Academy Rorts - The 2025 Draft Thread

[briztoon]

Don't take this personally #briztoon , but ....

Why aren't there any replays of the Championship games ? .... What does the AFL they think they are hiding ??

It's just you're the only person with Draft in his description to whom I have any access !

Try searching here.

AFL Play

Footy, your way! This is AFL PLAY

www.youtube.com

 

[briztoon]

U16's currently whomping GCS.

 

[Miller1971]

I didn't watch yesterday's U18 championships game, but Prindable seems to have done alright, 18 disposals, 7 tackles, 2 clearances and a goal. Annable was good as usual, 23 disposals, 5 tackles, 5 clearances. Maybe Prindable is earning himself a spot on the list for next season, whether as a draft pick or replacing Brain on the Cat B list. I think he'd be tracking towards being a late draft pick seeing as this isn't considered a good draft.

Funny thing about Prindable is he is the opposite of what the academies are trying to sell.

"wouldn't be playing if it weren't for academy"

This kid has been a star for 3 or 4 years. I know for certain that his club was pushing him towards the academy and it consistently fell on deaf ears. I also know that fellow poster on here Tommo42 was big on him and pushed him to the academy and they continued to ignore him.

As I understand it, he goes to St Laurences College and Luke Hodge and Josh Dunkley coach their school team, and they then pushed him towards the academy and someone finally listened and he was brought in late for this year as a top ager and was immediately in their best handful.

I'm a supporter of the academies, but this kid has had zero development from the academy and zero interest - another Harris Andrews story where arrogant academy selectors didn't like missing talent, so stubbornly ignored the 20 people that were telling them they missed one. Someone with influence got involved late and he has proven them all correct, and some local academy cronie looks silly again (but will keep their full time job)

 

[Miller1971]

Saints and the other clubs down south do not get this simple fact: without the academies, these players (by and large) would not be playing AFL (or even footy in some cases).

They're supposed to invest all that into players then let them go wherever? Wake up, Ross.

I do think the discount needs to be abolished, but clubs still deserve first dibs. This is the way of the future with Aussie Rules making headway in the northern states.

Reckon some want it to go back to the VFL days.

- from a long-suffering QLD Blues supporter

I am a long suffering Sainta, living in QLD for over 30 years with a fair bit of previous involvement in footy up here (none now).

I am a huge supporter of the Northern Academies, but what I will say now with conviction is that there are very very few kids in the Lions or Suns academies who wouldn't be playing footy if it weren't for academies.

I just don't see it. While the Swans have a couple of good stories in Heeney and Mills, up here there have been quite a few really good ones that went the other way. Isreal Leota was one that would have been a star, but stuck with Rugby League and is with the Broncos. There are a few others that dabbled in footy, but weren't good enough. The other issue is that the Lions treat it like a rep program, not a development process. So if a kid from basketball/rugby or some other sport comes over, if they don't actually get selected for a carnival or something, then they just get turfed out. There is no cross code development or one on one specific coaching - it has simply morphed into a rep program. It should be an ID program where a kid with a specific profile might get identified and developed into a player, but instead its just 'come train and if you're not ready to play or be picked for the next carnival or game' then see you later.

Missed opportunity, especially with the African population up here.

 

[Matty411]

I am a long suffering Sainta, living in QLD for over 30 years with a fair bit of previous involvement in footy up here (none now).

I am a huge supporter of the Northern Academies, but what I will say now with conviction is that there are very very few kids in the Lions or Suns academies who wouldn't be playing footy if it weren't for academies.

I just don't see it. While the Swans have a couple of good stories in Heeney and Mills, up here there have been quite a few really good ones that went the other way. Isreal Leota was one that would have been a star, but stuck with Rugby League and is with the Broncos. There are a few others that dabbled in footy, but weren't good enough. The other issue is that the Lions treat it like a rep program, not a development process. So if a kid from basketball/rugby or some other sport comes over, if they don't actually get selected for a carnival or something, then they just get turfed out. There is no cross code development or one on one specific coaching - it has simply morphed into a rep program. It should be an ID program where a kid with a specific profile might get identified and developed into a player, but instead its just 'come train and if you're not ready to play or be picked for the next carnival or game' then see you later.

