Originally Posted by
unconfuseme
I think it is quite clear that the current model has failed, as expected.
With ZERO interest in NEAFL from any Sydney club outside of Hills and SU, and very little interest from within those clubs, to now try and force a sham permit system on the SAFL clubs will only serves to further insult and disenfranchise them from the concept.
Swans have actually pushed for two academy style teams, Giants and Swans aligned, but for primarily u/23's and feeding from their SAFL clubs.
Would effectively add two senior Sydney Representative teams to the comp, strengthening it and creating a genuine alternate pathway for the players that slip through the under age systems for what ever reason. Not aligned to any SAFL club, but to ALL SAFL clubs in their zone. Might even generate some interest from the grass roots clubs!
Makes perfect sense, the SAFL should have been left alone, and this should have been the model from day one, with the two AFL clubs and the AFL funding them.
Not too late to do it and replace the 2 current licences that have done little for development and even less for egos I would suspect.
This latest proposal for them to try and cherry pick players to prop them up as competitive teams, under the pretense that they are "helping develop players" won't fly, it's already creating more of a rift.
Aside from the fact that the NEAFL has proven to be a dead end rather than a pathway to the AFL , the reason that the best players in Sydney do not play NEAFL, is due to their loyalty to their clubs.
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