State League Representative squads in the Nab Cup

[EssendonNick]

Should VFL/WAFL/SANFL have representative squads in the NAB cup?

Although any SANFL/VFL/WAFL team would get slaughtered, would the representative squads of each of these leagues be competitive against the AFL clubs?
Mature age state league based players being picked up by the AFL clubs often have an immediate impact.

This could help bridge the gap between state footy and AFL and also a chance for these state players to prove themselves against AFL players and pledge there case of being picked up in the next years draft.

Imagine a SANFL vs Adelaide Crows match, or a WAFL vs West Coast, VFL vs Western Bulldogs.

With the AFL clubs often using the NAB cup as a way to try out there fringe players, would an AFL team against a full strength WAFL/SANFL/VFL representative squad be a blowout or a contest?

Would people attend these games and would they be competitive?

 

[Alberton_Magpie]

How about this-

NAB Cup Round 1
Adelaide vs Port Adelaide vs SANFL All Stars
Gold Coast vs Brisbane vs QLD/NT All Stars
Sydney vs GWS vs NSW/ACT All Stars
West Coast vs Fremantle vs WAFL All Stars
Hawthorn vs Nth Melbourne vs Tasmania All Stars
Bulldogs vs Melbourne vs VFL All Stars
Collingwood vs Carlton vs Essendon
Richmond vs St.Kilda vs Geelong

Top 2 of each division goes through to round 2, so even the All-Stars have a chance of advancing.

 

[muesli]

Interesting idea, could lead to more mature age rookie selections.

I suppose it would come down to how competitive the all star teams would be. If they could hold there own, i like the idea.

 

[The Passenger]

interesting. i'm always up for things to try help get exposure to people beyond the big leagues, and this could definately work.

with the current set up up of 6 groups of 3, with each winner and 2 best losers advancing, could easily be moved into 7 groups od 3, with each winner and best loser advancing.

It's hard to see, individually, a Tasmania, Qld/NT or NSW/ACT team being strong enough. maybe a combination of all five state leagues, but then you're left with 22 teams, which doesn't really fit into the current set up.

a VFL, SANFL and WAFL team i reckon would all be pretty competitive. I can't imagine any of them winning or going really deep, but you'd imagine they'd give it a fair crack. could always be worth a trial for a couple of years, and if they're out of their depth then bring it back to the current system, no real harm done.

to be fair on guys in the other state leagues, you could allow the respective state leagues to sign on players (no money, just expenses paid) for the NAB Cup to a) strengthen the state leagues current team, and b) offer those players a crack at a chance at playing against an AFL level team

 

[The Passenger]

I suppose it would come down to how competitive the all star teams would be. If they could hold there own, i like the idea.

all it comes down to really. but you could always run it up for a couple of years, and if they were out of their depth and it was apparent the gap between AFL and state leagues was wider than first thought, then just scrap it.

 

[blaze036]

Would be a good idea if they had a chance of winning, and means noone has to go to perth for round 1 of the nab cup

 

[Kwality]

Just another idea to further reduce the standard of our footy ... we've just introduced 2 x underage squads to the national comp & we've got people suggesting ways of further lowering the standard. HELLO!

State league teams have the Foxtel Cup & if you havent watched it its 2nd rate.

 

[EssendonNick]

Just another idea to further reduce the standard of our footy ... we've just introduced 2 x underage squads to the national comp & we've got people suggesting ways of further lowering the standard. HELLO!

State league teams have the Foxtel Cup & if you havent watched it its 2nd rate.

I didn't say State League teams, I said State League Representative Squads.
The best 22 players from the VFL, The best 22 players from the SANFL and The best 22 players from the WAFL.
And its just for the NAB cup.
AFL sides will still be using it to test out fringe players and try different things, These representative teams will want to win especially if they make it so the prize money goes to the players.

 

[pekay-norwest]

Great initiative. Would love to see a NSW/ACT team with all the top players picked, NEAFL and the handful of NSW O & M clubs, although they do fall under VCFL, so there's a can of worms to open.

 

[madmug]

Sorry but I dont see the point. Having local footy players play against full time professional players wouldnt help anyone IMO. If individual players look good enough they may get drafted. Otherwise they have the foxtel cup.

 

[Kwality]

I didn't say State League teams, I said State League Representative Squads.
The best 22 players from the VFL, The best 22 players from the SANFL and The best 22 players from the WAFL.
And its just for the NAB cup.
AFL sides will still be using it to test out fringe players and try different things, These representative teams will want to win especially if they make it so the prize money goes to the players.

I do understand, the state leagues play representative games mid year & it gets nil coverage.

 

[EssendonNick]

I do understand, the state leagues play representative games mid year & it gets nil coverage.

but if they were to play an AFL side, Coverage there would be.

 

[The Passenger]

Great initiative. Would love to see a NSW/ACT team with all the top players picked, NEAFL and the handful of NSW O & M clubs, although they do fall under VCFL, so there's a can of worms to open.

i don't reckon NSW or Qld representative teams as a whole would be strong enough to compete. but there would definately be players who are capable. it's certainly something you can visit down the track.

so i reckon an initiative like this should allow the VFL, SANFL and WAFL players to "recruit" players from elsewhere in australia. upto say maybe a maximum of six in their final 22, no minimum.

in essense it wouldn't be a true VFL, SANFL or WAFL team, but i don't see any reason why it has to be. for me the main idea of something like this is to give non AFL footballers some exposure to AFL level footballers, and an opportunity to showcase their talents in a hope that it might prick the ears of a few recruiters who could then follow them through the upcoming season.

i think it might also keep a few extra players in footy. from anecdotal evidence there is a pretty high drop out rate of guys at about the 20-21 year age when it becomes apparent that getting drafted is a dream that has been dashed. any additional avenues to drafting will also keep players in the state leagues and keep those leagues stronger.

once again i'm only going off anecdotal evidence from what i see and players i know, but cricket seems much better at retaining it's players. one of the reason's is that guys who are playing first grade know they are only one huge season, or two really good seasons away from being full time professional cricketers. every year there are probably a dozen blokes over the age of 25 making their first class debut....

