And Fowler's gone to Victoria as well. Can't blame them for wanting to have a crack at a higher level; but it leaves a hole at Manly.
And Fowler's gone to Victoria as well. Can't blame them for wanting to have a crack at a higher level; but it leaves a hole at Manly.
Could not agree with you more Norris - you can never die wondering regardless of level.
Personally, I wondered whether I could cut it as a 35yo Premier League rookie after playing my career at lower levels - I won't die wondering.
On another note, don't meas with Pekay's brother: http://mobile.news.com.au/entertainm...-1227148046973
Last edited by Offal; 8th December 2014 at 10:27 AM. Reason: I am not dead - "didn't" is replaced by "won't.
Makes it interesting.
Good luck Peter in re-building your club
I was bemused by your silence over the last few years but clearly you kept a dignified silence despite the havoc that move wreaked on your club so massive respect.
I have banged on about how bad the NEAFL is for local footy for years here and in Oscar you get it from the horse's mouth though to be honest his feelings were replicated by every member you spoke to at SFL matched the last few years.
So, given the damning judgement that the best run club in Sydney on many levels couldn't survive at the NEAFL what are the lessons learnt?
I'd say it is this, that the NEAFL is totally inappropriate for Sydney clubs that cannot compete on so many levels. That we are better off with a community based comp, one that will be much the richer for Baulko coming back in next year.
Leave Sydney Uni to their own devices, driven by an arrogant attitude across all their sports (e.g. their destruction of Sydney Club Rugby) to dominate any sport they compete in driven by pure ego despite their pitiful contribution at grass roots level.
Let them be the third path to the AFL, as delusional as it is. Let them finish fifth at best in the NEAFL. Let them exist in their littler bubble of superiority. Let them poach good players from other clubs with no loyalty but at least the NSWAFL have finally, FINALLY, stood up to them and given the SFL some respect by ring fencing their NEAFL squad.
I see it as a win-win. They can exist in a parallel universe to the rest of the comp and we can co-exist.
Sydney Footy has come home and we can all look forward to an exciting 2015
And my message in advance to The Student, Go and post on the NEAFL board where you belong
It seems that GMs are on the roundabout too. Craig Bolton moves on after 10 months in the job - anyone know where he's going ?
He replaced Tom Harley who was GM for a couple of years - who was before that because I can't remember ?
It seems that being CEO of footy in NSW/ACT is not a job that an up-and-comer wants to stay with. I remember Craig Davis sat on the throne for ages...perhaps he had nowhere else to go anyway. But no other past luminaries stick in my mind.
Who's next for the musical chair ? Surely someone with a bit of a profile - you'd think it would be someone for "inside" the AFL system rather than someone thrown up by an exhaustive international headhunt.
My tip is that it will be a retired Swan or someone from the GWS executive.
Anyone hazard a guess ?
Role may not pay too well, small wage people will look.
Mug Punter - I do not share your derision for the NEAFL or Sydney Uni. Rather than defend both what I am interested in is, what do you think the alternative model should be.
Where should Young players go if they want to play at a higher level - whether it be for the dream of being Rookie listed or simply to play at a higher level than the Sydney Comp. If you respond with an idea - please also think of how it could be financially viable. Sydney Uni must be underwriting the NEAFL team but at least $250k.
If players want to play at a higher level in another competition that's great. If the NSWAFL want to create a higher level competition that's also great.
But I do have a problem with the NSWAFL promising monetary incentives to entice the best 2 teams (at the time) to jump ship and thus rip the guts out of the SydneyAFL.
They follow this up by allowing these clubs to call on players signed for local teams to bolster their stocks.
On paper the whole thing is outrageous. The notion of playing in 2 different competitions has been forbidden in footy circles since year dot. (Try signing for both Terrigal and Penno and see how far you get). The only people happy with this would be those clubs and personnel directly involved with the NEAFL.
I vote to stop picking the eyes out of Sydney footy and leave it alone.
I'm not sure that the new arrangements are particularly helpful to Uni - any new recruit to the club can't play Premier Division, so if someone were to lob up at the club from interstate and was of a PD standard they would have to play elsewhere. Add to that the fact that all new NEAFL players have to be assigned to a Sydney club. So if these rules were in place last year for instance we could have had Nick Winmar and Ryan Brabazon potentially being loaned to a UTS or whoever if they were required to play a PD game for form or fitness reasons. It is not going to work the other way round, Uni aren't going to hoover up the best Sydney AFL players on a week to week basis according to need. It is not going to be a rep team that changes by the week. Players are currently in training with the club - if they make the 35 man squad and are a current Penno player or whatever, they will go back to Penno when they are not required. The rule changes were designed to encourage players to give the NEAFL a crack and not have to play against their former club mates at PD level. Which is neither here nor there as far as I can see. The idea that we would somehow pick up dozens of Sydney AFL players and stockpile them is ludicrous but that must have been what the AFL (or the clubs) assumed would happen.
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