2nds Official Swans Academy Thread (Player News and Discussion)

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Totally agree. The academies are NOT about Errol Gulden, but about the other several hundred kids in that year who do not play League footy.

The thing that doesn't get talked about re the academies is what I call statewide footy IQ.
Some years ago when I took my eldest son to Auskick, one of the dads was trying to teach handball. Good on him for volunteering but he had NFI whatsoever and told me he had never played the game. That would not happen in Victoria, where there are a gazillion dads who played the game at very high levels, teaching their kids. So, in Victoria there is a high footy IQ, with kids having access to good coaching at all levels.
That is not the case in NSW. The academy boys will become dads, and pass on that knowledge. So the standard of junior coaching in NSW will naturally improve. That means the skills of the kids will be better. That means that the number of kids talented enough to play League footy will increase.
Thus, the academies increase the general footy IQ of NSW, which means participation rates, as players and supporters will increase, and that can only be a good thing.
In the meantime, the Northern Academies provide the footy IQ that is not within the community. This is the fundamental point that Victorians don't seem to understand.

I have firsthand experience as a player in the 90s (I used to double hand drop the ball when kicking and noticed the players on tv used one hand to guide the ball down so I taught myself to change my kicking action!!) and as a coach only 5 years ago.

I coached under 16/17s in western Sydney and most of the coaches below my grade were almost all parents who had never played the game. One of them was a Canadian expat!! They meant well but just lacked the football nous that I had to try and fix as they entered the 16/17 age group (bloody hard to do once they are that age!).

I miss coaching (and playing, getting too old for that).
 
I have firsthand experience as a player in the 90s (I used to double hand drop the ball when kicking and noticed the players on tv used one hand to guide the ball down so I taught myself to change my kicking action!!) and as a coach only 5 years ago.

I coached under 16/17s in western Sydney and most of the coaches below my grade were almost all parents who had never played the game. One of them was a Canadian expat!! They meant well but just lacked the football nous that I had to try and fix as they entered the 16/17 age group (bloody hard to do once they are that age!).

I miss coaching (and playing, getting too old for that).

I remember coaching U13s a few years back. Two new kids were good players, really good skills except kicking. They were terrible kicks, always round the corner. Had a look at them. Both left footers, but their ball drop was guided by their right hand.
They had been coached for five years, but no one picked this up. As you say, well meaning but no idea.
It took a lot of practice to get them out of this habit.
 

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I have firsthand experience as a player in the 90s (I used to double hand drop the ball when kicking and noticed the players on tv used one hand to guide the ball down so I taught myself to change my kicking action!!) and as a coach only 5 years ago.

I coached under 16/17s in western Sydney and most of the coaches below my grade were almost all parents who had never played the game. One of them was a Canadian expat!! They meant well but just lacked the football nous that I had to try and fix as they entered the 16/17 age group (bloody hard to do once they are that age!).

I miss coaching (and playing, getting too old for that).

Hey TheMase go those Emu Lions, Penrith Swans, St Clair Crows, Blue Mountains Kangas and the Rams. I previously worked for AFL NSW with Caroline Watson when at uni to run primary school clinics and the hardest part was getting past school Admin Ladies who would flat out refuse access to school principles saying they were "NRL schools" and access was blocked. No way would that ever happen in Victoria.

AFL has come a long way since my time in the Western Suburbs but there is still a huge amount of work to be done before academies and coaches can bring the skill level anywhere near the Southern and Western states for footy IQ.
 
Hey TheMase go those Emu Lions, Penrith Swans, St Clair Crows, Blue Mountains Kangas and the Rams. I previously worked for AFL NSW with Caroline Watson when at uni to run primary school clinics and the hardest part was getting past school Admin Ladies who would flat out refuse access to school principles saying they were "NRL schools" and access was blocked. No way would that ever happen in Victoria.

AFL has come a long way since my time in the Western Suburbs but there is still a huge amount of work to be done before academies and coaches can bring the skill level anywhere near the Southern and Western states for footy IQ.

Haha nailed it straight up (Emu).

Oh and totally understand the school piece, once again I have a first hand and pretty disgusting account of this.

I went to a high school on the northern side of the central coast. At my school of 1300 kids, only 3 of us played Australian Rules and one was my brother.

I played a bit of rep footy and had some connections therefore through the school programs. As a year 10 student (1998) I tried to organise to start a school team:
I organised...
- forms to the school for application
- gained 25 or so kids who wanted to participate
- got a hold of guernseys we could use
- was going to coach the team myself

The school did nothing. Lost the forms, made excuses etc. a very ordinary way to treat one of their students who was prepared to do most of the legwork.
 
