Opinion It's Time For The Whole Draft System To Be Reviewed & Repaired

[werdna78]

I think there is reason to look at the development systems for WA and SA, but that doesn't mean that the whole drafting system needs to be absolutely torn apart.

After all, WA and SA have been strong footballing states for many years, and over-reacting to this dip could create many more problems than it solves. The systems that gave us Buddy Franklin and Lachie Neale aren't so far gone that SA and WA need a huge boost like that.

I think it's not a coincidence that the state leagues run the development system in SA and WA, and the AFL effectively oversees the pathway in Victoria, and Vic does far better. After all, where's the incentive to develop great young players at, say, Norwood, if you'll just lose them at age 18?

So like the Northern Academies, Freo, WC, Port & Crows should have their own.

Better funding through the clubs, would mean more and better talent.

 

[iameviljez]

So like the Northern Academies, Freo, WC, Port & Crows should have their own.

Better funding through the clubs, would mean more and better talent.

I disagree. The northern academies are required because it's outreach to kids who wouldn't play AFL otherwise, and it mitigates against the go-home factor that benefits the SA and WA clubs far more than NSW and QLD.

For GC and GWS, the academies also balance out the lack of father-son players.

IMO a better answer in WA and SA is to have youth teams be separate from WAFL and SANFL sides, like the Victorian system.

The problem, IMO, is that divvying up the talent from a footy-loving state between two clubs is just a huge advantage. In QLD and NSW, it's less of a leg-up.

 

[Cleric]

I disagree. The northern academies are required because it's outreach to kids who wouldn't play AFL otherwise, and it mitigates against the go-home factor that benefits the SA and WA clubs far more than NSW and QLD.

For GC and GWS, the academies also balance out the lack of father-son players.

IMO a better answer in WA and SA is to have youth teams be separate from WAFL and SANFL sides, like the Victorian system.

The problem, IMO, is that divvying up the talent from a footy-loving state between two clubs is just a huge advantage. In QLD and NSW, it's less of a leg-up.

There's pros and cons with the Northern Academies.
The pros are these. They are producing more talent from their states. More talent in the Northern states means more talent in the AFL period.
The Northern teams need to have a good % of their team from that state. It gives them a local identity.
While the Northern clubs are taking talent from their own state, its leaving the talent i. SA, WA and Vic on the draft boards for the other teams to get.

The cons are that other clubs don't have a similar benefit.
SA and WA players should have a greater chance of playing in their home states. It's kids from these states which carry the most burden of having to relocate.
A good Northern kid has a pretty much 100% chance of staying at home. A Vic kids has a 55% chance of getting drafted to a Vic club, while an SA or WA kids only has an 11% chance.
There should be greater ability for SA and WA kids to stay at home.

 

[iameviljez]

The cons are that other clubs don't have a similar benefit.
SA and WA players should have a greater chance of playing in their home states. It's kids from these states which carry the most burden of having to relocate.

That I agree with, but at the end of the day, the draft isn't really about the players and never has been.

Though, I should point out that the kids from the country have a 1/18 chance of being drafted to somewhere other than a city... I think we definitely need an Academy to route country kids to a provincial club, whichever one that may well be

 

[Obeanie1]

The reason for a national draft is the experience of what happens when you don't have a national draft in a professional game.

Is the NRL struggling?

 

[Obeanie1]

I disagree. The northern academies are required because it's outreach to kids who wouldn't play AFL otherwise, and it mitigates against the go-home factor that benefits the SA and WA clubs far more than NSW and QLD.

For GC and GWS, the academies also balance out the lack of father-son players.

IMO a better answer in WA and SA is to have youth teams be separate from WAFL and SANFL sides, like the Victorian system.

The problem, IMO, is that divvying up the talent from a footy-loving state between two clubs is just a huge advantage. In QLD and NSW, it's less of a leg-up.

Players on the East Coast are more than willing to play in Qld. Not WA.

Just look at the number getting traded to Qld and NSW and free agents moving into non traditional states.

Lack of father sons for Brisbane? That is just incorrect. How many more do they need? Three top quality mids in 3 years.

Swans snapped up Blakey as an academy kid when he was a father son tied to North.

 

[iameviljez]

Players on the East Coast are more than willing to play in Qld. Not WA.

Just look at the number getting traded to Qld and NSW and free agents moving into non traditional states.

Lack of father sons for Brisbane? That is just incorrect. How many more do they need? Three top quality mids in 3 years.

Swans snapped up Blakey as an academy kid when he was a father son tied to North.

I said nothing about F/S for Brisbane, I just said GC and GWS, who obviously don't get F/S players yet. Perhaps read the whole post twice beforehand?

There are some players happy to play in Queensland and NSW, but they don't get the same advantage of the go-home factor that WA, SA and Vic clubs do. With the exception of Charlie Cameron and Dayne Beams (who of course boomeranged), you don't get many go-home players in the mould of Dangerfield, Bolton, Gibbs, Dawson etc.

 

[iameviljez]

Is the NRL struggling?

I am no expert on the NRL, but the AFL was a hugely uneven game in the pre-equalisation era, before the salary cap and the national draft, and it was very unhealthy for the competition.

That said, a cursory look does tell us that 3 clubs have won the last 8 NRL premierships between them. In that time, only one side (Richmond) has won multiple AFL flags.

 

[Obeanie1]

I said nothing about F/S for Brisbane, I just said GC and GWS, who obviously don't get F/S players yet. Perhaps read the whole post twice beforehand?

You started by supporting the Northern academies.

Then justified them for Gold Coast and GWS due to no father sons. You didn't mention Lions or Swans.

Simply pointing out the justification for the Suns and GWS do not apply to the Lions nor Swans. They have the same father son access and chances of landing father sons as anyone else.

 

[iameviljez]

You started by supporting the Northern academies.

Then justified them for Gold Coast and GWS due to no father sons. You didn't mention Lions or Swnans.

Simply pointing g out the justification for the Suns and GWS do not apply to the Lions nor Swans. They have the same father son access and chances of landing father sons as anyone else.

Yeah, I am more of the belief that the northern academies should benefit the expansion sides rather than Brisbane and Sydney, at least for the next two decades, until the F/S access effectively evens up.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Is the NRL struggling?

The AFL will say they have it right as they don't want the same sides contending like the NRL has for the last while, I mean the same side has won the last 4 in the NRL.

 

[iameviljez]

The AFL will say they have it right as they don't want the same sides contending like the NRL has for the last while, I mean the same side has won the last 4 in the NRL.

Any supporter of StKilda, Fitzroy, Footscray, Melbourne, Geelong or South Melbourne will tell you that a pre-draft era isn't a great idea.