Rumour Bailey Smith avoids being drafted interstate by way of medical reason

[radiojake]

The AFL could've got FIGJAM Buckley and Jason McCartney to do the investigation, they have experience with informing clubs prior to a draft that they don't want to be selected apart from their destination club.

With contribution from Brett Chalmers

 

[Sentinel]

A forum on big footy that presents the accurate facts, you say?

My favourite was the guy who diagnosed him as being on the spectrum

 

[76woodenspooners]

IMO if you claim a medical condition that prevents you from moving interstate that should forfeit your right to enter the draft, since its entire premise is based on participants agreeing to go wherever drafted.

It would open up a can of worms with the AFL being sued for discrimination on the basis of mental health.

The case would centre on whether the mental health issue would impede the player’s ability to perform their role ...

... and whilst you suggest (quite reasonably) that the entire premise of the draft is a player’s ability to relocate wherever they are drafted, therefore if they can’t relocate then they can’t perform their role ...

... I’m not a lawyer, but I reckon the law would unlikely see it that way because we live in a society that is striving to be inclusive irrespective of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability ... and likely a mental health condition that precludes someone from relocating.

There would be plenty of mental health advocacy organisations who would love to see a high profile case like this prosecuted against the AFL because of the huge publicity it would bring to their cause.

And even in the unlikely event that the AFL won, it could very well be a Public Relations disaster for them.

 

[cherrypie]

Lots of judgement on a 17 year old who we have no idea about. For starters, this might not even be true and we have no idea what his life is like if it is.

Feel free to attack him later but it's a bit stupid to start bagging a kid for a rumour with 0 sources and facts.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

My favourite was the guy who diagnosed him as being on the spectrum

On that we agree.

You can know anyone offering a diagnosis regarding someone they dont know is in no way qualified. No one who is would dream of doing that.

It's slanderous.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Bag the kid all you like but his plan worked and I’m sure he’s over the moon about it. It does set an interesting precedent if true though.

 

[JackFlash]

Mental health is an astronomically vast and complex issue with wildly varying degrees of severity. Just being an AFL footy fan will drive you insane depending on who you barrack for, if you're lucky enough to have generalised anxiety/PTSD/phobia/obsessive compulsive disorder then a doctor's certificate will do the trick come draft day!

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

that’s the issue though. There should not be any risk involved at all. These guys are supposed to be professional athletes and they’re earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, plus they get to remain in their home country. If they were playing any other elite sport in the world they would likely be living in a different country by the age of 16 - 18. If you can’t handle living a 2-3 hour flight away from home while earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year playing at the highest level of your chosen sport, then don’t sign up for the AFL, play VFL or whatever state league is closest to you.

It’s not ‘good’ that they’re being honest about not wanting to move interstate. It shouldn’t be happening at all.

This is not the EPL or whatever else, living internationally is never a consideration for an aspiring AFL footballer.

Surely a young man is within his rights to say "I'd rather live in my home state".
It's really not that outrageous, especially considering there's quite a lot of players who are equally ok with going wherever they get drafted.

And let's be honest, players have more issue with being sent to rabble clubs than to any specific state.

 

[SnusCG]

This is not the EPL or whatever else, living internationally is never a consideration for an aspiring AFL footballer.

Surely a young man is within his rights to say "I'd rather live in my home state".
It's really not that outrageous, especially considering there's quite a lot of players who are equally ok with going wherever they get drafted.

And let's be honest, players have more issue with being sent to rabble clubs than to any specific state.

They’re signing up for a national level competition. If they’re so desperate to stay in their home states, play state level football.

It’s easy to say ‘why is that so outrageous’ when the system benefits your club.

 

[1990crow]

They’re signing up for a national level competition. If they’re so desperate to stay in their home states, play state level football.

It’s easy to say ‘why is that so outrageous’ when the system benefits your club.

Exactly. Who’s to say the Dogs didn’t suggest it? Who knows.
If you’re not prepared to travel don’t sign up.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

They’re signing up for a national level competition. If they’re so desperate to stay in their home states, play state level football.

It’s easy to say ‘why is that so outrageous’ when the system benefits your club.

