Under 17's?

[Bryceson]

There has been plenty of talk about the possibility of VAFA introducing an under 17 competition in 2008. Some people i've talked to have said its definite and set in stone, while some say it is very unlikely.

Has anyone got a definitive answer? Have the VAFA actually said it will happen? Are they even considering it?

Cheers

 

[Ratpit]

There has been plenty of talk about the possibility of VAFA introducing an under 17 competition in 2008. Some people i've talked to have said its definite and set in stone, while some say it is very unlikely.

Has anyone got a definitive answer? Have the VAFA actually said it will happen? Are they even considering it?

Cheers

im almost certain its going ahead. i think its a good idea as there are a number of u17 sides going round and for each of them playing in the same comp will get teams more familiar with the vafa. its a good step in the development of teams and i think will make the vafa stronger

 

[Over The Post]

I heard the idea failed to fly this year and now the talk is of an U18 comp in 2009.

I thought the 17s was an excellent plan, it is an ideal staging point for the juniors moving up to the established U19/seniors before the good U16s get poached by the U18 district competitions.

An 18s would serve the same purpose, but wouldn't it dilute the U19 comp?

Five or six years before I have to worry about it for my kids, but still interested to see how it pans out.

 

[alo_saints_fan]

I heard the idea failed to fly this year and now the talk is of an U18 comp in 2009.

I thought the 17s was an excellent plan, it is an ideal staging point for the juniors moving up to the established U19/seniors before the good U16s get poached by the U18 district competitions.

An 18s would serve the same purpose, but wouldn't it dilute the U19 comp?

Five or six years before I have to worry about it for my kids, but still interested to see how it pans out.

i agree here OTP.
there have been a couple of mentions in the ammateur footballer.
most comps have an u/17 allready so it would make sense to create an u/18 team, eliminating the need of clubs having two 19/s such as st.bedes.

 

[smudger57]

i agree here OTP.
there have been a couple of mentions in the ammateur footballer.
most comps have an u/17 allready so it would make sense to create an u/18 team, eliminating the need of clubs having two 19/s such as st.bedes.

so what your suggesting is an U18's and U19's competition? not sure it would eliminate teams having two u19's, and don't see the harm if a club has two u19's teams. guess it depends on whether they are run as bottom age/top age (or something similar) or as straight firsts and seconds. if its run the latter way, it would prepare the players for selection in seniors/ressies/clubbies.

and what happens if a club has 14 u18 players and 14 u19 players? obviously you'd run a u19 team, which im sure is the situation now at many clubs. i really don't see a need to introduce an u17 or u18 comp, leave it the way it is. if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[Right Arm Slow]

so what your suggesting is an U18's and U19's competition? not sure it would eliminate teams having two u19's, and don't see the harm if a club has two u19's teams. guess it depends on whether they are run as bottom age/top age (or something similar) or as straight firsts and seconds. if its run the latter way, it would prepare the players for selection in seniors/ressies/clubbies.

and what happens if a club has 14 u18 players and 14 u19 players? obviously you'd run a u19 team, which im sure is the situation now at many clubs. i really don't see a need to introduce an u17 or u18 comp, leave it the way it is. if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Agree with you on this smudger. And what happens at selection when the U19 coach wants the gun players from the U18s, and the 18's are left with half a bench and a whole bunch of eligible U19s sitting in the stands watching?

If you've got the players for it, having 2 U19 sides would surely be more benificial for a club. That being said, an U17's wouldn't be that bad.

 

[alo_saints_fan]

The reson i said an u/18 comp would be good was to eliminate the large jump between the 17's and 19's. If you think about it 17's going into a 19's comp would be and is currently pretty tough.

 

[james05]

Most of the under 17 comps are in fact under 17 and half ie MSJFL and if the VAFA brought the under 19 and half comp back to strictly under19's that would eliminate the need for a new comp based upon the age differential and by the way do you reckon councils are going to support more usage on already dry grounds?? Dont think so...

 

[game on]

One of the main selling points for the VAFA in introducing U17's is largely around money from the AFL. The AFL give money to local leagues who produce AFL players. At the moment maybe 2 or 3 players running around in the AFL are linked to an VAFA senior club. The AFL sees sides such as Beauy, Hampton and Ormond (who all have produced AFL players) as MSJFL clubs and as a result any spliting up of money goes to that league.

Having these players play a handful of games at an U17 level in the VAFA will allow the Ammo's to go to the AFL and say, look, we produced these AFL players.

