Is this different to previous years?
Do they work on skills?
Individual programs?
You appear to know more than I do. What is the difference between this and the Vic program?
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List Mgmt. 2026 Young Talent Time
- Thread starter Tonga Bob
- Start date
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Is this different to previous years?
Do they work on skills?
Individual programs?
You appear to know more than I do. What is the difference between this and the Vic program?
- May 26, 2014
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Ollie MacManus was eligible for this year, wasn't he? I didn't realise we could keep players in the academy after we passed on them.
Yeah. You can. It's good because Oliver started to show a bit, especially when he started spending more time in the midfield, but then he got injured just before finals and missed the rest of the season.
Rules have just changed I'm pretty sure.
Used to be that if a father son prospect nominated for the draft and was overlooked they wouldn't be eligible the following year. That's now changed so if McManus has a great year and is overlooked and/or does not nominate for the MSD we can add him as a father son next year.
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#BallMagnet
The Sherrin Whisperer
Not sure why it's only the club tied affiliated kids that get the additional AFL exposure above and beyond the Academy program level kids. Are they seen as better prospects, or just that they get better entitlements? You might as well just let the AFL clubs bring in all State Academy kids a year earlier and give them all the same exposure and opportunities via an AFL preseason together and at times throughout their draft year. This way the State Programs benefit overall and it gives recruiters and clubs an earlier indication on all prospects, and not just a select few.
I expect this occurs across most states. Maybe NSW and Qld being the exception as I think their Academies are more closely tied with their AFL affiliates from a few years out, giving them a greater body of work to view to help make list and draft decisions.
lukedean16
Debutant
- Oct 5, 2024
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Am I the only one that has this sneaky suspicion that Robinson will slide into the 2nd or 3rd round by th draft next year?
- Apr 19, 2022
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I'm waiting for the state champs to finish
- Aug 17, 2009
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He isn’t even rated a first round prospect outside this board is he? Pretty sure he didn’t make Twomey’s futures list.
But anyway it all depends how he goes this year.
He also didn't make the 2026 AFL Academy, which is normally a decent reference point for the majority of the players that get drafted one year out (for reference: Toby Whan and Fred Rodriguez made it into that squad previously).
As everyone is saying, will need to wait and see, particularly for his results at the State Championships but also at the combine. Where / if he gets drafted will probably not only be influenced by what he can put on the field at a national level, but also the direction that recruiting trends go, which will probably be influenced by what is seen to succeed at AFL level in 2026 itself.
#BallMagnet
The Sherrin Whisperer
10 lads in the 2025 AFL Academy missed selection in the ND. Goes to show that the Academy is just a mechanism to ensure that all states, F/S, NGA & Academy are represented to show that the AFL is a true National competition. Not necessarily the best kids.
Plenty of good kids get overlooked but get little exposure, opportunities or media attention. Good recruiters will find those hidden gems that better suit today’s style of game.
Plenty of good kids get overlooked but get little exposure, opportunities or media attention. Good recruiters will find those hidden gems that better suit today’s style of game.
- May 26, 2003
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My nephew lives just out of Byron Bay and GC get those kids too. He's just turned 13, and has already spent a year playing in a GC development group. He's had skills and game play overseen by the club and run by current players (mostly those playing VFL) at Carrara, showered with heaps of merch, and basically made to feel like a part of the set-up. They get them young. He's still a mad Collingwood supporter (despite my best efforts to turn him purple).
Just a question for the "The Panel"
Can there ever be an umcompromised draft?
With The Devils coming, F&S and academies, then also add the AFL factor of granting the struggling teams draft presents.
Case in point, the Yellas.Christmas certainly came ealy for them.
And in previous years, and for many years, VFL clubs have been lifted by being granted top ten selections.And many of these clubs ahve been basket cases for many years.Sledom improved, and still having their hand our.
Compomised draft in my opinion is set in concrete forever.
Can there ever be an umcompromised draft?
With The Devils coming, F&S and academies, then also add the AFL factor of granting the struggling teams draft presents.
Case in point, the Yellas.Christmas certainly came ealy for them.
And in previous years, and for many years, VFL clubs have been lifted by being granted top ten selections.And many of these clubs ahve been basket cases for many years.Sledom improved, and still having their hand our.
