Dustin Martin and the Swans Academy

[Bloody Hell]

Bit of an off season query -

From: Dustin Martin - Wikipedia

His parents separated when he was 14 and Martin moved to Sydney with his father, leaving school at Castlemaine High School after Year 9 and taking up full-time work. He worked various roles at his father's transport business including as a forklift driver while also assisting his father's girlfriend's sports apparel business. In total he worked regular twelve hour days, later saying he hated “working long days” in what was “not a very good job.” While in Sydney he continued to play football, starting off with the Ingleburn Magpies Junior Australian Football Club's under 16 side. He stayed for just four matches however, dominating so comprehensively he was moved to the Campbelltown Football Club’s under 18's team despite being aged only 15. He even played for the club's senior team on one occasion that year. At this time he enquired about joining the Sydney Swans junior academy, but found himself ineligible due to having not lived in Sydney for the required minimum three years.


I had never heard any association with Martin and Sydney - I wonder if there was any enquiry for him at some point. If he had been picked up by the Academy, would we have been eligible to have priority access to him at that time?

Also, this required minimum of 3 years doesn't seem fair for the kids. I understand the requirement is probably there to stop any abuses by the Clubs, but if a family had to move to Sydney for personal or business reasons with a kid at 15, why would a potential top 10 draft pick not be able to play in the premier competition for their age group? There should/must be a clause that allows the waiting period to be waived in exceptional circumstances.

[gloveski]

Bit of an off season query -

From: Dustin Martin - Wikipedia

His parents separated when he was 14 and Martin moved to Sydney with his father, leaving school at Castlemaine High School after Year 9 and taking up full-time work. He worked various roles at his father's transport business including as a forklift driver while also assisting his father's girlfriend's sports apparel business. In total he worked regular twelve hour days, later saying he hated “working long days” in what was “not a very good job.” While in Sydney he continued to play football, starting off with the Ingleburn Magpies Junior Australian Football Club's under 16 side. He stayed for just four matches however, dominating so comprehensively he was moved to the Campbelltown Football Club’s under 18's team despite being aged only 15. He even played for the club's senior team on one occasion that year. At this time he enquired about joining the Sydney Swans junior academy, but found himself ineligible due to having not lived in Sydney for the required minimum three years.


I had never heard any association with Martin and Sydney - I wonder if there was any enquiry for him at some point. If he had been picked up by the Academy, would we have been eligible to have priority access to him at that time?

Also, this required minimum of 3 years doesn't seem fair for the kids. I understand the requirement is probably there to stop any abuses by the Clubs, but if a family had to move to Sydney for personal or business reasons with a kid at 15, why would a potential top 10 draft pick not be able to play in the premier competition for their age group? There should/must be a clause that allows the waiting period to be waived in exceptional circumstances.

At the time of his draft Sydney tried to swap the picks they used on Rohan and Jetta for the tge pick Richmond used on Martin . Sydney were well and truely aware of him . He moved back to Victoria at some stage so if he had stayed in Sydney playing footy up there I’m sure he would have fallen to the swans first pick


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[liz]

Martin predated the academy by several years. He was in the era of the NSW scholarship scheme. I have previously read that he and the Swans explored the idea of him joining as a scholarship player (both were keen) until they realised he wasn't eligible.

I have no issue with the strict application of a period of residence, whether for the old scholarship scheme or the current academies. Without it there is too much scope for manipulation (eg paying players' families to move into your zone). I don't see how you can come up with exceptional circumstances exceptions that are transparent and not open to manipulation.

It wasn't really applicable under the old scholarship scheme, but I can't see any of the four northern clubs denying access to their academy programmes to a player who didn't meet the draft-concession eligibility rules. The Suns academy had Lachie Weller participate for a couple of years (after his family moved to Gold Coast from Tasmania when Mav joined the Suns). They knew from the start they wouldn't have priority access to him. Similarly, the Giants had a couple of players continue to participate in their academy even after the AFL changed their zone (Spargo?) or made other eligibility determinations prior to the relevant draft (Brander?).

[bloodspirit]

It's painful to think about how close we were to getting such a star. C'est la vie.

I was going to say the same thing as your last para, liz, I can't see why the Academy should exclude someone just because they won't get priority access. We run the Academy knowing the large majority of those kids will never play AFL footy and some of them may be drafted by other clubs. However, in addition to the priority access, we get an opportunity to win their hearts and minds and see them up close and also for the talented ones to lift the whole group.

[Mark26]

I never knew how close we were to Dusty in his early days. I grew up in Ingleburn and didn't even know they had an AFL team! But those were the days when nobody played AFL in SW Sydney.

[Markwebbos]

There’s a pretty extraordinary story that Dusty’s move back to GWS was “pulled from above” by an unknown hand!

Dusty deal 'got pulled from above': How Giants failed to grab the GOAT

Wonder who?