Originally Posted by
Joel Ridge
Just to clarify, I believe if you are top 4 then you are limited to one 1st round academy pick. Much of the below part of my post is pulled from the general topic thread, but I thought is was relevant to this thread.
I think its a wise decision from the AFL. I don't think you deserve two first round academy prospects if you make top 4. You may argue that you will need to trade to pay the points, but I think two 1st round selections is too much planned and secured talent for a top 4 side.
It may be unfair to those guys, but I think the reverse academy argument of busts such as Hiscox and Davis need to be argued against the Mills and Heeney argument.
Hiscox was a poor selection by the Swans in the 2nd round and was primary done to protect the integrity of the academy. It would have been a bad look if the Swans had not matched the Fremantle bid for Hiscox and send a Glebe boy to Fremantle (although he would have loved the coffee strip and the famous Sunday sessions in Fremantle). This would have eroded confidence in the Academy and the Swans knew this and wasted the 2nd round selection. Fremantle as a top 4 competitor at the time did well to make the Swans burn a 2nd round selection.
The AFL should know that Hiscox and Davis cost more than their fair value because of the need to protect the hope of future prospects. This should offset the Heeney and Mills argument.
I don't think the Swans will scale back their investment in the academy. To me, apart from a Heeney and Mills you get every now and then, the academy is a brilliant grassroots marketing initiative for the Swans. It helps the membership drive as family, friends and associates of Academy players get behind the Swans. The Swans would have someone looking at the return on investment in the academy in terms of increasing memberships and they would know the number.
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