21 hours ago
Motormouth Mitch: Fremantle must refuse to play at SCG because of the diabolical surface
From West Coast's rebuild starting to take shape to the stance Fremantle must take ahead of their clash against Sydney, The West Australian footballer writer Mitchell Woodcock takes a no-holds-barred look at the weekend of footy.
Finally on Track
History won't say West Coast walked out of Marvel Stadium on Saturday night winners.
However, their fighting loss to premiership favourites Collingwood might yet prove to be the game which proved most evident that the Eagles' brutal rebuild was on the right track.
For the past three and a half seasons experts and fans have debated and argued about what West Coast should do to get themselves out of the worst on-field period in club history.
The evidence is now there for the path they should take and those in charge must be brave to stay the course.
Andrew McQualter's modern gamestyle was always going to take time to implement and while it's far from a finished product, the signs are there for the side they want to become known for.
But it's not going to work if they don't get the personnel in that can take the club forward.
Injuries to senior players in Oscar Allen, Jake Waterman and Elliot Yeo as well as the sudden and unplanned retirement of Jeremy McGovern will force forced the Eagles to play a younger team than they may have wanted to for the rest of the season.
And they have gone all in, moving senior players into different roles that complement their talented youngsters.
You only need to look at the centre bounces where Matt Flynn was rucking to Harley Reid, Brady Hough and Elijah Hewett while the likes of Tim Kelly and Liam Baker were outside of the centre square.
When it works, the Eagles look electric and play with an intensity and ferocity that is capable of challenging the best. They proved so against Collingwood.
They have gone from unwatchable in recent years to somewhat frustrating but in a positive way.
The frustration comes from the ability to see what they are trying to implement but at times just falling one handball, one kick or one mark short of being able to execute.
And their youth and inexperience mean, there is still going to be times when they fall short of the mark.
Don't forget it was only a few weeks ago that the Eagles conceded 10 of the first 11 goals against Carlton.
But they have found the right plan to take them forward and West Coast's list management need to double down on the direction.
They should keep all their draft picks, prioritise bringing in as much young talent as they can and then eventually add some ready-made talent once the foundation has settled.
Look at the exciting first game of Jobe Shanahan – who was taken with pick No.30 last year – to see what even a played drafted later than the first round can do for the cause.
West Coast can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
West Coast's WAFL Woes
For all the positives at Mineral Resources Park right now they still have one massive issue right now and it's their WAFL side.
The word 'development' should be plastered all over the headquarters right now. It should be their No.1 priority.
And it's why their WAFL side has never been more important.
Mistakes of the past administration mean the Eagles have so many issues there now that are not going to be fixed quickly.
Against Claremont on Saturday the Eagles had two legitimate ruckmen in Harry Barnett and Coen Livingstone playing as well as a talented forward-ruck in Archer Reid who they are trying to get the best out of.
It is way too many and forced the Eagles shuffle them into positions they are not comfortable in just to try to get a balanced team.
Livingstone played a lot as a forward for most of the first half, while Barnett battled against a great state league ruckman in Ollie Estland.
They had the same problem on the wings where they had Harvey Johnston, Hamish Davis and Campbell Chesser trying to get gametime.
They had several small forwards but no AFL-listed inside midfielders to help support draftee Tom Gross, while they lacked rebound defenders to implement the gamestyle of their AFL side.
There is no easy answer to this problem for the Eagles.
To keep up with the other teams they must continue to have a stand-alone reserves side, but they need find a way to get it better balanced to not only compete but hep the next generation develop.
But they cannot have a team that has won only 10 of their past 83 games and expect players to grow into AFL-ready talent.
Freo's SCG Stance
Fremante's hierarchy must refuse to play at the SCG this weekend because of the diabolical surface.
It was embarrassing and dangerous to watch Sydney and Western Bulldogs players unable to keep their feet as the grass and mud slid out from underneath their feet.
The AFL are lucky no one was seriously injured because it would've been disastrous.
It is an occupational hazard and with the massive amount of rain set to hit Sydney mid-week it is unlikely that it is going to get any better between now and Sunday morning when Fremantle take on the Swans.
Dockers chief executive Simon Garlick must be firm that the game be moved to another ground.
Fremantle are in a healthy position to not only go deep into finals but also be a threat for the premiership.
This could all come crashing down if one or even worse several star players land or move awkwardly on the putrid SCG surface and hurt themselves.
Imagine if Caleb Serong changes direction and snaps an ACL. Or if Josh Treacy lands on a bit of uneven surface and pulls ligaments in his ankle.
Those sorts of moments can change the course of a career and legacy for coach Justin Longmuir. They are the difference between premierships and sackings. Between a place in history or infamy.
To play at the SCG is too big a risk right now. Fremantle must throw their weight around at league headquarters and get the game moved to a more suitable venue.
The AFL cannot allow a game to go ahead there until the issues are fixed. But if that means Garlick must get on a plane and speak to AFL boss Andrew Dillon at the Melbourne headquarters then that's what he should do.
Fremantle could be on the brink of something special. They can't let the SCG surface threaten it.
