Do you think if you really tried hard enough, you could make it to the AFL?

[Power Raid]

Played state soccer and made the Oz unders. So comfortable with the foot skills, the physical (tackles, bumps and aggression/ commitment) and could run all day.

Where I’d struggle is above my head marking, being only 178cm and a poor leap.

On balance I’d say no and the career wasn’t that attractive at the time I’d have had to have committed.

But how cool would it have been playing against Platten, Bradley, Kernaghan.....until you bumped into Lockett

 

[undefined]

Definitely. 6'4", naturally athletic and I'm still a better kick than 90% of AFL-listed players.

Thing is, us Adelaide-based solicitors earn quite a bit above the mean player salary, without having to make nearly as many personal sacrifices. In hindsight, I'm very much content with my decision to accept a bursary to study an LLB rather than nominate for the draft.

 

[Knox Harrington]

I'm 163cm. So hard hard no.
Still play a grade cricket at 40 however.

 

[MadMundy]

I wouldn't even make the state league, when I played back in Year 6 I was extremely unfit, overweight and had no skill whatsoever, I was terrible. Fast forward 7 years forward, I'm a lot fitter, I lost a lot of puppy fat and put on muscle, but I still wouldn't have the skill.

 

[the dark knight]

Realistically No. Not a hope in hell. Despite it being my dream, I'm a fairly rubbish player.

 

[Do the Dew]

for the money it pays being an AFL player just isn't worth it. These blokes are seriously some of the fittest athletes in the world. Most positions now require an amazing aerobic capacity. Then you need to put on a decent amount of muscle to stand the bumps and high speed collisions. And honestly unless you are insanely quick with great skills you arent going to make it if youre under 6"0. Then theres life after footy where your body is crippled from so many injuries and surgeries. Stuff that.

If I had children I would point them towards tennis, golf or soccer. What I love about the idea of playing soccer is that you can be as short as Hazard or Messi and still make it. And if you don't reach the highest level you can still play in many other leagues will you will earn a great income compared to AFL. All of these sports still earn a decent income if your child is a girl too. The women in AFLW have buckleys chance of earning the same amount as men. As a spectacle women playing aussie rules just pales in comparison to the mens league. Just like the WNBA ill be very surprised if it ever takes off no matter how much promotion and generations of participation go into it

One of the hardest sports to make professionally - especially if you're a guy. Top 100 in the world do well and top 50 do extremely well. Outside of that, you struggle to break even and tend to go backwards fast. Also, one bad injury and that's it. You have no contract and don't get paid sitting on the sidelines, unlike in a team sport.

For comparison, let's say that the top 30 on each AFL list makes decent money = 540 players, and pretty much all of them Australian with barely any people from overseas fighting for a spot on the list. Compared to tennis (or golf for that matter), it's far far easier to make it professionally as a footy player, even easier if you are well over 6ft and have a "basketball" background lol - obviously it's still damn hard, but just easier comparatively.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Yeah but back in the early 90's when you didn't need to run and could punch darts in the huddle.

 

[ash_1050]

178cms and while I enjoyed playing footy and had flashes of brilliance I was never able to string together anything you'd call really talented. So definitely not.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

As for losing a couple of years, they probably make some of it back at the back end of their career as their bodies have had two less years of full time training and hammering.

That's optimistic thinking.

 

[WillHayward]

If the AFL had half a brain they’d make the draft age 20.

Better players, more easily rated, more mature, happier, more well-rounded after perhaps some work or study.

A valid idea
Just watching the Dogs tonight

Sweet
Keath
Roarke Smith
Hayes

Certainly plenty of blokes out there that come good at 20 +

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Could Sweet make his senior debut this season?

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Sweet
Keath

Also, nice of you to say that about Keath.

 

[Boomerfan99]

Definitely. 6'4", naturally athletic and I'm still a better kick than 90% of AFL-listed players.

Thing is, us Adelaide-based solicitors earn quite a bit above the mean player salary, without having to make nearly as many personal sacrifices. In hindsight, I'm very much content with my decision to accept a bursary to study an LLB rather than nominate for the draft.

Do your mates call you FIGJAM?

 

[undefined]

Do your mates call you FIGJAM?

Nah, they call me Horse.

 

[HardcoreGeelongFan]

I personally think I could take on 5 African American gentlemen. Not all fit & agile or I would be overwhelmed. One or two would have to be fat like the Huell guy from breaking bad. My punches would land less blows but they would tire easy. It's a balance of not having to take all 5 on at once.

 

[Cdog71]

No chance.

I remember reading something like the amount of players at afl clubs is less than 4% of all the open age footy nationally.
And of those you only got a 15% chance of 100 games or something like that

 

[mightypowerrrr]

100%.
I am a mixture of Harry Sheezel, Nick Daicos and Jason Horne-Francis

#getthisthreadgoingagain

 

[1980GFVideo]

if I spent all my time focusing on playing football I still wouldn't get close.

Sporting ability took a real wide berth around me.

I am honest about myself however so that is ONE good thing isn't it.

 

[BF Tiger]

this true scenario pertains to cricket,not just AFL as i was a much better cricketer,it sums up why i never made it...16 years of age...January 24th 1984 and im opening the bowling for University C.C. Dowling shield
its a hot & humid day, about 30C, i think we were playing Fitzroy( Shane Warne is in our team by the way) & ive got tickets to go see Robert Plant
live at the Entertainment Centre that night ...well about 5 overs in from me i realise this is gonna be a long frickin day,i dont wanna be knackered for the concert so i feigned back soreness,my coach saw right thru it & he let my parents know he was most dissappointed...geez did i feel bad leaving the ground that day...the concert was just ok but i wouldnt of made it if id kept bowling.
Once whilst training with the senior squad in Suburban footy(i was abt 19) i went up to the coach and let him know i had to cut it short as i was going to see ZZ Top at Olympic Park ,he responded with"you need to sort out your priorities son & quickly"..i took his advice on board and scooted off to the concert realising A grade footy wasnt going to be my bag,what with not being able to hit the clubs on friday nights it was never gonna pan out

You made the right choices.

 

[BF Tiger]

I'd never make it. But I think it would be interesting to see how much improvement chumps like me could gain if they spent 12 months in a professional environment with proper assessments, strength and conditioning training programs, dietary advice, physio/medical and skills coaching.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Signed with Collingwood at 15. Vividly remember the legendary Collingwood recruiter Ronnie Mitchell sitting at our kitchen table. At 6.4 and being a sub 11 100m runner and sub 48 second 400m runner at 17 I was in a good position. Was doing brilliantly in the Collier and Rose squads when I shattered my arm with significant nerve damage. It was the arm that was shattered as a kid due to historical abuse. Didn’t play again till I was 32 where I came back and ended up captaining a flag. I often wonder would could have been.

 

[Vindicater]

I thought I was going to make it when I was under 13s as was one of the best players wherever I played (school or club)

Then puberty hit and I grew up but not outwards and I quickly came to the pack when the bigger bodied boys monstered me.

 

[RUNVS]

I am 175cm and in my 20's I was under 65kg. Can't kick, can't mark and I don't have a tank. I was actually surprised North Melbourne didn't offer me a contract.

 

[boncer34]

I thought I was a real shot until Joel Selwood had about 40 touches in a half in the U15s when I was meant to be "tagging" him.

 

[RAPPA]

I look at Lachie Schultz, and then look at my gut in the mirror, and think “yep, I can do what he does”