An article in SA this week highlights a major concern in the structure of Australian Football. With the AFL as the elite league, the competition relies heavily on the WAFL, SANfL and VFL and their supporting lower leagues to develop the talent hat ultimately joins the AFL.
However, the developer leagues receive next to nothing for developing a player that is drafted. I have long thought that a transfer payment scheme should be in place so that the number 1 draft pick receives the highest transfer payment and so on as you go down the draft order. The payment system would be arranged so that the state league receives a proportion as does the players junior club.
The article featuring Matt Benson the CEO of the Sturt football club reinforces all that is wrong with the draft at the moment. Sturt is a great club that has produced and continues to produce talent for the AFL. When Brodie Grundy was drafted this year Sturt would have received little in return from the drafting AFL team.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...-future-lifeline/story-e6freckc-1226583851648
There is a very real prospect of Sturt folding in the coming years.
My question is simple, isn't a set of strong leagues (including the AFL, state leagues and junior levels) critical to the growth of the game? The football commission should be focused on ensuring the growth and development of the game not just the AFL.
However, the developer leagues receive next to nothing for developing a player that is drafted. I have long thought that a transfer payment scheme should be in place so that the number 1 draft pick receives the highest transfer payment and so on as you go down the draft order. The payment system would be arranged so that the state league receives a proportion as does the players junior club.
The article featuring Matt Benson the CEO of the Sturt football club reinforces all that is wrong with the draft at the moment. Sturt is a great club that has produced and continues to produce talent for the AFL. When Brodie Grundy was drafted this year Sturt would have received little in return from the drafting AFL team.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...-future-lifeline/story-e6freckc-1226583851648
There is a very real prospect of Sturt folding in the coming years.
My question is simple, isn't a set of strong leagues (including the AFL, state leagues and junior levels) critical to the growth of the game? The football commission should be focused on ensuring the growth and development of the game not just the AFL.