I tend to go for blind optimism myself but whatever works.
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List Mgmt. 2026 Young Talent Time
- Thread starter Tonga Bob
- Start date
- Tagged users None
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The draft doesn’t exist to divide talent equally between all clubs. That’s a common misconception that is very persistent in the minds of some fans.
The AFL only cares about money. What’s important for them is to have evenly matched games.
Do not confuse that with equalisation. That’s a totally different thing. Equalisation suggest the draft is providing every team the same chance to win a flag within a given 18 year period. How romantic that sounds!
The reality is very different. You could be a mildly competitive team that finishes 11th to 14th every year for 50 years in a row. Winning occasional upset games against better teams while never really contending but also never really getting badly beaten too often.
In this scenario - you’ll never see a priority pick or a draft concession.
On the other hand you could win 4 premierships in a row then a few years later win 4 wooden spoons in a row and within a 10 or 12 year period you have the highest of highs but also the lowest of lows. In this scenario - you’ll get plenty AFL assistance and priority picks at the draft.
It’s mostly all about TV rights and a team getting whacked every week by 70 won’t make for good tv so they’ll get AFL assistance very quickly indeed. See west coast last year.
The AFL only cares about money. What’s important for them is to have evenly matched games.
Do not confuse that with equalisation. That’s a totally different thing. Equalisation suggest the draft is providing every team the same chance to win a flag within a given 18 year period. How romantic that sounds!
The reality is very different. You could be a mildly competitive team that finishes 11th to 14th every year for 50 years in a row. Winning occasional upset games against better teams while never really contending but also never really getting badly beaten too often.
In this scenario - you’ll never see a priority pick or a draft concession.
On the other hand you could win 4 premierships in a row then a few years later win 4 wooden spoons in a row and within a 10 or 12 year period you have the highest of highs but also the lowest of lows. In this scenario - you’ll get plenty AFL assistance and priority picks at the draft.
It’s mostly all about TV rights and a team getting whacked every week by 70 won’t make for good tv so they’ll get AFL assistance very quickly indeed. See west coast last year.
Great post. All too true.
WA football is in crisis.
Junior participation is on the decline, number and quality of draftees are decreasing, and TV numbers getting worse.
WAFC funding has been reduced as West Coast and Fremantle royalties are less.
AFL is starting to understand but it might be too late. Also, the Northern states are more of priority, and any crumbs won't stop the tidal wave coming.
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Moving to the new stadium has increased costs. Subiaco was fully owned by the WAFC.
Revenue has increased but the profits are still tight.
- Aug 17, 2009
- 4,026
- 6,887
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- Fremantle
I assume it is still true that wafl juniors is rife with nepotism.
Maybe a junior comp not controlled by the wafl clubs, and funded by the afl, might be a better model for WA talent development. Probably still based at the wafl clubs and within the zone system, just not run by them?
AFL more likely to want to tip money in to something they can control.
Maybe we say that all of WA falls into the northern academy zones?
Maybe a junior comp not controlled by the wafl clubs, and funded by the afl, might be a better model for WA talent development. Probably still based at the wafl clubs and within the zone system, just not run by them?
AFL more likely to want to tip money in to something they can control.
Maybe we say that all of WA falls into the northern academy zones?
WAFL want control and status quo and want more funding for the AFL.
AFL doesn’t want to fund WAFL clubs and want to control the system.
Both seem to be pig headed about it, while WA football is falling apart.
AFL want to run football all over Australia. Not bits and pieces but all of Australia.
Juniors, second tier, state comps, country.
.
ALL Aussie rules.
They make better players and better umpires (or more accurately.. any umpire that's not from East Freo is lucky to breath the same air as them), quite literally East Fremantle are flat out superior at junior level.
But they too still can't run away from the stench of nepotism, I've seen good players frozen out because once the inevitable super team is created for each age group - they want their mates to fill the fringe roles, and of course coaches filled with parents oblige. If they was a way to make it more structured overall, it's definitely going to need the AFL's help because whatever they've been doing so far is lukewarm at best.
They do for sure.
WAFL clubs are mostly interested in league success. Junior development is just a vehicle to get solid league players.
One premiership in the last 25 years?
Over the last five years:
- Claremont - 16 draftees
- Subiaco - 12 draftees
- Peel - 11 draftees
- East Fremantle 8 draftees
- East Perth - 6 draftees
- Perth - 6 draftees
- West Perth - 4 draftees
My apologies Taylor - as a literal Swan Districts born person I should probably know better.
Anyway the number is apparently was 8.
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RedmanWasHere
Rarely in kitchens at parties.
- Aug 23, 2010
- 30,578
- 37,871
- AFL Club
- Essendon
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- Exers, Gryffindor, Rich+Ess AFLW, Tassie
Too many close (or evenly matched) games are when I grow suspicious.
Especially in the 100-80 points range.
Piggy Smalls
Sepultura rules
- Nov 30, 2018
- 9,355
- 23,893
- AFL Club
- Fremantle
They've basically made the term Aussie Rules redundant and monopolised the game for the sole objective of profit.
That is why the real name, Australian rules, Aussie rules , must be used where possible
