96 delisted - how deep is the player pool

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Aug 14, 2011
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Quick count says the clubs have delisted 96 players. Not including the retired.

How deep is the player pool when each club carries dead wood, an average of 5 players per club.

Its the equivalent of 2 clubs full lists, yet we still see calls for more clubs, all of whom were playing 2nd tier footy last year.
 

NoobPie

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Sep 21, 2016
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Quick count says the clubs have delisted 96 players. Not including the retired.

How deep is the player pool when each club carries dead wood, an average of 5 players per club.

Its the equivalent of 2 clubs full lists, yet we still see calls for more clubs, all of whom were playing 2nd tier footy last year.

I would say that is a pretty standard turnover of players. It implies about 1/8th of lists each year
 
Quick count says the clubs have delisted 96 players. Not including the retired.

How deep is the player pool when each club carries dead wood, an average of 5 players per club.

Its the equivalent of 2 clubs full lists, yet we still see calls for more clubs, all of whom were playing 2nd tier footy last year.
Don't think its that simple K.

I assume you got that count from this page on the AFL Website

Just going through the Port list, its not as simple as saying 8 delisting, means the players weren't all not AFL standard

Cam Hewett (del) - Rookie had 4 x 1 year rookie contracts, not good enough
Kai Pudney (del) - CAT B rookie NGA player Japanese heritage, only 1 year on list. Bit of a BS decision IMO.

Aidyn Johnson (del) -n4 years on AFL list, only 11 games, not good enough

Matthew Broadbent (del) - 11 years in the AFL, injuries the last 2 years ended his career, 171 game
Jack Trengove (del) - 10 years in the AFL, but foot injuries hampered the #2 2009 draft pick's career 89 games

Sam Gray (DFA) - asked for a longer contract than club offered, played game of bluff Swans picked him up for free

Riley Grundy (del) *** because of the dopey rules about pts associated to father son bids, we had to clear our
Boyd Woodcock (del) * list to have enough free spots to offer 52,55 and 65 for any bid by other clubs on Jackson ****************** Mead, so we cut these 2 players and offered to redraft them in the rookie draft. Both ****************** were picks in 70's last year.

Billy Frampton (trd) - played 4 games in 5 years, wanted more opportunities and crows gave him 3 years
Paddy Ryder (trd) - wanted 2 years, we only offered 1
Dougal Howard (trd) - got a better offer from St Kilda and we wanted another first round pick
 

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BringBackTorps

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Jan 5, 2017
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Quick count says the clubs have delisted 96 players. Not including the retired.
How deep is the player pool when each club carries dead wood, an average of 5 players per club.
You did not rebut, or even challenge, my assertions I put to you in post # 1592 below on the depth topic. My assertions are logical, & disproved your claim about insufficient depth if we go to 19 teams.

Do you care to challenge or rebut my assertions in post #1592?

Regd. adult player nos.are FAR greater than ever before- we even now have 100+ AFL players drafted from NSW, ACT, Qld & NT. The average skill level of the U18 NAB League & elite school AF is FAR greater than ever before, the skill levels of the average AFL player is FAR greater than ever before.

A full time professional player who is currently considered to be the 23 rd best player on an AFL List would be FAR more skilled than the 18 th best part time player from 1990.

Adding a 19th team (probably Tasmania) would result in c. 1/18th drop in average skill levels- hardly noticeable.
However, IMO it would be preferable to revert to only 2 on the bench- this would result in 36 of the least skilled players not getting a game (NOTE- these 36 still have better average skills than the average part time 1990 AFL player).
 
Last edited:
Aug 14, 2011
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West Coast
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Don't think its that simple K.

I assume you got that count from this page on the AFL Website

You are right on both counts just as I ignored the retirements, some werent voluntary.

My point is the depth of the player pool for AFL footy as it will be if more teams are added/added/added.

Its actually not about the 96 delistings per se. Every list today has (IMHO) 5 duds, add 2 more teams & we will all end up with 10.
 
Aug 14, 2011
44,794
16,853
Trafalgar
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Mclaren Mercedes F1
Don't think its that simple K.

I assume you got that count from this page on the AFL Website

Just going through the Port list, its not as simple as saying 8 delisting, means the players weren't all not AFL standard

Cam Hewett (del) - Rookie had 4 x 1 year rookie contracts, not good enough
Kai Pudney (del) - CAT B rookie NGA player Japanese heritage, only 1 year on list. Bit of a BS decision IMO.

Aidyn Johnson (del) -n4 years on AFL list, only 11 games, not good enough

Matthew Broadbent (del) - 11 years in the AFL, injuries the last 2 years ended his career, 171 game
Jack Trengove (del) - 10 years in the AFL, but foot injuries hampered the #2 2009 draft pick's career 89 games

Sam Gray (DFA) - asked for a longer contract than club offered, played game of bluff Swans picked him up for free

Riley Grundy (del) *** because of the dopey rules about pts associated to father son bids, we had to clear our
Boyd Woodcock (del) * list to have enough free spots to offer 52,55 and 65 for any bid by other clubs on Jackson ****************** Mead, so we cut these 2 players and offered to redraft them in the rookie draft. Both ****************** were picks in 70's last year.

Billy Frampton (trd) - played 4 games in 5 years, wanted more opportunities and crows gave him 3 years
Paddy Ryder (trd) - wanted 2 years, we only offered 1
Dougal Howard (trd) - got a better offer from St Kilda and we wanted another first round pick

I accept mine was a overly simplistic take on delisting/depth of the list/player pool.

Seems there is a bit of a move to rid the lists of dead wood heading up to the next EBA/media rights round:

Reeks of moving the deck chairs on the Titanic, e.g :
The belief is greater list consistency across the state leagues, including the SANFL and WAFL, would be required if the AFL was to adopt 'two-way' players, like the United States' NBA.

One idea, which is very much in its infancy – and with no decision imminent – is for the primary and rookie lists to be combined and overall playing numbers per club to be cut.
Among the other suggestions is a less drastic reduction to 40.

Those who want more teams/more 2nd tier footballers might take note.
 

AstroboyUK

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Apr 25, 2008
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Well, thats one way of looking at it certainly: but just as equally, doesn't it mean theres as many as 90 odd players pushing up from below who are taking their place. its as much about new talent available isnt it. We've got 2 whole lists of new players with potential to take the next step and be better than 90 players from teh previous year.. So that's not a shallow talent pool at all. That's serious competition.

Not saying Im right or you are wrong: but there is an element of glass half full vs glass half empty in this.
 

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