List Mgmt. Clubs are facing an injury crisis and a lack of development of future talent... Solution!

[Bird Man]

The kind of injury crisis the Bombers are facing highlights why the AFL needs to overhaul how contracted players are managed.

A system similar to the NBA’s G League would allow clubs to call up the best 22 players from their VFL affiliate when season-ending injuries hit — or when senior players simply aren’t performing.

Not only would this create a more flexible and competitive environment, but it would also justify investing more money into developing young talent at the state league level...

For example a team like my own Richmond would be rewarded for having a great VFL system and could bounce back quicker OR a team in the finals loses a gun player to suspension and calls up a player to play a fairy tale game in September...

Adds more money from clubs in player development in VIC and around the country, also it makes the VFL and other reserve leagues WAY more interesting, sells more tickets, potential TV spots, great avenue for emerging staff and coaches... Thoughts?

 

[stallon]

Not every clubs state league team is run the same way, with the same rules.

Only way it works is if there is a national reserves comp and the entire national reserves comp is paid enough to be able to do it as a full time job. That means good living wages, above the median.
Then youd have to give allowances(financial) for extra travel, as travelling every second week for a non vic team in a reserves comp is a lot less attractive than doing it for an AFL club.

0 chance the AFL goes for it. For a non profit they are very focused on their profits for some reason.

The only real solution is increased list sizes.
Wont help the seconds leagues but it is what it is

 

[Obeanie1]

Thats why clubs have a list of 45 players.

22 are playing / developing as backup for injuries.

What you are suggesting clubs would twist and find loopholes to beat the salary cap.

When the Eagles couldnt field 23 fit players their WAFL players were allowed to fill the gaps. And that side even beat Collingwood at the MCG if you recall. Lol.

What should and IMO will happen is the AFL allows 2 or 3 new additional indigenous rookie spots to be openned up for all clubs and those contracts can go for 4 years outside the main list.

Paticipation by indigenous players is falling and thats not good. The AFL will do something about that and it should.

Lets get more indigenous players in the system and increase lists by 10%. Solves two issues.

 

[WillHayward]

This is sort of the reason the mid season draft came in?
We now see SANFL, VFL or WAFL players just going directly into the AFL teams.

E.g. Tom McCarthy, Hall, Blakiston, May, Adams etc.

But agree over the longer term the AFL is facing a talent crisis.

 

[demondavey]

We need a 19th team. Maybe Tasmania.

 

[Bird Man]

Thats why clubs have a list of 45 players.

22 are playing / developing as backup for injuries.

What you are suggesting clubs would twist and find loopholes to beat the salary cap.

When the Eagles couldnt field 23 fit players their WAFL players were allowed to fill the gaps. And that side even beat Collingwood at the MCG if you recall. Lol.

What should and IMO will happen is the AFL allows 2 or 3 new additional indigenous rookie spots to be openned up for all clubs and those contracts can go for 4 years outside the main list.

Paticipation by indigenous players is falling and thats not good. The AFL will do something about that and it should.

Lets get more indigenous players in the system and increase lists by 10%. Solves two issues.

Change the state comp then have the teams play in a number of heat games against local clubs then have a champions league style comp between reserve teams. Less travel and same quality of comp.

Obviously I forgot about the money pit that is the AFLW. That comp is like two generations away from being sustainable. But quality of the AFL has dropped dramatically post covid. Just look at our teams and the bottom 10.

There is a lack of development and the clubs need to be given more options with list management. The Sydney and Brisbane clubs are fine with academies.

But if we switch to that for every clubs then we will have teams like the west tigers in the NRL.

The state of the game is pretty dire at the moment and the AFL seems only interested in tv slots than the quality of the game.

 

[Bird Man]

This is sort of the reason the mid season draft came in?
We now see SANFL, VFL or WAFL players just going directly into the AFL teams.

E.g. Tom McCarthy, Hall, Blakiston, May, Adams etc.

But agree over the longer term the AFL is facing a talent crisis.

It was but clubs are not rewarded for having great development programs. If Richmond could access its vfl listed players we would have Davidson, McCarthy and Dur

 

[WillHayward]

Change the state comp then have the teams play in a number of heat games against local clubs then have a champions league style comp between reserve teams. Less travel and same quality of comp.

Obviously I forgot about the money pit that is the AFLW. That comp is like two generations away from being sustainable. But quality of the AFL has dropped dramatically post covid. Just look at our teams and the bottom 10.

There is a lack of development and the clubs need to be given more options with list management. The Sydney and Brisbane clubs are fine with academies.

But if we switch to that for every clubs then we will have teams like the west tigers in the NRL.

The state of the game is pretty dire at the moment and the AFL seems only interested in tv slots than the quality of the game.

