Team Rd 18 v Western Bulldogs

[573v30]

Great to see Brabazon finally listed not as an emergency.

I reckon:

In - Barry, Brabazon, Brennan, Malceski
Out - Goodes, Mathews, O'Dwyer, Playfair

[Robbo]

We will be 10K lighter in the pocket but yeah I really hope Brabazon plays.

[Triple B]

I reckon Vespa is a certainty to debut. It's generally accepted that he is up to it, just injury and lack of a solid fitness base has kept him out so far. Doesn't make any sense to name him on an extended bench if they don't intend playing him. It's not a case of naming a young fella to let him know he's close and keep up the good work, he knows he will be picked when they think he is ready.

They may even go without Everitt this week. They could easily go with LRT on Minson at FB and follow him into the ruck when he moves there. I guess it depends on whether the spies think the Bullies may go with Street on the bench, in which case Spida may survive.

If Leo doesn't come up, surely a possibility, then Brennan will probably get the nod.

[SimonH]

Great to see Brabazon finally listed not as an emergency.

Huh? He's never been listed as an emergency in his career, and this is a squad of 25 where emergencies haven't yet been named. He could yet be one. In fact, I think he will be.

Leaving aside what I think should happen, this is what I believe will happen.

If Malceski comes up:
Everitt, Malceski, Mathews, Brennan.

If Malceski doesn't come up:
Everitt, Mathews, Brennan, Veszpremi.

They wouldn't have named Malceski on the bench if they were 100% confident of him coming up. Which in turn means that if he does play, he won't be at 100% fitness.

For what little it's worth, the side as lined up is well-structured (bearing in mind the very many bodies out). That is to say: good to see Grundy and LRT in the forward line, although BBBH at CHF (get him roaming and get his hands on the footy) and Grundy at FF every time for mine.

Geez, even against an out-of-form Dogs, we are going to have to play out of our skins to win this one.

[Legs Akimbo]

They really are toying with the youngsters. Smith's now out of the squad. O'Dwyer's been dumped. I'd rather they give one or two of them a reasonable number of games to find their feet, and then give another one or two of them a reasonable number of games to find their feet, rather than chopping and changing so much.

Perhaps in the case of both Smith and MOD, the desire was to gain information. They've seen enough to make a decision about their place on our list next year.

[reigning premier]

Might as well give all the kids a run....

No Goodes, No MO'L, Tadgh running on half a leg with a dodgy shoulder, BBBH out of sorts and Eski only a 50/50 chance of playing and we don't have a snow balls chance in hell....

[Nico]

Grundy has been OK down back the last 2 games and looks far more comfortable there than up forward.

Brennan however is far more lively than Grundy and we sure as hell need some movement up forward. But then with so many selection scenarios this week they will probably start Crouch and Mathews in the forward pockets because they can both "play tall" if required.

[Nico]

Might as well give all the kids a run....

No Goodes, No MO'L, Tadhg running on half a leg with a dodgy shoulder, BBBH out of sorts and Eski only a 50/50 chance of playing and we don't have a snow balls chance in hell....

And Nathan Buckley picked us, go figure. But he is the media star and darling right now.

[TheMase]

We will be 10K lighter in the pocket but yeah I really hope Brabazon plays.

A fine is only applicable if we raise a player into the side, that is not listed in the squad of 25. Brabazon is in the 25.

We were fined years ago when Kelly returned against Fremantle (I think) when he was not listed in the squad of 25.

[TheMase]

Perhaps in the case of both Smith and MOD, the desire was to gain information. They've seen enough to make a decision about their place on our list next year.

I reckon you're spot on. Brabazon may well get a run this weekend for the same reason.

[Robbo]

A fine is only applicable if we raise a player into the side, that is not listed in the squad of 25. Brabazon is in the 25.

We were fined years ago when Kelly returned against Fremantle (I think) when he was not listed in the squad of 25.

AFL clubs have to pay the WAFL club a player was drafted from when they debut.

I only just found this out recently.

It's 10K when the player is drafted, when they enter their 2nd year on the list, when they debut and when they play their 10th game.

So if Brabazon makes his debut on Sunday we would of paid 30K for him.

[Triple B]

A fine is only applicable if we raise a player into the side, that is not listed in the squad of 25. Brabazon is in the 25.

We were fined years ago when Kelly returned against Fremantle (I think) when he was not listed in the squad of 25.

I think Robbo may be alluding to some contract clause which sees the younguns get a 10K bonus if they make the seniors.

Not sure, but I suspect Robbo realises he has been named.

EDIT: I was sort of correct, they don't get it, but somebody does.

[liz]

Perhaps in the case of both Smith and MOD, the desire was to gain information. They've seen enough to make a decision about their place on our list next year.

But I'd question the value of that information. I don't think they have much more information now about O'Dwyer or Smith's sustained AFL potential than they did before they debuted. Neither has shown enough to say they're certainly long term players but nor do I think it can be concluded that they don't have that potential.

A better justification is the "Jack" syndrome - ie give them just a taste now so that they have a better idea what they have to do over the summer. Maybe they just want to "Jack" as many as possible while the injury list is (hopefully) at its worst. I still reckon, though, that Smith deserves two games in a row.

[TheMase]

AFL clubs have to pay the WAFL club a player was drafted from when they debut.

I only just found this out recently.

It's 10K when the player is drafted, when they enter their 2nd year on the list, when they debut and when they play their 10th game.

So if Brabazon makes his debut on Sunday we would of paid 30K for him.

I had no idea. Is that just the WAFL?

[Nico]

On the payments for players when they debut etc. The money used to go to the grass roots junior club they came from. At Croydon in Victoria a payment for Damian Cupido was split between the Senior and Junior club, although Damian was only ever listed with the senior club and to my recollection never played a game for the seniors. He did play Under 18's at 15, which is part of the senior set up. He also kicked 6 goals in a game as an under 14 with the
18's.

Then they ripped the funding from grass roots clubs and in Victoria gave it to the TAC Under 18 club they played for, purely to help fund the club.

I always believed these periodic sums were paid by the AFL.