Compomised draft in my opinion is set in concrete forever.
#BallMagnet
The Sherrin Whisperer
I’d like to maybe see the draft split into affiliated and non affiliated groups.
Run the affiliated draft earlier with the leftovers rolling into the open draft and clubs lose any tied access.
Seems pointless to have Cochrane & Walker even in the 26’ draft considering they were locked into their respective AFL clubs already 12+ Months out.
- Aug 17, 2009
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Freo need to grow a pair and push for a properly equalised competition.
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Yes, because we are a powerhouse and when we speak the AFL listens.
We should also push for world peace.
Taylor
Community Leader
- Moderator
- #71
The draft is designed to equalise access to talent over a cycle of eighteen years, but the AFL has no patience for that and both changes the rules and interferes in access almost every year for the past decade.
Given that is known, expecting it to change to make it fairer for Freo is not sane.
Freo exists to split talent from West Coast so they don't have half their players paid minimum salary and working for Seven and Crown on the side.
Don't change the rules before we get to benefit. The rest of the clubs will get to keep theirs.
It's literally watching everyone else climb a ladder up to the party in the attic and then saying it's too easy to get up there, so they pull the ladder up and leave us standing at the bottom feeling all honourable about how hard it is to get into the party attic now.
Just leave the system alone for twenty years and clubs will sort themselves out. Rubbish clubs will lose money, their boards will fire coaches and recruiting staff to change their circumstances.
Currently the system will let you be rubbish at drafting, trade everything else for a push at a flag and then when you have no players and don't win they give you extra picks.
Stupid. Let those who light their boats on fire drown.
Given that is known, expecting it to change to make it fairer for Freo is not sane.
Freo exists to split talent from West Coast so they don't have half their players paid minimum salary and working for Seven and Crown on the side.
Don't change the rules before we get to benefit. The rest of the clubs will get to keep theirs.
It's literally watching everyone else climb a ladder up to the party in the attic and then saying it's too easy to get up there, so they pull the ladder up and leave us standing at the bottom feeling all honourable about how hard it is to get into the party attic now.
Just leave the system alone for twenty years and clubs will sort themselves out. Rubbish clubs will lose money, their boards will fire coaches and recruiting staff to change their circumstances.
Currently the system will let you be rubbish at drafting, trade everything else for a push at a flag and then when you have no players and don't win they give you extra picks.
Stupid. Let those who light their boats on fire drown.
- Aug 17, 2009
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Could apply that same flawed logic in heaps of ways - we aren’t a powerhouse club (whatever that even is) so let’s not try to win a flag
Probably doesn’t help Garlic wants to work at the afl, doubt he has an appetite to make any waves.
Believe me, the AFL listened to what we put forward this season. That is how we got the extra stay at home games this year. We made the play to win the rights to have the Road Kill play home games here.
Yes, they are listening.
Getting that concession was ALL about Fremantle, had nothing what so ever to do with the Yellas from down the road.The wheel has turned.
Your cynisism is misplaced.
Just leave the system alone for twenty years and clubs will sort themselves out. Rubbish clubs will lose money, their boards will fire coaches and recruiting staff to change their circumstances.
This sadly is the problem.The rubbish clubs will lose money, as they have done since the mob up the road got their licence.AND, they will keep getting bailed out financially, and player wise.Thes two things have to stop to make the correction.
Make them pay for themselves or send them elsewhere.
This is one of the reasons there is an equality in the draft etc.
One day some maybe not so smart a commissioner of the AFL will think, hey hang on, why are we continuing to prop up thei mob of Road Kill. They have been insolvent since before 1987.He will think it, but will he have the guts to pull the rug out from under them!! .That is the question.
This sadly is the problem.The rubbish clubs will lose money, as they have done since the mob up the road got their licence.AND, they will keep getting bailed out financially, and player wise.Thes two things have to stop to make the correction.
Make them pay for themselves or send them elsewhere.
This is one of the reasons there is an equality in the draft etc.
One day some maybe not so smart a commissioner of the AFL will think, hey hang on, why are we continuing to prop up thei mob of Road Kill. They have been insolvent since before 1987.He will think it, but will he have the guts to pull the rug out from under them!! .That is the question.
Cynicism is what gets me through the day.
