Originally Posted by
Mug Punter
An interesting discussion point.
My personal view is that the game is in the best shape it has ever been in Sydney and that this is largely due to the Academy system and thus indirectly due to the introduction of GWS. I still have my doubts about their longevity in a brutal sporting market, and I think most of the spinoff benefits at grassroots level have flown the Swans' way but only time will tell re them.
Having said that I think the SFL (i.e. Prem Div) is weaker than it was 10 years ago. And the reason for this is simply that 40 or so of the best players in Sydney are in NEAFL programs at Sydney Uni or as toppies at the Swans/GWS when they would be playing for their local sides. I know some NEAFL players at the Students would not be here at all in an SFL team (e.g. Xav would have gone home) but on the whole I think that argument holds.
That's not a criticism of the NEAFL or Sydney Uni because I actually think that having that third elite player pathway at Sydney Uni, who run a college like program, is very important long term. And I think in time Sydney Uni NEAFL will effectively become a Sydney rep team who are very very competitive against AFL programs because let's be honest here they are the only organisation that can fund the operation required to compete at that level. It just means that at this point in time it dilutes the SFL of it's elite level talent.
But in time, and I mean in 5 years, as the trickle of talent from the academies becomes surge, I expect that the SFL will increase quite quickly to a point where it is at its strongest ever standard.
I also think that this will reward strongly clubs with strong juniors like never before and punish those that don't.
Winners
Pennant Hills (Pennant Hills, Westbrook)
Baulko (once they get their house in order, traditionally a strong junior area)
North Shore (St Ives, Willoughby, Mosman plus kids coming through the private school system now they have a comp)
Manly (very strong juniors at Manly, Forest and Pittwater plus new clubs at Balgowlah and Wakehurst)
Easts (Maroubra and Easts are strong junior clubs plus kids coming through the private school system now they have a comp)
St George (traditionally very strong junior base)
Sydney Uni (Inner City junior clubs Newtown and Moore Park continue to grow plus kids coming through the private school system now they have a comp)
Losers or at Risk
UTS - no juniors, suspect their long term future is as a powerhouse of the lower divisions
Wests - small number of clubs and terrible demographics in the inner west (increasingly Asian and Arabic)
Balmain - Small junior base at this stage
As for all the western Sydney teams (Parramatta, Penrith, Hawkesbury, Camden, Liverpool, Campbelltown) I'd say they are all risk of becoming second class AFL areas in Sydney as the Swans Academy goes from strength to strength unless the GWS equivalents also start pulling their weight at a grassroots level in Sydney.
Other obvious areas of growth and improvement are the women's game (virtually non existent 10 years ago) and the quality of coaching.
The two other major areas, umpiring and administration, my impression is that any improvement is marginal.
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