2017 Player & Coach Comings and Goings - Who's Going Where?

[Mug Punter]

Not 100% sure about other clubs in the Macarthur but believe Wollondilly are flying and have cracked the 100 player mark in the juniors (9s to 14s boys is their top age + a JV 18s girls team with us). Speaking with their president last week, they sat at only 50 players in 2015, so again huge growth in the past 2 years. I think the 3 Campbelltown junior clubs (Sth Ctown, Ingleburn and Campbelltown) have stagnated somewhat over the past few years with only the Campbelltown Swans fielding a 17s team.

By GWS do you mean the AFL? We work very closely with the AFL to grow our club. The AFL development team run after school programs in the majority of our Primary schools and recruit very well from them. They also run High school programs in several schools and coordinate the Macarthur Independent schools competition.

By GWS I mean the GWS Academy, have look at Barrcuda's post on the main board and he list the work that the Swans do for their constituent clubs in terms of player and coaching development.

Sounds like there are good resources being thrown at the grassroots which is great, I do think the elite level academy pathway is an important part of the picture so I guess my question would be, what GWS Academy programmes do your talented players get exposure to and what is the level of investment?

[Giants]

I can't really speak for the growth of AFL across the South West in its entirety but the Camden junior club is going gangbusters at the moment and will most certainly result in some strong years ahead for the senior club.

In 2015 we had 121 players (9s-17s) registered with 1 under 17s side, in 2016 we had 194 players Registered (9s-15s, NO U17s) with 1 x 19s team for the senior club, the fact that we had No 17s team last year is part the reason why I believe the 19s have had to JV with South West as there were no kids filtering through. In 2017 currently we have 243 players registered (9s-17s) with 2 x 17s teams. We are working closely with the senior club to provide the best pathway and experience for the 17s to want to continue with their footy journey and play with the Cats in 2018.

Its NO secret that the housing development and growth in our area is huge, so if 100% growth of the junior club in the past 2 years is anything to go by footy in Camden is looking healthy in the number space for the future. Will just have to see how good some of the talent coming through is.

I spoke with JL last night at the SydAFL operations meeting and he was very very positive about the year ahead out at Camden. Two teams three years ago to five teams this year. He said they more than likely would survive in 19s on their own but are looking at whats best for the region now not just the club.

It appears as though the area is on the rise and so are both Junior and Senior clubs.

Was also interesting Saviour to hear the other side of the story re x coach can't remember his name. You should really find out what the other side of the story is sometime.

From what i heard i am excited to see what comes of Camden in 2017.

[saviour01]

Yeh, feel free to share it?

[Pekay]

You're already anonymous....just spill your guts.

[unconfuseme]

That is correct.
The AFL should be targeting those growth areas with extra promotion to schools and the community as well as helping the clubs ensure they have good admin and good coaching to ensure any new recruits enjoy their AFL experience.


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AFL don't seem to have gotten much traction in Bankstown since they shut them down ... St George are flush with young players coming through, due primarily to their own efforts, but the AFL will claim it, I'm sure . Fairly hollow victory to claim though as 2016 and 2017 we see them reap what they had sown ... the last batch of Bankstown juniors are now seniors, and rather than filling the South West Magpies u/19's teams, the cupboard is bare! ... the second year that they have had to amalgamate ... well done to them, and great for those young guys right across that whole competition, but just another black eye for the AFL's lack of vision, and lack of flexibility!

... and maybe if the Giants were spending less time in the Riverina, and actually concentrating on GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY, that would have an effect too ...

[Jupiter]

AFL don't seem to have gotten much traction in Bankstown since they shut them down ... St George are flush with young players coming through, due primarily to their own efforts, but the AFL will claim it, I'm sure . Fairly hollow victory to claim though as 2016 and 2017 we see them reap what they had sown ... the last batch of Bankstown juniors are now seniors, and rather than filling the South West Magpies u/19's teams, the cupboard is bare! ... the second year that they have had to amalgamate ... well done to them, and great for those young guys right across that whole competition, but just another black eye for the AFL's lack of vision, and lack of flexibility!

