Victorian clubs handed AFL funding for academies

[Tommy Wigs]

As Gringo stated Chris Judd was a Sandy Dragon. We win at least once in 2004/5 2009/10 with him I'm our team

Except it's indigenous players. How many players have been (genuinely - not those studying here) from Metro Melbourne? Is ripe for paying kids to move zones at a younger age.

 

[Joffaboy]

Except it's indigenous players. How many players have been (genuinely - not those studying here) from Metro Melbourne? Is ripe for paying kids to move zones at a younger age.

Apparently not according to posters above

 

[goodie23]

It'll kill the draft as a TV spectacle, last year took long enough with just three clubs with academies

 

[plugger66]

Except it's indigenous players. How many players have been (genuinely - not those studying here) from Metro Melbourne? Is ripe for paying kids to move zones at a younger age.

Did we pick up one last year? Anyway there is hardly going to be many players for any side.

 

[felsty]

Did we pick up one last year? Anyway there is hardly going to be many players for any side.

We did pick up a kid last year of Indigenous decent. However from my understanding its not just Indigenous players that will be captured by these zones.

 

[Gangnam Saint]

This is just the start of it and it includes kids from multi-cultural backgrounds.

 

[70s sainter]

Isn't it only for kids who traditionally wouldn't play afl?
The afl website says Asian and African kids. Therefore your kids from English speaking backgrounds don't apply .
I'd say our region doesn't have many kids from these backgrounds.
On the other hand , who got Dandenong and noble park ?
Also the outer western suburbs.

Pretty sure you don't get dibs on the next gun coming thru footy juniors.

 

[CHBench]

I would've thought that it's reasonable to assume that the further you travel from the CBD, the less likely you'd be to find minority groups. Therefore having a bigger outer area may not actually be better.

The Mornington Peninsula would be a terrible catchment for footy talent of culturally diverse backgrounds.

Our allocated zone is good, but those exclusive NT zones are gonna benefit massively.

 

[Greg1853]

Not sure what the qualifier is for having a "diverse background", but I anticipate that a fair bit of this would be targetted at kids of an African background. Think Melbourne is on a winner with Dandenong. Obviously not many African kids reside alongside the bayside, but what about the Frankston area. That is a genuine question, as I would only be guessing.

 

[dewah07]

major downside to this is could make VIC teams put pressure on tac cup teams to play 5 sudanese kids who can't even play right for a chance they develop and make the level of play go down or cost potential kids spots in the squads

 

[Gangnam Saint]

Expect it to be expanded once the academies are in place.
It's the first step in a bigger program.
Going to be difficult to expand territory once these academy zones are established and the money is spent.

 

[Phoenix_9]

So I was correct when I read that it was only players from diverse backgrounds? If so it will hardly have an impact IMO. We might get one gem every 3-4 years.

 

[RoundCubic]

The issue I have is that the NT like the Riverina is full of unrealised talent getting lost before the TAC cup point so it will yeld huge results once up and running.
I understand the saints feeling its a win for us in further locating us in the bayside community and that its cost effective and that it gives our players a greater chance to engage with the local community but NT Academies will start pumping out star mids after 3-5 years.
We should push for a full New Zealand academy so we can at least produce some talls.
Also I think Tas is going to go to North

 

[Enclosed_Animal]

Personally, I am holding off judgement on this until I see detail.

That said, below is a list of Sandy Dragons on an AFL lists as of 2015. To make it easier to see at a glance, I have arranged them into categories.

Now I am sure people will disagree with the categories, but I am simply trying to give a very superficial sense of the football talent produced in our ‘zone’ each year.

My quick impression is that (over the last decade or so) there is at approximately 1 gun junior produced from the region a year, and 1 or 2 more who will have an AFL career to some extent.

Oh and Dewah will be happy when he looks at the bottom of the list where I put Vic Metro squad members from 2015.

Anyway, I just wanted to give some context for those who have already jumped to a conclusion. Once again, I reserve my thoughts until I see how recruiting and access will work.


Top shelf talent

Josh Kennedy (Sydney version)
Tom Hawkins
Jobe Watson*
Ted Richards
Jack Gunston
Max Gawn
Jack Watts
Josh Kelly
Zach Merrett
Angus Brayshaw

Strong Potential

Nathan Freeman (only Saint)
Tom Lynch (our old one)
Tom Langdon
Tom Nicholls
Jack Frost
Christian Salem
Ed Langdon
James Stewart
Sam Frost
Fletcher Roberts

GOP

Matt Thomas
Ben Jacobs
Taylor Hunt
Chris Dawes
Jackson Paine
Tyrone Vickery
Robert Warnock
Jarryd Lyons

Not sure

Brayden Maynard
Jayden Hunt
Sean McLaren
Liam Sumner
Luke Lowden
Kurt Heatherley
Karl Amon
Harry Dear
Ed Vickers-Willis
Josh Clayton
Will Fordham
Alex Woodward
Xavier Richards
Michael Manteit

From the Vic Metro Squad 2015

Harley BALIC

Jordan MATERA
Andrew TASHEVSKI-BECKWITH
Thomas CAMERON
Dylan ATKINS
Jack SCRIMSHAW
Goy LOK

 

[NarrowMind]

Will be interesting what the club has to say

My thoughts exactly.
I'm interested in hearing how much input we actually had in the boundaries provided.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Expect it to be expanded once the academies are in place.
It's the first step in a bigger program.
Going to be difficult to expand territory once these academy zones are established and the money is spent.

Genuinely hope not and it isn't expanded to all kids. Just breeds inequality and pot luck.

 

[Tommy Wigs]

Not sure how legit, but ...

 

[CHBench]

So boarding in private schools counts as in the zone? Good for us

I knew it would be exploited by the big clubs, but didn't think it would be that quick!

 

[maanco]

Geelong Would be Laughing with how the map is set out they have well over half of the NT's Talent.

 

[TradeDraft]

interesting to see the visual mapping on the AFL website. Physically we get a small slice of the pie, but I suppose the population density of this area is much more than say Hawthorn..

The fact is, it has the chance to throw out equality in the AFL System, however it is just going to be another case of who has the most money and resources to make the most of this opportunity. Regardless of where each club is allocated, the powerful and resourceful will find a way to get the upperhand from this and we have to be at the top end of this resourcefulness for it to work in our favour.

You might get a Bit of Tassie

 

[TradeDraft]

It'll kill the draft as a TV spectacle, last year took long enough with just three clubs with academies

It's for Aboriginal and Multicultural kids only

 

[Gangnam Saint]

It's for Aboriginal and Multicultural kids only

At the moment yes but that will change.

 

[sverik25]

Why is this even necessary?

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

. We might get one gem every 3-4 years.

Just like my broke arse uncle who lives in Coober Pedy

 

[Saintos The ITK]

We had all of NZ and couldn't unearth anything great. Hopefully we'll have thousands of Syrians to choose from soon with our new zone.