Catching up with relatives

I spent most of today at my mother-in-laws catching up with relatives from Kalgoorlie. It was nice to chat about farming and shearing and share trading. People from the country are attractively uncomplicated.

This morning I decided that I won't drink alcohol at home until I've finished my honours thesis. It's a way to keep focussed during the months ahead and it will also allow me to go out and have a good time with friends.

I didn't do Jacob's Ladder today as a result of the catch up with the relatives. I miss doing something physical during the day. I'll be back there in the morning.

Tomorrow our big Jacaranda tree gets trimmed. I hope it will allow a bit more sun onto the vegie patch. The tomatoes are growing far too slowly for my liking.

Finally it was great to see the Bombers beat Carlton. Great game. The Eagles flogging by Geelong will be long forgotten within two years. As Worsfold said he played in a game (I think against the Roos) where they only kicked one goal. Two years later they played in a grand final and the year afterwards won a premiership. The West Coast are rebuilding and they'll be all the better for this weekend's experience.

I'm gutted

West Coast blew a 36 half time lead tonight to lose by a kick. I'm just devastated. Here's my take on a few players.

Goodes: too fit, too fast, too smart. A match winner despite a slow start.
Selwood: not as fit as is his mouth is fast. Had his legs run from under him by Goodes.
Hunter: far from his confident best. Couple of very costly mistakes.
Kirk: did he get knocked out? Still, got up and performed well.
Houlihan: rising star, needs to put on some weight.
Butler: learn to kick goals from the 5o son.
Kerr: Mister Courageous.
Everett: A slow, lumbering, but very clever Spider.
Cox: rucks like a rover.
Lynch: top performance from The Unit. Marked and tackled well. Set up forward momentum.
Seeby: too soft around the stoppages.
Jones: tough, but tried to get too fancy and caused a crucial turnover.
Embley: an ember of his burning best. Went missing when the game needed to be won.
Staker: needs to sharpen up under pressure in front of goals.
Wirrapanda: clever, clever, clever.

The season is now over for West Coast. They'll now want to blood as many new players as they can, so don't read too much into any of their performances from here to the end of the season. Will be nuisance value for some clubs vying for a spot in the eight; which is where they'll be next season.

Time for Rick Hart to go

What's wrong with the Dockers? Admittedly the Dogs are second on the ladder and are a tough ask to beat, but I'm saying that's where the Dockers should be - second on the ladder. Have a look at their list. They've got some of the best mid-fielders in the league, their forwards are the dream team - they don't come much better than Tarrant and Pav for some fire power in front of goal - and yet still they can't deliver and choke on win-able leads.

The Eagles on the other hand are in rebuilding mode. I can't remember a club that's done well despite a big injury list. Have a look at some of the players they had out of the team on the weekend. Lecras, Hunter, Kerr, Hanson, Hurn, and Waters are all champions capable of turning a game around. All are having a rough trot with injuries. Worsfold is doing the right thing and building the club for next year.

Given an injury-free run, the Eagles are going to be hard to beat next year. The Dockers on the other hand will continue to be perpetual under-performers. Perhaps it's time there was a change at the top. I'm talking here Rick Hart and some of the directors. Obviously they take comfort from snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Adam Spangher dropped

Adam Spangher has been dropped from the West Coast squad set to play the Bulldogs this weekend. He deserved to be dropped...but.

Spangher is still finding his feet and getting up to speed with AFL at the elite level. I noticed him miss some important tackles and he made a number of mistakes in defense which simply aren't good enough. During the third quarter last week he caused a costly turnover that would have warranted him being dragged. Instead he was left on the field and he showed in the final term why he is worthy of the teams patience. He has genuine speed and, when he's on song, some real talent with the ball.

No doubt he'll go back to the WAFL (assuming he's not injured) and put last week's experience to good use. If he can build up some real toughness around the ball and keep his head whilst under pressure he'll go on to make a very serviceable player.

Eagles struggle to hold sponsors - realfooty.com.au

This link was sent to me by my good mate Jay Wood. It's what everyone has suspected would happen. Of course the ANZ would say that their withdrawal had nothing to do with drugs but if they were getting value for money from their sponsorship - read well disciplined players that reflected their corporate values - the money wouldn't be an object. Sponsorship arrangements are a package and the Eagles are dudding sponsors at the moment. Until they get their act together and send a message to the corporate community that they're serious about their problems, they'll continue to experience corporations questioning their investment in the club.

Eagles struggle to hold sponsors - realfooty.com.au

Eagles disown Mainwaring problems - AFL - Fox Sports

You've gotta love it. When things go pear-shaped why is it that so many leaders lay blame and justify when they could take responsibility for themselves and the problem and achieve something positive? And while the Eagles are ducking for cover, no-one's asking what roll Channel 7 has played in this terrible event? Many claim the Eagles have a drug culture problem, but what about the TV network? We'll probably never hear about that.

Eagles disown Mainwaring problems - AFL - Fox Sports

West Coast - trade Cousins while you can

I'm tipping that Ben Cousins will be traded to the east by the end of trade week. He's too much of a risk for the West Coast to keep on the list. It seems that he's never too far away from trouble and you'd suspect that another slip from the star could see the club lose favour with a major sponsor. Rather than wait, the club would be better off getting a good trade deal for him and pick up a youngster an experienced small forward in his place. Cousins would provide the likes of the Tiges or the Saints with some mid-field power and the move could well be good for Cousins by getting him away from the circle of people in Perth that got him into trouble in the first place. It's a win all round.

Besides that, Worsfold must be fuming (not to mention sad) that one of his grand final brothers is no longer with us. By sending Cousins East, he sends a powerful message to other players that mis-behaviour will no longer be tolerated. One would wonder if the Cousins fiasco earlier this year was what tipped Judd to leave the club. It's no stretch of the imagination that it was, and the club is worse off for his departure.