Swans sign up for 3 more years in ACT league.

[scottwade]

http://sydneyswans.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/7106/Default.aspx?newsId=52747

After weeks of negotiations with AFL Canberra, the Sydney Swans have signed a new three-year deal for the Swans Reserves to remain in the competition...
In the new deal the Swans will field two less listed players next year, going from 15 listed players on the field at any one time down to 13.
The Swans and their opposition will be permitted to pick squads of 24, extending the bench to six and maintaining a selection of 18 listed players for the Swans each week.
Along with these restrictions, during the finals the Club has agreed to name only 12 Swans listed players on the team-sheet.

The Swans said..

Our absolute prime objective of the reserves is to develop our players, not win premierships.“If we felt the new deal was too restrictive on the development of our players then we wouldn’t have been able to stay in the competition.


To be honest I'm not sure what the alternative is, but having 13 senior list players on the ground at any one time has to restrict players development. Effectively it could mean that players were playing the equivalent of one game every 2 weeks in a noticeably understrength competition.

Ideally a team in the VFL would be ideal, but that is not going to happen.

The only option that I would suggest is having 2 teams, one playing in the ACT league, the other in the weaker Sydney league. It would mean at least players could be guaranteed a game each week and would enable the mixing/matching of players, depending on opponents, to ensure development issues could be addressed.

 

[ssfc0203]

The only option that I would suggest is having 2 teams, one playing in the ACT league, the other in the weaker Sydney league. It would mean at least players could be guaranteed a game each week and would enable the mixing/matching of players, depending on opponents, to ensure development issues could be addressed.

probably the best option, but if it was a good option they would've done it already.
The Sydney league is seriously weak, and it would offer little development and preparation for young ones entering the mainstream competition, they would've been better off in the suburban teams

 

[smasher]

Holy Crap !!!!!!!!

 

[Here It Is]

****, ****, ****

Nothing against the ACTAFL, it is a good competition. AFL Reserves just happens to be another class above.

 

[CharlieG]

So our reserves system is going to get even worse. Wonderful.

With a maximum of 13 Swans on the field that's a maximum of 17 in the team each week. With a full list of 47, we need eight injuries for every fit player to be able to play. Ridiculous.

 

[grimlock]

Extended squad of 24.
13 on the field at one time.
18 on the match day squad. i.e. 5 listed players on the bench along with one top-up.

The ones who aren't selected are going to play with the Canberra Wildcats. I pity them!!!

 

[natlovestheswans]

The ones who aren't selected are going to play with the Canberra Wildcats. I pity them!!!

Atleast they'll get a laugh out of the experience.

But yeah, it's all pretty dodgy.

 

[FM0226]

Could have been worse - i.e. the Port Melbourne days.
4 players down in the VFL playing out of position or not much game time while the rest of them gets to play for teams like UNSW in the Sydney league.

It's not great, but definitely better than scattering our players in the Sydney league (which might have been the only other option if we couldn't work something out with the ACT AFL).

 

[grimlock]

Surely it was a greater number than 4. I'm thinking 8-10?

 

[FM0226]

Not in the old days, it might have been 5, but definitely not up to 10. (If I remember correctly).
----

Just had a look on the web, apparently we use to send 6 down:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/02/1059480597805.html

But I'm pretty sure that most of time only around 4 of our players 'makes' the playing squad on game day. And the rest were left to rot in the Sydney league.

-----
Actually, you might might be right, an article in 2002 about a Port Melbourne game had around 6-8 names of our players in it.

 

[bloods01]

This is a step backwards for the club. Player development will suffer badly because of this.

 

[The J Dog]

To be honest I'm not sure what the alternative is, but having 13 senior list players on the ground at any one time has to restrict players development.

I'm not sure that flogging ACTAFL teams by 15 goals almost every week is that good for their development, or prepares them well for the step up to AFL.

Restricting the number of Swans players on the field will at least increase the on-field pressure and make it a more competitive match for players and fans.

The only other real alternative is to place Swans players in ACTAFL teams, as the Crows and Porrt do in the SANFL. I know it limits their chances to develop teamwork with their Swans team mates, and it means the Swans lose some control over the coaching and development of these players, but it would probably fast-track their development in winning the contested footy and leadership.

 

[swantastic]

Stupid decision by the club,they should have put the magoo's in to the VFL.

 

[grimlock]

Stupid decision by the club,they should have put the magoo's in to the VFL.

There is a difference between wanting something and having the werewithal to do so. I'm sure no one will disagree that playing a standalone team in the VFL would be much more beneficial in the long term, but I don't think we can afford to do so, just yet.

 

[Humph]

Why have so many in one team and the left overs going to the Wildcats?
Why not just split them evenly into two teams in Canberra?

Pros
Everyone gets a solid go.
Evens up the competition.
More game time, less restrictive with the interchange rules.

Cons
Cost of running two clubs.
Could derail our chances of four premierships in a row.
Not training with the majority of the other players on the team is a worry.

You could either assign certain players to certain clubs for the year, or to offset the cost of running two teams, each week they could televise a Survivor style picking of who gets to be on which team.

Even an A-team, B-Team set-up would go allright. A player could only get promoted to the Seniors from the A-team. Set up a vote line to vote people out of the A-team, and each week the best player in the B-team goes up. Maybe have some challenges and immunities, I haven't worked out all the details yet!
Luv Humph.