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Thread: A tale of 2 Clubs and the future of AFL in Sydney

  1. #13
    Haven't you been working on making a trip to the 5 each year? Honestly cant see you finishing ahead of Manly, Penno, ECE or saints.

    Played at trumper twice and wasn't a fan. Waverly has great seating for spectators.

  2. #14
    Well retired, still sore Pekay's Avatar
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    Have always loved Trumper. Played a rep game there in Under 13s and Sydney FL 19s played Assumption College in a curtain raiser which will always stick out in my mind.

    Just checked the Div 5 draw, no Waverley this year, bugger it.

  3. #15
    Luke - realise you are new to the forum but can @@@@ off with your continual referencing back the Bats being the best footy club on the planet. Why not start your own thread entitled that and wait for responses.

    If I was moving from Adelaide to Sydney the Bats would be my first choice as a club. But from a Sydney view you have no heart / culture because your full list of 150 players turns over every 5 years. You club is like that good looking girl you drunkenly hooked up with on holidays...... fun for the night but was never going anywhere.

    Back to the topic that started this thread the growth in Sydney local clubs this year, particularly St George but not East Coast. The future for Sydney AFL clubs looks like a minimum of 4 teams. What is the top end numbers of teams a club can support - 6, 7 or 8 teams?

  4. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Pekay View Post
    Have always loved Trumper. Played a rep game there in Under 13s and Sydney FL 19s played Assumption College in a curtain raiser which will always stick out in my mind.

    Just checked the Div 5 draw, no Waverley this year, bugger it.
    If all five Bats senior teams are playing a home round then the top two or three teams play at Waverley while the lower division teams play at Trumper.

    I believe that the Bats Premier Division Team gets to play two games at Trumper each year. This Saturday the Bats Premier Division side plays Sydney Uni at Trumper. What a game!

    All natural observers should leave the car at home and catch the train to Edgecliffe station. Enjoy some beers in that beautiful old stand and then party on to Bats Cave at "The Royal Oak Hotel" in Double Bay. Sometimes the Prime Minister will skull a beer with the Bats players.

    Pekay, have you ever run off Thainy and delivered to your full forward from full back? It's possible at Trumper. There is this breeze that comes over the Edgecliffe Hill and leads to monster kicks going towards the city end.

  5. #17
    Well retired, still sore Pekay's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Luke Shannon View Post
    If all five Bats senior teams are playing a home round then the top two or three teams play at Waverley while the lower division teams play at Trumper.

    I believe that the Bats Premier Division Team gets to play two games at Trumper each year. This Saturday the Bats Premier Division side plays Sydney Uni at Trumper. What a game!

    All natural observers should leave the car at home and catch the train to Edgecliffe station. Enjoy some beers in that beautiful old stand and then party on to Bats Cave at "The Royal Oak Hotel" in Double Bay. Sometimes the Prime Minister will skull a beer with the Bats players.

    Pekay, have you ever run off Thainy and delivered to your full forward from full back? It's possible at Trumper. There is this breeze that comes over the Edgecliffe Hill and leads to monster kicks going towards the city end.
    No, I was too busy wiping his Belt Grip and Vaseline collection (smeared on his guernsey) across his face.

  6. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Luke Shannon View Post
    This Saturday the Bats Premier Division side plays Sydney Uni at Trumper. What a game!
    Last years 5th v 6th. Sounds amazing.

  7. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Wills View Post
    Luke - realise you are new to the forum but can @@@@ off with your continual referencing back the Bats being the best footy club on the planet. Why not start your own thread entitled that and wait for responses.

    If I was moving from Adelaide to Sydney the Bats would be my first choice as a club. But from a Sydney view you have no heart / culture because your full list of 150 players turns over every 5 years. You club is like that good looking girl you drunkenly hooked up with on holidays...... fun for the night but was never going anywhere.

    Back to the topic that started this thread the growth in Sydney local clubs this year, particularly St George but not East Coast. The future for Sydney AFL clubs looks like a minimum of 4 teams. What is the top end numbers of teams a club can support - 6, 7 or 8 teams?
    I've read Tom that you started the Saints 4th division team. I've read reports that the Saints 4th division team and the Bats fought out a classic Sydney AFL game last Sunday. Apparently the conditions were hot and oppressive.

    The Bats were able to run down a four goal lead to the Saints to win by two goals. You say that the Bats have no heart or culture. I think being able to come back from four goals down on that huge oval in hot conditions shows a lot of heart.

    What should also be noted was that the 4th Division Bats side was effectively the Bats 4th grade side while we beat St Georges effective 3rd grade side. There is plenty of heart in the Bats club.

    The forum talks about the Saints being a powerhouse due to increasing lower level participation. What about Sydney Uni who field 6 adult sides while the Bats field 5 adult sides. Are these clubs not powerhouses.

    Tom, if the Bats win a Premier Division title while maintaining 5 or 6 adults team, will you give them some credit?

  8. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Wills View Post
    Its is interesting to see St George emerge as one of the powerhouse clubs of the Sydney AFL.

    While the Saints have always been a strong club in the under 19s and Prems, they have been missing in the middle divisions. With the addition of the Div 4 team and the second under 19s they are following the lead of the other local clubs of Norths, Penno, ES/UNSW in developing large local clubs. While its only early days these clubs are the top in Prems (North & Saints), 3rd in Div 2 (ES/ UNSW), top in Div 3 (Penno), top in Div 4 (Norths), 2nd in Div 5 (Penno), top in both under 19s (Saints). Developing large, strong, local clubs looks to be the model for success in Sydney footy.

