AFL allocates Zones to Victorian Teams

[TheKITC]

The AFL has allocated Victorian teams (at this stage, SA and WA clubs to follow) zones in Victoria and in NT in order to push their brands and potentially set up similar academies to the 'Northern Clubs' with a particular focus on those with Indigenous or diverse backgrounds.

The zone(s) for each club are as follows;

Western Bulldogs – Western Melbourne, Wimmera, Mallee, South West Victoria, Ballarat, (North Ballarat Rebels & Western Jets)

Essendon – North West Melbourne (Calder Cannons), West Arnhem (NT)

Melbourne – South East Melbourne (Dandenong Stingrays), Alice Springs (NT)

Collingwood – Central Melbourne (Oakleigh Chargers), Barkly (NT)

St Kilda – Inner Southern Melbourne (Sandringham Dragons), Frankston LGA

North Melbourne – Melbourne and Wyndham LGAs (Calder Cannons & Western Jets)

Hawthorn – Eastern/Whitehorse LGAs (Eastern Ranges), Gippsland (Gippsland Power), Katherine (NT)

Carlton – Northern Melbourne (Northern Knights)

Geelong – Geelong /Hampden (Geelong Falcons), East Arnhem (NT)

Richmond – Goulburn Murray, Bendigo, Sunraysia, North Central (Bendigo Pioneers and Murray Bushrangers)

Strange array of areas and zones, with some clubs given multiple, some single with some given areas of NT as well with some not. Original zoning areas aka Carlton - Bendigo area seemed to have been cast aside with 'all clubs consulting and agreeing on zones', or say the AFL says.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-02-03/victorian-clubs-handed-afl-funding-for-academies

What do we make of this? Seems to have come fairly out of the blue...

Seems like we are going to further muddy the purity of the draft and continually undermine the AFL's staunch stance on equalisation. Can see the richer clubs doing considerably better out of this and talented juniors and their families looking for a sea change, to name a couple of things.

 

[Suma Magic]

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2016-02-03/victorian-clubs-handed-afl-funding-for-academies

I'm not exactly sure if there will be limitations on they players that can be recruited from these zones. The article seems to have a bet both ways on whether its all players or just those from specific backgrounds.

Seems like a massive shift away from the draft though.

 

[RUNVS]

Could anyone with more knowledge about this than I tell me what current players belonged to these clubs?

Western Bulldogs – Western Melbourne, Wimmera, Mallee, South West Victoria, Ballarat, (North Ballarat Rebels & Western Jets)

Essendon – North West Melbourne (Calder Cannons), West Arnhem (NT)

Melbourne – South East Melbourne (Dandenong Stingrays), Alice Springs (NT)

Collingwood – Central Melbourne (Oakleigh Chargers), Barkly (NT)

St Kilda – Inner Southern Melbourne (Sandringham Dragons), Frankston LGA

North Melbourne – Melbourne and Wyndham LGAs (Calder Cannons & Western Jets)

Hawthorn – Eastern/Whitehorse LGAs (Eastern Ranges), Gippsland (Gippsland Power), Katherine (NT)

Carlton – Northern Melbourne (Northern Knights)

Geelong – Geelong /Hampden (Geelong Falcons), East Arnhem (NT)

Richmond – Goulburn Murray, Bendigo, Sunraysia, North Central (Bendigo Pioneers and Murray Bushrangers)

 

[Lensen]

This is ******* absurd

Just get rid of the draft then and police the salary cap strictly

 

[DaTBird187]

(at this stage, SA and WA clubs to follow)

Ours has been running for a number of years already (Wayne Milera came through it this year). Just need like for like draft rights with the Northern states.

Hadn't heard of this being so close to a press release. I think it is great and will bring a sense of community to more clubs.

 

[Super Hans]

Makes no sense. Why do us and North share Western Jets? We are the only team in west Melbourne in the league. This is just stupid.

 

[RUNVS]

This is ******* absurd

Just get rid of the draft then and police the salary cap strictly

I am guessing the same bidding process will be put in place. Will make a very complicated draft that is for sure as everyone will have players to bid on.

