Changes to WA Colts?

[Cleric]

Heard on AA yesterday something about WA looking at changing the way the U18s is ran. They are thinking of going to a TAC cup model where the jrs will no longer be part of the WAFL clubs but will have a draft and end up at some Jr club of no relationship to traditional clubs?
Rucci said it and I came in late to the story so it could be off the mark.
Anyone heard anything about it?

 

[Moist Biscuit]

Was interested until Rucci's name was mentioned. It's amazing how somebody with such little knowledge about the game can make a living talking about it. I'm yet to find a person who holds his opinion with any credibility whatsoever.

 

[eastfreo75]

I would change the system. Colts should be for under 17's and any talented 18's can play in the seconds.

 

[avishka5]

Was interested until Rucci's name was mentioned. It's amazing how somebody with such little knowledge about the game can make a living talking about it. I'm yet to find a person who holds his opinion with any credibility whatsoever.

you could say the same thing about hackdorn but he has pantsed me twice in less that 6 months.

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

He is pre-empting the Boston report that has studyed the wafl and proposed changes to the way
its run now they face decreased revenue with the move to the Perth Stadium

 

[Turboman1994]

Regardless the point wa needs to look at it's underage development it's shocking. Loads of potential young players don't get to maximise there chances

 

[Kwality]

Heard on AA yesterday something about WA looking at changing the way the U18s is ran. They are thinking of going to a TAC cup model where the jrs will no longer be part of the WAFL clubs but will have a draft and end up at some Jr club of no relationship to traditional clubs?
Rucci said it and I came in late to the story so it could be off the mark.
Anyone heard anything about it?

As mentioned in an earlier post a review of WA footy has been undertaken.

Boston Consulting have reviewed WA footy (a WAFC initiative) appointed August 2016 - Darren Glass is on the review team.
The review was delivered to the WAFC early last month & its Commissioners are reviewing it, and that part is no secret.
Speculation about changes is grist for mill, however the WAFC are also engaged in discussions with the new stadium managers & State Government over funding, so its not just junior development/colts footy that is in play.

The most informative article on the review I read at the time was:
http://wacfl.com.au/news/11218/shaping-wa-footballs-future

 

[Kwality]

Regardless the point wa needs to look at it's underage development it's shocking. Loads of potential young players don't get to maximise there chances

What an insightful motherhood statement, aka I want more!!!

 

[eth-dog]

It would be a surefire way of killing the WAFL. The TAC system has crippled the VFL over here.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Who is going to fund the new league???

AFL??

 

[blueboy25]

One of the main issues with the WAFL colts is that the clubs are looking at the one or two players who are a chance to get drafted and putting all of their focus on them as they are the cash cow and with the WAFL clubs struggling financially its only going to get worse.

Some WAFL clubs are charging kids (parents) up to $800 to play at their club which never use to be the case. If your parents are not flush with cash then you may miss out even though you may be better than 75% of the other players in the squad. The club doesn't care because they consider you a low chance to be drafted where as the bloke behind you on the list is willing to stump up the $800.

You can play overage kids (19yo) in the WAFL colts but some clubs decide to do that and some don't. Not sure what the better approach is as you may have a late developer who could do with the extra year in colts but on the flip side is he taking the spot of a 16yo or 17yo.

 

[Taylor]

Who is going to fund the new league???

AFL??

That would be fair.

 

[masai]

Some WAFL clubs are charging kids (parents) up to $800 to play at their club which never use to be the case.

Interesting, this is news to me, and very worrying if fact.

My understanding was that your zones WAFL club "invited" players from their junior competitions to play Colts. The best got invited, and the WAFL club provided the coaching, paid for from funds from the WAFC.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I haven't heard of people paying to play at a WAFL club. One of the great advantages of footy is its cheapness. Think the most you generally pay is $200 at a club when you're playing seniors somewhere... or trying to. Auskick is about $60, representing your state is free, free travel if you end up playing over in Ireland – compared to soccer where $300 for under 12s is barely unique, you have to pay to play for your state which is a little shaky and almost pointless anyway.... the footy system is way superior.

The AFL would like this though because they know the WAFC couldn't afford it. They couldn't afford to run a separate comp but also the start-up costs would kill them. The AFL'd ask to take control of the state's football and they'd fund it and put in some patronising amount to run the WAFL, which'd end up dead in 20 years anyway.

It sounds a pointless idea anyway. I like the fact a really good 17 year old can potentially play three or four ressies games or a league game – they can get used to bigger bodies and really have that advantage. One game against men and AFL players could be the mild edge you could use against the TAC system. I think the allure for young kids to play for an established club is really important too: young guys like the idea of representing a formerly big, successful, important club like South Fremantle or a current powerhouse like Subi – it gives kids an extra incentive... the history is important.

It will probably happen one day but I'd rather it not.

The zones'd probably be a Fremantle to Bullcreek-ish team, one from Armadale and the southern regions, a Joondalup side, someone around the Doubleview/Carine area, then a Vic Park side and also a Bassendean/Upper Swan team, a western suburbs side, a Peel region, and perhaps a Bunbury. Wait, that sounds an awful lot like the current WAFL alignments...

 

[blueboy25]

Interesting, this is news to me, and very worrying if fact.

My understanding was that your zones WAFL club "invited" players from their junior competitions to play Colts. The best got invited, and the WAFL club provided the coaching, paid for from funds from the WAFC.

It certainly was the case in the past and the junior development squads are all free to participate. The clubs get away with it by saying that the fees cover your shorts, socks, training gear etc.

 

[blueboy25]

I haven't heard of people paying to play at a WAFL club. One of the great advantages of footy is its cheapness. Think the most you generally pay is $200 at a club when you're playing seniors somewhere... or trying to. Auskick is about $60, representing your state is free, free travel if you end up playing over in Ireland – compared to soccer where $300 for under 12s is barely unique, you have to pay to play for your state which is a little shaky and almost pointless anyway.... the footy system is way superior.

Auskick is $120 a season now.

Most senior Ammos club fees in WA are in excess of $250, most ammo colts are $100-150 but there are also some clubs that don't charge colts any fees. The cost of entering teams into the ammos league along with insurance costs, paying trainers, umpires, ground hire etc and with bar trade decreasing and the sponsorship dollar getting harder and harder to find, it is getting hard for teams to keep fees low.