No Oppo Supporters 2025 AFL General Discussion

[Callipygian]

I am walking on egg shells but
Jamarra is Aboriginal. We had a similar player drafted who was violent with his girlfriend. He was Aboriginal.
I have worked with Aboriginal people in prisons for a decade and a half.
They have told me things that make me believe in systemic problems ln Aboriginal society especially in urban places. They have enlightened me as to values that they hold dearly.

I am glad we traded in Rosas. I want Aboriginal players in the team.

Aboriginals were persecuted by whites ever since they landeed in Australia. I don't think they have ever recovered. The effects are still seen today. Their kids are not growing up in stable families. I am saying this in a general sense. Not everyone is the same.

There is still a long way to go to repair what was done historically. It may take another hundred years. Jamarra is the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more going on underneath.

I think there is a larger risk picking Aboriginal players from the draft.

I commend you for being brave enough to post about an issue that invites polemic.

I largely agree with what you have said - the main exception is the last sentence. There doesn't have to be a larger risk picking Indigenous players - that's what all the work recruiters do scouting prospective draftees is about. However, if you aren't willing to assume a larger risk then it will shrink the pool of Indigenous players to choose from. With prospective draftees, whether Indigenous or not, there will be times where it is worth taking a larger risk and other times that a club chooses not to. I don't think we should necessarily eschew risk entirely. For instance, I'm glad we gave Elijah Taylor a go. Equally I think it was the right decision to sack him after we had tried supporting him and he had gone off the rails repeatedly and in really significant ways.

I do think it is a good idea to put additional support around Indigenous kids (with their agreement) - perhaps in the form of Indigenous welfare managers like Jarred Hodges, who is employed at the Swans. It's also great to have someone like Micky O on our board, who is so involved with initiatives like the GO Foundation and can help guide the club's strategy on this type of thing. It's great to see Indigenous players flourishing in the AFL - it connects with a long history of Indigenous players in the game, it provides inspiring role models for Indigenous kids and makes it feel like a game that is inclusive for all, plus many Indigenous players play with so much skill, hardness and flair that is exciting to watch.

 

[bedford]

There was a discussion yesterday on SEN about the calendars and laughing about CC on the front of Carltons and Ollie and Wayward in ours and then someone in the know called in and said they are organised in May !

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I commend you for being brave enough to post about an issue that invites polemic.

I largely agree with what you have said - the main exception is the last sentence. There doesn't have to be a larger risk picking Indigenous players - that's what all the work recruiters do scouting prospective draftees is about. However, if you aren't willing to assume a larger risk then it will shrink the pool of Indigenous players to choose from. With prospective draftees, whether Indigenous or not, there will be times where it is worth taking a larger risk and other times that a club chooses not to. I don't think we should necessarily eschew risk entirely. For instance, I'm glad we gave Elijah Taylor a go. Equally I think it was the right decision to sack him after we had tried supporting him and he had gone off the rails repeatedly and in really significant ways.

I do think it is a good idea to put additional support around Indigenous kids (with their agreement) - perhaps in the form of Indigenous welfare managers like Jarred Hodges, who is employed at the Swans. It's also great to have someone like Micky O on our board, who is so involved with initiatives like the GO Foundation and can help guide the club's strategy on this type of thing. It's great to see Indigenous players flourishing in the AFL - it connects with a long history of Indigenous players in the game, it provides inspiring role models for Indigenous kids and makes it feel like a game that is inclusive for all, plus many Indigenous players play with so much skill, hardness and flair that is exciting to watch.

The Swans appear to have terrific support mechanisms & indeed look to be industry leading (or close to it). I’m proud of the club in that respect.

Which is why I am NOT glad we decided to give Elijah Taylor a go.
Despite all the support, he still bashed a woman. And the fact that no other club was willing to roll the dice and draft him, despite his talent, says their due diligence was right & we were wrong.

And don’t forget - another kid missed out on his dream of being drafted. We (and they) will never know what might have been.

 

[Callipygian]

The Swans appear to have terrific support mechanisms & indeed look to be industry leading (or close to it). I’m proud of the club in that respect.

Which is why I am NOT glad we decided to give Elijah Taylor a go.
Despite all the support, he still bashed a woman. And the fact that no other club was willing to roll the dice and draft him, despite his talent, says their due diligence was right & we were wrong.

And don’t forget - another kid missed out on his dream of being drafted. We (and they) will never know what might have been.

Sure we do. Among others, Geelong drafted Shaun Mannagh and we drafted Riley Bice and they are having lovely AFL careers after biding their time and girding their loins in lower levels of footy. Swings and roundabouts. They weren't ready then.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Sure we do. Among others, Geelong drafted Shaun Mannagh and we drafted Riley Bice and they are having lovely AFL careers after biding their time and girding their loins in lower levels of footy. Swings and roundabouts. They weren't ready then.

I would argue that Elijah Taylor wasn’t ready & there would have been a number of kids that were - if given the chance that Taylor wasted.

Anyway, it’s a philosophical debate now. What’s done is done.

 

[Kiama Chris]

I would argue that Elijah Taylor wasn’t ready & there would have been a number of kids that were - if given the chance that Taylor wasted.

Anyway, it’s a philosophical debate now. What’s done is done.

Regardless of the reasons why some succeed and some fail. There's an element of lottery about it which every club tried to minimise but it still exists.