List Mgmt. Parent/Child Prospects vs Club Academies

[RedmanWasHere]

In light of Cooper Hodge making the SSA U15 All-Australian boys’ team, it’s generated a heavy discussion in the 2026 AFL draft general discussion thread pertaining to the notion that the parent/child rule supersedes the academies in club preference or should take precedence.

Instead of clogging up draft threads, discuss here but no playing the man.

Play the ball.
Be convivial.
No being accusatorial.

If none of these are adhered to, I give the mods the power to lock this thread.

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Been thinking about this without going into the draft threads since reading the story.

Personally, think it’s absolute insanity that he’s available to Brisbane as an Academy pick (assuming he continues on his current trajectory).

He Should either be a FS at the Hawks or an open draft pick. Similar to Blakey going to the Swans instead of North which I still don’t agree with either that he ended up at the Swans.

These aren’t players that would be ‘lost to the game’ as is often touted by those on the benefiting end of these academies.

 

[Thommo 42]

Any player can opt out of their Father/Son link and go in the open draft. It's irrelevant if they are also illegible for an academy.

Marc Murphy was a Lions Father/Son prospect, but opted out and went to Carlton in open draft. It really has nothing to do with the academy.

 

[rye]

those engaged with footy should be very excited that there exists a possibility for the hodge legacy to continue at brisbane

jealousy is unbecoming of opposition fans on this matter

 

[Haggas]

Yeah it is pretty unfair to the parent team.
Looks like a lot of ex players are using the academy’s because it’s a better pathway for their kids to get the training they need


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[HairyO]

Any player can opt out of their Father/Son link and go in the open draft. It's irrelevant if they are also illegible for an academy.

Marc Murphy was a Lions Father/Son prospect, but opted out and went to Carlton in open draft. It really has nothing to do with the academy.

The point is he could go to Brisbane via an academy designed to bring new players to the game who wouldnt readily have played Aussie Rules.

He could skip the draft and go to the team he wants.

 

[Saab NLAW]

Kalani White is in the same situation.

Part of the GC academy but he was always going to play football over rugby, Sydney have turned bullshitting about this into an art form.

I don't mind it but don't bullshit to the fans about what the northern academies are really about, to give those clubs an advantage, and we all know that without their advantages none of those clubs can be successful.

 

[radiojake]

Convenient week for this to be brought up with James Borlase making his debut for Adelaide this weekend -

James was tied to Adelaide's NG Academy as he was born in Egypt

However, he was only born there after his father (Daryl Borlase - 200+ game and 4 time SANFL premiership player with Port Adelaide) and mother (Jenny Borlase - 3 time world champion and Commonwealth gold medalist in netball) lived there for a while post-playing careers

NGA is supposed to be about fostering players who would not have otherwise chosen or have had access to footy as a sport - there is no way in hell, despite his Egyptian birthplace, that James wouldn't have had access or a career path to play footy

This is one of the rare times Adelaide has benefited from these bullshit rules - and let's be honest it's taken three seasons on the list and three season ending injuries to Doedee, Murray and Butts for him to get a debut, so he ain't a massive steal - but in principle it's pretty bullshit that Adelaide has exclusive rights to him ( and that's even before we get into Port having F/S access that didn't somehow qualify - but that's a different issue)

The NGA is basically bullshit - more often than not these kids would have played footy regardless and should be in open draft or be f/s

 

[Miller1971]

Kalani White is in the same situation.

Part of the GC academy but he was always going to play football over rugby, Sydney have turned bullshitting about this into an art form.

I don't mind it but don't bullshit to the fans about what the northern academies are really about, to give those clubs an advantage, and we all know that without their advantages none of those clubs can be successful.

Yep, and they as a family have been pretty open about the preference to play for the Dees - but don't see the Suns Academy kicking him out like some suggest they would.

I agree that the Northern academies originally had a mandate to convert promising athletes from other sports, but they no longer really do this at all. They simply farm all the local talent, run them through what is still a pretty broken pathway and pluck the best ones that would have been good enough without the existence of the academy anyway.

The academy is really now just another word for an exclusive draft zone.

 

[jakson68]

I don't mind if the northern, nontraditional states have academies.
There is no guarrentee of players being stars because they have talent as a youngster.
When we are fighting against other codes for attendances, members and players, a hand up is ok.