 

[Rob]

i don't reckon NSW or Qld representative teams as a whole would be strong enough to compete. but there would definately be players who are capable. it's certainly something you can visit down the track.

Well, probably not, but neither are the WAFL, SANFL or VFL likely to be able to compete either. Queensland did get within a kick of the WAFL last year, and if you add a few O&M league players to NSW/ACT they might put up a team that could compete with the 3 big leagues.

 

[The Passenger]

^^ interesting. i wouldn't have though the QLD league would get within a bulls roar of any of the "traditional" state leagues... where both teams at fairly full strength??

 

[IanW]

Black Thunder,

You dont put in a Queensland rep side.

You put in a NEAFL rep side.

 

[The Passenger]

would they be strong enough??

 

[Rob]

^^ interesting. i wouldn't have though the QLD league would get within a bulls roar of any of the "traditional" state leagues... where both teams at fairly full strength??

I wouldn't have thought so either. I thought it was all over in the last quarter when WA were 8 goals up, then Queensland kicked the last 7 or so goals and nearly stole it.

I don't remember too much discussion about WA not being at full strength. It is possible.

 

[EssendonNick]

The thing is if they keep the mini-games in the first round then a real slaughterhouse isn't really possible.
GWS who I think will most likely get slaughtered in the regular season were competitive in these mini-games.

 

[FootyJunkie]

How about this-

NAB Cup Round 1
Adelaide vs Port Adelaide vs SANFL All Stars
Gold Coast vs Brisbane vs QLD/NT All Stars
Sydney vs GWS vs NSW/ACT All Stars
West Coast vs Fremantle vs WAFL All Stars
Hawthorn vs Nth Melbourne vs Tasmania All Stars
Bulldogs vs Melbourne vs VFL All Stars
Collingwood vs Carlton vs Essendon
Richmond vs St.Kilda vs Geelong

Top 2 of each division goes through to round 2, so even the All-Stars have a chance of advancing.

Pretty much a good way of organising it. Have Victoria face off against the two lowest AFL Vic sides from the previous year to raise their chances. The group round would run over 2 weeks (another time slot for Saturday or Sunday arvo would be required, could fixture the Etihad groups then to beat the heat). Then only the winner of each group would move on to the Quarterfinals.

Would have the state league all stars wear SoO jumpers since they'd be referred to by the state(s) they represent, rather than the state league.

It's a neat idea I reckon. At least trial it as a one off. It can't hurt. Would add some more interest to the NAB Cup. It's probably the closest it would ever come to an FA Cup style comp where the AFL sides are playing sides from outside their league while keeping it all reasonably competitive.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Gee some of you guys over rate AFL list players number 26 -42 at AFL clubs.

The blokes on AFL lists 26-42 are no better than the players playing WAFL/SANFL/VFL. Just they are younger with apparent potential.

People suggesting a state rep side would not be competitive is ridiculous.

I would suggest the GWS would not win the WAFL/SANFL or the VFL.

 

[calyam]

The thing is if they keep the mini-games in the first round then a real slaughterhouse isn't really possible.
GWS who I think will most likely get slaughtered in the regular season were competitive in these mini-games.

Particularly given that most teams don't take it very seriously. The players from the state teams would have a massive incentive to perform and the AFL players would hate to lose to a team from a second tier comp.

I like the idea and I think the draw that the OP put together looks pretty sound.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Gee some of you guys over rate AFL list players number 26 -42 at AFL clubs.

The blokes on AFL lists 26-42 are no better than the players playing WAFL/SANFL/VFL. Just they are younger with apparent potential.

People suggesting a state rep side would not be competitive is ridiculous.

I would suggest the GWS would not win the WAFL/SANFL or the VFL.

I have to agree completely. At any given time there are quite a few players in the state leagues who are better, at that time, than some in the AFL. There are alot of kids in the AFL who might be skilled but are learning the craft. Many will fall by the wayside, not live up to the hopesplaced on them, and be delisted despite being better footballers than they are now, and play out the remainder of their and peak as footballers in a state league. The three main leagues are full of these guys, especially the SANFL with its higher salary cap.
Port Melbourne, zero AFL listed players, seem to have gone OK in the VFL where some sides are mostly full of AFL listed players.
Given AFL clubs tend to play the kids and rest some stars in the pre-season the major state league composite sides could be very competitive and get some wins along the way (the big question mark would be their fitness and training levels at this time of year, they are at best semi-professional players).

 

[The Passenger]

Many will fall by the wayside, not live up to the hopesplaced on them, and be delisted despite being better footballers than they are now, and play out the remainder of their and peak as footballers in a state league.

quite a pertinent point that.

and i reckon for some guys it would be hard to reconcile that they are better footballers when they are, say for istance 25 or 26 than they were when they were 20 or 21, yet it was the younger poorer footballer that was on an AFL list.

below the top 30 in an afl club, potential is the big thing.

but with the increase in workload and injuries and the spread of talent through the draft and salary cap, clubs are now fully utilising right down to about 35 on their list, and that is one of the things driving the increase in mature age recruits.