit in that approach

Nonsense. The club knew all about Oliver's problems when they did the deal. Maybe they never thought it would spiral the way it did, but at a minimum they should have included certain protections. it is very easy to throw cash at a star player. Lamb should not be applauded for doing so. List management is not a short term game - but he has consistently made short term decisions that jeopardise the future of the club. Not strategic, not part of a cohesive vision - just re sign the stars (regardless of their issues) and pick up [censored] at the finish & around the fringes to make it look like you're doing something. Oh, and trade out of all future drafts too. He has constantly traded the future for the present, and we are paying for it BIG TIME right now. As soon as this period finishes, he should unequivocally be given his marching orders. (Unless he lands Bailey Humphrey)

Club enabled this behaviour by picking him round 1 2023 after spending most of the pre season in rehab. For a team with flag aspirations, it was unforgivable. Absolutely unforgiveable and broke the culture. It's what started this whole saga with Trac as well. Clarrys's career so far has taught him that being a genius at football excuses all other behaviour. No more.

How are you guys still going on about this. We all love Oliver for what he has done and what he was. Petracca likewise. But we've been bottom 4/6 last two years with them here. Nothing is going to change even with a new coach. Whether they go elsewhere and dominate is totally irrelevant. The question is whether they'd do that again for us ...and they won't. Far too entrenched, top comfortable, too entitled. Just try for a moment and look at the club objectively. No one's taking that flag or the YouTube videos away from us. You can always watch it back. Can't stand the histrionics

This is brilliant. Bravo. Some real leadership for a change

This has been long overdue and all the happy clappers here couldn't see it. Goodwin couldn't see it or wouldn't do it. King is a smart operator who sees what every other professional club could see from afar. The panic here is total vindication that the right moves are being made. My faith is being restored

All of those guys were better than who Lamb has recruited. Lumumba and Dawes senior premiership players. Bugg 60+ games. Kennedy a talent in an area of need. Perhaps Michie on par with Billings and Riley not far off Sharp (though at least he could win a contest). In any case most of these guys were added from 14-16 when we had been one of the worst teams of all time. Most played a small part in the list build and helped take us from last up to 10th by 2016....crucially they were playing in years 1-2-3 of our key draftees Trac, Gus, Oliver,Salem, allowing them to develop at their own pace and surrounding them with senior bodies. It's an insult to them to be compared to the likes of Fullarton and Shache who have not been able to hold down 1st team spots to help the likes of JVR. And if we were attractive because of picks and cap space...ok - who's job is it to engineer those assets? The list manager. We've been able to get picks most years. As for cap space, we're not the first premiership side that has wanted to reward a flag group. Other premiership sides have had the space to add big names. We very naively used all the space on rewarding a core group which weren't going to reach the summit again.

Finding a back up ruck is not a bad idea. It's fine. It just shouldn't be a main focus...5 years running. As for the other half of your post - they were draft picks. I have no issue with Jason Taylor or our scouting department that watch the juniors. They've kept us somewhat, sort-of competitive. The comparison all demons supporters should be making is how we built the flag list under Mahoney and Viney. We systematically and purposefully identified players from other clubs suited to our style of game (tough, contested, wins 1v1s - e.g Hibberd) and the game at the time (fwd half territory, intercepter with Lever) and stalked them for years before eventually luring them across. Same dodgy facilities, same horrendous reputation, same lack of success. Didn't stop them. We played the long game. We didn't fill the list out with [censored] recycled guys - we went to the draft and found good players in the 40s and 50s and allowed them to develop by bringing in actual best-22 players from other clubs with good experience. Every trade period we've had under Lamb has taken us backwards. He had the reputation of a flag to lean on and couldn't attract anyone. Worse, as I said they've actually shown no interest in adapting to the demands of the sport, which change year after year with rule changes. His acquisitions have been short termist, stop gap, band aid solutions. Now managing a list in the window is perhaps more difficult than building one on the way up with salary cap space. But other clubs seem to know how to do it - and we mismanaged ours. Rewarded the flag heroes with some frankly absurd deals because they were desperately trying to hold on what once made us successful, without ever actually looking at whether it would make us successful again. If you have any shred of logic or reason, you cannot defend the list management since the flag. It's literally impossible.

Hated the interview. After sacking the coach and changing CEO I had hoped the club would realise it's not an accident we've finished bottom 6 two years in a row. But no..."we'll bounce next year" says Lamb despite being on track to lose 3 best 22 players and having a new rookie coach at the helm. Maybe just words you say, selling hope to members? ...ok let's judge them by their actions....oh, a banged up mihocek and again trying to find a successor to Max. This will be the 4th or 5th time we've tried to recruit one despite having glaring holes elsewhere in the list. Their obsession with the backup ruck position is bordering on ridiculous at this stage. This FD continue to show zero understanding of the types of players we lack or the types of players making a difference in modern footy. Brisbane just won a flag by having 7-8 A-grade, running, skilful goal kicking midfielders. A single young key forward, an intercepter, two running skilful fast half backs, and some flankers. I don't believe a word he says - his attempts to bolster a flag list with Grundy, Schache, Fullarton, Billings and Sharp are laughable. Couldn't trade worse for a team in the window if you tried. How he has a job is absolutely, totally beyond me and the sooner he and other members of the FD that surround him exit the club, the better.

Just here to say Jaded is totally on fire ATM across multiple threads

I'm perplexed by all those who are hurt and sad on here. We're a bottom 6 team now two years in the running. With this guy at the forefront butchering passes, missing easy set shots, trying to shrug 5 and then dragging our image through the dirt. If we want change, then things need to change. He was brilliant at his peak when he went chips in on the team and game plan and his fitness. He's not been the same since he emerged as a top 5 player. He might rediscover it elsewhere because he cares too much about what people think not to put in an extraordinary effort at a new club. But it wouldn't have happened with us. Ergo, moving him on is clearly the best thing for us. I'm excited to see what we can make of it and how it can change the balance and focus of the team.

He said 2 years ago in a pre season feature that he's always wanted to play in WA. I've been waiting since then and never warmed to him as a result. Best of luck, don't let the door hit you on the way out

Definitely a yes from me. Has X factor and skill and would be a nice 1-2 punch with Kozzy

Flanders is the age profile and experience we need in our midfield. He is a good linkage player between the arcs, wins 1v1 contests and is a smart user and runner. I think he'd be ideal for us in many ways to phase Viney and if traded, Petracca out of the middle. Big tick from me.

Reckon we've got a live one in Guerra. Hard to know the total truth as an outsider, but it just seems we have someone who does things right. Breath of fresh air in an industry filled with backslapping friends of friends. Shows total respect to whoever he speaks to, total respect to opposition (listen to the 3AW grab above about how we were wary of the impact on Geelong) and respect for the integrity of the game. They're going to continue to try to undermine his standards and drag things through the dirt, and he just keeps taking the high road. Long may it continue.

Thrilled skipworth is out.

Was always the play here. Doubt he's going anywhere tbh.

The last sentence makes it feel to me like his manager is playing games and trying to eek out more dollars from the saints