Gulden did ok as a 17yo playing against a heap of mature senior level players.
Looking at the names for Brisbane it shows how quickly they have developed depth in their list, having no injuries helps of course.
No NT Thunder in the NEAFL next year. A bit sad about that.
I imagine the cost of flying players from Alice etc was high, and the performances had dropped off. It does bring back into focus what the future of second level afl is. I think everyone likes the concept of the true reserves afl comp, however some serious time and thought needs to go into the state leagues, particularly Neafl. Without a decent eastern comp what happens to all the talented afl players who did not get drafted?
There is talk of a new reserve grade comp (all the AFL teams) plus a few extras like Canberra and Southport in East and West conferences.
Not sure of the details though.
I like that the neafl gives state based teams the chance to compete against afl reserve sides.
It gives overlooked state league players a opportunity to prove themselves against drafted afl players. Ideally longer term there would be a second nsw team with the strength of sydney uni.
Rory Barkley - Swans NDS Player of the Year - North Shore Australian Football Club
Short article on Rory Barkley winning the NEAFL Development Squad Player of the Year award. I thought that was a bit of a surprise, I personally would have gone for McKellar who played back mostly but also had some run-with roles in the midfield late in the season
The other NDS players wouldn't have played enough games to threaten these two.
Rory Barkley 17 games
Zach Cameron 1 game
Connor Flanagan 9 games
Cooper Kilpatrick 13 games
Kyle McKellar 19 games
Johnny Pawle 9 games
Kyle Veerhuis 5 games
I too - on hearing about the award on the night - assumed for 30 seconds that McKellar would win it. I thought he was the stand-out NDS player for the season. I rationalised him not winning it on the basis he had played fewer games than Barkley, because I knew he played a couple of games in the TAC League. But your figures above put pay to that - despite his NAB League outings, he still played more games than Barkley.
I don't think Barkley is unworthy - he was a consistent contributor to the defence for much of the year. I just thought McKellar had slightly more impact in more games.
MEDIA RELEASE: NEAFL announces list rules changes | NEWS | NEAFL
New list rules for 2020
- AFL clubs permitted to list seven (7) players, including up to two (2) mature-age players and five (5) 19-year-old academy players. I believe our NEAFL Development squad (basically the 19 year olds) has been 7 players in the past few years. I wonder who we will choose to fill in the mature age players. I know Adelaide and West Coast have filled this spot with ex players that have just retired from the AFL - Matthew Wright and Drew Petrie respectively. Could say Kizza pull on the boots for the NEAFL next year? Would he want to?
- All clubs will be required to play 23 players per match, which will include 1 x 19-year-old academy players for AFL clubs and 1 x development player (i.e traditional 23rd player) for non-AFL clubs. Old rule was only non AFL clubs could field 23 each week and for AFL clubs only when playing another AFL club.
- Aside from current finals eligibility rules, no other playing restrictions will apply in the finals series. Unless we get a good run with injuries I don’t see this rule making much difference
Maybe that opens the door for Perrin to pull in the red and white again, I’d he still has the desire and the knees for it. Though other clubs have played regular mature aged players in the NEAFL side before, so maybe it was always permitted. I think Sam Reid played for GWS in between retiring and being redrafted. And I have some vague memory of a mature ex ADL player lining up for the Suns, too. Sandburg? Though that may have been as a one off. I know clubs have been able to apply for special clearance to play non academy players for one off games (as Rampe did before he was drafted).
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