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Thread: Horse was on Footy Classified

  1. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruck'n'Roll View Post
    I don't think anyone doubts that the Swans Academy has improved the standard of football in Sydney. But the question has been raised - what are the Swans getting from the investment?

    Excluding Blakey who was always going to make an AFL list, so far 10 other Academy graduates have made it onto the Swans lists (Sam Naismith, Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, Jordan Foote, Abe Davis, Jack Hiscox, Daniel Robinson, Jake Brown, James Bell and Sam Wicks.)
    Excluding those whose fate is undecided, when Academy graduates do make it onto the list, 50% make worthy contributions - which seems a better strike rate than the draftee average.

    So the quality seems about right, I don't think anyone expects the Academy to pop up a 300 game champion every year, at least for now - but is an average of 1 Academy kid making the Swans list per year an adequate return? Or should we be seeing more listings?
    If you are including Bell, Robinson and Foote on the grounds that they debuted, then sure. But they aren't any good. Two were delisted and the third won't be far behind. Granted Naismith is a hard one to read because he has missed so much footy, but it's not exactly a glowing endorsement of the academy that it's only produced four decent-or-better players, three of whom are so naturally gifted it's hard to credit the academy for the players they are.

  2. #26
    Ego alta, ergo ictus Ruck'n'Roll's Avatar
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    I was listing Bell as undecided, Foote as unsuccessful and Robinson as decent (ok I'm a soft marker).

    Although Heeney (for example) is extremely naturally gifted and that makes possible to question the academies development of him on that basis - the guy himself has said on numerous occasions that without the academy he wouldn't be an afl player at all. Sam Naismith says he would have gone to Union without the academy - so there's no doubt it attracts the gifted.

    I appreciate your doubt on the development of players, but as it's the only fair metric that I can think of - How many listed players each year do you suggest would be a pass mark for the academy?
    Last edited by Ruck'n'Roll; 7th June 2020 at 05:04 PM.
    Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.

  3. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruck'n'Roll View Post
    I was listing Bell as undecided, Foote as unsuccessful and Robinson as decent (ok I'm a soft marker).

    Although Heeney (for example) is extremely naturally gifted and that makes possible to question the academies development of him on that basis - the guy himself has said on numerous occasions that without the academy he wouldn't be an afl player at all. Sam Naismith says he would have gone to Union without the academy - so there's no doubt it attracts the gifted.

    I appreciate your doubt on the development of players, but as it's the only fair metric that I can think of - How many listed players each year do you suggest would be a pass mark for the academy?
    I'm not sure regarding the exact number that would be a 'pass mark.' I just know it's got to be more than four in a decade.

  4. #28
    Isn’t the Academy about establishing a bulkhead for junior AFL in NSW. It’s going to take years for the rest of the structure to be put in place. You can’t imagine that the experience of a 12 year old in NSW would be anything like that in VIC

  5. #29
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    I remember during one of Eddie's Academy rants he said the swans would unfairly have access to 200 players. 😏

  6. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mel_C View Post
    I remember during one of Eddie's Academy rants he said the swans would unfairly have access to 200 players. 😏
    Yes, one of his more idiotic statements. He seemed to forget how the draft actually works.

  7. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel_C View Post
    I remember during one of Eddie's Academy rants he said the swans would unfairly have access to 200 players. 😏
    I also recall him saying we'll have access to equivalent of 500 father/sons with the academy! As mentioned above, idiotic statements!

  8. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheBloods View Post
    The problem with the good games from the current era is they would be considered poor games in the 80s and 90s. I was at the MCG on grand final day in 2018, and there was plenty of adrenaline having just watched a very tight contest with a thrilling finish. But over the four quarters of that match, I was never impressed by the football on display. There were still as many missed targets, wasted opportunities, rolling scrums and bad decisions as any other match. Were it not a grand final on the G in front of 100k, I have no doubt it would've faded into obscurity, save for Sheed's remarkable goal. Instead it is hyped up as one of the best grand finals ever.

    People who say that were obviously not there in 84, 89 or even 94, which despite being a blow-out was one of the most awesome displays of might ever by the WCE. Or 07, which was the biggest blow-out in grand final history but was still a pleasure to watch that Geelong team armed with supreme skills and chemistry as a team.

    It has become too much about the contest and not enough about the football. Fans will excuse three quarters of rubbish if the last quarter ends in a tight finish with a singular highlight.
    Talk about over hyped. The 1989 grand final is the most over-hyped game of all time. It was a snooze fest for 3 quarters with Hawthorn holding a 6 goal plus lead for most of the day. It only got mildly exciting in the last quarter as Hawthorn began to run out of foot soldiers and Geelong started to take advantage of their greater number of fit players. I know they got within 6 points, but they were always going to run out of time in the end.

  9. #33
    If we equate the academies to the equivalent strength of a TAC cup team - and recent results would suggest that they are more than competitive in that Comp ( even in the so called “weak” year from last year when none were drafted ) , then I think it is reasonable to expect more than one to be drafted , at least in some years . This is where I think the bias exists except when it comes to the odd gems like Blakey , Heeney.

    As to those type of kids being absolute standouts , I didn’t get a chance to watch them at junior level but I have watched a fair amount of gulden and Campbell and while i definitely think they are good players , what I do not see is them actually being that much better than many of their peers around them in the academy - yet they are being discussed at top ten level not just as draft able , while the rest barely get a mention .

  10. #34
    Ego alta, ergo ictus Ruck'n'Roll's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Magoo View Post
    I have watched a fair amount of gulden and Campbell and while i definitely think they are good players , what I do not see is them actually being that much better than many of their peers around them in the academy - yet they are being discussed at top ten level not just as draft able , while the rest barely get a mention .
    Interesting point, it's almost as if those doing the discussing of draft prospects just put in a token effort when it comes to NSW kids - whereas they're far more exhaustive when it comes to the TAC kids.
    Self fulfilling group think then takes effect south of the border - there's only on 1 or 2 worthwhile NSW kids, the Swans and Giants have them, therefore no-one else is worth drafting.
    That shouldn't affect the Swans drafting though.
    Loose translation from the Latin is - I am tall, so I hit out.

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