
- Sep 10, 2010
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$2m is the Suns' annual spend on their academy, at least some of which is funded by sponsorship, not entirely from AFL distribution.If the AFL is funding Brisbane GWS and Sydney academies they the way they are the Suns (~$2m pa). Then we are mostly there already.
Of course it isn't. We're not a charity. We're here to win premierships, not to help other clubs win premierships.and therein lies the rub. You use "grow the game" as a moral ground for unhindered access, a discount, and being able to bundle 3rd round picks for top 5 talent.
But if the access is taken away, it's not worth your time?
The AFL in all their wisdom decided to hand northern clubs the responsibility of junior development when they should be focusing solely on winning premierships, because the AFL themselves did the job poorly when they tried it. They weren't willing to do what it took to do the job properly, due to their own laziness and incompetence. You can see the same laziness and incompetence on full display every time they chop and change the trade and draft rules, when entirely foreseeable outcomes come to pass, that any competent organisation would have wargamed for already.
Honestly, I'd hand back all the academies at the end of this year if the AFL were willing to take responsibility, properly this time, giving the amount of funding it actually requires to bring the skills of Queensland and NSW kids up to scratch with those playing in better youth competitions, and draw more kids to the game who wouldn't have otherwise. I see it as a win if the Lions can focus entirely on winning flags and still have more talented Queenslanders available to draft if we want to avoid the go home factor. I just don't think AFL house will do it, when they could just sit around scratching their arses and continue to make millions each year.
They should, but they don't. You know as well as I do that the AFL will listen to whatever Collingwood and Carlton demand of them. When one of them suffer, then someone might take it seriously.Why should it matter how would have "gone down?" If it makes the competition more equitable then the AFL should have the balls to go through with it regardless of what certain clubs think.
Your organisation is effectively saying that, by demanding the immediate dismantlement of northern academies and replacing them with NGAs. If the problem for them was the system as a whole, then they should have demanded an end to all academy access for everyone, including NGAs, with the AFL running them all instead. That would have been a stance I could respect.No one's saying that the Northern clubs are out to get St Kilda, just that the system is currently set up in a way that has disadvantaged us and other clubs, particularly the other 4 non-Victorian clubs.
Instead, it comes across as self-serving rather than principled. The Australian Rules-dominant states will produce far more NGA talent, because more of the athletic immigrant and Indigenous kids will choose to play Australian Rules if it's the dominant sport in the area and has little to no competition from the rugby codes. It'll create a system where the Mac Andrews of the world still make it to the AFL and are club-tied, but the Isaac Heeneys of the world take the riches on offer to them at a young age from the rugby codes.
St Kilda are pretending youth development is a level playing field between states when it's clearly not. It really does seem like St Kilda are saying the Northern clubs are out to get them.
Of course. Hawthorn have done it already and Richmond are in the process of doing it now.I am rambling here, but my general point is asking if a true build through the draft can be achieved under the current system?