One advantage to the idea, and it is a big one, is that it will help improve the depth of players a lot, and it will make drafting easier as well.

 

[_shifty_]

Indigenous academies in the Northern Territory is divided between Essendon, Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn and Melbourne.

Well thats fair, at least we get to share the Western Jets with North

 

[Suma Magic]

I think it will be only for indigenous players and those of other specific backgrounds (not sure how they will work that out).

Don't think there is any chance it will be for all available players. At least you'd ******* hope not.

 

[FallingLiefs]

absolute wtf moments all round. Just a strange reaction to the northern states academy tears.

and Northern Territory... ???? well done melbourne putting a few seasons in and getting a nice little patch there but the Western Bulldogs miss out wtf AFL?

 

[FallingLiefs]

actually good luck to any Mebourne based team outside geelong, i'm assuming WA and SA get split up between two clubs????

 

[ManWithNoName]

 

[The 747]

Wow thank you Sydney! Thanks to your attempts to get a leg up, we get Calder Cannons and part of the NT. Giddy up!

 

[master bate]

Indigenous players from Victoria (and this isn't at all an exclusive list) but:

Eddie Betts - Calder ---- Essendon/North
Adam Goodes - North Ballarat -- -- Bulldogs
Allen Christensen - Geelong ---- Geelong
Andrew Walker - Bendigo --- Richmond
Jay K-Harris - Oakleigh ---- Coll
Paul Ahern - Calder --- Ess/North
Nathan Drummond - Murray ---- Richmond
Koby Stevens - Gippsland ---- Hawthorn
Jarman Impey - Murray --- Richmond
Karl Amon - Sandy - St Kilda

Diverse backgrounds is even more interesting.

Almost certainly:

Majak Daw - Western Jets --- North/WB
Gach Nyuon - Dandenong --- Melb

But who else counts?
Adam and Ahmed Saad?
Dustin Martin and his Maori background?
Tom Boyd and his danish heritage?
Jordan De Goey, that's not an anglo name.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

How the * do Victoria teams get anything to do with the NT? Traditional Aussie rules links to SA.

Thanks to the VFL for reminding me of the true nature of this comp. I needed reminding.

 

[TheKITC]

Ours has been running for a number of years already (Wayne Milera came through it this year). Just need like for like draft rights with the Northern states.

Hadn't heard of this being so close to a press release. I think it is great and will bring a sense of community to more clubs.

Looks like there will be some conditions, but it may be just an expansion and some actual player rights to those that comes through your existing academy. What is the point for Port currently apart from community involvement and grassroot development/relations?

It all seems a bit ambiguous at the moment, but I have some serious reservations about it...

 

[Suma Magic]

All the more reason now to get rid of the Academy discounts. Everyone can just pay up to fair value.

 

[DapperDon]

So what's this mean exactly?

Essendon and North have first dibs on Calder Cannon players?

 

[RUNVS]

All the more reason now to get rid of the Academy discounts. Everyone can just pay up to fair value.

If every club has access to every kid in their own zone then sure, but until then leave the discounts.

 

[Keyza]

So Carlton only gets one area?

 

[master bate]

How the **** do Victoria teams get anything to do with the NT? Traditional Aussie rules links to SA.

Thanks to the VFL for reminding me of the true nature of this comp. I needed reminding.

If the 2 SA and WA teams get to split the Indigenous talent in the state I think you'll come out ahead of the Vic teams. Although WA is probably the real winner there.

 

[FallingLiefs]

All the more reason now to get rid of the Academy discounts. Everyone can just pay up to fair value.

yep the option of moving up the draft order is value enough. especially how we saw the trade period react.

 

[The 747]

If the 2 SA and WA teams get to split the Indigenous talent in the state I think you'll come out ahead of the Vic teams. Although WA is probably the real winner there.

Ah yeah

 

[RUNVS]

THe problem is who do we count as "indigenous" because that sort of racial profiling can be problematic.

 

[The 747]

Is the AFL really going to determine whether a kid is multicultural enough to qualify? You couldn't make this s**t up.

Non English speaking background?
Skin colour?
Funny surname?
Originating from a country we can't pronounce?
One parent or two?