U18's would not work for a number of reasons, including lowering the standard of the U19 comps, more clubs would be able to produce an U17 and U19 teams and also I doubt that an under 18 comp would produce any AFL players.

 

[smudger57]

i don't believe an u17 comp is the way to go either as all of a sudden VAFA clubs will be competing with junior clubs for players services, plus some clubs have strong ties with their junior clubs that already have u17s/colts teams.
do they players play for both teams, saturday then sunday?
what happens with school footy as well? saturday morning for the school, then saturday arvo with the old boys team?
if they do introduce an u17's, i don't think there will be many clubs fielding a team.

 

[game on]

i don't believe an u17 comp is the way to go either as all of a sudden VAFA clubs will be competing with junior clubs for players services, plus some clubs have strong ties with their junior clubs that already have u17s/colts teams.
do they players play for both teams, saturday then sunday?
what happens with school footy as well? saturday morning for the school, then saturday arvo with the old boys team?
if they do introduce an u17's, i don't think there will be many clubs fielding a team.

I think the original plan was to play 17's on the Sunday afternoon.

I think they were only expecting a handful of side to participate in the first year anyway. They would only need 8 to 10 to feild a strong comp. Would probably only get up if the likes of Hampton, Ormond, AJAX and Beauy decided to leave the MSJFL for the U17's to joint the VAFA.

 

[james05]

Game on you are on the money "money" being the operative, it will cost the VAFA to get out of E Park and head towards the City ...near Lexus maybe...

 

[daryl freame]

I don't agree with the idea at all. There is a well run under 17s comp in the Moorabbin saints league. To undermine a local junior footy league would be a low act.

In relation to an under 18s, surely it is more beneficial to have 2 under 19 teams to allow the flexability of changing players from one team to the other.

Or maybe it is motivated by the SFL's push to have under 18s? It is a very fledgling comp this year but has grand plans for 2009 wih many clubs committed to fielding a team.

 

[mcvh13]

which clubs apart from beauy, prahran maybe, oakleigh, ormond etc. could actually field a team? all the old school clubs wouldnt be interested which makes the affiliation with vafa seem kind of pointless to me. let teams play in their local leagues surely until u19s

 

[james05]

mcvh13, doubt if Oakleigh would field a team they forfeitted at under 19 level last week, Prahran maybe, Beauy maybe but very much doubt Ormond as they would not have the facility to play the game as they are "chock a block" and are not allowed to play any further teams on the EEGunn facility. This under 18 comp is a lame idea for the VAFA, it works well for other suburban comps as they must have a feeder into the senior teams whereas the VAFA already have that at under 19 and a half level.

 

[mf_55]

wouldnt the problem be that many kids would be playing school footy and wouldnt be able to play in an u/17 comp? thoughts?

 

[james05]

yes the kids at schools would be playing school footy particularly the schools that have a team in the ammos. under17's were touted in 2007 under 18's in 2008 neither will work again it is a lame idea. District clubs have already spoken against the idea.

 

[Dean3]

Continue to hear rumours of an U/18 comp in the ammos next year. Anyone know anything?

 

[dyl_tigerman]

actually no one of the club presidents and she says that the 18 comp is the more likely to go ahead

 

[vafafan]

Continue to hear rumours of an U/18 comp in the ammos next year. Anyone know anything?

The steering group for the U18 section is keen to do everything possible to make this successful for 2009. Some key considerations include:
Players must be born on or after 01/07/1990 Primarily a Saturday afternoon competition with flexibility required
It is imperative to ensure a healthy and enjoyable competition therefore teams must be evenly matched. Accordingly we would endeavour to play the competition geographical initially before a regrading according to standard.Non VAFA member clubs may apply but they will have to undergo strict a strict interview process.
Enforcement of code of conduct for players and officials and adherences to VAFA policy

 

[vafafan]

The steering group for the U18 section is keen to do everything possible to make this successful for 2009. Some key considerations include:
Players must be born on or after 01/07/1990 Primarily a Saturday afternoon competition with flexibility required
It is imperative to ensure a healthy and enjoyable competition therefore teams must be evenly matched. Accordingly we would endeavour to play the competition geographical initially before a regrading according to standard.Non VAFA member clubs may apply but they will have to undergo strict a strict interview process.
Enforcement of code of conduct for players and officials and adherences to VAFA policy
VAFA sent this criteria to clubs on 30/5/2008 to check for interest is fielding a team