NEAFL 2017

smy1305

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 27, 2011
6,354
2,587
Buderim
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Cairns would be demolished in a neafl comp. they can't even beat a half baked combined side of div 1 and below players. Its not that great a standard of footy.
 

smy1305

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 27, 2011
6,354
2,587
Buderim
AFL Club
Gold Coast
I cast my eye across Sydney and I'm buggered if I can see where the untapped talent is. Sorry.
In the past we had two NEAFL teams in Sydney but one of them was mostly interstate fly-ins and marginals from elsewhere looking to top up their superannuation a bit. Since then, there has been a sort of consolidation that is now called Sydney Uni but that's about all there is.
The better young kids of NSW are in the system and already play NEAFL for Swans or GWS where possible, or otherwise they play Sydney paddock footy. But there just aren't very many of them. A few go interstate to try their luck (Dane Rampe was one of them).
There just aren't many outstanding footballers playing in our Sydney comp and those that there are, are ineligible to play NEAFL.

The truth is that not a lot of Sydney kids want to play AFL, preferring soccer, or our outstanding talent bank of pretty girls or our outstanding beaches. Or else they have exhorbitant rents to pay so they are putting their attention to earning money.

The GWS was set up with the grand vision of tapping into the 2 million or so who live in Western Sydney, but they have now pretty much deserted the West and have moved their epi-centre close to the Swans catchment area. Where the low-hanging fruit is and where the business executives from Adelaide and Melbourne come to live and take their kids to OzKick on Saturday mornings.

It's a tough market, and that's why there are so many empty seats on the TV screen when the GWS is playing at home.
100% agree JB. Australian sport isthejtoughest market in the world to gain new participants. And population doesn't equate to talent pool.
The best way of increasing the standard of NEAFL is to have it as a real area of drafting from. The 4 afl teams plus a south qld team, Sydney/ACT team and NT/NQ combine team all playing against AFL reserves teams. Increase the strength of the tier below in the qafl comp and therefore it becomes very similar to what Victorian landscape is going to be next year with afl 2s and no development league. Those blokes get cherry picked out of their respective teams and go from there. AFL Teams top up with whoever they like as do all the teams but with the mindset that those guys are draftable whether 18 or 28.
 

smy1305

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 27, 2011
6,354
2,587
Buderim
AFL Club
Gold Coast
JAB, I hear your and I believe that you are right in many ways, I remember we had the same attitude here in Brisbane some years back and then just as the Bears franchise started on the Gold Coast, the AFL injected more funds and better leaders into Qld, to get that "we can't compete with the others Codes here, as we are a Rugby and Rugby League State" out of all involved, with those Leaders and the extra funds QLD turned it around. We really can't IMO currently sustain 2 AFL Sides here in QLD, by the numbers attending and thats showing at both the Gabba and Metricon as these numbers are going down at a constant rate, but nearly everyone up here know who the Lions and the Suns are. This is through the junior programmes that The QFLQ via their AFLQ Junior Bodies have adopted and promoted. Once these two Qld based AFL sides start to be a little more competitive, these slowing attendance numbers will change, IMO that is because Qld's like their AFL Footy, but they love it when their team is winning - Why do they love it? Because IMO, their Children and their Grand Children love it because it has been educated into them by their local available Junior Competitions, their schools participation programmes and the Auskick programmes that the various Qld regional managers work tirelessly at 12 months a year to promote and then which the grass root clubs fight tirelessly to achieve participation to enable their long term survival and keep stamping their skin on the game.

All the AFL have done IMO, is spend a bucket full of money in NSW to inject the Giants into the Competition without ensuring that their state programs were developing quickly enough to anywhere near the same the same that Qld originally pre the Gold Coast Suns starting up.

