Welcome to Collingwood: Our new Barkly Brothers and Sisters

[76woodenspooners]

Could Collingwood Hire some People who would work at Tennant Creek?

That's not easy to do.

If it's done properly, the people wouldn't just work in Tennant Creek, they'd have to travel around the region and visit communities (remember Barkly is as big as Victoria and Tasmania put together)

It's not easy to hire people to do that. Not everybody is in a position to just pack up and move somewhere else (they have a mortgage, kids in school, friends and family nearby). And those who can just pack up and move often prefer to go to places like Paris or Tuscany or New York ... than to Tennant Creek.

And those who can pack up and go, and are prepared to move to an outback town aren't always the kind of people you'd want to have out there.

So it could be a very difficult role to fill. Maybe it's something Josh Thomas and Lachlan Keeffe could do? Not sure if that'd be allowed in the rules.

As for recruiting people in Tennant creek? Not sure you'd have too many folks there with AFL training and development skills who would are looking for work. They'd have to be trained.

 

[TradeDraft]

That's not easy to do.

If it's done properly, the people wouldn't just work in Tennant Creek, they'd have to travel around the region and visit communities (remember Barkly is as big as Victoria and Tasmania put together)

It's not easy to hire people to do that. Not everybody is in a position to just pack up and move somewhere else (they have a mortgage, kids in school, friends and family nearby). And those who can just pack up and move often prefer to go to places like Paris or Tuscany or New York ... than to Tennant Creek.

And those who can pack up and go, and are prepared to move to an outback town aren't always the kind of people you'd want to have out there.

So it could be a very difficult role to fill. Maybe it's something Josh Thomas and Lachlan Keeffe could do? Not sure if that'd be allowed in the rules.

As for recruiting people in Tennant creek? Not sure you'd have too many folks there with AFL training and development skills who would are looking for work. They'd have to be trained.

Doubt Thomas and Keeffe can't do anything with Collingwood until November

 

[AmellyPies]

I'm doing some community work up in NT in the middle part of the year with local footy kids. I'll see if a trip to Barkley can be in order haha.

 

[TradeDraft]

I'm doing some community work up in NT in the middle part of the year with local footy kids. I'll see if a trip to Barkley can be in order haha.

That be Great. Would be cool to get someone up there to give us a Report

 

[AmellyPies]

That be Great. Would be cool to get someone up there to give us a Report

I'll try my best.

 

[Smokeyr67]

I'm doing some community work up in NT in the middle part of the year with local footy kids. I'll see if a trip to Barkley can be in order haha.

Make sure you sign em up

 

[AmellyPies]

Make sure you sign em up

Theres some freaks at footy up there. I did it last year and some of the 16-19 year olds are just amazing. Right guidance and mentoring and they'll be great to watch someday in AFL.

 

[Smokeyr67]

FNQ's the same, but unfortunately among the usual teenage distraction R/L gets their grubby little hooks into the talented kids and steals them from us.

 

[TradeDraft]

FNQ's the same, but unfortunately among the usual teenage distraction R/L gets their grubby little hooks into the talented kids and steals them from us.

Is Rugby League Big up in Barkley?

 

[TradeDraft]

Theres some freaks at footy up there. I did it last year and some of the 16-19 year olds are just amazing. Right guidance and mentoring and they'll be great to watch someday in AFL.

What made them Freaks?

 

[Smokeyr67]

Is Rugby League Big up in Barkley?

Nowhere near as big as in North Queensland.

 

[AmellyPies]

What made them Freaks?

Ability to read play, explosive pace, skills.

 

[noideaatall]

I completely agree with you, couldn't possibly agree more!

Not casting aspersions specifically at Collingwood, but I have seen what happens when not-for-profit organisations get their hands on development largesse, and it has made me a bit cynical about these things.

And it gets worse - holding onto a considerable percentage of the funds to cover "management expenses".

I can see that it can be difficult subject: you have a footy club with 80,000 'passionate' supporters who want to win a Premiership. Many wouldn't take too kindly to the club spending any of their own money or resources on non-core activities like this. Yes, the AFL has given us money to spend on this, but how much? And how do we split it with our activities in Oakleigh?

And if we do send people to Tennant Creek - who do we send? And how long for? Not everybody is in a position to pack up and go bush for a period of time. It probably takes two days travelling just to get there. And not everybody is suitable to do that kind of work - these things can very easily go pear shaped - you can't just send anybody.