The system benefits clubs that are desirable.

How many Victorian kids request trades home from West Coast, Sydney or even Brisbane these days?

 

[La Dispute]

They’re signing up for a national level competition. If they’re so desperate to stay in their home states, play state level football.

It’s easy to say ‘why is that so outrageous’ when the system benefits your club.

And what is the benefit for Gold Coast in taking players who don’t want to be there? The player will just leave in two years, leaving Gold Coast to get whatever they can for them, which is almost always less than they paid for the player initially.

At least if the player lets the club know “I’d prefer not to go interstate” there’s some buyer beware with the selection, and young players won’t have to go to extreme lengths like obtaining poxy medical certificates to signal they don’t want to leave their state. That doesn’t help the situation.

Gold Coast would be best focused on building their academy and screening players they believe are much more likely to stay, factoring in intangibles the way Brisbane have to make it easier for players to stay. In this particular draft crop I have no idea why they didn’t take Max King at 3 given they were always go to take Ben at 6.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Can't wait to see the plethora of medical certificates produced at the next draft. I bet Adelaide and Port Adelaide are kicking themselves they didn't think of it themselves.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Confirmed shit bloke...

View attachment 588134

I'm sure Lin Jong wouldn't be too rapt about this.

Stringer 2.0. He even looks like him.

 

[raymond35]

As a parent of a gifted athlete i'm not sure i'd be ready to let him leave the state when he was 17, especially with all the shit footballers are into now days (drug culture).

What sport is he good at Frank?

 

[Taylor]

Why is that? Many people with mental health issues are able to forge successful careers.

Most of the players who have mental health issues at AFL level aren't at their peak again from what I've seen. The game demands too much.

 

[Stan8888]

So does anyone actually have any facts here or we all just jumping on the back of a 17 year old kid without actually confirming what he may/may not have done or his reasons why?

It's Bigfooty what do you think.

 

[chargers 09]

Wouldn’t clubs prefer this? At least this way the interstate teams don’t have to worry about interviewing him- or worse leaving 2 years down the track after sending time, money and resources on developing the kid.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gcsunsfc]

Don't think Baileys in this camp but I'm sure there are hundreds of examples of kids who haven't wanted to move but did so because they were drafted elsewhere, and then loved it and made their own life in their new state.

For example Seb Tape stayed around the GC after he got delisted
Matt Shaw went to Carlton after he got delisted from the suns, got delisted Carlton and is coming back to live on the coast because he loves it up here.

 

[carnaroys08]

Low level racism, but still racism.

Bit like saying "low level pregnancy" imo. Is it not simply racist, the way your attempted mitigation of it *appears to be?

 

[Topkent]

If his mental health is that fragile he's probably chosen the wrong career.

Can't wait for the doctors note asking for no negative media about his performances

 

[bomberclifford]

All these people complaining he got a medical certificate to avoid moving interstate yet I bet all of these posters got on the piss , then went to the doctor the next day to get a certifcate to cover there arse for a solid sleep in at home.
But that’s different??

Wtf? Clearly it’s different.

 

[RUNVS]

Ha ha. I went to the doctor and asked him for a certificate after watching Melbourne play in the P/F. Thought I was hallucinating. Bailey will get comfort from the knowledge that no matter how bad his performances are, it could always be worse. He could play for Melbourne.

Melbourne is a better team than the Western Bulldogs at the moment? Also, what team Topkent supports is hardly relevant to the discussion.

 

[Off The Couch]

Not sure why Doggie posters are being so defensive. The topic is more around the use of using a medical certificate in a national draft rather than the player himself - well at least that’s what I think the topic is

 

[estibador]

Not sure why Doggie posters are being so defensive. The topic is more around the use of using a medical certificate in a national draft rather than the player himself - well at least that’s what I think the topic is

It's an interesting insight into the psychology of footy supporters though. They haven't even had time to form any sort of attachment to him yet but instantly jump in to defend him to the death anyway.

No doubt if he'd gone to a different club Doggies supporters would be saying the same things in here as everyone else (and another club's supporters would be getting defensive instead).