I would much rather this, than the whole COLA debacle, that if we are being honest, was just abused and not used in the way it was meant to be.
If the northern states can hold some local talent, how can this not be a good thing.
If the kids are any good, they will be bid on early.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

I don't mind if the northern, nontraditional states have academies.
There is no guarrentee of players being stars because they have talent as a youngster.
When we are fighting against other codes for attendances, members and players, a hand up is ok.

I would much rather this, than the whole COLA debacle, that if we are being honest, was just abused and not used in the way it was meant to be.
If the northern states can hold some local talent, how can this not be a good thing.
If the kids are any good, they will be bid on early.

I think the fact that some clubs get exclusive access to top end talent, at a discount, regardless of ladder position, is problematic (particularly when it is consistent).

Some clubs don't get top 5 draft picks for 20+ years. It is well recognised that elite talent is the quickest pathway to being both competitive and dominant in our competition. The fact that some clubs have the opportunity to pool together a handful of mid draft picks (that no club would ever trade a top 5 pick for) to access top 5 talent (even if they're top 4, etc) significantly undermines integrity and equalisation. Particularly when it then comes at the expense of struggling teams who then get pushed back in the draft.

The design of these academies is obviously to create a football pathway to those who would likely be lost to other sports without this pathway. That is a good idea in theory. When this "football pathway" is being offered to the likes of Nick Larkey and Cooper Hodge, it makes a mockery of the system as obviously the sons of 300 game legends are not otherwise going to be lost to other sports or lack a pathway to playing Aussie Rules.

I think it's pretty clear that these players should either have the "father son" option or go into the open draft.

 

[jakson68]

I think the fact that some clubs get exclusive access to top end talent, at a discount, regardless of ladder position, is problematic (particularly when it is consistent).

Some clubs don't get top 5 draft picks for 20+ years. It is well recognised that elite talent is the quickest pathway to being both competitive and dominant in our competition. The fact that some clubs have the opportunity to pool together a handful of mid draft picks (that no club would ever trade a top 5 pick for) to access top 5 talent (even if they're top 4, etc) significantly undermines integrity and equalisation. Particularly when it then comes at the expense of struggling teams who then get pushed back in the draft.

The design of these academies is obviously to create a football pathway to those who would likely be lost to other sports without this pathway. That is a good idea in theory. When this "football pathway" is being offered to the likes of Nick Larkey and Cooper Hodge, it makes a mockery of the system as obviously the sons of 300 game legends are not otherwise going to be lost to other sports or lack a pathway to playing Aussie Rules.

I think it's pretty clear that these players should either have the "father son" option or go into the open draft.

I thought that they would have the Father/Son option.

 

[MarcusP2]

I thought that they would have the Father/Son option.

They do. But Blakey didn't want to play for North.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

I thought that they would have the Father/Son option.

Perhaps I worded it poorly? They do have the father son option and they do have the option to go in the open draft too.

I think the issue is that they also have the option to be exclusively available to the academy team if they so choose (as Blakey did). Given the academies stated reason for existing is to "provide an AFL option/pathway" for talented youth from other sports, etc, I think it makes a mockery to suggest that sons of legend AFL Players would otherwise not have heard of or have an opportunity to choose Aussie Rules. That's ridiculous.

More broadly, I think providing consistent access to elite level talent across an entire state, at a significant discount, regardless of ladder position, undermines the integrity of the competition (much moreso than any other imbalance, such as fixture, MCG Grand Final, etc).

 

[MarcusP2]

Perhaps I worded it poorly? They do have the father son option and they do have the option to go in the open draft too.

I think the issue is that they also have the option to be exclusively available to the academy team if they so choose (as Larkey did). Given the academies stated reason for existing is to "provide an AFL option/pathway" for talented youth from other sports, etc, I think it makes a mockery to suggest that sons of legend AFL Players would otherwise not have heard of or have an opportunity to choose Aussie Rules. That's ridiculous.

More broadly, I think providing consistent access to elite level talent across an entire state, at a significant discount, regardless of ladder position, undermines the integrity of the competition (much moreso than any other imbalance, such as fixture, MCG Grand Final, etc).

I presume you are talking about Blakey, not Larkey.

