Father / son rule hypothetical

[mickmartino]

If this has been discussed previously, fair enough. But just curious as to others viewpoint in relation to the following hypothetical. I'm dressing it up a bit to sound remotely plausible.

• Good-ordinary player coming through the Under 18 ranks, however from a broken home, legally emancipates from his parents
• Coach of the Under 18 team strikes a good relationship with the youngster. The youngster moves in with the coach and his family and is formally adopted, takes the family name. With a strong support structure around him, develops into a top 5 draft chance
• Coach happened to be a club champion for an AFL club playing 250 games

Essentially I'm trying to set up a situation where the kid wasn't adopted for the purpose of the father/son pick, but for his own benefit as a person. Legally (with my legal training obtained from big footy) I don't see this as any different to say the kid being adopted from birth by an ex AFL and then being drafted under father/son that way. It isn't unprecedented, although there is no father/son rule in the EPL, Ian Wright (ex Arsenal) has two sons running around plying their trade, one Shaun Wright-Phillips for Chelsea being adopted and Bradley Wright-Phillips plying his trade in the Championship and the natural son.

The only ruling I could find on the AFL website in relation to the father/son rule is as follows;

Father/son rule:
Sons of former AFL players can play with the same club their father played or officiated with under the father/son rule. The main eligibility requirement is that the son’s father must have played 100 games for that club. The rule is designed to continue the traditions of association that a family has with a particular club.

West Australian and South Australian AFL teams have a modified father/son rule in place relating to games played in the WAFL or SANFL. This potentially gives the four “new” AFL teams a similar chance to unearth father/son players, noting that it will be some years before genuine father/sons of those AFL clubs will appear as prospects through the natural course of time.



Curious as to peoples thoughts as the AFL blurb above doesn't specifically state blood father, conversely, if a ruling has been made by the AFL, kindly advise.

 

[Butane]

What about this scenario. Cooney's G/F has a daughter, who is not his. But they live together and he is the 'father' of the child. But what if it was a boy and good at footy? Would he still be eligible under the F/S? Even though technically don't share any genes.

Could AFL players pull a Madonna and adopt from Africa and raise them and they be eligible?

 

[Tas]

What about this scenario. Cooney's G/F has a daughter, who is not his. But they live together and he is the 'father' of the child. But what if it was a boy and good at footy? Would he still be eligible under the F/S? Even though technically don't share any genes.

Could AFL players pull a Madonna and adopt from Africa and raise them and they be eligible?

Currently there is no dna testing involved in father/son so adopted and illegitimate children are eligible. I don't know about de-facto relationships.

 

[jimmy35]

Beauty boys , you're opening up another gray area for the AFL .

 

[Dyslexic Emo]

what about a clone? as the father/son rule wouldn't apply, would the clone adopt the stats of the player whence it came from and just continue on from where he left of....would he go straight intop the draft or be able to re-contracted to the club he was last at? would the good/bad record the previous player had at the tribunal aplly to the clone? should a team be able to have more than 1 clone of the same person?
Eat that Demetripoo

 

[Furn]

What baout this one

Shane tuck doesnt resign with Richmond then goes in the Draft .Could Hawthorn pick him up as an F/S for a second time.

 

[mickmartino]

I like where you guys are taking this!! I started the post seriously, but must admit have got a couple of chuckles out of it.

What if two g*ay AFL players hooked up, adopted/surrogate kid, whatever, then turned out to be a good player?


Also, wouldn't Carlton be shattered if the milkman at the Kruetzner household circa 1989 happened to be a top ex AFL player. Hutchi.., you should be muckracking these details!!! Actually, please don't.

 

[GoOsH1]

what about this one, any hot prospects each year in WA are given up for adoption to an eligible ex player from the kids favourite club, eagles or dockers. Sounds like a plan to me

 

[DarwinRoo]

What about this scenario. Cooney's G/F has a daughter, who is not his. But they live together and he is the 'father' of the child. But what if it was a boy and good at footy? Would he still be eligible under the F/S? Even though technically don't share any genes.

Could AFL players pull a Madonna and adopt from Africa and raise them and they be eligible?

Bloody oath he should be. If Cooney has raised that kid and the kid sees Cooney as his father then yes im all for the child to be eligible under the F/S rule.

Just because your a sperm donor doesnt make you a father.

 

[Dyslexic Emo]

Just because your a sperm donor doesnt make you a father.

And just because your a father doesn't mean your a sperm donor