And Tennant Creek already has the Clontarf academy which looks like it does a similar kind of thing. How do we dovetail in with that effectively?

These are all challenges, and they wouldn't think any of them are insurmountable. Just takes a bit of vision, a bit of homework, and a bit of creative thinking.

I believe this could represent a fantastic opportunity for Collingwood if we do it properly - which is the primary reason we should embrace it. And it also might do something good for the people of Barkly which would be a nice bonus.

Whatever we do make sure it has local support, ideally driven by the local community not some 'white fella from the city'
Strengthen what is already working, ie. Clontarf, whether that is in funds, equipment, expert coaching or visits from our players
Aim for long term solutions to barriers, not short term fixes, ie. rather than send up a heap of sherrins, co-fund an appropriate bus to bring the communities together for matches, etc
Send our players up to run clinics or whatever. The Clokes/Swannies of this world might learn something
Link in with programs promoting healthy lifestyles, drug free, etc

I believe this could represent a fantastic opportunity for Collingwood if we do it properly - which is the primary reason we should embrace it.

Couldn't agree more. It is a privilege and if we recognise that we might just be on a winner.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Whatever we do make sure it has local support, ...

Agree, that's absolutely essential.

... ideally driven by the local community not some 'white fella from the city'

As far as I can tell, this isn't specifically an indigenous development program - it'd cover pretty much everybody in Barkly (irrespective of the colour of their skin).

Your point still stands though, and completely agree - Collingwood should work with the community to develop the program, rather than impose something on them from afar. Takes good skills for somebody to do that effectively, which links back to my earlier comment about how not everybody is cut out to do it.

Strengthen what is already working, ie. Clontarf, whether that is in funds, equipment, expert coaching or visits from our players

Agree

Aim for long term solutions to barriers, not short term fixes, ie. rather than send up a heap of sherrins, co-fund an appropriate bus to bring the communities together for matches, etc

Completely agree with that. If the AFL has shown uncharacteristic vision, then they will have budgeted this program to run over a period of time (eg: $$$ per year, every year for five years - the duration of the broadcasting agreement).

It's awful to see the number of programs that go off with a bang, but there is no sustainability built into them. They often do more harm than good.

Send our players up to run clinics or whatever. The Clokes/Swannies of this world might learn something

Full squad offseason training camp IMO

Link in with programs promoting healthy lifestyles, drug free, etc

Yes, that's where Clontarf could come in.

Couldn't agree more. It is a privilege and if we recognise that we might just be on a winner.

 

[TradeDraft]

As far as I can tell, this isn't specifically an indigenous development program - it'd cover pretty much everybody in Barkly (irrespective of the colour of their skin).

It is a Aboriginal and Multicultural Development so it's not for everyone. But I say Majority of People in Barkely are Aboriginal

 

[AmellyPies]

It is a Aboriginal and Multicultural Development so it's not for everyone. But I say Majority of People in Barkely are Aboriginal

All races. It is for everyone.

 

[Apex36]

All races. It is for everyone.

Unless you're white.

 

[AmellyPies]

Unless you're white.

Don't start this s**t again.

 

[TradeDraft]

All races. It is for everyone.

IF it was everyone. They might as well bring the Old Zones System back

 

[Apex36]

Don't start this s**t again.

What s**t? I'm not making any complaints, just pointing out that this program is not actually for everyone as you implied. If it was, the AFL wouldn't have gone to the trouble of calling them 'indigenous and multicultural academies', they would just be called 'academies'.

 

[Pieeyeinthesky]

From that map it looks like ze Germans are coming.

Any notable ex AFL players hail from the Barkley region?

Richard Cole played some of his footy there!

 

[Pieeyeinthesky]

Just ho

Barkly's very own Dane Swan!

Just happens to be his first name is Dane!

 

[Pieeyeinthesky]

Eli

How old is he?

How old is he?

U18 age group this year.

 

[TradeDraft]

Eli


U18 age group this year.

Would he someone that could be part of a Collingwood Academy?

 

[Pieeyeinthesky]

AFL Barkly
Know anyone playing Premier League in the NTFL? Some great photos go up every week on the AFL Northern Territory Facebook page. Check them out! Matthew Green in this one doing some spoiling for Waratah yesterday.


January 27 at 9:14pm · Public
21 · Like · Comment · Share · Full Story · · Matthew Green from Barkly looks a big kid

Only 15. 186cm