Interesting debate.

Ever since Pratt returned, he has made a point of getting top people for the job. He got arguably the best CEO in Swann. He then got a top football manager in Icke. He even got the best player in the land.

He brought in Ashman and de Bolfo, and transformed the fitness department, including Justin Cordy.

AFAIC, there are only two positions that don't fit the bill. The first is recruitment. It is generally recognised that Wells, Beatson and Clayton are probably top of the tree here. Will they target one of these? There was a thread on here recently to suggest that might be the case.

The second is the senior coach. Regardless of what one thinks of Ratten, as Josh Kaplan alluded to, the process to appoint him was straight out of the St Kilda handbook, and that's not something to be proud of.

I don't know if Ratten will make a good coach, only time will tell. But I ask this question...if Pratt / Swann got wind that Matthews or Roos or Malthouse or Worsfold wanted a change of club, and wanted to be in Melbourne, do you really think they'd stick with Ratten? I suspect not.

Pratt / Swann will go for the best possible option. They may very well decide that Worsfold (should be be looking to change) is a better option that Ratten, who is yet to prove himself.

For the record, West Coast finished 13th (2000) and 14th (2001) in the two seasons prior to Worsfold's arrival. WC record under Worsfold (after home and away):

2002 - 8
2003 - 7
2004 - 7
2005 - 2
2006 - 1
2007 - 3

If anyone attended training during Pagans reign, it was groundhog day for the first 4 years. No scope for the development of decision making, no game sense, just do as your told.

Since Ratten has taken over, the training sessions and particularly the drills have become game sense based and focus on developing the instincts and decision making of the players. At last we have leapt into the present and people are getting jittery.
Unfortunately, its going to take time. The players are learning to make their own decisions. They are learning alternative game styles and structures. Its going to take time.
There will be moments of confusion in games. There will be times when players make poor decisions but give me that over Pagans time every day of the week.

I remember this same conversation a couple of years ago when Synbad and a couple of others were rightly saying how good Hawthorns short term future was going to be. Hawthorn and Clarkson were copping the same grief from their supporters and the media about overpossessing and going nowhere at times on the ground; But the seeds of success were being sown in their development.
The fact is you have to experiment in games sometimes. You need to develop several gamestyles to give you flexibility and the ability to counter the opposition. They're not all pretty and they wont all work when you try them but bad luck.
We are a "developing" team. I'll take that everyday.

I'd say Blue70 that is what we call today the window of opportunity. Takes a while to get there, once you're there you have to make the most of it and then you go back down for a little while before the cycle begins again.

The AFL would love those stats, in fact Demetriou would have an automatic hardon at the first site of that stat.

Its just the way it works, IF you are a good club with a good coach. Hence why the Melb, Norths, Saints of this world never win anything

If anyone attended training during Pagans reign, it was groundhog day for the first 4 years. No scope for the development of decision making, no game sense, just do as your told.

Since Ratten has taken over, the training sessions and particularly the drills have become game sense based and focus on developing the instincts and decision making of the players. At last we have leapt into the present and people are getting jittery.
Unfortunately, its going to take time. The players are learning to make their own decisions. They are learning alternative game styles and structures. Its going to take time.
There will be moments of confusion in games. There will be times when players make poor decisions but give me that over Pagans time every day of the week.

I remember this same conversation a couple of years ago when Synbad and a couple of others were rightly saying how good Hawthorns short term future was going to be. Hawthorn and Clarkson were copping the same grief from their supporters and the media about overpossessing and going nowhere at times on the ground; But the seeds of success were being sown in their development.
The fact is you have to experiment in games sometimes. You need to develop several gamestyles to give you flexibility and the ability to counter the opposition. They're not all pretty and they wont all work when you try them but bad luck.
We are a "developing" team. I'll take that everyday.

they are not verbs

they appear to have a plan

we just ran and ran like headless chooks against Essendon* - we were stupid enough to play like them cos we couldnt react or even be proactive and have a plan and played into their hands

shit im starting to sound like synbad

i need to go have a drink

They appear to have a plan?

So how did we beat Fremantle after being behind at three quarter time?

Is the sky falling after we lost to last year's premiers Chicken Little?

everyone flower beats freo after being behind at 3 quarter time

thats up their with the worst arguments EVER !

if pavlich could kick straight from 15 metres directly in front we would have lost that game

freo threw it away

Lol. So simplistic isn't it. Even though we have no pride, we have still won games due to other factors which luckily meant we came out on top. If it wasn't for this, or that, or such and such...

Why bother?