Does Western Australia have a problem?

[Obeanie1]

In My opinion its because of mining
It turns a lot of heads as a good earning career without needing a university education or be a great communicator/organiser to run your own business.
Also you dont have to leave your home state as opposed to football with a very high probability you do

Kids at age 14 to 15 need to be already focused and developing to have a chance to be drafted.

They arent dreaming of a FIFO job at 15.

If they arent good enough or developed enough at 18 they donont get drafted. Simple.

So WA ne3ds to focus on attracting and developing 0layers when they are 14 to 16. And increase the numbers. NGA Academies will help.

 

[Cmarsh]

Here is a list of first round draft picks from WA in the last 10 years:

2016 Sam Petrevski-seton (6)
Griffin Logue (8)
2017. Aaron Naughton (9)
2018 Jordan Clark (15)
2019. Luke Jackson (3)
Liam Henry (9)
2020. Logan McDonald (4)
Denver Grainger Barras (6)
Heath Chapman (14)
2021. Jye Amiss (8)
Neil Erasmus (10)
2022 Rueben Ginbey (9)
Jedd Busslinger (13)
Elijah Hewett (14)
2023. Daniel Curtin (8)
2024 Bo Allen (16)

Now, a few of these guy are very good players who have the potential to be stars (Jackson, Naughton) and a few are good AFL players (Amiss, McDonald, Clark) but there are not many players picked from WA in general in the first round, and also, from those that are picked, the strike rate that they will end up being very good doesn't seem to be that great.

From the history above, it's almost to the point where you'd be nervous about selecting a high round pick from WA if you were a list manager. The last high end pick that became a star of the competition was Patrick Cripps all the way back in 2013.

What's even more stark, if you look at my team Fremantle, almost all of our best players have come from somewhere else (Brayshaw, Young, Treacy, Pearce, Serong).

So what's going on in WA? Are kids not interested in footy? Does the development and coaching let them down? Are the standards and facilities not up to scratch?

I really think it's something the AFL in general and WA footy Commission specifically, need to start addressing because if this was a report card on all the talent they've brought in over the last 10 years, they wouldn't be graded well.

Not all the good players are drafted from the first round though.

Sam Taylor is a WA player drafted outside of the first round within that time period.

 

[glengowan]

WA and SA have been shafted and used to prop up the northern states playing lists over the last 15 years, and get nothing in return. That is on the back of both states sacrificing their local competitions to ensure the health of the Victorian clubs after the VFL went national in the previous 25 years. Both states are the only ones currently with AFL clubs that provide more players to the AFL system than teams competing. At the very least, the top 2 players from WA each year should go to West Coast and Freo and likewise in SA for Crows and Port, so these clubs can build on the back of local players instead of players such as Dangerfield or Reid who will inevitably let them down. I'd be happy for the best 10 Vic players to go to the Vic clubs too. It would probably help even it out for the lower Vic clubs too.

 

[Mr Meow]

The thread is about the last 10 years. Wasn't there mining in WA before that?

Mining was invented in 2019, so no.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Kids at age 14 to 15 need to be already focused and developing to have a chance to be drafted.

They arent dreaming of a FIFO job at 15.

If they arent good enough or developed enough at 18 they donont get drafted. Simple.

So WA ne3ds to focus on attracting and developing 0layers when they are 14 to 16. And increase the numbers. NGA Academies will help.

But unlike in Victoria the parents aren’t pushing their children because there is other options.
If footy was my child’s only option I’d move heaven and earth for them to succeed it.
There’s heaps of country footballers that have the skills for AFL but there’s other options , more family business so the parents pull the pin on early mornings long drives that is required through juniors to have a chance.
Victoria is so tiny the junior pathways are so much easier to travel through as a parent

 

[RonnieRaven]

The thread is about the last 10 years. Wasn't there mining in WA before that?

