Transperth bus driver Rajiv to plead guilty over fatal pedestrian hit near RAC Arena on June 20
REVEALED: The old Freo and Eagles stars in mix for WAFL jobs
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West Australian
10 hours ago
- West Australian
Motormouth Mitch: The mature Eagle who West Coast need to demand more of to help younger teammates
From the mature Eagle who didn't stand up in the western derby, to the Fremantle star who needs to find form. Football writer Mitchell Woodcock takes a no-holds-barred look at the week of footy. Eagles' Lack of Baz Ball West Coast need to ask more of Bailey Williams. It was disappointing that he wasn't able to stand up on Saturday afternoon and be more of a presence to ease the pressure on his younger teammates. Williams has been admirable over the past few seasons as the Eagles' No.1 ruck since the retirement of Nic Naitanui. But he had to be better than he was in a forward line which was being spearheaded by two teenagers against Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. Jobe Shanahan and Archer Reid were left to shoulder too much for the Eagles. Williams was the forward-ruck on the night and while he shouldn't be expected to kick a bag, he had to have more of an impact. The 25-year-old has now played 85 AFL games. That is more than enough to have an expectation put on you to lead when called upon. Williams didn't take one mark against the Dockers, which is damning enough for the 201cm powerhouse. But what was more disappointing was his lack of physicality in the contest. He laid only two tackles and there weren't any signs of him trying to impose his body on the contest. Williams should've been crashing packs and making his size felt even if it cost them a few free kicks. Instead, he was barely sighted throughout the contest. Williams is finally in his preferred role with the forward-ruck split and should be thriving as a big man about to enter the prime of his career. Shanahan and Reid are going to be good players for the Eagles, hopefully for the next decade. If they are going to get there though, they need more from the likes of Williams around them as they develop. West Coast need to demand Williams shoulders this responsibility. It's his time. Cyclone Warning There is a big watch on the form of Josh Treacy in the back half of this season as the Dockers drive towards finals. For the sixth time in the past 12 games Treacy went goalless and while it isn't affecting Fremantle yet, they will be hoping it clicks for the big Cohuna sooner rather than later. Treacy was one of the top forwards in the AFL earlier this year when he kicked 20 goals from his seven games to have tongues wagging. Since then, he has kicked only 12 in as many games, and it has seen him drop well out of the race for the Coleman Medal. I argued when Jye Amiss was battling that if Fremantle were getting six to eight goals a game out of the combination including Pat Voss it didn't matter too much. But there is a strong sense that if the Dockers are going to be more than just playing in the finals, they're going to need Treacy at his damaging best. His presence on a field can be game changing and there are few in the purple chevrons who can grasp the moment better than the intimidating 193cm beast. If Treacy can get off the leash against Carlton or Port Adelaide in the next two weeks, it could kick-start him back into the form of earlier this year. And this could be the difference between them going deep into finals or being bundled out. It's not panic stations right now, but coach Justin Longmuir would love for Cyclone Tracey to get to a category five sooner rather than later to help blow their premiership window wide open. AFL's Equalisation Woes Forget in-season tournaments. Forget 20th teams. Forget Tasmanian stadiums. The AFL has an urgent problem they need to fix and it's equalisation. For weeks now only nine teams have been able to realistically make finals and while that isn't ideal, it's just sometimes an anomaly. But what is clearly poor for the game is the one-sided affairs that are becoming all-too commonplace each week. West Coast have won only one game this season. North Melbourne couldn't even outscore Jeremy Cameron in a 101-point defeat to Geelong. And a wounded Essendon looked like a VFL side at times against a talent-filled Western Bulldogs outfit, while the Showdown was one of the most one-sided in history, with Adelaide claiming a 98-point win. It's not going to get any better next week. Gold Coast will likely smash Richmond. Essendon aren't going to get an easy game from Sydney at the SCG. And if Fremantle head the words from Longmuir about being ruthless, Carlton could be headed for disaster in their trip to WA. The AFL has made player movement easier than ever