... and maybe if the Giants were spending less time in the Riverina, and actually concentrating on GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY, that would have an effect too ...

Agree totally with your sentiments. Every time they intervene or make up rules for vested interests or to meet their current strategy its a mistake and has long term consequences only the veteran volunteers really see coming. I've always hoped a more - "What do you think we could do better/to help?" attitude would arise one day but I despaired long ago - that would only happen with a unified Club's body of some sort, and the AFL aren't going to encourage the formation of an annoyance like that. So we will continue, in a landscape dominated by AFL HQ which gets some things right some times and their responses to club politicking from time to time
.

[Nuttsy]

Not 100% sure about other clubs in the Macarthur but believe Wollondilly are flying and have cracked the 100 player mark in the juniors (9s to 14s boys is their top age + a JV 18s girls team with us). Speaking with their president last week, they sat at only 50 players in 2015, so again huge growth in the past 2 years. I think the 3 Campbelltown junior clubs (Sth Ctown, Ingleburn and Campbelltown) have stagnated somewhat over the past few years with only the Campbelltown Swans fielding a 17s team.

By GWS do you mean the AFL? We work very closely with the AFL to grow our club. The AFL development team run after school programs in the majority of our Primary schools and recruit very well from them. They also run High school programs in several schools and coordinate the Macarthur Independent schools competition.

The 3 Campbelltown Junior Clubs have far from Stagnated. In 2015 the Ctown Kangaroos had between 50-60 Players on their books and this year are over 100 already for 2017. Ctown Swans so far have around 120 on their books this year and last year their 12's and 17's won Flags and their Under 11's were Runners up. Ingleburn have resurrected their club around 2013-14, which had ceased to exist except for Auskick and last year had 80-90 players and so far have over 100 Registered for 2017.

From what im told All these clubs have worked extremely hard with little assistance at all from the AFL in terms of recruiting/school visits. Apparently the more you complain and whinge the more help you get but that's always been the way and not in everyone's nature

[saviour01]

School visits are basically up to schools though. I get hassled from heaps of sports - league, touch, golf, afl, basketball, netball - wanting to come in and do lessons. Despite being the president of my zone pssa and my principal is the president of the regional pssa, you can't fit them all in. Non sporty teachers get the @@@@s.

If your a parent of a school that doesnt have the auskick program after school ask the teachers why. No doubt people have come and wanted to do it but school has said no. I get one of the div 1 boys from ECE coming out a bit talking about what he can do and we have the auskick starting early next term.

[Coastal Boy]

I've always just thought that junior development in the AFL is just like a jug of milk.....scrape the cream off the top but in their case throw the remaining milk out. Every action that the AFL does has the "cream" at its foremost thought. The plethora of 18yo hopefuls who miss out are forgotten about in moments. Competitions or clubs who are not in a development pathway must fend for themselves entirely. I'm surprised that anyone on this forum thinks the AFL cares one iota about the SydneyAFL. Clubs should bind together and form an organisation like a union to be a voice and protect grass roots footy in Sydney. Stand up to the AFL when debacles like Bankstown occur instead of getting picked off one at a time like fish in a barrel.

[Mug Punter]

The 3 Campbelltown Junior Clubs have far from Stagnated. In 2015 the Ctown Kangaroos had between 50-60 Players on their books and this year are over 100 already for 2017. Ctown Swans so far have around 120 on their books this year and last year their 12's and 17's won Flags and their Under 11's were Runners up. Ingleburn have resurrected their club around 2013-14, which had ceased to exist except for Auskick and last year had 80-90 players and so far have over 100 Registered for 2017.

From what im told All these clubs have worked extremely hard with little assistance at all from the AFL in terms of recruiting/school visits. Apparently the more you complain and whinge the more help you get but that's always been the way and not in everyone's nature

Well done Nuttsy, sounds like you are rebuilding the game from the ground up there.

Your comments and that of others on the ground seems to indicate that the GWS support of the grassroots is still virtually non-existent and at times counter-productive due to the AFL's arrogance. Some would say it isn't the GWS's job to do development at club-land but that of the AFL. I say their Academy, if they are serious about Western Sydney, demands it. It is also crucial for proper fan engagement so you actually get real fans and not customers which is all they have now.

