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Thread: The Annual Player & Coach Merry-Go-Round

  1. #13
    We all rock up each weekend to support our team....they are part of our vision of "family" and we love to barrack as they compete on their merits.
    But this Sydney Uni model is something different - players coming from all over the place, staying for a match or more, and moving on somewhere else.
    I don't understand how you develop love and loyalty to a club like that (just as I don't understand how you could support the Casey Scorpions or the Box Hill Hawks, or the Swans Reserves - their teams are cherry-picked week by week to support the Master).
    But it's an interesting idea anyway.

    I have no doubt that what the Uni loses in community spirit, they will make up in credibility with AFL on a national scale. They will become more professional with better practices, probably the most academically qualified footy club in Australia !

    I'm looking forward to this.

  2. #14
    I think there are a couple of issues with the new 'model for NEAFL'. It would seem to me is very likely to attract a bunch of young players straight into Sydney Uni in the hope they will secure NEAFL opportunities, despite the use of lists, rookies and the like. It also appears to suggest that Swans can reach down into clubs to secure players after a mysterious process of finding others are not available, it appears to be as transparent as a brick wall.

    Noting the payment restriction, that is completely without merit. Payment is a meaningless term. Does this mean the players do not get scholarships, engaged by the sporting union or the like; of course not. Any review of the Sydney Uni site discloses the elite athletes program and the other benefits. No problem with that but to suggest avoiding or securing a reduction in HECS and similar is not payment is disingenuous.

    Potentially talented young players will be playing for one of three clubs now (Swans, Syd Uni or Home Club). It is also very unlikely that selection will be finalised by Wednesday each week during the season. You simply need an injury or illness to the Swans and you have the cascade up the line. How does this deal impact on the UWS NEAFL selection process, assuming there will be three NEAFL teams running out of Sydney ?

    Even if those issues are put to one side and followers of Sydney AFL think this is beneficial, the central failing must be 'consultation' all Sydney Clubs are stakeholders in the competition. How many were invited to discuss this prior to it being announced as being carved in stone. The AFL must at some time become collaborative, pathways for players are great and must be encouraged, but if you want buy in from the stakeholders it is a better concept to explain your reasoning and have a discussion.
    Last edited by often_confused; 12th November 2014 at 09:21 AM. Reason: typo

  3. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by often_confused View Post

    Potentially talented young players will be playing for one of three clubs now (Swans, Syd Uni or Home Club). It is also very unlikely that selection will be finalised by Wednesday each week during the season. You simply need an injury or illness to the Swans and you have the cascade up the line. How does this deal impact on the UWS NEAFL selection process, assuming there will be three NEAFL teams running out of Sydney ?
    I don't want to go in too hard on this because I don't understand the finer points, but, OC, I think you might have missed a vital point...
    Up to now, Sydney Uni tended to feed into the Swans, because of geography, and Baulko tended to feed into GWS, geography again.

    But now it seems that Sydney Uni will feed into both.
    (And Ainslie and Eastlake will feed into GWS too via the Academy.)

    Sydney Uni will now have a greatly enhanced role to play in NSW footy, and Swans and UWS will have equal rights with each other. Matches involving Sydney Uni and one of the AFL teams will be compromised, like they have been up to now but, oh well, it's all in the name of growing AFL in NSW/ACT.

    If you can treat the Swans reserves and UWS seriously then you will close your eyes and imagine it's all different when these three are playing each other.

    And remember that NSW/ACT will now have a system that is consistent with Qld and that will make NEAFL simpler.

    I'll be closing my eyes and overlooking the flaws in all this. Should be good.

  4. #16
    Sorry I am still confused, so a squad of 47 players (35 primary + 12 Rookie) will form the basis of the Uni NEAFL squad, with some also being available for Swans top ups. The 12 rookies will be drawn from the 2 academies.

    These players will presumably train with the Sydney Uni NEAFL squad and then if not selected will return to the home club, potentially one they have not trained with for an extended period to play. Setting that aside, consider:
    * Uni can revise their list during the season (what does this mean, more likely than not it means they will look to their Premier Div Group)
    * There will be a mini draft of players moving from other competitions to Sydney Uni (how would that operate Geographic OR lower team gets first pick OR Sydney AFL allocation) who gets rights in the draft Only Premier Div or other levels

    I am sure it is a genuine attempt to provide a pathway to promising kids, while also ensuring the four relevant AFL clubs have a decent competition for the Reserves to compete in (this is obviously the Primary driver for the AFL). I do not know if it will work or not. I am happy for folk to close their eyes and enjoy. I am not sure that it is not a tremendous put down to the current Sydney clubs and coaches by implying they will only secure appropriate training in the new environment. I am positive it would be better received if discussions were held outside the troika of Swans, Sydney Uni and the Sydney AFL.

    As an aside I am not at all sure this is consistent with the approach in Qld or ACT and it appears more likely changes are concurrent rather than this change matching the processes in those other locations. Where will UWS draw its NEAFL top ups ? Are they intended to come from Sydney UNI also (which raises a huge logistics issue for potential players) or does every one West of Concord go to UWS.

    I guess if it does not work, further changes can be mandated without consultation in the future.

  5. #17
    Not sure if it has been made clear that any Uni player currently at the club - say a Matt O'Dwyer or Nick Winmar - will not be subject to the mini draft and will be eligible to play PD. It only really affects new recruits, which means that if someone comes from interstate for example, and chooses to play at SU for whatever reason they are ineligible for PD. I completely agree with players from other clubs on the NEAFL list going back if they aren't selected - to be honest I wouldn't think there would be a huge amount of them in any case.

  6. #18
    It puts Sydney Uni in a category on its own - not particularly better or worse. Just 'different'.

    Student, you seem to be in the loop at Number One, how does the club feel about all this ? Were they consulted or was it just thrust upon them from on high ?

  7. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by justabaraker View Post
    It puts Sydney Uni in a category on its own - not particularly better or worse. Just 'different'.

    Student, you seem to be in the loop at Number One, how does the club feel about all this ? Were they consulted or was it just thrust upon them from on high ?
    I don't think anyone apart from the people right at the pointy end of the club know much about it at this stage. I'd have to assume there was some consultation as I don't think the club would have sought to have these rules put in place.

  8. #20
    Well retired, still sore Pekay's Avatar
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    Looks as though the Lions will return to the SCAFL in Senior footy.

    Lions quit Sydney to rejoin South Coast competition - AFL Sydney - FOX SPORTS PULSE

  9. #21
    Any early thoughts on the way the Divisions will stack up next year?

  10. #22
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    A lot depends on team nominations. But with Illawarra withdrawing, it opens up a spot in Div 1 - so possibly Penrith may stay up.

    Follow me on Twitter - @tealfooty

  11. #23
    Well retired, still sore Pekay's Avatar
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    I'd have no issue seeing Blacktown jump up to Div 1. They have the cattle.

  12. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Pekay View Post
    I'd have no issue seeing Blacktown jump up to Div 1. They have the cattle.
    I would suspect to see ECE step into Wollongong Div 1 position and Penrith stay put. That's what I am hearing anyway!

    Prems won't change although again I would suspect some of the lower performing teams will be getting watched closely this year.

    Div 2 will see Saints take ECE position with no other movement there.

    From there it's game on!

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