[GeraldCortis]

Nisbett is on his high horse again & bleeting about improving the rules in regard to their AFL listed players in the WAFL. He states the issue of certain players being denied a game at league level, which generally means they are not currently good enough to displace those above them. But of course being listed as an AFL player and at the same time not be good enough to make the numbers on a WAFL clubs league list, only smacks the AFL clubs in the face in terms of their recruiting. It is a huge dent to their ego's. Nisbett wants to "tighten the system up a bit", whatever that means....

The fact is the Eagles & Dockers have the right to move whatever player they want to any WAFL club. At the end of the day the player is owned and paid by them. The current system is not a complex one, but it is a system that has worked very well for 25 years overall. But in the West today Nisbett says the Eagles want to have more of a say in where their players play (position on the ground) and who he plays with. In other words the team balance of the WAFL clubs is a non-issue. Understandably the AFL clubs require their players to be playing senior football at every opportunity. Players like a Lewis Broome should have been considered moving to another WAFL club before he was lost permanently to the system. His issue sounds more like a personal one, however after a few years hovering outside the Claremont league side should have been acted on faster. No blame directed at Claremont either as they were simply operating inside the guidelines and proving themselves correct by winning the premiership.

West Coast & Fremantle will be highlighting these facts even more through the advantage of the media during the 2012 football season. Almost like a well orchestrated PR plan. They will not let up until they have reserves sides playing competition football in the WAFL. And they will be embarking on a serious plan for that to happen in 2013 you can guarantee that. Already Nisbett and the Eagles are in the papers regarding this subject and its only November.

The Dockers stirred up the pot in 2011 with Zac Clarke at East Perth. Their argument was based on rubbish facts and contadictions. A few months before the Dockers stated in a report how well Clarke was developing at East Perth including his finals series in 2010. Suddenly after the AFL clubs reserves proposition was knocked on the head, Fremantle's tune on the handling of Clarke at WAFL level was raised. If anything Clarke has developed substancially at East Perth. Our supporters would have seen him play more than individuals employed by the Dockers and the level of criticism directed at East Perth was pure back-handed, non substanciated tripe. Clarke was apparently so disillusioned with EP, he went with the players on thier end of season footy trip. And he was seen regularly at EP games even when he wasnt playing.

The time has come for the media to stop playing the puppets to the puppet-masters. Sometimes this whole subject feels like a school yard peer-group situation. Where the kids are still too immature to realise they have their own backbone and dont need to stay popular with the big kids. The media have a real hard time opposing our AFL clubs in much the same way. The WAFL system in place is working.... It has flaws like any system, but to say it is being detrimental to the AFL clubs players is historically incorrect. The power still lies with the AFL clubs and that is not questioned. The system does not overpower the rights of the AFL clubs and they know it. If the Eagles & Dockers want to look back in history, have a look at the average players signed up by them over the last decade that have amounted to nothing. This proves they are not always right. If they want WAFL clubs to adhere to their wishes today, back it up with an iron clad compensation plan for the WAFL clubs. If the AFL clubs demand a certain player be played at WAFL league level, thats fine. But if that player fails to last a certain number of years without reaching a particular number of AFL games, then the WAFL club that has been forced to play this player in their league side against their wishes should be compensated. Now we all know the AFL clubs would never agree to that, but that is only because they know they will be forking out huge amounts of money.

But it would make them accountable when a player is proven to be second rate.