The Swans program starts as very inclusive and then narrows down to the elite level at U14s. And the clubs in the Swans zone have very very strong engagement with the junior clubs in their zone.

Hopefully GWS can address and improve this area of their operations and one would hope taking away the Murray zone will encourage that.

[tara]

Guys Im no longer involved at a level that makes decisions at my club so take my comments with a grain of sand.

We worked hard to stand alone this year after what I think was a very successful JV last year under trying circumstances. It showed to me clubs can work together when they are prepared to put development and kids first.

We had confirmed good numbers a while ago however they dropped to around 15 a few weeks ago. Camden were the same I believe. In the last few days a number of those kids who dropped out are back - they have no knowledge of the JV so it played no part in their return. I coached under difficult circumstances the last few years and what impressed me the most was the effort the kids committed to the team showed in getting their mates to play.

I was disappointed that I left a kid out of our GF team last year who bled for the team who was injured in the first final. I could have dropped other 17s to fit him in. The kid Im talking about was third in our b&F but injury struck at the wrong time. Since last season we have lost one of those boys to St George. No problem with the Saints but if I knew his parents would dump and run Id have left him out no question. kid has talent but no where near the kid I left out.

What really kills me is not losing a kid to challenge himself at the Dragons is hearing about a kid we discovered and let GWS know about being pushed to play Div 1 at Blacktown. Sorry but WTF - we had a team that was made of up 11 first and second year 17's and mainly first year 19s smash a team made up of predominately 19's. This kid is a first year 17 who had never played AFL and from what I worked out must have received decent tuition/coaching to get BOG in the GF. He is now being pushed to play Div 1 at Blacktown. Sorry again but WTF if they couldnt beat my kids last year when they were older bigger and stronger whats he gonna learm.

Maybe Im old and bitter but F Me, you bust you arse only to be hit with obstacles constantly. You wonder why after nearly 30 years Ive put my hands up and walked away. Sad thing is I have 2 girls in the system so Ill hand around for them. FMl

[5yearplan]

Guys Im no longer involved at a level that makes decisions at my club so take my comments with a grain of sand.

We worked hard to stand alone this year after what I think was a very successful JV last year under trying circumstances. It showed to me clubs can work together when they are prepared to put development and kids first.

We had confirmed good numbers a while ago however they dropped to around 15 a few weeks ago. Camden were the same I believe. In the last few days a number of those kids who dropped out are back - they have no knowledge of the JV so it played no part in their return. I coached under difficult circumstances the last few years and what impressed me the most was the effort the kids committed to the team showed in getting their mates to play.

I was disappointed that I left a kid out of our GF team last year who bled for the team who was injured in the first final. I could have dropped other 17s to fit him in. The kid Im talking about was third in our b&F but injury struck at the wrong time. Since last season we have lost one of those boys to St George. No problem with the Saints but if I knew his parents would dump and run Id have left him out no question. kid has talent but no where near the kid I left out.

What really kills me is not losing a kid to challenge himself at the Dragons is hearing about a kid we discovered and let GWS know about being pushed to play Div 1 at Blacktown. Sorry but WTF - we had a team that was made of up 11 first and second year 17's and mainly first year 19s smash a team made up of predominately 19's. This kid is a first year 17 who had never played AFL and from what I worked out must have received decent tuition/coaching to get BOG in the GF. He is now being pushed to play Div 1 at Blacktown. Sorry again but WTF if they couldnt beat my kids last year when they were older bigger and stronger whats he gonna learm.

Maybe Im old and bitter but F Me, you bust you arse only to be hit with obstacles constantly. You wonder why after nearly 30 years Ive put my hands up and walked away. Sad thing is I have 2 girls in the system so Ill hand around for them. FMl

Great honest post.

Amazing being pushed to div 1 Blacktown, one would assume by someone at Blacktown in the academy.

One would think should be pushed to a prems club if a player is striving to jump up.

Some amazing stories we all hear about these young kids getting pushed by academy coaches to their own clubs.

It is wrong but very hard to police and stamp out.