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As far as I know, those guys weren't playing footy at any level in the 3 years prior to being picked up.
This guy was - albeit only at school level, hence not registered with a club.
Which is how the AFL's chosen to administer the rule/scheme.
So, say an APS/AGS kid gives away his club footy through his last 3 years of high school. To concentrate on his studies or his cricket or basketball or soccer or whatever, but kept playing school footy - with the next wave of Luke Balls & Chris Judds & Tom Scullys. And dominated.
Is he now an "alternate talent" ?
Is he really what the rule was created for ?
Given some guys have been drafted based largely on their school footy form, that's a definite loop-hole, definite potential there to be exploited.
I'm not suggesting scrapping the scheme, I'm saying playing (school) footy should count as playing footy.
This guy was - albeit only at school level, hence not registered with a club.
Which is how the AFL's chosen to administer the rule/scheme.
So, say an APS/AGS kid gives away his club footy through his last 3 years of high school. To concentrate on his studies or his cricket or basketball or soccer or whatever, but kept playing school footy - with the next wave of Luke Balls & Chris Judds & Tom Scullys. And dominated.
Is he now an "alternate talent" ?
Is he really what the rule was created for ?
Given some guys have been drafted based largely on their school footy form, that's a definite loop-hole, definite potential there to be exploited.
I'm not suggesting scrapping the scheme, I'm saying playing (school) footy should count as playing footy.
Generally, complaints about loopholes arise when they unfairly favour certain parties. This doesn't favour any one team over another, so I don't see the problem - It's just a loose interpretation of a rule, and not technically a loophole anyway.
Every team has the potential to benefit from this, and they should make hay when the sun shines. If they hadn't realised this was allowed until now, then that's a failing of the recruiting department to properly understand the rules.
I appreciate that you would change the rule if given the chance, but that's a separate issue to suggesting that there is something untoward about the application of the current rule as it stands.
