Quote Originally Posted by Beerman View Post
They have definitely exceeded most people's expectations this year, and I'm surprised everyone is so quiet about it. I guess it's because they have been mostly rubbish for a few years, and this year seems to be mostly about the Bulldogs.

I expect them to top the ladder next year and be in the GF and if that happens, the cries will come loud and strong for reduced academy access, tighter salary cap and list restrictions and other "sanctions".
GWS should thank their lucky stars they lost, the hysteria from Melbourne would have been OTT. Plus I like the idea of them earning their success with some obstacles like last weekend. It just would have seemed too much, too easily (I know there was a lot of hard work involved) and too soon.

The year 2020 is when reality bites, it's when their first batch become free agents and you can bet that Melbourne based clubs are lining up right now to have a crack. And why wouldn't you - if you were in a rebuild you'd spend the next three years going to the draft and then have a crack at getting, say, Cameron, Greene and Smith as free agents. Sure GWS will get compo picks but they'll be later in the draft. At the same time it is vitally important that GWS have some meaningful success before then, ideally a flag, and you'd think that is likely.

Long term it is important GWS don't have the same go home factor as Brisbane so it's important they get taken off the Victorian border town teat and start producing some of their own and from the U14 rep teams it does seem like that ain't that far away.

I can see GWS having one more crack at the Murray zone (maybe 2017) which gives them one last crack at getting those NSW kids on the list but tbh I reckon those kids relate a lot more to Melbourne than Sydney. They'll then have to make Riverina/ACT/Western Sydney work academy wise