Originally Posted by
barracuda
We went through the TAC option for our son who is an under 18s swans academy. We found there are pros and cons with both options. Given some 65% of players get drafted from the TAC cup it does seem to be attractive. On the other hand sending a boy to board, during his HSC and draft year, adds a significant amount of pressure. He has to effectively start again in a new city, alone.
On the other hand the swans program is elite. It is genuinely linked to a very successful AFL club, whereas the TAC teams are apparently not well linked and have lower standards than the swans. The addition of the NDS program at the swans and the opportunity for boys to play a significant number of games in Neafl is very positive as well.
On balance we felt that if our son is good enough the swans program would get him there. We felt that the fact our son understood the personnel, standards and processes at the swans was a distinct benefit, coupled with a stable home environment and good school as well.
In the end it was a bit of a no brainer. I think the way the system is working at the swans and if you can't get there through the academy, you are unlikely to improve your chances going to melbourne.
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