father son academy

[superman_kon]

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7155/newsid/128314/default.aspx

WCE have just started a father/son training academy for sons of former guns. Was curious to know if any other clubs so something similar?

 

[essendonian]

essendon has been doing that for the last couple of years

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Theres a few already, some doing it formally and some more ad-hoc. At the end of the day its a glorified PR exercise....feeding a bunch of kids sandwiches and energy drinks and letting them meet the players after they have had a kick on the hallowed turf...but you cant turn kids into AFL footballers if they havent got the basic talent.

All clubs have the ability to identify and train their talented father-sons a few years early....for example Melbourne are doing it with Viney.

 

[Igloo]

Our last few years of father sons have done stuff around the club for a couple of years before they have been drafted. Im pretty sure most clubs do it these days.

 

[RUNVS]

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7155/newsid/128314/default.aspx

WCE have just started a father/son training academy for sons of former guns. Was curious to know if any other clubs so something similar?

The Swans, Suns, Lions and Giants all have actual academies that perform a similar function but instead of F/S players it takes everyone in a certain zone (well anyone who is potentially good enough).

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

The Swans, Suns, Lions and Giants all have actual academies that perform a similar function but instead of F/S players it takes everyone in a certain zone (well anyone who is potentially good enough).

Well then thats not a father-son academy is it?

 

[Rohan25]

Yeah Collingwood get them down for a look pretty early on, but I wouldn't have thought it would have much impact on their development. It's good to carry on the ties their fathers have with the club though, and it makes for nice little articles on the club website.

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/newsfeatures/news/newsarticle/tabid/5586/newsid/72267/default.aspx

 

[Ice-Wolf]

We don't have one (to many champions having girls), although the club maybe looking into a Peckett Academy in a couple of years (5 boys I think)

 

[100action]

IIRC we have a F/S program, I dont like F/S academies and programs though like the Bulldogs did with Wallis and Libba.

I get the impression that kids that are getting AFL level equipment/services get much bigger and fitter and hence are able to dominate lower leagues thus inflating their true position in the draft. Many man childs dominate the TAC cup yet they do not get picked up which shows how much size makes a difference.

 

[SirJimi05]

I agree that it's not much more than a PR excercise.

 

[Geelong2k9]

Our academy consists of holding off for 15-18 years after our 100 game players have retired, that usually does the trick.

 

[The_Wookie]

Blues have a program, more or less a way to keep the kids in touch with the club their fathers played at, and along the way help the kids learn a few things about footy. Harmless stuff, but its another thing to keep kids and players in touch with the club.

 

[kane249]

Interesting concept by the club and hopefully it bears fruit. Interesting they are targeting kids as young as 12 (David Hart's kid) and already starting to offer him expert tips as 100action said it might skew peoples perceptions of them if they develop faster then others due to their extra assistance.

 

[Kwality]

IIRC we have a F/S program, I dont like F/S academies and programs though like the Bulldogs did with Wallis and Libba.

I get the impression that kids that are getting AFL level equipment/services get much bigger and fitter and hence are able to dominate lower leagues thus inflating their true position in the draft. Many man childs dominate the TAC cup yet they do not get picked up which shows how much size makes a difference.

School footy was a heap more important than anything the Bullies ever did.
Then there is talent, these boys got plenty.

Love to see Fosters progeny lining up next to them some time soon.

 

[fushy]

Academy?


Tell them to harden up and train with the seniors.

 

[I bleed Blue]

Adelaide have set one up aswell.

A guy I work with sons have just joined. Not exactly sure how it works.. I think they just get together and train once in a while.

 

[TradeDraft]

Collingwood started something like this a Few Years Ago

 

[jim boy]

I think it sux. It is one of those things where once one club starts doing it, all clubs have to do it, lest they get left behind. Clubs end up having to spend more money for zero gain.

Can do without it.

 

[mollyfud]

I am surprised it didn't start earlier and more professional. When you think about it, apart from a few of the interstate teams that have zones and the Hawks that are investing in New Zealand, their are few ways that the richer clubs can spend their money on training players they can later draft! If teaching your F&S prospects from an earlier age the right way to do it can help, then I would have thought more would have done it.

But then again, I think as much as we love sports, it is against our culture in the main part to push kids to much at a young age (which is the right thing in my opinion). I often wonder if its part (not only) reason why as a Country we fall behind in sports like tennis where other countries identify kids at a really young age and then train the heck out of them!

JMTC

 

[Galileo9]

I think it sux. It is one of those things where once one club starts doing it, all clubs have to do it, lest they get left behind. Clubs end up having to spend more money for zero gain.

Can do without it.

So what you are saying is that if clubs dont do it, they will get left behind in attempts to achieving nothing from this? hmmm interesting.

 

[Baldur]

I agree that it's not much more than a PR excercise.

But an important one, you would not want to miss out on a Watson Jnr because he felt unwanted when he was a teenager.


Some potential F/S picks may prefer the general draft unless you help them to identify with the club.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Tigers did it when Wallace came in - I think we were first, not that that means much.
Apparently, from the boards, the RFC one is fairly ad hoc. The kids come down at certain times and get to run around with the squad and get advice. Unless they were a local I guess that's pretty much what they will get at most clubs. The junior system is fairly full on now so the clubs probably don't add a lot.

 

[Geoffa32]

The Swans, Suns, Lions and Giants all have actual academies that perform a similar function but instead of F/S players it takes everyone in a certain zone (well anyone who is potentially good enough).

I like the idea of this, all clubs should have a youth academy.

Base it on regional zones and allow the clubs to bring the kids in to train and develop.

But instead of zone recruiting, the players are then drafted as they are now. However with one difference. The first round (or at least before the ND) is for clubs to take one player from their academy, and there only. After that all players are up to be drafted.

The way the AFL develop the talent "inhouse" has a risk of developing to much sameness across the league. But if the clubs took it over you can develop distinct (club) traits much earlier.

 

[Slattery_20]

But an important one, you would not want to miss out on a Watson Jnr because he felt unwanted when he was a teenager.


Some potential F/S picks may prefer the general draft unless you help them to identify with the club.

Yep.
Probably would help sway kids like Darcy & Joe Daniher, being able to go down & meet a few guys, and do a little bit of a seniors training session. Certainly wouldn't hurt.

I don't really see what it's costing us.
Coaches, trainers etc would be there anyway - they'd just be coping with 46 (or 48 or 50) on the track instead of 45 for a session, you'd have your recruiters taking notes to see how they stack up, PR people there to take a photo, maybe get a past player down to speak etc.

Really cheap publicity, and the chance to get good kids "cheaper" for basically nix outlay.

Worst case scenario is the kid doesn't measure up... meh. Rather find out earlier rather than later!

 

[Underdog]

I agree that it's not much more than a PR excercise.

On the contrary, if you can get high level coaches to identify skill deficiencies from an early age before it's set in and they can work on it, it can be of huge advantage.

Some of these kids will be coming from suburban clubs where the coach is simply a team mate's dad. Others will come from private schooling who will have a genuine football coach but clearly far from AFL level.

It's essentially a higher level of district development squads. I never see people bagging them...