    Compare this to the Eagles. While, probably, they will again be the best team in Prems, they are bottom in Div 1, bottom in Div 3 and equal bottom in the under 19s. The East Coast committee did a great job rescuing the Premier Division club after the NEAFL experience, but you have to think they have taken a short term, Prems focused only, view. From what I hear they continue to pay their Premier Division players, yes less than the NEAFL days but they do pay them.

    You would have to think that for long term success and a sustainable club the East Coast committee would have been better focusing on improving the relationships with local clubs, and improving the Under 19 / lower Division coaching support. As the Premier Division team ages, you have to think where will East Coast be in 5 years?

    I am looking forward to Round 5 when the Saints play East Coast, and for the long term I would prefer to be in the Saints shoes than the Eagles.

    What are your thoughts?
    Tom Wills - Some of your comments are a fair way off the mark. ECE certainly engages heavily with our local junior clubs particularly Kellyville & Baulko. Some of our players coach junior teams and we run a junior academy for 10 weeks during the season with over 120 local juniors participating. We attend functions and presentations days and put on a big day during the year for the juniors to be a part of our Prem div team. They come to the pre match, run out with the players and play during half time. If we are lucky enough to win they all stand in the middle of the circle to sing the song like a new player would. Our players also attend junior training sessions throughout the year. Not sure there is more we can do to be honest and I am sure if you talk to the junior clubs they would give you good feedback. I should know as I am involved in both.

    You also make a statement that ECE still pay players? I was unaware that this was a crime and I'm not convinced that this is relevant to your post? But since you are comparing ECE to St.George (I'm not) then I can absolutely guarantee you that the Saints also pay some players. I don't have an issue with it and they have done a great job recruiting players to strengthen their list. Plenty of clubs pay their players although UTS probably get paid by their players so they can be part of the great culture that Luke Shannon continues to point out.

    In my experience, football clubs go in cycles. In 2012 ECE U18s won the flag after playing in 4 or 5 grand finals in a row. Prior to that they also had 2nd x U18s team but one fell away due to lack of numbers. The U18s coach (Peter Steer) then stepped up into senior football and handed over the reins to someone else. Since that we have seen a drop off in numbers and talent however that also co-incides with a drop off in local junior club numbers. Both Kellyville & Baulko are now running combined / joint venture junior teams including the U17s this year which co-incidentally is coached by a current ECE senior player. For whatever reason numbers in our normal development / recruitment area are dwindling at the U17 age bracket. However underneath that age group the numbers are getting stronger so we are hopeful that this will translate into a stronger future for our U19s on the back of the work we are doing with the junior clubs.

    In regards to our senior teams. We are also working hard on strengthening all of them. Despite what you or others may think, we have a club first mentality and we are not focused on any one team with the exception of our 19s. When we went into the NEAFL we lost a lot of players to other clubs because they wanted to play in a senior team with less commitment required. In fact we probably helped Blacktown Magic get off the ground more than any other club!

    This year we applied to the AFL to drop our div 3 team down to a lower division because we recognized where we were at. That request was rejected. Our Div 1 teams results will fluctuate based on our injury and unavailability list which is currently very high for this time of year. Acknowledge that most clubs have the same issues.

    In regards to Round 5. It should be a great day for Sydney football. As will Round 3 when we play North Shore and Round 4 when we play Manly. And so on and so on. We don't take any game more seriously than the next and we certainly don't place any higher value on any game until finals time. I'm certain Mudgey isn't thinking any differently.

  9. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Luke Shannon View Post
    I've read Tom that you started the Saints 4th division team. I've read reports that the Saints 4th division team and the Bats fought out a classic Sydney AFL game last Sunday. Apparently the conditions were hot and oppressive.

    The Bats were able to run down a four goal lead to the Saints to win by two goals. You say that the Bats have no heart or culture. I think being able to come back from four goals down on that huge oval in hot conditions shows a lot of heart.

    What should also be noted was that the 4th Division Bats side was effectively the Bats 4th grade side while we beat St Georges effective 3rd grade side. There is plenty of heart in the Bats club.

    The forum talks about the Saints being a powerhouse due to increasing lower level participation. What about Sydney Uni who field 6 adult sides while the Bats field 5 adult sides. Are these clubs not powerhouses.

    Tom, if the Bats win a Premier Division title while maintaining 5 or 6 adults team, will you give them some credit?
    You've got the wrong Tom.

  10. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Freedman View Post
    This year we applied to the AFL to drop our div 3 team down to a lower division because we recognized where we were at. That request was rejected. .
    You can probably blame UTS for this one after last years farce

  11. #23
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    Like Pekay i have always loved Trumper - nearly as much as Olds
    Three reasons
    u/19 G/F 1973 St George 16.9=105 Southern Districts 11.8=74
    U/19 G/F 1974 St George 12.10=82 Southern Districts 10.13=73
    Reserves 1975 St George 13.15=93 East Sydney 5.10=40

  12. #24
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    Trumper was great - the only ground I was ever "fit" enough to play on.....
    Carn the Southern Power.....

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