Joel's brother Todd is eligible for Hawthorn 2019
Hawks primed to land multicultural forward - M.afl.com.au
Joel was eligible but didn't want to be part of an academy.
Joel's brother Todd is eligible for Hawthorn 2019
Hawks primed to land multicultural forward - M.afl.com.au
Joel was eligible but didn't want to be part of an academy.
I doubt very much whether the other clubs will have more of an advantage in Victoria but I could very well see it with the WA clubs and their indigenous talent, but I actually think that is a good thing as homesickness is such an issue for those kids and them being able to stay near their families will hopefully make the transition easier for indigenous kids.
Overall I'm happy to have the NGAs have a few wins to secure the future of our academy, I think the ability to build a homegrown list is that important for us to sustain our success. As long as we can get that then the benefits for other clubs is academic for us.
Of course there is the bigger issue that the academies also address. Not saying the whining of the Victorian clubs doesn't grind my gears but if the NGAs help the development programmes and take the heat off us then I'll cop them.
I think the concept of the NGAs is mostly fine but I do hope the AFL applies eligibility criteria regarding host clubs' involvement in the players' development in a consistent fashion to that applied to the northern states' academies. Last year, for example, Todd Marshall was ruled to be ineligible to be nominated by the Giants as an academy player because it was adjudged that the Giants hadn't been sufficiently involved in his development. At the same time, the AFL made it clear to the northern clubs that they had to be able to produce documentation showing the player's development programme and the applicable academy's involvement in his development.
The NGAs need to be genuinely enhancing the developmental prospects of the players they have access to, not just going through the motions and cherry-picking players as they reach draft age. It's for that reason I'm slightly dubious about the inclusion of indigenous players from the major metropolitan areas of SA, WA and Victoria. There aren't the same cultural barriers to these boys taking up football that may apply to multi-cultural players, and they already have access to the same development infrastructure that non-indigenous or multicultural players have.
Remote areas are a different matter, because they don't have access to the same level of developmental infrastructure. That's the primary justification for the northern academies, IMO. However, I think all kids in remote areas should be eligible to participate in schemes that genuinely add to the infrastructure, not just those of indigenous or multicultural heritages.
+1
The indigenous kids from metro areas will be a contentious one but I essentially support the NGAs.
Apart from the indigenous content the game is extremely mono-cultural. I'd love to see each team having a couple of African players not to mention the virtual complete lack of Asian representation.
I just hope that the AFL ensures that any kids that are recruited have had sufficient investment from the clubs in question.
On a practical level I think the NGAs will find that developing AFL level talent when you're up against the established TAC Cup/elite Private School pathways is bloody hard work, as we have found out here in Sydney
The highlights package of Campbell here cheered me up a fair bit.
Draft hopefuls Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden look to put their best foot forward when the Sydney Swans Academy tests itself against the GWS Giants Academy this weekend
Marco Rossman also rated a mention
Swans Academy v Giants Academy tomorrow at Woollongong. Will be live streamed on you tube I believe with link and details in the Swans Academy facebook page.
Will be a chance to see Gulden Campbell et al in action .
After several fruitless attempts, I've managed to find the link on YouTube. Starts at midday.
LIVESTREAM AFL Swans Academy v Giants Academy - YouTube
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