North Adelaide's prospects

I am thankful that we don't have to play North at Prospect the week immediately after they have had a change in coach.

Traditionally we have struggled at that crooked, out of alignment oval but history tells us that teams seam to lift the game after a change in coach.

It will be very interesting to see how they fare today against Centrals at Elizabeth. This may give us an indication of what we will be up against.

We should have several players, who missed our last game, available next week for the North game so we can return to some stability. However that will be tested the following week in selection with the return of our boys from the National U18 championships.

My feeling is we need the youth & exuberance to regenerate our season so it will be great to see them back. All our kids have represented the State very well. They have consistently been amongst the best players in the Nationals & will hopefully come back into our system ready to go.

I personally feel they are the key (along with the dreaded injury curse) to us making the finals & progressing deep into September.

Well done boys, you make me proud every time I read about your continued improvement & success.

I think as long as we have the under 18 boys for the next 5 years West will continue to improve.

Unlikely ST.

I think we might get raided again in November.

Mypaspective wrote:Unlikely ST.

I think we might get raided again in November.

Well we are stuffed then. I don't know how we will survive. Losing two 17yr olds will kill the club.    

Francis, Bonner, Haysman, Agostino, Brind, Snelling and maybe Keough are all likely or big chances.

If we don't beat North next week, than we should give 2015 away.

If we are going to lose that many young kids then the clubs recruiting committee
needs to be on the front foot MORE THAN ANY OTHER CLUB IN THE SANFL to
Replace these kids

And so we will be, lachlan.

As much as we can be within the salary cap, given that our kids don't free up any cap space.

Lee Harradine wrote:Francis, Bonner, Haysman, Agostino, Brind, Snelling and maybe Keough are all likely or big chances.

It was very entertaining watching these players (ex Keough) during last year's U18 finals series, and seeing most in the senior side this year. As these players potentially transient through to bigger arenas, Westies fans will continue to watch these players with great interest and satisfaction knowing they were once young Bloods. But unlike those previous, like Mikan, Lindner, Modra, the modern era sees our developing talent appearing in the seniors only briefly (1 game for Durdin?). Sad but true. Great to see them now, and it will be sad to see them go. But the SANFL has its position within Australian rules football competitions, such that as these players advance, they don't owe the Club anything more than fond memories.
Congratulations to the Club for having so many of these players coming through.

Can some one enlighten me in,   what the break down is,  with Monies the club recieves, if players
are recruited in the draft

EG  ex $$$ if picked in the top 10, and so on

scorpion wrote:Can some one enlighten me in,   what the break down is,  with Monies the club recieves, if players
are recruited in the draft

EG  ex $$$ if picked in the top 10, and so on

I think if everyone that played under 18s last year gets drafted we get to own our club rooms again.

Each club gets $50K a year regardless of numbers drafted with a later top up depending on numbers from each club.

ST, we own our clubrooms and still do.

The AFL's payment for player development to the SANFL does not reward the effort our clubs put into development of zones. The only thing we can hope for is that should any of these fine young men who are drafted not quite make it at the next level they return to our club with experience and passion in the future - (Like Porplyzia, Silverlock etc...)

This is what ticks me off. We develop young players only for the best to be drafted into the AFL system. As i do not begrudge young players aspiring to play AFL football, it's what all young players want to do.  There's no point going on if we are just going to be happy breeding young players for the AFL and forgetting what our club is about...winning premierships. And it seems West Adelaide is more interested in how many young players we develop for the AFL.
And quite often some of those young drafted players waste a few years in the AFL reserves competition only to be spat out if not good enough.

whispy wrote:There's no point going on if we are just going to be happy breeding young players for the AFL and forgetting what our club is about...winning premierships. And it seems West Adelaide is more interested in how many young players we develop for the AFL.

What makes you say that Whispy?

I think i might have worded that wrong
We lose good young players to the AFL, some make it some don't and with those that don't and return are sometimes not better for the experience than if they stayed here.
Sometimes the side effects on young players being sent packing if they don't make it could be disastrous for their health. I'm not saying that it will happen but it's a possibility it could and in fact it has in the past.  

At the end of the day, i hate losing players into the AFL system and i want those players here helping West Adelaide win premierships.

Am i being selfish? Perhaps so.

Whispy, unfortunately everything changed forever in 1991 & then got worse in 1997.

We all want our young talent to stay with our club but the way it is now we can't deny these young kids aspiring to play AFL the opportunity if they are good enough.

Your earlier comment stating that our club prefers to promote young talent to AFL rather than winning premierships is simply wrong. Our priority which is written into our business plan is to never mention or talk about having players drafted.

The AFL recruiters are all over kids from all SANFL clubs & there is no way of hiding them & nor we should for their sakes.

None of us die hards like it but it is & always will be something we have to regretfully adapt to so its best if we just get on with continuing to develop talent & hope that a percentage of them stay at the Bloods.

It is a real challenge but one we have to deal with.

Well if its written in the "business plan" why the hell do a couple of posters go on and on about how we are going to get 5 kids drafted. I gather that other clubs are also having kids drafted or is it only happening at West.

Probably because we are going to get about 5 kids drafted.

Or would you prefer we forgot reality and pretended otherwise?

ST the current batch are obvious to all so that's probably why posters have continually talked about their draft prospects. Nothing wrong with that.

Also business plans continually change with the times so what might have been in the past may not be now.

And like magic the two posters in question reply. Maybe you should read the "business plan". I would hope that the people in power have their attention on winning the premiership and not on how much the club gets when we lose players to another competition.    

For goodness sake ST why would we want that to happen when the change in rules only gives us $50K regardless of how many are drafted.

Also why would anyone who has devoted a good part of their life as a dedicated volunteer of our great club want anything other than another premiership.

Get real!!!!!! You are so negative. Perhaps you should offer your services as a volunteer for our club instead of bashing others at every oopportunity.

Standard answer. If you have a different opinion to anyone then you have to become a volunteer. Mate over how many kids will be drafted. I don't even get this thread. End of my rant. Lee to reply now.

Back on topic v North... seems they have a few problems with injuries and suspensions, similar to what we usually have had in the last few years.
The new coach theory didn't work for them but i think it will still be a tough day out at Prospect on Saturday, hopefully with a win.

Time for the wolf to pounce on an injured rooster.

Looking forward to footy again at last. Finances good, prospects for the rest of the season good lots of positives.