Missed opportunity, especially with the African population up here.

Thanks for the insights. I'm still for the clubs getting first dibs, but the discount is totally unnecessary.

 

[Miller1971]

yep, pretty much my feelings exactly

First dibs on them, but pay fair price. If you have an abundance of talent coming through in one year, then you will likely know that at least 12 months in advance, so trade accordingly to be in a position to get them all.

 

[mpal6]

Funny thing about Prindable is he is the opposite of what the academies are trying to sell.

"wouldn't be playing if it weren't for academy"

This kid has been a star for 3 or 4 years. I know for certain that his club was pushing him towards the academy and it consistently fell on deaf ears. I also know that fellow poster on here Tommo42 was big on him and pushed him to the academy and they continued to ignore him.

As I understand it, he goes to St Laurences College and Luke Hodge and Josh Dunkley coach their school team, and they then pushed him towards the academy and someone finally listened and he was brought in late for this year as a top ager and was immediately in their best handful.

I'm a supporter of the academies, but this kid has had zero development from the academy and zero interest - another Harris Andrews story where arrogant academy selectors didn't like missing talent, so stubbornly ignored the 20 people that were telling them they missed one. Someone with influence got involved late and he has proven them all correct, and some local academy cronie looks silly again (but will keep their full time job)

who are these arrogant academy selectors?

feels like worth sending an email to club saying these people shouldn't let their pride get in the way of getting talent through the door. What's the big deal if someone else identifies a young player? what's so wrong in getting good or great talent regardless of which pathway or reference they come from. Sounds so silly.

 

[Miller1971]

regional managers mostly, though never heard a positive word about the u16 coach. Mitch Hahn

Mitch Hahn

Age

44

Ht

188cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

2.6

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

0.2

3star

G

0.0

1star

may have a few detractors, but is doing a good job in my view.

I believe the change from Luke Curran to the hat guy from the Grand Final has been a positive move from what I am hearing.

human nature overcomes, no matter what the field. If you're arrogant, you're arrogant - obviously it shouldn't matter who spots the talent, but it certainly does.

 

[Darren Downunder]

Thanks for the insights. I'm still for the clubs getting first dibs, but the discount is totally unnecessary.

I reckon the discount in Academies, NGAs and father sons could be used as a equalising measure.
20% discount for bottom 6 teams
10% discount for middle 6 teams
And zero for top 6 teams.
Just my two cents.

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

Funny thing about Prindable is he is the opposite of what the academies are trying to sell.

"wouldn't be playing if it weren't for academy"

This kid has been a star for 3 or 4 years. I know for certain that his club was pushing him towards the academy and it consistently fell on deaf ears. I also know that fellow poster on here Tommo42 was big on him and pushed him to the academy and they continued to ignore him.

As I understand it, he goes to St Laurences College and Luke Hodge and Josh Dunkley coach their school team, and they then pushed him towards the academy and someone finally listened and he was brought in late for this year as a top ager and was immediately in their best handful.

I'm a supporter of the academies, but this kid has had zero development from the academy and zero interest - another Harris Andrews story where arrogant academy selectors didn't like missing talent, so stubbornly ignored the 20 people that were telling them they missed one. Someone with influence got involved late and he has proven them all correct, and some local academy cronie looks silly again (but will keep their full time job)

 

[Clarkythelion]

I am a long suffering Sainta, living in QLD for over 30 years with a fair bit of previous involvement in footy up here (none now).

I am a huge supporter of the Northern Academies, but what I will say now with conviction is that there are very very few kids in the Lions or Suns academies who wouldn't be playing footy if it weren't for academies.