It's going to get worse

 

[stallon]

It was but clubs are not rewarded for having great development programs. If Richmond could access its vfl listed players we would have Davidson, McCarthy and Dur

You know you couldve had all of those players right?
Just take them as SSPs or something at the start of the year. Its not like you had no access

 

[Andyy]

This is the point of the MSD surely.

Richmond had options to throw on the LTI list and grab a player or two, but didn't.

The list also has 45 players on it.

I'd be open to a mid-season trade period or potentially a loan system to spice things up.

 

[WilloTree]

Get rid of F/S
Get rid of NGA
Draft age to 20

done

 

[demondavey]

Start drafting footballers and not private school kids that are 6’5 that swing between basketball and football, have a beep test of 15, and have a vertical leap like Nic Naitanui.

Imagine the super draft of 2001 as of today? Luke Hodge would have been pick 45.

We marvel at the athletic abilities yet bemoan their lack of skills. The current style of play for every team is not that different at all, in fact it makes me laugh when a good side has a better system than a bad one; they are genuinely all the same with a major difference between skills.

Collingwood is making it happen with a team of footballers, they’re a better cohort than most simply due to skill application.

 

[Obeanie1]

Start drafting footballers and not private school kids that are 6’5 that swing between basketball and football, have a beep test of 15, and have a vertical leap like Nic Naitanui.

Imagine the super draft of 2001 as of today? Luke Hodge would have been pick 45.

We marvel at the athletic abilities yet bemoan their lack of skills. The current style of play for every team is not that different at all, in fact it makes me laugh when a good side has a better system than a bad one; they are genuinely all the same with a major difference between skills.

Collingwood is making it happen with a team of footballers, they’re a better cohort than most simply due to skill application.

Fair point.

Hawks following the same path?

They are doing very well with a list short of top end draft picks or big names compared to other clubs around them.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Vic clubs find themselves filling 6 of bottom 7 ladder positions, quick, lets change the rules to help them out, lol.

Heard recently that there is a noticable lack of talent coming through the Vic systems.
Combined with Interstate clubs looking closer to home deminishing the 'go home factor' its going to get worse before it gets better.
They've already started canibalising each other more than ever before.

You love to see it.

 

[demondavey]

Fair point.

Hawks following the same path?

They are doing very well with a list short of top end draft picks or big names compared to other clubs around them.

I think so. It doesn’t surprise me, Mitchell made it into the AFL against the odds and was a superb user of the ball.

 

[Coolangatta]

Vic clubs find themselves filling 6 of bottom 7 ladder positions, quick, lets change the rules to help them out, lol.

Heard recently that there is a noticable lack of talent coming through the Vic systems.
Combined with Interstate clubs looking closer to home deminishing the 'go home factor' its going to get worse before it gets better.
They've already started canibalising each other more than ever before.

You love to see it.

Yeah, I’ve changed my mind on too many teams in Victoria.

In fact, there’s not enough. Bring back Fitzroy as the 20th team and we can add another cellar dweller to the VFLOLPile.

 

[Freomaniac]

It's going to get worse View attachment 2366832

Good to see this.... I personally won't be having kids myself.

 

[bzparkes]

What injury crisis?

Remember when WCE couldn't even field a full AFL 22 side and had to get local players from the WAFL?

Pretty sure we were told our player management was bad.

Turns out it was! Now we only have 3 players on the injury list.

 

[WillHayward]

What injury crisis?

Remember when WCE couldn't even field a full AFL 22 side and had to get local players from the WAFL?

Pretty sure we were told our player management was bad.

Turns out it was! Now we only have 3 players on the injury list.

That's where Essendon are now.

If you turned up to training you'd get a game the next week.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Meh. We’ve got a big squad and recently brought in four new players in the mid season draft.

I don’t think there’s any real reason to change the system.

 

[bzparkes]

That's where Essendon are now.

If you turned up to training you'd get a game the next week.

Yep, so they need to fix their S&C department in the offseason like we did.

I may even end up a blessing in disguise for them, their extra spots in the MSD look decent.

 

[Cleric]

Add more players to each list. There should be enough to field two teams.

 

[Andyy]

Get rid of F/S
Get rid of NGA
Draft age to 20

done

NGA yes, get rid of it.

F/S no, I wouldn't personally.
Draft age 20, or even just 1 extra year at 19, would be a great idea IMO, although you'll always have seriously developed players that miss out.

They should be allowed to play state level footy though while they mature.

 

[Andyy]

Add more players to each list. There should be enough to field two teams.

Yeah, the list should be about 50-odd IMO.

 

[Rob]

The answer is unlimited size lists.

Clubs have a salary cap and a floor, as long as they stay within that they can list as many players as they want. If they want to draft 20 kids, go for it.

Beats paying B and C graders A grade salaries because the league forces you to.