If you and all of the other AFL supporters in Sydney and around NSW don't want and more importantly the States based AFLNSW Body don't want to fight for the slice of the Pie in the region that Qld achieved, through hard work and a never give up attitude, then yes I agree NSW is a waste of time to promote another NEAFL side in NSW, but more importantly, if the AFL and AFLNSW don't keep promoting and giving the kids of the State a love for the game and an arena to play it in then who is going to support the game down there in the future??????? Is the NSWAFL doing enough to promote the game like the AFLQ do in Queensland? I can't answer that, but this question may be a fair indicator as to why NSW cant support another NEAFL Team currently and Qld can support 3 NEAFL Teams with muting's of a Cairns Region side joining in the Future.

It's not about who supports the Swans or the Giants currently IMO, it about how we educate the kids of tomorrow to firstly play the game at a very junior level, transitioning on to playing it at the highest Level they can and then through this, as we all have in the past, they then go on to love and own the game for life!!!!!!

Excuses don't work in my house or at my work and they shouldn't work in the game off AFL and especially promoting the game of AFL - Give up and you loose, fight hard and never give up and you just might win.

Billy not sure you have any idea at all how difficult it is to promote afl footy in NSW from this post. Just saying "work harder, show some belief" isn't going to make people love it. Do you realise that the Canberra comp was just as good as qafl footy for a period of time?
Demographics play a huge part in the recruitment of players too. Western Sydney is obviously very multicultural. Think there are good reasons why boys in that part of town drift towards league and soccer.

It's not about giving up, it's about doing things smarter. I would get rid of 3 suburban teams and put into one side played out of Brisbane; at worst 2 teams on the north and south side. Whether you like it or not the non aligned teams can't compete if the afl sides are anywhere near full strength. Aspley did it for one year but big deal. Tha same year the Suns were putrid, As were the lions and gws finished on top and pulled half their players for operations once the senior teams season finished. Not saying it wasn't a superb effort by Aspley but still compromised I would suggest.
It's just hard work and I think confine the talent into less teams with a real mark of trying to develop draftees rather than win a premiership.
 
Jun 30, 2009
31
6
Sydney
AFL Club
Collingwood
Billy not sure you have any idea at all how difficult it is to promote afl footy in NSW from this post. Just saying "work harder, show some belief" isn't going to make people love it. Do you realise that the Canberra comp was just as good as qafl footy for a period of time?
Demographics play a huge part in the recruitment of players too. Western Sydney is obviously very multicultural. Think there are good reasons why boys in that part of town drift towards league and soccer.

It's not about giving up, it's about doing things smarter. I would get rid of 3 suburban teams and put into one side played out of Brisbane; at worst 2 teams on the north and south side. Whether you like it or not the non aligned teams can't compete if the afl sides are anywhere near full strength. Aspley did it for one year but big deal. Tha same year the Suns were putrid, As were the lions and gws finished on top and pulled half their players for operations once the senior teams season finished. Not saying it wasn't a superb effort by Aspley but still compromised I would suggest.
It's just hard work and I think confine the talent into less teams with a real mark of trying to develop draftees rather than win a premiership.

What I will say on this re: NSW is that more locals are currently playing a better standard of footy and development of local players has improved - Swans NDS, Giants NDS, Uni, + Academies etc. On NEAFL though generally its going to explode if the non-AFL clubs don't get a fair crack. Last year I recall both the Giants and Swans loading up on over the allowable number of listed players (as they were in finals in seniors and the AFL looked after them of course) and there were no fairly contested finals with them in it - Uni and Aspley just had to wear it when they they deserved to have a crack at success at least. Given the entire comp is designed for and does just suit the AFL clubs if they don't get real at giving non-AFL clubs a chance at success they will soon have none as per other comments on here. Players, volunteers etc have to see its not all one way traffic and there is some fairness. Currently there isn't - I expect non-AFL clubs to drop out over the next 2 years for reasons I cite and to protect the culture of the rest of their club and gets some focus on achievable goals again.
 

smy1305

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 27, 2011
6,354
2,587
Buderim
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Non AFL clubs play with 23 vs 22 every week don't they?? Not sure anyone said the comp was fair but it is a development comp put together to ensure a reasonable standard of footy is maintained to allow AFL clubs to show case their draftees. There will always be the odd kid / mid twenty that will pop up from the club sides as well.