 

[MarcusP2]

Convenient week for this to be brought up with James Borlase making his debut for Adelaide this weekend -

James was tied to Adelaide's NG Academy as he was born in Egypt

However, he was only born there after his father (Daryl Borlase - 200+ game and 4 time SANFL premiership player with Port Adelaide) and mother (Jenny Borlase - 3 time world champion and Commonwealth gold medalist in netball) lived there for a while post-playing careers

NGA is supposed to be about fostering players who would not have otherwise chosen or have had access to footy as a sport - there is no way in hell, despite his Egyptian birthplace, that James wouldn't have had access or a career path to play footy

This is one of the rare times Adelaide has benefited from these bullshit rules - and let's be honest it's taken three seasons on the list and three season ending injuries to Doedee, Murray and Butts for him to get a debut, so he ain't a massive steal - but in principle it's pretty bullshit that Adelaide has exclusive rights to him ( and that's even before we get into Port having F/S access that didn't somehow qualify - but that's a different issue)

The NGA is basically bullshit - more often than not these kids would have played footy regardless and should be in open draft or be f/s

Even Jamarra Ugle Hagan was playing football at Scotch College on scholarship and in the TAC Cup - did the Bulldogs have anything to do with that? He indicated before the draft he'd barely spoken to them.

 

[Miller1971]

Perhaps I worded it poorly? They do have the father son option and they do have the option to go in the open draft too.

I think the issue is that they also have the option to be exclusively available to the academy team if they so choose (as Larkey did). Given the academies stated reason for existing is to "provide an AFL option/pathway" for talented youth from other sports, etc, I think it makes a mockery to suggest that sons of legend AFL Players would otherwise not have heard of or have an opportunity to choose Aussie Rules. That's ridiculous.

More broadly, I think providing consistent access to elite level talent across an entire state, at a significant discount, regardless of ladder position, undermines the integrity of the competition (much moreso than any other imbalance, such as fixture, MCG Grand Final, etc).

Is that really the stated reason for the academies existing? Can you find that anywhere? I am not disputing it, but as someone up here in Brisbane who takes a strong interest in this stuff, I wasn't aware that was the reason, and you are 100% correct its not being use for that. It's just farming kids who were already playing and were identified by someone to be the most talented.

As for the likes of Hodge and Blakey, I don't think they do have the option to go in the open draft. It's either F/S or academy. Open draft is the only option, not available to them as far as I know.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

I presume you are talking about Blakey, not Larkey.

Indeed. Will edit, thank you.

 

[jakson68]

They do. But Blakey didn't want to play for North.

Neither did JHF and he didn't require an academy to get to where he wanted.
Players and even potential players will get to where they want to eventually, this effectively just speeds up the process.

 

[jakson68]

Perhaps I worded it poorly? They do have the father son option and they do have the option to go in the open draft too.

I think the issue is that they also have the option to be exclusively available to the academy team if they so choose (as Blakey did). Given the academies stated reason for existing is to "provide an AFL option/pathway" for talented youth from other sports, etc, I think it makes a mockery to suggest that sons of legend AFL Players would otherwise not have heard of or have an opportunity to choose Aussie Rules. That's ridiculous.

More broadly, I think providing consistent access to elite level talent across an entire state, at a significant discount, regardless of ladder position, undermines the integrity of the competition (much moreso than any other imbalance, such as fixture, MCG Grand Final, etc).

#antivicbias

 

[kreglze]

White has been very open about playing for the Dees as a father-son and not for the Suns, he is still in our academy though because it is for the best to develop as many good players as possible for the league.

 

[eth-dog]

The AFL should make a rule that F/S takes precedence.

 

[Kings of Lygon]

Please tell me people aren't going to try to get Parent/Child smashed over for the purposes of "inclusive language".

We all know what it's called "fellow person who has an account and types things"... It's Father/Son.

Enough.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Neither did JHF and he didn't require an academy to get to where he wanted.
Players and even potential players will get to where they want to eventually, this effectively just speeds up the process.

Yes and no. The thing is - nearly every academy kid ends up going to the academy club to which they are tied.

The vast majority of players in our game end up re-signing with the club that drafted them.

The examples of draftees that jump ship immediately (or turn down the academy club) are actually few and far between - because most kids are happy to be playing AFL regardless and the public and footy world still value the idea of going wherever you are selected and value loyalty.

 

[Bianconeri]

The point is he could go to Brisbane via an academy designed to bring new players to the game who wouldnt readily have played Aussie Rules.

He could skip the draft and go to the team he wants.

The academies are designed to give the non traditional footy states a leg up.