but right now it is only making the strong teams stronger and the gap between the good and the bad is growing. Bailey Smith choosing to go to Geelong when he left the Western Bulldogs rather than a cashed-up club like a North Melbourne or an Essendon is not surprising but tells you all you need to know about where the AFL's issues lie. Bad teams can't attract good players no matter how much they're willing to pay. And this year's draft is going to be so compromised with academy and father-son selections that there isn't going to be much help for those at the bottom of the ladder. It's going to get worse when Tasmania come in and get heavy draft concessions to build their inaugural list. Whether West Coast deserve a priority pick or not is one thing, but there should be no argument when it comes to whether they should ask for one. The AFL must find a way to bridge the ever-growing distance that is coming between the two halves of the ladder or risk having too many unwatchable games. Fixture Chaos The WAFL were the biggest losers by the AFL's fixtures this weekend when the western derby was played at 2.15pm on Saturday. It overlapped with three of the four state league games this weekend and will undoubtedly have hurt their crowds. There is nothing the WAFL could do about it. They don't have a fixture like the AFL where they lock in the dates and times for the first half and then roll the second half out within the season. They can't do that because of ground availability among several other factors. West Coast and Fremantle should ask not to play on a Saturday afternoon, especially against each other. The state leagues are vital for the game. They develop players for the AFL. And financial hits when crowds are sitting at home watching the western derby rather than attending WAFL games is too much to cover. There was no reason why the derby couldn't have been played at 6.10pm on Saturday. The WAFL then could've brought the league games forward a bit and likely had at least marginally bigger crowds. And a bonus is we wouldn't have had that horrible shadow over half of Optus Stadium that was an eyesore both live and on TV early in the derby. It is just a little thing for the AFL, but for WAFL clubs they are big and should be factored in better.
West Australian
18 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers CEO Simon Garlick loving additions to the team for upcoming AFLW season
Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick is confident the recruiting done from the eastern states combined with the return of stars who didn't play last season will see the Dockers making giant strides throughout the upcoming AFLW campaign. The Dockers kicked off their pre-season on Saturday with a 7.3 (45) to 3.4 (22) victory over West Coast and will face St Kilda at Cockburn this weekend. That will be their final match before taking on Port Adelaide in round one. Fremantle's depth was on show against the Eagles as Kiara Bowers returned from giving birth last season and Ange Stannett played her first game since recovering from a knee reconstruction. But the Dockers also unveiled their draftees with Victorian pair Georgie Brisbane and Evie Parker. The most recent draft was the first where clubs could draft players from anywhere in Australia and the Dockers were quick to pounce on Brisbane, Parker and Holly Egan after watching them impress in Victoria. The club also recruited forward Bella Smith from the Sydney Swans, but she didn't play against the Eagles due to a finger injury. Garlick is excited by the changes that fans will see this season. 'The young women from Victoria who have come over have made a real impact not just because of their clear ability but because of the way they've integrated into the group and the impact they've had from a cultural point of view. We've got some returning senior players who missed either the whole or a large chunk of last season who are returning,' he told The West Australian. 'We are excited about what our group might be able to achieve. I think the evolution of the game itself is exciting. We can't wait. 'We have never shied away from setting significant targets for ourselves to achieve as a footy club. We don't want to put a ceiling on what we can achieve.' The Dockers showed their faith in coach Lisa Webb last month, extending her contract for another two years after she led the team to the finals last season. Garlick is confident she can take the team to another level and maximise the talent on the list as the Dockers chase a historic premiership. 'Webby has got a fantastic ability to build genuine and authentic relationships across the whole club. When you mix that ability with a very strong football brain, you have a person who can help he club to achieve success,' he said.