Haha nailed it straight up (Emu).

Oh and totally understand the school piece, once again I have a first hand and pretty disgusting account of this.

I went to a high school on the northern side of the central coast. At my school of 1300 kids, only 3 of us played Australian Rules and one was my brother.

I played a bit of rep footy and had some connections therefore through the school programs. As a year 10 student (1998) I tried to organise to start a school team:
I organised...
- forms to the school for application
- gained 25 or so kids who wanted to participate
- got a hold of guernseys we could use
- was going to coach the team myself

The school did nothing. Lost the forms, made excuses etc. a very ordinary way to treat one of their students who was prepared to do most of the legwork.
Mase you should post this onto MB academy thread as an example of what we have to deal with up here.
 
I get why supporters of other clubs don't wear that 'development/participation' is a fair reason for the academy bidding system

But, I haven't heard one rational argument as to why academy system isn't a fair balance to the inherent disadvantage faced by Northern clubs in attracting and retaining talent.
 
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Haha nailed it straight up (Emu).

Oh and totally understand the school piece, once again I have a first hand and pretty disgusting account of this.

I went to a high school on the northern side of the central coast. At my school of 1300 kids, only 3 of us played Australian Rules and one was my brother.

I played a bit of rep footy and had some connections therefore through the school programs. As a year 10 student (1998) I tried to organise to start a school team:
I organised...
- forms to the school for application
- gained 25 or so kids who wanted to participate
- got a hold of guernseys we could use
- was going to coach the team myself

The school did nothing. Lost the forms, made excuses etc. a very ordinary way to treat one of their students who was prepared to do most of the legwork.
I'm an old James Ruse boy who was one of three boys in the whole school who played Aussie Rules. In 1980 we had a teacher who was a footy fan and he organised to get us into the state knockout comp if I could get a team together. We got a team but only three of us knew how to play! I finished school that year and they never fielded a team again.
PS. In our only game we lost by a point after I touched the ball from the mark on a shot at goal but the umpire (who was our teacher/coach) called it as a goal. Later he said that he thought he heard the touch but didn't want to call it as it would look like he was biased.
It's not like I still carry that...
 
I'm an old James Ruse boy who was one of three boys in the whole school who played Aussie Rules. In 1980 we had a teacher who was a footy fan and he organised to get us into the state knockout comp if I could get a team together. We got a team but only three of us knew how to play! I finished school that year and they never fielded a team again.
PS. In our only game we lost by a point after I touched the ball from the mark on a shot at goal but the umpire (who was our teacher/coach) called it as a goal. Later he said that he thought he heard the touch but didn't want to call it as it would look like he was biased.
It's not like I still carry that...
Wow James Ruse... dunno about the status back in the 1980s but thats a big achievement to get in that school regardless ;)
 

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Do we have any bright prospects over the next 2 drafts coming through the Academy?

I think the consensus was not many top line talents this year but some real possibles for 2022. There is a poster that drops in every now and again who I am sure mentioned that.

Could be wrong.
 
Dont know who the players are!
f6f7f8547f588aa065d5a84d0362299a.jpg


Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
 
Dont know who the players are!
f6f7f8547f588aa065d5a84d0362299a.jpg


Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
From what I think W.Sabolch & Mitchell Kunigiskis.

Few other speculative picks too but I'm no recruiter so idk. These are the kids who stood out to me.

Will be able to make a more coherent judgement post the championships
 
From what I think W.Sabolch & Mitchell Kunigiskis.

Few other speculative picks too but I'm no recruiter so idk. These are the kids who stood out to me.

Will be able to make a more coherent judgement post the championships

Mate if we continue with our good form academies will probably be self destructed even tho its round 3 and we haven't won anything.
 
Mate if we continue with our good form academies will probably be self destructed even tho its round 3 and we haven't won anything.
Our academy has only produced a Mark of the Year and Rising Star award.

That's it. Not even a single AA nomination. Big picture is that they need to stay and be supported
 
From what I think W.Sabolch & Mitchell Kunigiskis.

Few other speculative picks too but I'm no recruiter so idk. These are the kids who stood out to me.

Will be able to make a more coherent judgement post the championships

What sort of players are Sabolch and Kunigiskis?

Also side not I can only imagine how many times I am going to butcher the spelling of both names for the next 15 years if both are drafted.
 
What sort of players are Sabolch and Kunigiskis?

Also side not I can only imagine how many times I am going to butcher the spelling of both names for the next 15 years if both are drafted.

Found some footage of him. Courtesy of himself!

Be nice he is probably reading all of this lol


Has a bit of zip.
 

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