team- Rd 11 vs Eagles

[Old Mate]

Go home Scott you're drunk

[SaintlySaint85]

pretty clear for all to see that this year is not about the win/loss column anymore, and i'm ok with that.
better to burn out than to fade away. west coast won 4 games in 2010 and played a prelim in 2011.
the days of teams being in the darkened doldrums are just no longer there, unless you're displaying the type of ineptitude that melbourne are currently. considering how well we utilised our last down period (2000-2002), we're not going to sink that low. we're far stronger off field and therefore will be far stronger ON field. this rebuild will take time folks! sit back and enjoy the ride. i know i will be.

[Jaz]

Playing guys out of position....Unbalanced side.....Picking players out of form instead of those putting their hand up in the two's....I've seen this all before.

Really...

I would say he is picking those from the twos that have put there hand up. TDL, saunders and Dunnel were all in the best last week.

The one selection that wasn't given on form was Fegusson last week and he was shown to be well below AFL at this stage of his development.

I really like the way he IS rewarding good games in the VFL so guys like TDL are trying hard in the two's knowing if they play well they will get a game.

[gringo]

TDL is playing great footy at Sandy and deserves another go. He's not set the world on fire but hasn't been that bad. Milne has been a low possession opportunist goal sneak that has made the most of limited entries for years. TDL is pretty similar. He's still a very inexperienced player so deserves time to prove himself.

[mohannair]

The way I see it,means Stanley has to play in back half,dont think we will see Maister back....Will we ?

Coach loves Maister and TDL.

May be both are from W.A

[Bernard Shakey]

We have a good chance of a win this week providing Wilkes doesn't play.

[PJ]

So Stanley to the backline to limit his impact on the game, Macca to ruck (relatively ineffectively) and Hickey to wander around aimlessly - sounds like a plan.

[spert]

I still think Maister will do OK- took a few strong grabs against the Dogs apart from one missed. Absolutely puzzled how Saad keeps getting a game, I'm all out of answers on that one. SW really hasn't got much to pick from considering Sandy also got beaten by 10 goals.

[Dr Spaceman]

Absolutely puzzled how Saad keeps getting a game, I'm all out of answers on that one.

Still 3 to come out though.

[mad saint guy]

I really like the way he IS rewarding good games in the VFL so guys like TDL are trying hard in the two's knowing if they play well they will get a game.

Ledger and Curren?

[saintkellerm]

Whoever Scotty chooses it is not going to please everyone!! If we win it was great selection, if we lose oh it's the worst selection ever!! if we win see u have to play the kids, if we lose oh there were too many kids -not enuff experience blah blah blah.

All we want is effort whoever plays. Adelaide and North games were absolute shockers, most of the other games we have been close (except maybe Essendon as well). Hopefully we just see improvement, but I must admit some of those ins and I remember the bulldogs game hmmmmm (I know couldn't help myself either hahaha)

[Hemi Baxter]

Actually what we want is any forward who wants to lay a tackle as opposed to running flashily after their backmen on the breakout. Not surprised at all to see maister playing for that and other good reasons.

[SaintPav]

Watters is a f****** muppet.

[BigMart]

How would Scott be rewarding VFL form if Maister and Jones go in.... Neither played VFL last week?

Surely Ledger should have got a game ahead of Jones.... If developing/analysing players

Surely Lee ahead of Maister regardless

TDL is hopeless, as is Hickey (ATM)

Perhaps bring Lenny back early again?!

My Team

B: Gwilt........... Simpkin.....,, Wright
..................... Roberton..................
HB: Geary.........Stanley........ Dempster

C: Newnes.......Armitage........ Webster

HF: Montagna......Lee..............Siposs

F: Milne...........Riewoldt

Foll: McEvoy..... ...Ross............ Steven

Int: Dal Santo...... Ray...... Ledger.......Dunnell

[WinnersOnly]

What has Ledger done to be not getting a run ? We need midfielders with some clearance grunt which he provides - I can't believe they keep refusing to play him. He must have caught shagging some ones missus, as his lack of opportunity is ridiculous, very Ross Lyon like !

[Saint wagga]

Once again, is it so difficult to just name the 22 for the weekend!! I can't stand the dishonesty (watters can't seriously think it puts other teams off by naming a massive bench, and then normally pulling in someone completely different anyway?!) as a supporter I just want to know based n form, training and match ups, what the team is going to be! We are seriously serial offenders at this, no other afl coach consistently names ridiculously long benches, time and time again. Occasionally I can understand it, if there are a couple of injured players, it come one SW. You talk about being an honest a upfront coach, who calls a spade a spade...I see very little evidence of this...evasive nothing answers at press conferences, blatant dishonesty when it comes to keeping the press, and therefore us up to date on player injury recoveries and time frames. Sorry for the rant, but each week, the selections, or lack of respect for two's form just get more unbelievable than the last! And poor old Jackson ferguson, I hope he is a strong character, if he is, hopefully he can bounce back! Hope dunell and Saunders get a run

[8856brother]

Once again, is it so difficult to just name the 22 for the weekend!! I can't stand the dishonesty (watters can't seriously think it puts other teams off by naming a massive bench, and then normally pulling in someone completely different anyway?!) as a supporter I just want to know based n form, training and match ups, what the team is going to be! We are seriously serial offenders at this, no other afl coach consistently names ridiculously long benches, time and time again. Occasionally I can understand it, if there are a couple of injured players, it come one SW. You talk about being an honest a upfront coach, who calls a spade a spade...I see very little evidence of this...evasive nothing answers at press conferences, blatant dishonesty when it comes to keeping the press, and therefore us up to date on player injury recoveries and time frames. Sorry for the rant, but each week, the selections, or lack of respect for two's form just get more unbelievable than the last! And poor old Jackson ferguson, I hope he is a strong character, if he is, hopefully he can bounce back! Hope dunell and Saunders get a run

Every team playing on Sundays have an extended bench. Every team. Every Sunday. Every week.

