Are you happy for Tassie to have an Academy, and do you think it will happen?

[Kwality]

I'd say almost certain to get an 'academy'. One thing that I think will be interesting to see is if players decline the opportunity to stay in Tassie and chase the lifestyle of playing in the 'big smoke'.

Another limitation when recruiting - not best available.

 

[Freomaniac]

Serious question....

Does Tassie need an academy?

They are an Aussie rules state like Victoria, south Australia and western Australia.

I think there should be more investment in the Tassie state leagues. But that's my opinion

 

[nut]

What about a father - sister rule?

Or a uncle father rule

 

[Toump Ass]

Stick it up ya bum!!!

Football state with desirable outdoor lifestyle, only 60 minutes from Melbourne so really it's closer than Geelong.
Won't be any problems with player retention I'm told?
Welcome to big-boy league, you wanted to be here and we brought out the welcome mat.
No handouts stand on your own two feet and stop scrounging off the mainland.

 

[The Gulden Child]

My biggest concern is not the stadium, money, spectator support but player retention. If I was doing due diligence, before handing out the Tassie licence, I would have run a confidential survey with every listed player, asking them a series of questions around playing in Tassie, pros, cons, etc.

Given those concerns I think an Academy should absolutely be a priority.

The Hawthorn Captain (who is sponsored by Tasmania and plays here) made an honest comment (about not wanting to live here) and was censured for it. Dumb. Find out why he feels this way and canvas other players too. If it is a prevalant view, that is concerning.

 

[Cmarsh]

Can Tassie really be comparable as a 'footy state' to Victoria when it has half a million people compared to 5-6 million?

 

[Freomaniac]

No. I'd like to see all the so-called "Academies" given the flick. These aren't real football academies. They're just an artificial way for the AFL to give preferential treatment to the northern franchises. All it does is compromise the draft and create an unfair competition.

The Swans have played in 22 of the past 27 finals series. Since 1995, they've missed the Top 8 in successive years only ONCE. (2019-20)
Why the hell should they receive any leg-ups? Why shouldn't they take their turn at missing out finals and being crap for 5-6 years like everyone else?
[answer: Because nobody from Vic, SA, WA would watch the Swans on Friday or Saturday nights if they were crap. It's purely for TV ratings and to justify the AFL's billion dollar deal with Channel 7.... It's a fricken JOKE... We shouldn't put up with it.]


The AFL extended the academy system to the southern clubs after a lot of bitching and moaning. But I'm not a fan of this either. It just compromises the draft even further. e.g. the Bulldogs played finals in 2019 and 2020. They were about to embark on a fantastic 2021 season when they won 18 games and reached the Grand Final. But thanks to their so-called "Next Generation Academy", they were effectively gifted the number 1 pick in the 2020 draft when they signed Jamarra Ugle-Hagan... How the hell was that fair?

The AFL maintains that it believes in the draft & salary cap to maintain an even competition. But I see a National Draft which is hopelessly compromised by all the academy and father-son selections... and year after year, I see the same handful of teams signing the biggest free agents and trade acquisitions (which leads me to believe that the salary cap is also compromised.)


The AFL should just scrap the salary cap and national draft.... OR it should do everything in it's power to police the salary cap properly and have a fair, uncompromised draft with none of this academy bullcrap. (By all means, the AFL should have real football academies for elite junior athletes, but they should run these themselves. They shouldn't be affiliated with any club)

Amazing that A hawks fan can complain, despite winning 13 flags. lol

Who had the better recruiting zones in the 1970s and 1980s? Hawks or Swans? lol

Also... I think GWS and Gold coast deserve the academies for 2 reasons.

1. the state leagues in NSW and Queensland are inferior to the VFL, SANFL and WAFL.

2. Please name one father son pick GWS and Gold coast has got?

Tassie having an academy... I am undecided. Because back in the 1970s-2000s, the Tassie state league produced many AFL kids.

 

[VinnieB]

Stick it up ya bum!!!

Football state with desirable outdoor lifestyle, only 60 minutes from Melbourne so really it's closer than Geelong.
Won't be any problems with player retention I'm told?
Welcome to big-boy league, you wanted to be here and we brought out the welcome mat.
No handouts stand on your own two feet and stop scrounging off the mainland.

I bet you won't get to tassie in 60 minutes if you leave right now.