The rookie benfti list one step closer to reality

So Mifsud reckons that less indigenous kids getting drafted is a good thing because it means less indigenous kids are going home early. That right there is a masterful bit of spin.
sounds like AFL spin.

The AFL works to increase the power and importance of the people associated with the AFL. They pay lip service to indiginous issues in the same way as they pay lip service to women’s issues.
They are interested in indiginous players if they can beat their chest about it and say look at us look at us aren’t we doing great things.
Events like what happened to Jurrah cause them embarrassment and and the “nothing to do with us” response. They take no responsibility for anything. They are the original Teflon organisation.

FWIW I think your zone idea is a great idea Benfiti. It will help with some of the problem at least and make clubs more active. It also helps keep kids from the same area together.

That excuses just about any unfairness in any system for any reason, Diggs.

Nor is it (entirely) about the clubs. It’s their decision not to take a big gamble. And if the system as it stands forces all these kids to be a massive gamble, this isn’t going to improve.

Do you think we’re currently finding the outback kids who are able to make it?

It should be the situation that a kid from bumfuck nowhere, NT only has to put in as much desire & work as his counterpart from Melbourne or Perth. It’s clearly not. It probably won’t ever be. But we should be trying to make it as close a gap as possible.

Put this in context that the AFL spend millions each and every year taking a few dozen filthy rich coaches and executives and a few journoes on a nice junket to the Super Bowl and a few NBA games. Which then allows them to discover such closet guarded secrets as “they play it at night” and “they have pre-game entertainment” and “they have big training facilities”. Money well spent.

We’re spending millions on getting Irishmen and now Yanks over here. Let alone the tens of millions sunk into QLD and NSW footy. The only money issue is what to do with it all.

But they cut a measly $50k of funding to broadcast top end footy across the top end. Pocket change. They apparently don’t give a flyer about footy in the NT, witness the falling standards of the NT sides in the U18s. And less and less top end kids getting drafted.
I can’t imagine how it feels for a talented, dedicated kid running around up there to have your name crossed off because your folks couldn’t travel hundreds of kms for under 14s rep footy three times a week - but I can’t imagine it would engender hope and encourage your dedication. I’d probably take it as a kick in the nads.

The top end could do with a few of those shekels. Make it easier for kids to get to rep footy and prove themselves capable of stepping up the grade - and hence a better candidate for clubs to draft. And a few rule changes to make it easier for clubs to look at these kids would help. Don’t mind the zone idea at all. Helps redress the imbalance the NSW/QLD clubs now have, too.

I’m really hoping that article makes the AFL consider the zone idea

And why do we think that because a player kicks 5 + gathers 38 possessions that he wants to play down south?

That one does, he has moved of Tiwi and into boarding school to convince people.

I do wonder if the AFL saw that article. I had a few responses from a couple of club recruiters who where very supportive of the idea, I hope it finds its way up the tree.

He’s talking about clint Dempsey. Defiler or referee note books.

Could they get an indigenous team in the VFL. A pathway that also gives them a support network
The NT Thunder senior team should have been put into the SANFL and not the NEAFL, they are to good for the NEAFL and the SANFL would have been better development.
Most down here wanted that years ago, think it got close a couple of years ago but nothing eventuated due to cost. The AFL have cut their spending and the SANFL simply doesnt have the funds. If the AFL were prepared to fund the flights all SANFL clubs would jump at the opportunity
Having a remote rookie list/scholarship scheme is the way to go.

And I agree with Ben again ( fark is wrong with me lately, I also agreed with JBomber and Windy Dill the other day) that we would be blessed to get the Tiwi Islands. When I lived in Darwin I would go there for there GF and the talent level was breathtaking. Also happened to be a brilliant day

Who did you play for in the NT, Nick?

Southern Districts (Ressies). Was there when Richard Tambling was at the club and my god was he talented. Played on Froggy in a pre season game in which I had a 5 metre start on a ball a metre in front of me and got beaten to it by 4 metres.

Tiwi were not in the league at the time.

Having a remote rookie list/scholarship scheme is the way to go.

And I agree with Ben again ( fark is wrong with me lately, I also agreed with JBomber and Windy Dill the other day) that we would be blessed to get the Tiwi Islands. When I lived in Darwin I would go there for there GF and the talent level was breathtaking. Also happened to be a brilliant day

Cool story bro, take it to the Dempsey thread

Dempsey wont be playing AFL much more, he is past his best and other have taken over him

Who?

Gleeson, Dalgleish and Ashby would do an equal job right now and will only get better.

The man bolded as I stated 6 months ago will surpass him by years end

Dempsey wont be playing AFL much more, he is past his best and other have taken over him

Who?

Dempsey wont be playing AFL much more, he is past his best and other have taken over him

And how is this related to this thread?

Dempsey wont be playing AFL much more, he is past his best and other have taken over him

I mean every player who wants to play in the AFL sign their lives and rights over, regardless.
That the problem, the AFL has to take everything over and own and control it.

Creativity is a spirit and needs to be free.

Footy isn’t, and won’t ever be, an individual sport.

Unless you’re Brendan Fevola of the Yarrawonga Pigeons.

Or me*

*I was hopeless

I mean every player who wants to play in the AFL sign their lives and rights over, regardless.
That the problem, the AFL has to take everything over and own and control it.

Creativity is a spirit and needs to be free.

Footy isn’t, and won’t ever be, an individual sport.

Unless you’re Brendan Fevola of the Yarrawonga Pigeons.

I mean every player who wants to play in the AFL sign their lives and rights over, regardless.
That the problem, the AFL has to take everything over and own and control it.

Creativity is a spirit and needs to be free.

Footy isn’t, and won’t ever be, an individual sport.

Thanks for that Ben. Fascinating reading.

Clubs aren’t m.a.d.

They could quadruple the current spend and it wouldn’t guarantee a better result.

If you’re good enough in all the required areas including desire, you’ll make it. Regardless of ethnicity.

And why do we think that because a player kicks 5 + gathers 38 possessions that he wants to play down south?

Think an assumption is being made that every talented indigenous player from remote communities want to play AFL - Many choose not to play footy professionally - And a good number of these talented indigenous players end up in footy pathways that are combined with education.