[plugger66]

Once again, is it so difficult to just name the 22 for the weekend!! I can't stand the dishonesty (watters can't seriously think it puts other teams off by naming a massive bench, and then normally pulling in someone completely different anyway?!) as a supporter I just want to know based n form, training and match ups, what the team is going to be! We are seriously serial offenders at this, no other afl coach consistently names ridiculously long benches, time and time again. Occasionally I can understand it, if there are a couple of injured players, it come one SW. You talk about being an honest a upfront coach, who calls a spade a spade...I see very little evidence of this...evasive nothing answers at press conferences, blatant dishonesty when it comes to keeping the press, and therefore us up to date on player injury recoveries and time frames. Sorry for the rant, but each week, the selections, or lack of respect for two's form just get more unbelievable than the last! And poor old Jackson ferguson, I hope he is a strong character, if he is, hopefully he can bounce back! Hope dunell and Saunders get a run

Are you really smoking that s***?

[skeptic]

As GT said: it's not about the result, it's about the process

The issue for me is: right now I don't understand wtf Watters is doing

His strategy makes absolutely no sense to me

It's been a season and a half and we have absolutely no sense of structure. 4 small forwards, 2-3 ruckman in the team, players playing in odd positions, It's not like say we're trying to play to a structure but have deficiencies that force us to carry under performing players... it's just odd selections

Other things I don't get

- A youth policy that involves playing over the hill veterans, and juniors in the VFL that are consistently performing are consistently overlooked. Ray and Jones playing again and again... Curren, Dunnel and Ledger being overlooked

- Rushing underdone players into the team and bringing back injured players really really quickly. Really clear that Hayes and Maister were brought back too quick. In Beau's case SW has pretty much undone all of his early form improvement and gain in credibility by playing him when he's either underdone or seriously out of touch. Fisher and Gwilt have looked really underdone at times.

- 4 small forwards. 3 small forwards... 2 small forwards. All of them are horribly out of form. How has Saad played every game (I think?). How has Milne played most? Why is Milera held to a different standard? TDL is a real worry.

- A ruck situation I don't u/s. McEvoy can play around the ground but can't ruck does most the rucking. Hickey can ruck better but is poor around the ground and plays up forward. Stanley... arguably best in the ruck and forward spends the least amount of time in either position and plays back... then sometimes swings him forward. I just dont u/s what SW is doing. Is it just about getting games into Hickey and he'll be persevered with no matter what? I cld accept that. Is Stanley's season a write off as we have no back or is he our permanent back.

- Just plain bizarre use of the sub. No strategy that I can make sense of...

- Siposs: will he play forward or back

- Fergs in for a week then dropped. Simpkin rushed in for a week post injury and dropped

And again I simply cannot fathom not playing either Curren or Ledger whilst we're being smashed in the clearances


I don't mind sacrificing the season... if I knew we were heading in the right direction... I have no idea what SW is working towards

[plugger66]

Agree with most but Hickey played most of the first quarter last week in the ruck and we were smashed. Ben is clearly out best rucking option at the moment.

[bergholt]

So Stanley to the backline to limit his impact on the game...

Taylor, Lonergan and Podsiadly at Geelong have been alternating forward and back in various games, to very good effect. I like the thought of Stanley being able to swing back and forward depending on needs - even into the ruck if necessary. Flexibility is a good thing.

Still plenty of defenders in the side anyway. We can't match theirs for height but we've still got four tallish guys back there. Should look something like this:

IN: Dennis-Lane, Dunell, Wilkes
OUT: Ferguson, Fisher, Saad

FB: Roberton, Stanley, Gwilt
HB: Wright, Dempster, Geary
C: Newnes, Dal Santo, Montagna
HF: Siposs, Riewoldt, Dunell
FF: Hickey, Wilkes, Milne
R: McEvoy, Armitage, Steven
IC: Ray, Ross, Webster
SUB: Dennis-Lane
E: Jones, Saad, Saunders

Backline looks capable if undersized, forward line looks potentially dangerous, but the real issue is that there aren't enough true mids in the team. Saunders in for Siposs or Dunell could improve that.

I think we'll lose, but I don't think it's a horrible team on paper - can't quite understand the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

[bigred]

Dropping Ferg is a bulls*** move that reeks of asshattery.

[SainterK]

Dear Coach

Please give up on

CJ/Maister/TDL

Id have guessed they are the emergencies?

Not happy with dropping ferg either bigred

[SainterK]

Watters has just about lost my support. He continues to make moronic selections week after week that have nothing to do with team balance or VFL form. I have serious concerns for the future of our footy club

I continue to be puzzled at the lack of structure.

Modern footy i thought was about roles, you change the personnel but the roles and gameplan are consistent.

We need more midfielders developed, so hopefully he ticks that box at least this week.

[Teflon]

TDL?

Feel me.....why did we recruit this ?

To much mates rated going on here