West Australian
3 days ago
- West Australian
Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table
It wasn't quite high-powered Wall Street execs in Armani suits, marching in to close a billion-dollar deal — but the stakes, in a footy sense, were just as high. Harley's Melbourne-based manager Nick Geischen rolled into town, and while he didn't utter the words 'Show Me the Money', he didn't need to. The phrase was emanating from his $24 million smile. It's been a hectic week in Harley-world, with a somewhat surprising shift in the situation. Earlier this year, the Eagles put forward multiple contract options to Harley's team. Three, five, seven-year deals — a pick-your-own-adventure approach. Nothing came of it. which had people thinking — he's gone. Even before the Eagles drafted him, there was talk Harley would bail. That the Eagles would be better off trading the pick. Victorian journalist Sam McLure now famously declared 'they won't pick him, Mitch (Cleary)' — suggesting West Coast would be better off passing on one of the most prodigious talents the draft has seen in years — just to avoid the inevitable messy exit. It's always been perceived as a matter of when Harley will leave, not if . Then, the twist. Geischen had come bearing gifts — a proposal for West Coast. An 11-year deal. $2.2 million per year, on average. $24 million all up. The largest deal in AFL history. More money per year than Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins. Unprecedented numbers across the board. While it sounds like monopoly money, in 11 years, $2.2 million won't be as crazy as it sounds right now. By then, Harley will be 32 and potentially edging out of his prime — but with the growth of the AFL's salary cap, he might end up a bargain at some stage. Remember, back in 1994 Alastair Lynch signed a ten-year deal for $1 million — at $100,000 per season, people lost their minds at the money. By the time Lynch retired, he was woefully underpaid. As part of this proposed deal, Harley would have the option to leave after two years. If not, he'd be here until the end of 2037. Let that sink in. In 2037 we might actually have flying cars and robot slaves. Or we'll be slaves to the robots. I'll be 54 years old. Bring me a pair of warm slippers, a glass of prune juice, and cap it off with a few episodes of Murder She Wrote. Maybe my idea of what it's like to be 54 is a little dated — but you get the point — 2037 is an eternity away. Harley's people bringing this to the table signals his intention to stay — if terms can be agreed. So, what's changed? Nothing, really. All along we've heard Harley, the Eagles, even his management declare the young midfielder was taking his time, happy in Perth. In recent weeks Reid's form has elevated, he's exhibiting an edge, leadership around the club. He's forming strong bonds with teammates. My understanding is he's told Andrew McQualter he wants to stay. At 20, he's living on his own, cooking, cleaning, he's got a dog. He's handling the media/fan pressure superbly. Some 20-year-olds can barely remember to flush the toilet. This kid is settled. Credit to the Eagles for an environment where a country kid from the other side of Australia feels comfortable, happy. Saying that, nothing is guaranteed here. The new proposal isn't quite a gun to the head, an ultimatum — but it's not miles off it. This is how keeping Harley Reid looks. If that's too rich, there will be other suitors. It's a fairly simple situation — other than the overwhelming commitment. That's the holdup, if there is one. No one saw this coming. Not even the Eagles. The deal, or at least the sheer enormity of it, has blindsided West Coast. They've taken a pause. In the month following the contract proposal landing in their inbox, there's been no response. Some meals take a lot longer to digest, and this is like going to a steak joint and being served an entire cow. Don't panic Eagles fans, they know what they have in Harley. They love him. If they believe they've found the sun which all other planets can rotate around, that he could be their Dustin Martin, their Patrick Dangerfield, then they need to do it. Maybe it's a slight variation of this proposed deal, a happy compromise, but they can't get too cute here. Harley could be the AFL's best player within a few years. Yes, a deal that long, with that kind of financial commitment comes with risk. In my opinion, it's a risk worth taking. This kid is special. He wants to be here and he's box office. After a disastrous four years at the West Coast Eagles, the signature of Harley Reid would be a significant victory and a sign that things might finally be turning around. Years of endless chat about a move back to Victoria for Harley, now the Eagles have a chance to keep their man. They just need to sign on the dotted line.
