Northern Academy Farce

[WindyHangar]

Funny how the club literally the other day complained to the AFL about it so clearly they see it as an issue lolol

[Ants]

@WindyHangar

These academies are a disgrace. Only reason they exist is to ensure the game grows in NRL heartland where there is growth for the AFL. These 4 clubs are extremely unlikely to slide down the ladder while it exists

We have an academies thread already.

[James98]

This won’t go down well with the giants fan club of blitz

[Aceman]

Queensland sports fans are the biggest front runners in the country. The AFL know the Lions will be playing in front of 5k is they have poor years so they have to prop them up anyway possible

[Bully]

@ntxpress

Likely hard for you to imagine, but these, have done some great things for footy here in a Northern state.

I work at Rugby Union school, a proper big one. A few of us footy nuts have always found a way to enter school Aussie rules teams in whatever competitions we can find. In recent years, this has been in the form of the “Schools Cup.”

We have been a part of some unbelievable games of footy in this competition, and made some wonderful runs to the state finals. This has been on the back of the academy programs. I would love to claim our coaching, but the reality is we play more games than sessions done. We do, however, have anywhere from 10-15 kids each year who have been in an AFL club academy program at some stage because the local AFL team found them and brought them in. These kids help bring wins, and attract new kids to the sport who join local clubs. No longer do we need to find randoms on gameday to play who don’t know any rules. Now, the only kids playing for us who have not played much are talented athletes keen to see what it is like. It has been amazing to see.

3/4 kids will play Senior footy tomorrow in my city who had not played before they turned 15.

Developmentally, I do not like the academies. They specialise early and can be a meat market. But they are not a farce in a competition that could be described as a farce. Until you live in these places, you can not appreciate what they do for the sport.

Interesting, where are you located? You hear footy is booming in Queensland, but i never know if it’s true or a bit of afl propoganda.

[handypoint]

@WindyHangar

Look at Sydney Swans. ‘Bloods Culture’. Their 4 best players Warner, Gulden, Heeney and Blakey. All will be All Aus and the 3 latter are Academy prospects. 1.5 games clear on top they aren’t even in the top 8 without their academy rubbish

We could have bid on Gulden with one of our 3 first rounds. Might not have even been playing AFL without the Sydney academy, same with Heeney.

Blakey is the one perhaps, but even then he was eligible father son to both North and Brisbane.

[WindyHangar]

So we’re all good with Swans being clear premiership favourites purely because of their academy?

[wimmera1]

@WindyHangar

Bringing it up because I don’t know how you expect clubs like Norf to climb ladder when

Don’t threaten me with a good time.

[tinhillterror]

Northern Academy Farce™

Sounds like a good name for an expansion club.

[simmo41]

@Odoyle

@WindyHangar

Only reason they exist is to ensure the game grows in NRL heartland where there is growth for the AFL.

This is correct, I’d say the AFL would admit that……so, close thread?

by growth, its specifically to grow the talent pool

vic has the talent league, sa has the sanfl, wa has the wafl. so ample opportunity for youngsters to develop their craft

senior leagues in nsw qld and act are garbage so youngsters in those states need somewhere else to develop their craft which doesn’t involve a scholarship at an aps boarding school

afl need the clubs to be invested in the development of local talent otherwise why would they care. so priority access is that incentive

[simmo41]

@WindyHangar

So we’re all good with Swans being clear premiership favourites purely because of their academy?

players aren’t brownlow standard on the day they turn up to a club, and they don’t just randomly evolve like pokemon.

sydneys development coaching is pretty comfortably the best in the league, maybe just ahead of geelong

[JBaller92]

I love that the academy’s are growing the game and turning out elite kids.

I simply loathe the fact Sydney and Brisbane get the same access as the expansion teams. They get to double dip with F/S access which is just infuriating.
Once there is a generation of F/S prospects for the expansion clubs, every team should get a level playing field to draft from

[WindyHangar]

Um that is a small reason. Major reason is for them to help the club to be successful to retain and generate supporters which equal $

[WindyHangar]

Um so in 2014 Swans make GF and get Isaac Heeney who was top 3 player in that draft. Makes sense

[WindyHangar]

I believe there should be no Academies, FS, Priority picks, compensation picks. Just leave the draft open.

Look last night. Daicos x2, Moore, Quaynor, JUH, Darcy.
Yes I could not care about Norf, but seriously them not having access to any of N Daicos, W Ashcroft, J Walter etc is a disgrace and while it’s funny to laugh at them, it is pretty ordinary.

[jack_mack50]

@WindyHangar is on one

[WindyHangar]

Haha. I think people are naive in not realising how big an impact these mickey mouse rules have on the league

[Odoyle]

I think youre naive to think that your version of fairness is the number one priority.

The AFL cares about the growth of the sport, that’s all.

[Saucy]

Sydney haven’t won a GF since 2012.
Brisbane haven’t won a GF since 2003.
GWS are yet to win a GF.
GC have never played finals.

It really doesn’t have the impact people think.

It’s good for the game. I would love to see Sydney with all NSW players one day.

[WindyHangar]

Exactly and it’s ridiculous when they operate at millions of dollars loss and get advantages. That is why many big clubs are standing up to the AFL at the moment.