Homesickness - Unique to AFL

[Paul Watson]

What is it about the AFL that homesickness is so rife among young players? Doesn't seem to happen in any other code. I can't recall players selected to play soccer in EPL or European Leagues suddenly saying, "I can't accept your contract. I need to live in Melbourne". Perhaps it happens but doesn't make the news. Same with basketball. Players drafted to the NBA. I haven't heard of any players suddenly saying, "Thank you for your offer but the lure of sleeping in my own bed is just too great". I don't follow Rugby League so my exposure is limited. I know young players don't tend to leave the Melbourne Storm at such a rapid rate. Is there something about young men growing up in private school environments, then under 18 comps, where everything is provided? Something never explained, why does the AFL have so many pampered young men, especially from Melbourne?

 

[Paul Watson]

Just want to add, I don't blame Tim Kelly for wanting to move home. Young family, difficult circumstances

 

[markr]

Our local Rugby League don't have a draft that sends players where they don't want to be. If a League player doesn't want to move to Melbourne, he just doesn't sign with them. They also don't do player trades, so once your contract is up you just go where ever you want.

Being a Geelong fan presumably you're thinking about Kelly. In league his contract is up, so he'd just walk anywhere he wants to.

 

[Wojcinski]

it happens in the NBA a fair bit, although their trading and free agency rules are quite different to the AFL's. Often when a big players free agency period is coming up the home town team is almost always one of the favourites to sign them (ie. Dwight to Charlotte, KD to Washington, LeBron to Clevelend)

 

[Scotland]

The AFL is a stage managed comp centred around 5 major cities, 3 of which are where most of the players come from. The salary cap is rubbery but there's a difference between Richmond signing Lynch and Richmond pounding GWS in the GF and then signing Cameron, Kelly and Whitfield because they can. That's what happens in the Premier League. Leicester shocked the world with their upset title win and immediately their best player left for Chelsea. Of their main XI from that season two are now at Chelsea and one at Man City. Subsequent up and coming players have also been poached, i.e. Maguire to Man United. It's an arms race and players want to make as much money as they can and gravitate towards teams that are in the pointy end of the Champions League.

In the AFL you can pick your city, then pick a team and be a chance of contending within a couple of years. The NBA is heading that way with the way players are forming duos and squads but players rarely want to go to the Grizzlies or Pelicans or Kings unless they are getting overpaid. If the AFL today was like it was in the 80s with a couple of powerhouse clubs with money I think player attitudes would be a bit different. I doubt as many people would get homesick if playing for Freo meant earning $100k and never playing finals but you could make $500k+ and play for Hawthorn or Essendon.

 

[Peel67skin]

The AFL is a stage managed comp centred around 5 major cities, 3 of which are where most of the players come from. The salary cap is rubbery but there's a difference between Richmond signing Lynch and Richmond pounding GWS in the GF and then signing Cameron, Kelly and Whitfield because they can. That's what happens in the Premier League. Leicester shocked the world with their upset title win and immediately their best player left for Chelsea. Of their main XI from that season two are now at Chelsea and one at Man City. Subsequent up and coming players have also been poached, i.e. Maguire to Man United. It's an arms race and players want to make as much money as they can and gravitate towards teams that are in the pointy end of the Champions League.

In the AFL you can pick your city, then pick a team and be a chance of contending within a couple of years. The NBA is heading that way with the way players are forming duos and squads but players rarely want to go to the Grizzlies or Pelicans or Kings unless they are getting overpaid. If the AFL today was like it was in the 80s with a couple of powerhouse clubs with money I think player attitudes would be a bit different. I doubt as many people would get homesick if playing for Freo meant earning $100k and never playing finals but you could make $500k+ and play for Hawthorn or Essendon.

Just AFL thing, you don't see Japanese/Korean /Africa / south America players went to Europe and play soccer and cry homesick, just ask Tim cahill. Hard at playing AFL but soft at other thing.

 

[Groin guru]

Just an easier way to get the team to give in to the trade. It works so people exploit it more.

If teams lock down the player can start stating family health issues or mental health. APA will step in.

Easy peezy

 

[Scotland]

Just AFL thing, you don't see Japanese/Korean /Africa / south America players went to Europe and play soccer and cry homesick, just ask Tim cahill. Hard at playing AFL but soft at other thing.

Homesickness is a thing, but no Premier League/Bundesliga/La Liga calibre player is going to stay in the A-League and earn 6 figures instead of 7 or 8 playing in the 40th best league in the world.