I just don't see it. While the Swans have a couple of good stories in Heeney and Mills, up here there have been quite a few really good ones that went the other way. Isreal Leota was one that would have been a star, but stuck with Rugby League and is with the Broncos. There are a few others that dabbled in footy, but weren't good enough. The other issue is that the Lions treat it like a rep program, not a development process. So if a kid from basketball/rugby or some other sport comes over, if they don't actually get selected for a carnival or something, then they just get turfed out. There is no cross code development or one on one specific coaching - it has simply morphed into a rep program. It should be an ID program where a kid with a specific profile might get identified and developed into a player, but instead its just 'come train and if you're not ready to play or be picked for the next carnival or game' then see you later.

Missed opportunity, especially with the African population up here.

I hear you and you have good incite. There are however kids no in the Academies that could have been and hence lost to AFL.

2 young footballers playing out of Caloundra together, one from a footy family one from a basketball family with a little footy but both very tall and enjoying both sports. At u16's the basketball family kid is rated a great prospect for the draft, a key position forward and Brisbane want him. The other, while very tall and a bit skinny has a good attack on the ball but one seemingly is ahead of the other. Then, bugger, the Brisbane Bullets basketball team grabs the good one leaving the tall skinny kid to the Lions academy until the draft comes around.

The basketballer follows his father's path for a few years then comes back the AFL, job done Lions academy, just kept plugging away keeping the door open. But the lost years were not made up and Tom Fullerton is now playing at Melbourne but we have Eric Hipwood.

The path of these 2 boys is common in Qld, the other sports, through their clubs have a head start on Queensland kids, a kid at 16 can be signed by a NRL club and be getting benefits in training, clothes, endorsements, even some financial and education benefits. A basketballer can be in the USA on scholarship, Soccer players can be in a development program in England, a rugby Union player on a full scholarship in a private high school well before 18 years of age. Kalyn Ponga for example was chased by 3 sports as a junior but the North Queensland Cowboys could offer so much more to a junior.

No Queensland academy and you can be absolutely guaranteed less Queenslanders in the draft.

 

[Miller1971]

I think thats a zero sum game.

Especially if basketball is the competing sport. Basketball is the competing sport for kids in every state and they all have to make that decision.

There are some exceptions, like apparently Scott Pendlebury

10

Scott Pendlebury

Age

37

Ht

191cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

26.5

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

13.3

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

12.9

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.3

3star

CL

3.6

4star

D

12.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

was good as basketball at some point....

But Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey, Patty Mills etc still went down the basketball path.

Now if the Lions Academy was pulling a kid from a competing football code, then thats a big win for sure. However, you correctly point out that its hard to compete when the NRL can sign 15 year olds to financial contracts and put them in private schools on scholarships etc.

I support the existence of the academies and think the 2 SEQ clubs should get priority to QLD kids - but I personally would do it very differently.

They should have their academies, but they should be exactly that. They should be academies that give specialist coaching and development. Kids can come in and out based on their workload etc, and even based on what they are doing with other sports. They shouldn't be entering actual teams into competitions or playing in national championships. There should be a QLD u16, QLD u17 and QLD u18 team, without any requirement to be 50/50 from each academy - just the best kids selected independently of the academies (and can even include kids not in the academies)

At the moment, the academies don't attract kids from other sports or pull them from other sports or even really accommodate a multi sport athlete because the demands on the kids are so high, and its all based around playing in various carnivals, rather than developing talent. The Lions are even worse, because they prioritise winning this carnivals by playing kids older than the opposition almost every time they turn up.

 

[Elixuh]

Maybe instead of spending millions on some in-season tournament no one wants, the AFL should spend that money to enhance and bolster the academies and other national talent pathways. We need so much more talent to accommodate the current 18 team setup, let alone when we add more teams.

 

[Dalions]

Maybe instead of spending millions on some in-season tournament no one wants, the AFL should spend that money to enhance and bolster the academies and other national talent pathways. We need so much more talent to accommodate the current 18 team setup, let alone when we add more teams.