I think covid Change the thinking of people whilst most jobs became fragile a lot of mines paid bonuses to keep working.
Post Covid wa drafting proves that

 

[lanson15]

But unlike in Victoria the parents aren’t pushing their children because there is other options.
If footy was my child’s only option I’d move heaven and earth for them to succeed it.
There’s heaps of country footballers that have the skills for AFL but there’s other options , more family business so the parents pull the pin on early mornings long drives that is required through juniors to have a chance.
Victoria is so tiny the junior pathways are so much easier to travel through as a parent

92% of WA live in Perth though. It alone has another 1 million people than Adelaide yet seems to be producing much fewer players.

 

[RonnieRaven]

92% of WA live in Perth though. It alone has another 1 million people than Adelaide yet seems to be producing much fewer players.

What were your ideas and opinions on the thread?

 

[piesaregreat]

No WA does not have a problem the population is well balanced they have a chip on both shoulders

 

[PerthBoy86]

Were an Aussie rules AFL state, so don't think its a lack of kids interested.

We also seem to have provided a huge part of the indigenous talent too, along with NT and SA, and I don't expect that to change.

It's probably just the normal ebb and flow of young talent coming through.

 

[Bjo187]

I dunno if the WAFC have done a great job at grassroots level. The AFL send them 5 mill per year, I think the state government send either 10 or 20 mill, so their budget isn't great. You also have premier Cook who just gave $85 mil to the NRL trying to lowball them on funding last I read.

I think they'd have more results if the AFL ran footy in the state, even just the profile of the AFL running things would help. In saying that it means more cost on the AFL so pulls funding and resources out of the expansion states, so it might be robbing Peter to pay Paul. They definitely should be producing more high level talent though.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Ask any parent about Futures and Colts. It's a joke.

We need to take U18's off the WAFL and have an expanded U18's program with 10 teams and deeper U16's pathways.

 

[Upgrayedd]

AFL has increasingly found itself in the same situation as Basketball and Soccer

4 issues

Out of reach of the middle class/public school system due to coaching and costs of clinics and playing the sport

Increasingly gated off to private schools where if a parent has 10K a year to send his kid to a private school, you bet there is a couple of former players teaching and invested in getting kids to reach potential, rather then Mr Kerry who teaches kids to kick a ball during period 4 of 5, Cant blame Mr Kerry, He likes kicking the ball and doing some PE teacher between teaching math all day

You play for a private school you often have school teams, you compete in school teams during school hours ect.

Public schools don't even have teams anymore. You play for your out of school club on saturday if you were able to make training one day a week

Population growth through Sydney/Melbourne/Queensland is growing compared to WA, thus naturally more talent, the more NSW kids get drafted, it pinches a spot from somewhere else.

Plus last 5/10 years the Colts/Under 18's pathway has increasingly not kept up with other states

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Because the clubs were expected to do the heavy lifting in regards to development, yet get none of the rewards, unlike in Vic and the Northern states, where the AFL funds most of it.

That should change now with NGA access being open season, starting from this year.

This doesnt address the OP though, as most players don't qualify for NGA. All the top end Victorian prospects of late except for Jamarra were not NGA prospects.

 

[bzparkes]

This doesnt address the OP though, as most players don't qualify for NGA. All the top end Victorian prospects of late except for Jamarra were not NGA prospects.

AFL pays for the development pathways in in Victoria and the northern states(may also contribute to SA, not sure).

The WAFC is expected to pay for the development pathways in WA, with no funding from the AFL

That money comes from WCE and Freo, so both clubs are basically expected to foot the bill for development of WA football, with no benefit in return.

Not exactly fair, is it?

 

[Johnny Bananas]

AFL pays for the development pathways in in Victoria and the northern states(may also contribute to SA, not sure).

The WAFC is expected to pay for the development pathways in WA, with no funding from the AFL

That money comes from WCE and Freo, so both clubs are basically expected to foot the bill for development of WA football, with no benefit in return.

Not exactly fair, is it?

