2018 The Year of Toast

[Triptanes]

Hurn still our captain ffs

Just give us our uninspiring 10-12th place finish to go with our uninspiring captain and end our season already

[Embers]

A lot of murmurs about our shit pre season doing the rounds in the sense of

- Kennedy done zero training and is expected to now miss the first month of the season even as the surgery hasnt fully fixed his ankle issues
- Naitanui only doing running laps and basic drills still. Club were furious when he came back from break well overweight. That and he is having ankle soreness issues so are restricting his jumping too
- Elliot Yeo still done next to nothing at training. The guy who struggles with fitness/aerobic capacity really needs a full pre season but he isnt getting one
- Lewis Jetta is as unfit as ever after 2 calf injuries one after the other

The only positive seems to be Willie Rioli shedding the KGs and getting himself to playing fitness

[Gamblor]

Luckily this year is a SUPER DRAFT and we'll have an early pick..... Oh wait

[Embers]

Willie Rioli apparently has this absurd skill where he can kick the ball up into his hands when running at full tilt. Pulled it off in a intra club match to a set up a goal. Saw it on someone's mobile last night. It was a fucking amazing bit of skill. Deadset most amazing bit of skill I've ever seen with a AFL football

[DALBS]

Willie Rioli apparently has this absurd skill where he can kick the ball up into his hands when running at full tilt. Pulled it off in a intra club match to a set up a goal. Saw it on someone's mobile last night. It was a fucking amazing bit of skill. Deadset most amazing bit of skill I've ever seen with a AFL football

This is quite easy to do when you are under 6 foot. Outside AFL level anyway. Midfielders practice this skill constantly at training.

[wogitalia]

Played junior footy with a guy who used to do it all the time. Still impressive though.

[Eagle E]

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[Bunga]

https://thewest.com.au/sport/west-co...-ng-b88743415z

West Coast speedster Lewis Jetta says Eagles fans should prepare for magic from Willie Rioli when the dynamic young forward plays AFLX for the club in Adelaide this week.

Speaking at Vasse Primary School this morning on the club’s South West Community camp, Jetta said Willie possessed all the traits of his famous family and head learned to become an elite trainer this year.

“You can expect magic from him. He is a freak. He is pretty similar to his cousins. He knows where the goals are, knows how to kick a ball and he has worked really hard over the pre-season.”

“I think he has adjusted to AFL life – all the sacrifices that you have got to do. And I think he has done that really well. Dieting, extra training, even getting up early and doing more training. He has been elite in that area.”

Rioli was literally hamstrung in his first year at the club, a series of leg injuries restricting him to a handful of games at East Perth. But he has presented in much slimmer shape this pre-season and he and Liam Ryan loom as possible X factor players on West Coast’s forward line.

Jetta also expressed confidence that ruckman Nic Naitanui would be ready for the club’s round one blockbuster against Sydney even though he has been nursed through much of the pre-season.

“Nic is travelling good. It looks like he will hopefully play round one but we will see how he gets through the next two weeks of training,” he said.

Jetta acknowledges that it took him until the back half of 2017 to gel with teammates after shifting to West Coast from Sydney but said he had enjoyed a solid pre-season apart from some calf soreness.

“I loved my time getting to know the boys, learning different patterns and different styles of footy.

“I always start off well and then just do a calf muscle. That sounds like how it is going to be for the next two to three years. I had a bit of soreness in the calf a couple of weeks back but at the moment I am just trying to stick with the young guys.”

He said with the changing nature of the Eagles midfield following the retirements of Matt Priddis and Sam Mitchell he needed to be flexible on how Adam Simpson might want to use him.

“Wherever he needs me to play I will play. It is just a matter of learning different roles, not just being a traditional wingman, maybe play half forward or maybe half back, who knows,” he said.

“It is a lot of experience gone so hopefully Brendon Ah Chee and Jack Redden, Luke Shuey and Dom Sheed can step up, Mark Hutchings. It is definitely a lot of experience gone but the exciting part is that we have got a lot of young guys coming through.”

[Embers]

This is quite easy to do when you are under 6 foot. Outside AFL level anyway. Midfielders practice this skill constantly at training.

I didn't really describe it well. HE runs past the ball and backheels it up to his hands as opposed to kick kick it home so to speak

If he does it in a game, it will be one of those all time great plays really. Hopefully the rest of his game matches so to speak

[Bunga]

Eagles swoop on former Suns recruiter - AFL.com.au

FORMER Gold Coast list manager Scott Clayton has joined West Coast's recruiting department.

Clayton is one of the AFL's most experienced recruiters, having worked for Brisbane – both the Bears and the Lions – the Western Bulldogs and the Suns.

The former Fitzroy defender finished up at Gold Coast late last year after eight years with the expansion club.

AFL.com.au understands Clayton has accepted a position with the Eagles, where he will work alongside list manager Brady Rawlings and recruiting manager Rohan O'Brien.

Clayton's role is a newly created one, in which he will be involved broadly across recruiting and list management, while he will continue to be based in Melbourne.

Clayton joined the Suns ahead of their entry into the AFL competition in 2011 and oversaw the recruitment of players such as Tom Lynch, Steven May, David Swallow, Jaeger O'Meara, Jack Martin, Kade Kolodjashnij, Charlie Dixon and Rory Thompson.

Gold Coast poached long-time recruiter Craig Cameron from Greater Western Sydney late last year to replace Clayton as its list manager.

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett was thrilled to have Clayton join the club.

"To secure a person of Scott’s standing based in our Melbourne office is an exciting appointment," Nisbett said.

"His experience and standing in the industry is unquestionable and we look forward to him imparting that knowledge to the benefit of our club.

"Scott will begin his role in the next couple of weeks and we’re all looking forward to him coming on board."

Clayton said he was looking forward to his latest opportunity.

"I have the utmost respect for the West Coast Eagles and this opportunity has so much appeal," he said.

"I have seen from close quarters the quality of the list and recruiting team and can't wait to be contributing as part of the club."

[Gamblor]

Not sure how I feel about this... Can't say I'm thrilled given his recent track record.

And the time spent with his former clubs coincided with them bring pretty shit before they eventually became premiers several years later.

So GC for premiers by 2025

[flight23]

Jarrad Grant might still win a Brownlow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DALBS]

Loved Reddens game yesterday. Looks keen for a big year.

[Embers]

Vardy stretchered off yesterday with a bad groin injury. Out for 3-4 months and Naitanui unlikely to play in Round 1. Step up Scott Lycett

[Dogbloke V3]

Maybe one year we will have a fit ruck stock

[DALBS]

Gov is gone it seems. Offered 7 million over 6 years.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/we...-ng-b88766286z

[Bunga]

@WestCoastEagles
“@NicNat will play minutes at @EastPerthFC this weekend.” Adam Simpson declares Nic Naitanui’s return to play.

[DALBS]

Going to be a long year. Have a feeling heaps of youth will get games finally.

[KaII]

I'll believe it when I see it

[Eagle E]

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[KaII]

Naita hit for about 54 mins in WAFL, ~15 possessions, 33 HO's. Twitter saying that he grew in confidence with his jumping as the game wore on.