Because that would make too much sense.

 

[Tom14]

Maybe instead of spending millions on some in-season tournament no one wants, the AFL should spend that money to enhance and bolster the academies and other national talent pathways. We need so much more talent to accommodate the current 18 team setup, let alone when we add more teams.

Incredibly funny that they decided to leak that trial balloon idea in the same week that they also fed out a story about what a money drain AFLW is.

Everyone who criticises Laura Kane is an idiot - Dillon very clearly is happy to use her as a shield from criticism. Most criticism sensitive executive we've seen in ages, at least Gil had his own opinion on stuff rather than twisting like a weather vane.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Football executives (and the football media) and the common supporter: ne’er the twain shall meet.

 

[Miller1971]

Maybe instead of spending millions on some in-season tournament no one wants, the AFL should spend that money to enhance and bolster the academies and other national talent pathways. We need so much more talent to accommodate the current 18 team setup, let alone when we add more teams.

Correct, bolster the pathways (including the Victorian ones).

The Lions/Suns get accused of chewing up funds, and the academy teams would work much better if they were just part of the CTL for the entire season. But neither club can afford it, because the AFL makes the Lions/Suns pay to fly themselves south to play the CTL teams and also makes the Lions/Suns pay the bill to get the Victorian CTL teams up to Queensland.

If the Lions/Suns academy sides were a permanent part of the CTL, the system would work much better and it would also give the academy teams opportunity to expose more kids across an 18 round season, rather than rotate 35 kids through 8 games.

However, unless the AFL fund this, it will never happen. That might also allow for QLD to independently compete in the national championships like their girls team do. (they would be very strong in 2025, but struggle in 2026 and 2027)

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Correct, bolster the pathways (including the Victorian ones).

The Lions/Suns get accused of chewing up funds, and the academy teams would work much better if they were just part of the CTL for the entire season. But neither club can afford it, because the AFL makes the Lions/Suns pay to fly themselves south to play the CTL teams and also makes the Lions/Suns pay the bill to get the Victorian CTL teams up to Queensland.

If the Lions/Suns academy sides were a permanent part of the CTL, the system would work much better and it would also give the academy teams opportunity to expose more kids across an 18 round season, rather than rotate 35 kids through 8 games.

However, unless the AFL fund this, it will never happen. That might also allow for QLD to independently compete in the national championships like their girls team do. (they would be very strong in 2025, but struggle in 2026 and 2027)

I'm confused, you want the academy sides in the CTL but also said the academies shouldn't enter actual teams into competitions.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Is it that time of the month when we go through this discussion again?

 

[HereIGoAgain]

Is it that time of the month when we go through this discussion again?

Probably not a bad time to review considering the incursion of the Northern Executives into Mordor.

 

[Miller1971]

I'm confused, you want the academy sides in the CTL but also said the academies shouldn't enter actual teams into competitions.

Not short carnivals. An entire season is a different prospect.

At the moment they are stuck in the middle

 

[Lazza16]

Not sure if mentioned prior..... on the news tonight Cooper Hodge was training at hawks today. For the knowledgeable....is he a likely choice for us?

 

[M Malice]

Not sure if mentioned prior..... on the news tonight Cooper Hodge was training at hawks today. For the knowledgeable....is he a likely choice for us?

Most saying he is a 3rd round selection at best in the draft, Cooper will make the decision as to where he wants to go.

FWIW except for the Hawks melts I wouldn't be taking him, if we were to take a late academy selection I'd rather we went with Raphael Geesu.

 

[lionshine]

Most saying he is a 3rd round selection at best in the draft, Cooper will make the decision as to where he wants to go.

FWIW except for the Hawks melts I wouldn't be taking him, if we were to take a late academy selection I'd rather we went with Raphael Geesu.

Geesu is eligible this year though. Hodge next year.

 

[M Malice]

Geesu is eligible this year though. Hodge next year.