The Swans Academy breed kids to play a team game, unselfish and hard at the ball.
They ask each to play a role that means the team benefits.
Then the kids play that way and are discribed as foot soldiers, not elite!
To get noticed, players need to take shots at goal that are less likely then the open pass to an unmarked player OR accumulate massisive possesion numbers, but make no hard tackles or do the grunt work that allows that.
They teach them to be AFL players in a system that rewards school boy standouts!
Then select a Vic kid who needs 2 or 3 pre seasons before he won't blow away when the southerly hits.
Why spend so much time teaching the 'Swans way', or in the gym if it only gets overlooked because "they only beat teams because they are more physical and less skilled" OR they are just a good team, but no Elites!
F#%% me, they are closer to professional footballers then most.
They ask each to play a role that means the team benefits.
Then the kids play that way and are discribed as foot soldiers, not elite!
To get noticed, players need to take shots at goal that are less likely then the open pass to an unmarked player OR accumulate massisive possesion numbers, but make no hard tackles or do the grunt work that allows that.
They teach them to be AFL players in a system that rewards school boy standouts!
Then select a Vic kid who needs 2 or 3 pre seasons before he won't blow away when the southerly hits.
Why spend so much time teaching the 'Swans way', or in the gym if it only gets overlooked because "they only beat teams because they are more physical and less skilled" OR they are just a good team, but no Elites!
F#%% me, they are closer to professional footballers then most.