Where I agree with the unfairness is when you can have an AFL club that is really light on numbers ie GWS this season take players from other NEAFL sides to top up. That's just madness to allow this to happen.
 

smy1305

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 27, 2011
6,354
2,587
Buderim
AFL Club
Gold Coast
I agree with most of the posts here from you guys and we could talk about it for yonks ,,, Where Im comimg from ,,, is what is the solution ????
Gave you one earlier stuyd. Reduce the number of non afl teams. Puts more players into the qafl comp, spreads the player pool to be selected by NEAFL clubs to more qafl clubs too so less pressure on qafl clubs, increases qafl standard. As for the NEAFL, well 7 teams means every week a side plays a vfl side if thy can find a bye in that comp,as well.The more these teams play vfl sides the easier it is for recruiters to work out how good they are.
 

justabaraker

All Australian
Mar 28, 2012
867
117
cherrybrook
AFL Club
GWS
"............... NSW is that more locals are currently playing a better standard of footy and development of local players has improved - Swans NDS, Giants NDS, Uni, + Academies etc............ "
I don't really go along with a lot of what you say TJP, but this is an excellent point. More locals are playing a better standard of footy and development has improved.
It's a slow process but there sure is improvement.

Soccer is the big winter sport here, but Union is on the nose and League is suffering too. In my area, junior league clubs are folding, merging and cutting out teams because there just aren't the kids coming through. NRL is a stupid game for mine - hyped up to the point of being ridiculous - and below all the huff and puff and loud noise, there isn't too much going on. And it seems that there is a mighty financial problem coming up where the NRL is living on promises way beyond the ability to deliver. And, with every new scandal and ugly sucker-hit, a few families decide that there are better options for their boy.

NEAFL might not be the perfect way to go but our game is going ok and NEAFL is contributing.
 
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Ally Craft

Senior List
Mar 20, 2016
157
17
AFL Club
Collingwood
I was listening to ABC grandstand NRL commentators Matt Elliott and Andrew Moore last Sunday. They were asked why isn't there a national reserves comp for all NRL teams. As an AFL/NEAFL fan I was interested in the reply. Moore said it will never happen because of $$$ basically, but also lack of support from the broader community. Elliott said "it's already there"....he meant the local Sydney RL comp and the QRL comp.
I related their answers to the AFL. Sanfl, Vfl, Wafl, Tsl and now Neafl. All varying in standard, though all of a pretty good standard overall.
I feel that the top level footy ie AFL is so far away from the 2nd tier/reserves and getting further away.
As someone pointed out here recently there doesn't seem to be any appetite from AFL headquarters to have a National AFL reserves comp. $$$$?
I hope then that the community clubs in the Neafl can continue to attract and hold good players, be competitve against each other and hope we can get the AFL sides when they've got plenty of injuries!! (see GWS this year!)
 

billybunter

Team Captain
Mar 12, 2012
592
92
Caboolture
AFL Club
Fremantle
I was listening to ABC grandstand NRL commentators Matt Elliott and Andrew Moore last Sunday. They were asked why isn't there a national reserves comp for all NRL teams. As an AFL/NEAFL fan I was interested in the reply. Moore said it will never happen because of $$$ basically, but also lack of support from the broader community. Elliott said "it's already there"....he meant the local Sydney RL comp and the QRL comp.
I related their answers to the AFL. Sanfl, Vfl, Wafl, Tsl and now Neafl. All varying in standard, though all of a pretty good standard overall.
I feel that the top level footy ie AFL is so far away from the 2nd tier/reserves and getting further away.
As someone pointed out here recently there doesn't seem to be any appetite from AFL headquarters to have a National AFL reserves comp. $$$$?
I hope then that the community clubs in the Neafl can continue to attract and hold good players, be competitve against each other and hope we can get the AFL sides when they've got plenty of injuries!! (see GWS this year!)