Take it up with the AFL then. By the way this is a complete non-sequitur from the discussion we were having.

 

[bzparkes]

Take it up with the AFL then.

You reckon they haven't?

By the way this is a complete non-sequitur from the discussion we were having.

It directly addressed the OP, because when the money for development comes directly from the WA AFL clubs, and the development pathways are considered poorer than other state, it answers the OP directly as to why this is.

WCE and Freo ain't footing the bill so clubs in other states can benefit, when the AFL funds all other development pathways, not the clubs.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Here is a list of first round draft picks from WA in the last 10 years:

2016 Sam Petrevski-seton (6)
Griffin Logue (8)
2017. Aaron Naughton (9)
2018 Jordan Clark (15)
2019. Luke Jackson (3)
Liam Henry (9)
2020. Logan McDonald (4)
Denver Grainger Barras (6)
Heath Chapman (14)
2021. Jye Amiss (8)
Neil Erasmus (10)
2022 Rueben Ginbey (9)
Jedd Busslinger (13)
Elijah Hewett (14)
2023. Daniel Curtin (8)
2024 Bo Allen (16)

Except this is misleading, you've forgotten Brandon Starcevich and Wil Powell from 2017, Mitch Georgiades from 2019, Angus Sheldrick and Jacob Van Rooyen from 2021, Ed Allan and Darcy Jones from 2022, Koltyn Tholstrup, Riley Hardeman and Lance Collard from 2023 and Cody Angove from 2024. And there are a few who just missed out on the first round like Oscar Allen, Bobby Hill, Nathan O'Driscoll and Matthew Johnson. WA have had some lean years but it's not as bad as you claim.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

You reckon they haven't?

Don't know, don't really care to find out, as it isn't my problem.

It directly addressed the OP, because when the money for development comes directly from the WA AFL clubs, and the development pathways are considered poorer than other state, it answers the OP directly as to why this is.

I said it was a non-sequitur from the conversation we were having, which was about NGA prospects.

WCE and Freo ain't footing the bill so clubs in other states can benefit, when the AFL funds all other development pathways, not the clubs.

Again, take it up with the AFL. The WAFC are free to sell the licences to the club members just as the SAFC did.

 

[bzparkes]

Don't know, don't really care to find out, as it isn't my problem.


I said it was a non-sequitur from the conversation we were having, which was about NGA prospects.


Again, take it up with the AFL. The WAFC are free to sell the licences to the club members just as the SAFC did.

Mate, you're the one who quoted me from weeks ago.

If you don't want to discuss my post, why the **** did you quote me to begin with?

 

[Shane Heard]

WA and SA have been shafted and used to prop up the northern states playing lists over the last 15 years, and get nothing in return. That is on the back of both states sacrificing their local competitions to ensure the health of the Victorian clubs after the VFL went national in the previous 25 years. Both states are the only ones currently with AFL clubs that provide more players to the AFL system than teams competing. At the very least, the top 2 players from WA each year should go to West Coast and Freo and likewise in SA for Crows and Port, so these clubs can build on the back of local players instead of players such as Dangerfield or Reid who will inevitably let them down. I'd be happy for the best 10 Vic players to go to the Vic clubs too. It would probably help even it out for the lower Vic clubs too.

Every word you’ve written there contradicts the reality of a true national competition/ league that WA and SA strived to create and ultimately join.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Mate, you're the one who quoted me from weeks ago.

If you don't want to discuss my post, why the **** did you quote me to begin with?

I have discussed your post. I just don't care if your club and Freo have had a moan to the AFL or not. No need to get precious.

 

[bzparkes]

I have discussed your post. I just don't care if your club and Freo have had a moan to the AFL or not. No need to get precious.

Great.

Am I supposed to care?

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Great.

Am I supposed to care?

You tell me, you keep replying to me.

 

[bzparkes]

You tell me, you keep replying to me.

Cool.

Goodbye then.