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Rusty Buckets

Team Captain
Oct 11, 2019
311
534
AFL Club
North Melbourne
VFL clubs will have smaller lists but pools of 19-year-old players next year

A cut to the salary cap and father-son recruiting rule are just two of the changes being introduced to the VFL for next season.

Paul Amy, Caulfield Glen Eira Leader
Subscriber only
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October 25, 2019 5:30pm

Smaller lists, a new father-son recruiting rule and development pools of 19-year-old players are among a string of changes coming to the VFL.

Stand-alone clubs can sign 40 players next year, down from 45 in 2019, as well as six over-age players from the NAB League.

By 2021 primary lists will be cut to 38 and by 2022 to 36.

The salary cap will also be reduced from $380,000 next year to $350,000 in 2022.

Within two years clubs will be required to pay at least 90 per cent of the payment ceiling.

The cap for AFL and AFL-aligned clubs will be $150,000 by 2022.

“These measures have been put in place to not only promote consistency across State League competitions but also competitive balance within,’’ a document sent to VFL clubs from the AFL this week stated.

Each clubs’ development squad of six players will have three players who can play only VFL (Category A) and three who can play in the VFL and NAB League (Category B).

At least one 19-year-old player must be selected in the team each week, in addition to the 23rd player.

Clubs can recruit the Category A 19-year-olds from anywhere but the Category B players must come from a region designated to each club (Box Hill Hawks, for example, has been linked with Eastern Ranges).

AFL talent officers will identify the Category B players.


Clubs believe the development squads have been introduced as a way of compensating for the scrapping of the Development League two years ago.

The AFL paper said: “The development list is designed to create a stronger connection between the NAB League and the VFL by ensuring an immediate pathway exists for younger players.’’

The AFL and AFL-aligned clubs could list between 24 and 30 players this year.

But that will come down to 22 next year and 20 by 2022. They will also have development squads.

Avondale Heights star Dinny Cleary, son of Coburg legend Phil, could be the first father-son listing in the VFL next year.

“The proposed changes in primary list sizes for all clubs are designed to be more reflective of the current talent pool that participates in the competition, the revised salary cap that will be in place and in line with the objective to create greater consistency across all State Leagues,’’ the AFL paper said.

All clubs will also be able to rookie list two players classified as NGA and AFL Category B rookies.

And a father-son rule will be introduced next year.

Clubs can list a player whose father played 100 VFL games, including combined tallies (for example, 50 at Box Hill Hawks and 50 at Hawthorn).

“This rule supersedes any zone restrictions that may be in place and the player/s selected under this mechanism must still be factored into the salary cap,’’ the AFL said.

But three clubs spoken to today said there should be more reward for having a father-son listing.

List changes will still be permitted during the season.

NAB LEAGUE-—VFL ALIGNMENTS

Bendigo Pioneers: Essendon VFL/Richmond VFL (NGA)

Calder Cannons: Coburg/Essendon VFL (NGA)

Dandenong Stingrays: Frankston/Sandringham (NGA), Casey (NGA)

Eastern Ranges: Box Hill Hawks

Geelong Falcons: Werribee/Geelong VFL

Gippsland Power: Casey/Box Hill VFL (NGA)

GWV Rebels: Footscray VFL, Geelong VFL

Murray Bushrangers: Richmond VFL

Northern Knights: Northern Blues

Oakleigh Chargers: Port Melbourne/Collingwood VFL (NGA)

Sandringham Dragons: Sandringham

Tasmania Devils: North Melbourne VFL (NGA)

Western Jets: Williamstown/North Melb VFL (NGA)/Footscray VFL (NGA)
The requirement to be paying 90% of the salary cap is likely to spell the demise of Frankston and Coburg. Some may say 'who cares?' but these clubs do provide pathways in their respective regions for youngsters who were overlooked as 18yos and/or are late developers. Coburg have produced half a dozen odd draftees in recent years and these opportunities will be harder to come by with reduced list sizes and most AFL teams going stand alone.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Okay, who wants to be that there will be * all VFL games at Arden Street for our 9 interstate matches, and the VFL get scheduled to play at the exact same time as all of our AFL Melbourne matches?
 

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Departing players are listed below.

  • Nick Rippon
  • Jordan McIvor-Clark
  • Mitch Rodd
  • Alex Morgan
  • Jordan Harper (departed midway through 2019)
  • Nash Holmes
  • Chris Jansen
  • Sam Parsons
  • Joseph Ugle
  • Nick Hogan
  • Brendan Whitecross
Further changes and signings will be announced in due course.
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Looks like I'll have to pull the boots out of the cupboard and head down to Arden Street.

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Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
we are going to need some mature bodies so we aren’t sending a heap of skinny teenagers to the slaughterhouse.

The VFL will probably head down a non-drafted under 21 path eventually anyway.
 
rickety Your little buddy will be very upset I'm afraid. Nash Holmes going too will be a massive loss.
Only addition I've seen is potentially Pink joining Robinson and Leonardis as Sydney's second chance saloon.
Mate I was just talking with Peter Francis today, Blues Premiership player from years back, and he has had years at Gippsland Power and knows Nashy entirely well. I told him how he was gonna smash all the ghosts for my little mate 1 scary night at Werribee, so he promptly grabbed his phone, popped us in a pic and sent it off to the one and only Nash Holmes! Was stoked to have a new story for my little mate ...... just has a crappy ending. Unless he goes to the Borough with CJ
 
Saw the boys training the other night. I'd gone for a swim after work, these blokes were out training after work.

Thing that stood out was just how good Nathan Hrovat still is, skills and positioning and fitness wise.

Its like that Simpsons episode where they cast for Fallout Boy.

"Nathan Hrovat, you're a starting centre square midfielder for any team in the comp ... that's what I'd be saying if you were four inches taller and two yards quicker".
 

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