Drafting players who barrack for your team

[Yianni]

If you were considering a few players of roughly equal ability, would you be more likely to draft a kid who barracked for your team?

Do you think that this would have a noticeable difference on things such as effort, loyalty or cameraderie?

Or is sport so professional now that this would make no difference at all?

 

[Captain Sensible]

I dont think we can overestimate the importance of things like this. I would go for a kid who followed the doggies as a kid in a flash if all other things are equal.

Apart from everything else it would have certain advantages at contract time and would also help out with marketing.

 

[year of the roo]

You would like to think that it would make no difference, but they are all human after all.

Having said that, many young footballers aspiring to play in the AFL are often so committed to reaching that goal that they have very little time/effort left over to support an AFL team.

I think most kids are so desperate to play AFL that they will play anywhere, Chris Judd going to WCE (and staying there) is a prime example.

 

[Portia]

Yes, definitely. Better loyalty and better marketing.

 

[Tank]

Definitely take the player who supports your team. For the Bulldogs, Brad Johnson & Rohan Smith supported the club growing up and now they are the lifeblood of the team...they're always taking younger players under their wing and assisting the club in any way they can.

 

[Z_K]

Absolutely.

I spoke to Callum Urch earlier this year, and he was a mental Bulldog fan, and was shattered they didn't pick him up. I think you get a player and a bit extra when you recruit a kid who has supported your club.

Brad Johnson is prime example I reckon. He is always talking about his love for the Bullies, and you can tell it is not just crap that some players spin. You can see it in his footy IMO.

 

[doppo]

Depends on the kid.
Most I'd say would be happy just to get drafted and would happily play anywhere. That said, you would also get some who would be absolutely shattered being asked to play somewhere other than their supported club.

 

[Borgsta]

Originally posted by NorthBhoy
Absolutely.

I spoke to Callum Urch earlier this year, and he was a mental Bulldog fan, and was shattered they didn't pick him up. I think you get a player and a bit extra when you recruit a kid who has supported your club.

Brad Johnson is prime example I reckon. He is always talking about his love for the Bullies, and you can tell it is not just crap that some players spin. You can see it in his footy IMO.

Yep agree 100% with everything you say there. Apparently Callum was also told by the doggies that we would pick him up. Hows he doing at North? He was a good young Spotty boy

 

[Z_K]

Originally posted by Borgsta
Yep agree 100% with everything you say there. Apparently Callum was also told by the doggies that we would pick him up. Hows he doing at North? He was a good young Spotty boy

Broke into a strong Port side, played some good footy then his mates dog bit him and he was out for the last 5 weeks of the year.

Awsome kick and loves the tough stuff. Doesn't mind a scuffle either. Definate Western Suburbs boy.

Will be a good player.

 

[fugazi]

At StKilda we went for Goddard ( a Blues fanatic) ahead of Salopek a Saints fanatic...not that much separated them on paper, but Goddard was regarded as a slightly better prospect and got the nod...not much room for sentiment these days, but can't help feeling that re-signing players is easier when they are supporters.

 

[The Passenger]

I reckon you gotta go the kid who supported your team if there's one good enough available.

Just because, although guys are proffesional, someone who has supported the club from the earliest days is more likely to be putting in harder yards.......

I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of quality (not to much) if the guy we were getting was an Eagles follower.......

 

[Backatlast]

Originally posted by fugazi
At StKilda we went for Goddard ( a Blues fanatic) ahead of Salopek a Saints fanatic...not that much separated them on paper, but Goddard was regarded as a slightly better prospect and got the nod...not much room for sentiment these days, but can't help feeling that re-signing players is easier when they are supporters.

From all reports Goddard was inconsolable for about a week after missing out on going to the Blues but seems happy enough down there ow. It will be interesting to watch CFC have a crack at him at the end of 2004. Hopefully he will come across but it will cost us big time

 

[Savatage]

Originally posted by Backatlast
From all reports Goddard was inconsolable for about a week after missing out on going to the Blues but seems happy enough down there ow. It will be interesting to watch CFC have a crack at him at the end of 2004. Hopefully he will come across but it will cost us big time

He was at training the next day & was very happy. Was even singing the Saints song at the after party, the day he was drafted. Chose to have his VCE exams at 3am in the morning just so he could go to London with the team FFS.

 

[Mr Q]

I don't think its as big an issue as drafting a local. For instance Ben Cousins was supposedly a mad Geelong fan as his dad played for the Cats. However he was eligible under F/S for West Coast, Freo or Geelong and he went for the Eagles - the team that had beaten the Cats twice in GF in the previous four years.

 

[The invisible mullet]

To a great extent it depends on the kid involved. While you might barrack for a team and would love to play for them, to just play at the elite level is the achievement of a major dream anyway. If the environment is right at the Club I'd imagine most kids would want to stay. When players do seek a change though I imagine the chance of playing for the club they barracked for as a kid or the club that you have a family connection with would have great appeal.

 

[evertonfc]

Originally posted by Backatlast
From all reports Goddard was inconsolable for about a week after missing out on going to the Blues but seems happy enough down there ow. It will be interesting to watch CFC have a crack at him at the end of 2004. Hopefully he will come across but it will cost us big time

Support Carlton by any chance?