In recent years, top two have hosted qualifying finals. All other finals are at Port, Grand Final at Etihad.
That’s depth.
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Having watched the replay I liked Longy’s moxie (apparently Spunk is filtered)
Answered your own question there
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Not being up with how all this works , Can this happen if he missed out in the draft ?
No.
He has no opportunity until someone drafts him in November.
Thank you…that is what I thought
Ok. I never know how that stuff works. But there must be a way to get rookie listed - those guys weren’t born on the rookie list were they? (Smack excepted, obviously)
Rookie draft, unless they’re a category b.
A mid-season draft would be a good initiative for state league and mature-age recruits. Maybe a loan type of system to help out the state/local clubs they are pulled from; and require them to be drafted at the next draft with some bidding process involved would be fair.
Would probably be difficult logistically for most of the potential draftees (especially those coming from interstate). But it would certainly bring some much needed romance back into the game.
I’d be ok with this, but I’m dead against mid-season trading
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I don’t like the idea of mid season draft
List management is an art and if clubs haven’t planned accordingly then thats too bad.
Secondly it’s harsh on the lower tier clubs who have stars or structurally important players pulled at half way mark of season which would derail their season.
In terms of AFL clubs trading amongst themselves well that may have some merit but even so still not about it.
Just another chance for bottom clubs to lose players to better sides. And really it’s all just another revenue opportunity for AFL - click bait/tv rights/sponsors = executive bonuses
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I’m with @Speedy_Gonzales here. If you really want to fix this problem, increase list sizes by 10%. But at the end of the day, clubs are responsible for how much youth versus how much depth they carry, and they’re the ones holding the can. Stuffing up lower leagues, while creating a system that can (and you know it WILL) be gamed* is silly.
'* an example of gaming. Club A doesn’t need a player. But they have their eye on a particular state player. Nab him, don’t play him but train him and play him in multiple roles at the state level. That club now has way more information about the player than any other club, and assuming there was a learning curve for the new roles may actually have decreased his cost at the draft.
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I think it asks a lot more questions than it answers.
A minimum rookie contract is about $72k pa (plus match payments). I’m not entirely sure guys will stick their hands up to possibly uproot their lives & move across country for a possible 4 month / $36k contract.
I’d be way happier if they increased the rookie list by another 2 or 4 spots, and left it open until about the start of JLT (rather than now where it all has to be done in November). There’s enough money floating around…
Lazarro got an article: I heard he’s being rushed in for the West Coast game.
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Essendon’s superiority in contests allowed it to generate a huge 74 inside-50s to Coburg’s 35. The Bombers won the contested-possession count 165-140 and clearance count 50-30, with Travis Colyer and Kobe Mutch (14 contested possessions each) and Mutch and Heath Hocking (seven clearances each) leading the way in tight.
Other stats:
- Clarke was equal second for kicks (22) across the round, Mutch (21) was fourth, Hind (19) was equal seventh.
- Clarke was 15th for handballs (16).
- Clarke and Francis were equal first for marks (11) along with two other players. Stewart (10) and Younan (9) didn’t have awesome games but were still in that top batch.
- Clarke was equal sixth for tackles (11).
- Draper was third for hit-outs (39) – though his opponent was seventh with 31.
- Younan is equal fourth on the season goal kicking list.
- Clarke is seventh for total disposals for the season – however, on averages he is first, just ahead of Bomberblitz fave Anthony Miles.
It appears Clarke is not awful.
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He hasnt picked the ball of the ground once in the last 4 years without looking like a 90 year arthritic war vet.
Draper’s opponent would have been Goodwin. He’s a monster.
I’m quite happy Drapes won the hitouts against someone with so much more experience,
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Draper looks really really good in the ruck contest. Needs to get better at pretty much everything else though.
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Have seen games where his follow up work has been really good, and he can really clunk a pack mark,
As you say, needs to get better at it, more often.