by redandblack » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:14 pm
When I replied to Columbo's post by mentioning that the Eagles Reserves side was much more experienced than West's, I thought it was a reasonably fair statement.
As far as I can see, without knowing the Eagles players so well, the teams line up as follows:
Very experienced league players:
Eagles: Powell, Treeby, Fiacchi, all over 100 games (?), all Premiership players.
West: Birss (AFL player)
Other experienced League players:
Eagles: Fairclough, McEntee, (both with about 40 league games, Fitzgerald (not sure how many).
West: Rowe (about 25 games), Langford (VFL)
Other League experienced players:
Eagles: Staple, Rowntree, Sumner, Hill, Redden, Banner, Hicks. Any others? Some of these have only played a game or two?
West: Fisher, Webb, Silverlock, Laurie, Sukkel. Of these, Sukkel has played 1 game, Silverlock about 3 and Laurie about 5.
Of the remainder, I don't know the Eagles youngsters, who no doubt are very inexperienced, but I do know that the other 8 of West's team was made up as follows:
All Under 18's. Scott has played about 10 Reserves games, Ward about 5 and Heintze about 5. Jennings was playing his 3rd Reserves game, Keough was playing his 2nd.
Westhoff, Anderson and Ribbons were all playing their first ever Reserves game.
I'd estimate the Eagles boys would total up to about 450 league games, West's about 150 (that's a guess, but around the mark?). Seven West players have totalled about 25 Reserves games between them and 3 were making their debuts at Reserves level.
As far as the game went, the Eagles were miles too good and that was never in dispute.
Perhaps those criticising me so forcefully for what I thought was a non-controversial statement could tell me how many current Reserves teams are more experienced than the Eagles?