Ally Craft, I wish you were correct but.
The AFL Reserve sides are only going to get stronger I feel all over Australia, as players will soon not be getting injured through contacts, because the
do-gooders are turning the game into a cross between Soccer and Netball, the game has become a game for athletes who once could not play because of the toughness required to go in and get the footy. After the report on Luke Hodge on the weekend, for that (at most) a crude block with the out stretched arm, which in turn gave him a three strike and a one match ban, the game is becoming a joke, also Brownlow favorite at the time of the Kruzier tackle, Paddy Dangerfield takes a guilty plea for a one match suspension for a IMO a legitimate tackle which no one but the MRP took offence to, is another joke.

Week in and week out soft non malicious plays in football that were once encouraged by all are being closely scrutinized and are slowly being removed from the game, which is the biggest Joke - I agree that protecting the Head of any player is the most important aspect of safety in the game, along with a malice act of behind play thuggery or cheap shots on players who don't see a punch coming, throw the book at them, but for incidental contact while trying to get the footy it's play on for mine. Soon players will only have to touch the ball to get a kick, is the game soft? it is certainly heading that way at a great rate of knots - yes indeed.

One thing I will say about our rival code the game of NRL, it may not be the most exciting game going around, but its played by men who the majority of the time, play as if the ball was their own and anyone who gets in the way and tries to get it off them, had better be able to go hard no holes barred to get to play with it. Not to many pure athletes playing in this formatted tackling game.
 
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justabaraker

All Australian
Mar 28, 2012
867
117
cherrybrook
AFL Club
GWS
Sorry BB, not with you here. The old style thuggery has pretty much been deleted from our game, and players are extra careful now to avoid any possible hint of anti-head action. And that's good, especially in view of this new research from the US NFL about CTE...this is a time bomb if ever there was one.

And the NRL is not going to allow anti-head action like we have seen in the last couple of weeks in NRL - it's not to do with how popular the collisions are with the fans, but how expensive they could become ! And THAT's what will force the change.
 
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justabaraker

All Australian
Mar 28, 2012
867
117
cherrybrook
AFL Club
GWS
Ally Craft, I wish you were correct but.
The AFL Reserve sides are only going to get stronger I feel all over Australia, as players will soon not be getting injured through contacts, because the do-gooders are turning the game into a cross between Soccer and Netball, the game has become a game for athletes who once could not play because of the toughness required to go in and get the footy.
I must be in a cranky mood this morning (I'm blaming my kids !!!) but I'm not with you on this one either.
If AFL Reserve sides get stronger then it will be for other reasons other than the do-gooders turning it into a game played by pussies. And, hey, even if this WAS THE REASON, then let's DO IT !
If AFL Reserves sides get stronger then they are going to drag up the standards of what is below. And the standards required to make it onto an AFL list...competition for spots.
It sucks that our non-AFL clubs will be used as the springboard for that and they will have to be mighty sure of their intentions and benefits if they stay in NEAFL. I wouldn't myself if I were them....never been to Broadbeach in my life but it sounds like a club that I'd like to play for.
 

billybunter

Team Captain
Mar 12, 2012
592
92
Caboolture
AFL Club
Fremantle
Can't be drafted out of qafl.

smy1305,

I thought that clubs could draft anyone in the land in any competition? The AFL is a body within itself, with rules to suit itself and change these when ever they feel its necessary, which is often!!!!!

So am I reading by your sharp reply above, that players can now only be drafted from either the 2nd tier Comps through out Australia or the Under 18 State Sides as seen at the Australian Carnivals Div 1 and Div 2 or the TAC Cup Comp? - What about the Amateurs Comp in Melbourne? The very strong Country Leagues in Vic, SA and WA. This makes no sense as talent scouts are everywhere these days and if a bloke is playing for Broadbeach (as an example) and is good enough - he would have to go to a NEAFL club to Drafted?????
 

drama5

Team Captain
Apr 22, 2009
435
381
gold coast
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Can't be drafted out of qafl.

Of course you can!!! You can be drafted from anywhere. Some people could choose to avoid southport for specific reasons and not want to leave gold coast. Or a 17 year old who chooses to stay at their local club whilst they play nationals. I ynderstand may not rate the qafl competition but people have been drafted from much lesser competitions
 
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